Since first opening their doors in 2002 they have been a fantastic voyage of discovery and an evolution of innovative cooking. Located in the heart of the old town, Chef Patron Laurie Gear, together with Head Chef Chris Chegwin, and a loyal and dedicated team, strive to offer the very best neighbourhood dining experience.
Artichoke offers inventive and refined modern European cuisine with a strong emphasis on seasonality. Working closely with high quality artisan producers and local craftsman, helping to tie together their strong ethos, Artichoke has received many awards and accolades for its seasonally changing menus, matched with impeccable service.
Not only does this talented team offer a truly exceptional dining out experience in their award-winning restaurant, they also offer a Michelin-starred dining experience in the comfort of your own home or workplace to bring style and theatre to your dining table. For those seeking an exquisite alternative, whether you are planning a grand celebration, an intimate soirée with friends, or a sophisticated corporate event, this is an experinece that your guests will never forget!
Meet Manager & Head Sommelier, Valentin...
Tell us a bit about you and the Restaurant :
The Artichoke is situated in a Grade 2 listed building, in the historical town of Amersham, Buckinghamshire. The building used to be the Grammar School until it has moved to the new Town of Amersham on the Hill. Created by Mrs Jacqueline and Mr Laurie Gear (who is the Chef-Patron), it was initially a gastronomic restaurant, and they gained a Michelin star in 2019, renewed every year since then.
I started as Assistant Manager – Head Sommelier in 2021. My role at the artichoke is to overlook the drinks selection as well as pairings, but also cost control and budgets/accounts.
As I am French, I try to bring our philosophy as the UK is extremely late on this part :
- Reuse as many products as we can
- Use local producers with fresh products
- Analysing our clientele to answer the demand : wine list is focused on value for money.
As people know the price but not the value, it is important to me that I bring this experience to the guests : you do not need to pay for an extremely expensive wine to have a great wine.
Glassware, temperatures and preparations are a very important part to enhance the experience and bring and enticing conversation as to why things are best enjoyed a certain way.
What REAL drinks do you serve:
We serve Peony Blush and Dry Dragon.
They are our favourite and are also implemented in our soft drink pairing. Having visited the warehouse and met with Guillermo, this has allowed us to get a lot of new ideas to work with the products.
The Peony Blush is served with our red fruits desserts, when the Dry Dragon pairs beautifully with our Monkfish and its smoked sauce.
They are part of our showcase along with seasonal mocktails, prepared in house.
What are your thoughts on the non alc space?
Being French, the drinks, whether there is alcohol or not, have always used a large space in our gastronomy. We are very big fans of fruits juices, syrups, etc… When you usually go in a bar, you will find a wide selection of juices and syrups to your liking.
Working inn a Michelin environment, the goal is to enhance that experience, with specially catered drinks, allowing the guests to choose to please themselves, without being “forced” to drink alcohol. This also helps a lot with the trend and the sales.
It is a matter of finding a balance between what you drink and what you eat, always making sure the guests is comfortable.
In France, we aim at working with local, small producers that are passionate with what they do and work with an outstanding savoir-faire.
I am extremely happy to showcase this kind of products from the UK, in the UK.
What are you passionate about ?
I am passionate about many things.
I was born on a property in Provence where we have over 600 olive trees, we used to have a vineyard, we have a guest house and guest table.
I grew up raising cattle, vegetables, cooking, drinking, playing in the fields, helping with the estate. My father used to have one of the biggest seafood wholesale company in Nice, where he made me visit many restaurant and palaces on the Riviera.
Despite my studies in corporate management, where I specialized in accounting, cost control, finance and international business, I decided to stay within hospitality.
It is to me the most beautiful of the passions, and one of the most needed as we need to eat and drink.
This aside, I am extremely passionate about life in general, Cars, Bikes, Architecture, History, Finance, etc…
We die only once, but we can have as many lives as we live days, just enjoy the beauty of our Planet, there is no need to travel, we have everything around us already.
What is your favourite dish you serve?
My favourite dish is not served here!
It is very hard for me to choose as I eat everything.
If I had to make a choice with our current menu, our Monkfish dish and our Pigeon-Duck liver Terrine are my favourite.
What is your perfect pairing with a real drink?
My current perfect pairing with a REAL drink on our current menu is the Dry Dragon.
Our dish is a Monkfish filet, served with Cauliflower and Romanesco in textures, and a enticing smoked sauce.
The freshness and citrusy undertones of the Dry Dragon go beautifully with the dish. The citrus undertones bring complexity to the course, refresh the palate and season the cauliflower. The sparkling helps to cleanse the palate, but also bring a balance with the fatty texture of the fish.
The particular smell of the yeast fermentation reminds and enhances the taste of the smoked sauce.
Find The Artichoke
Artichoke: 9 Market Square, Old Amersham, Buckinghamshire HP7 ODF
Tel: 01494 726611
