He's the chef in charge of one of Hampshire's finest rural dining destinations, included in the 2026 Michelin Guide.
Luke Stradling, from The Woolpack Inn at Totford, talks his mum, his son and his inspiring college lecturer in our meet the chef column.
What first inspired you to become a chef?
"I had two inspirations for cooking. I always used to watch my mum cooking at home when I was a child, my first memory of cooking was when she taught me how to make a cheese sauce which she was making for a lasagne.
"My second inspiration was my college lecturer Ian Pitt. I never intended on being a chef but to work front of house instead. It was him who saw some kind of potential in me to become a chef and I'm forever grateful to him for placing me at Lainston."
What was the first meal you cooked for someone else?
"I think the first meal I ever cooked for someone else was my mum. If I remember rightly I bought some scallops from Waitrose and cooked them at home."
Tell us a bit about your career so far…?
"I started at Lainston House after my third year at college. Phil Yeomans left and approached me to go and work for him again at Marwell Hotel. I was there for five years and climbed the ranks from chef de partie to senior sous chef. I then followed him back to Lainston for another year before Covid hit. I was made redundant which I feel was probably the best thing for my career as I was ready to be a head chef I think I just needed that push to go out on my own.
"I started at The Bugle in Hamble. I was there for a year before leaving for The Woolpack where I’ve been for coming up five years now, achieving two rosettes and recently a recommended restaurant mention in the Michelin Guide which we’re very proud of."
What is your proudest career moment to date?
"Definitely having the mention in the Michelin Guide. It's a real recognition of the hard work my team put in every single day."
What is your signature dish?
"A celeriac starter. It's a dish that champions the celeriac as I think it’s a really underrated vegetable and is my favourite by far. I serve it salt baked and as puree, with torched Gruyère, pickled blackberries, Madeira Jelly then finished with grated caramelised white chocolate."
What is your favourite dish currently on your menu?
"It's a dish that’s been a bit of a staple since I started but also been reworked in different ways. It’s beetroot from the garden with whipped ewes curd, macadamia nuts and apple sorbet, it worked perfectly in all seasons in my opinion and is just a super fresh dish."
Where is your favourite place to eat in Hampshire?
"I don’t get out often enough to eat being a chef and a dad of two but there’s definitely places I’d love to try which is Restaurant AO, The Ship at Bishops Sutton, The Hanger Free House and Pulpo Negro."
What is your favourite meal to cook at home?
"Fajitas as my son absolutely loves making his own wraps and is obsessed with guacamole."
What do you like to drink with dinner?
"I do love a glass of red wine with dinner or a craft IPA."
What is your culinary guilty pleasure?
"As much as I love eating top quality food my guilty pleasure definitely has to be Nando’s."
Which key ingredient is always in your fridge?
"Butter, butter on everything, always."
What is your favourite Hampshire ingredient?
"Hampshire has a lot of top produce for me, brands like Isle of Wight for their cheeses and tomatoes and Lyburn. Hoxton Bakery products are insane, Chalk Stream for their trout, we use a lot of these products throughout the menu to champion these suppliers."
Which chef do you most admire?
"Firstly Phil Yeomans at Lainston, being my mentor for so many years yet being a dad of two I saw how well he juggled everything. Another chef I admire is Adam Byatt, from the style of his food to the relaxed vibe of Trinity. I also like how he presents himself across social media."
What’s your career ambition?
"To continue doing the food I love, local, bold classical flavours with a twist and hopefully more accolades will follow."
What do you think will be the next big restaurant trend?
"A more relaxed casual vibe in restaurants, still delivering a top quality product but with a less stuffy feel in restaurants, I found this at Trinity when I went for lunch recently, one star service but it felt relaxed.
"People are also wanting to know where their food is coming from and it’s great we can tell that story through our market garden and trusted local suppliers."
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