She's the new head chef at a celebrated Hampshire country gastro pub.
Zoe Curphey, from The Northbrook Arms, talks childhood cooking with her mum and nan and her tiramisu cheesecake in our meet the chef column.
What first inspired you to become a chef?
"I’ve always loved food from baking cakes with my nan in Wales to helping my mum peel vegetables for a stew and the whole professional experience around it, but I think what really drew me to being a chef was the creativity. There’s something incredibly satisfying about taking simple ingredients and turning them into something that makes someone’s day. I also love the pace of a professional kitchen — it’s challenging, energetic and you’re never really doing the same thing twice."
What was the first meal you cooked for someone else?
"I truly cannot recall but from my childhood I remember a simple apple and blackberry crumble. Going into the woods with my sister to go pick blackberries and coming home to making it for the family dessert that evening was just magical. I remember being really proud of it because someone else was enjoying something I had made. I’ve definitely come a long way since then! It’s funny how the simplest meals can sometimes be the ones you remember most."
Tell us a bit about your career so far…
"My career has been a real progression through different kitchens and roles. Many chefs often start as a kitchen porter or assistant but I actually started as a waitress at a residential care home.
"I’ve worked my way up through the kitchen and six years ago I took on the role of Head Chef/Kitchen Manager. What I enjoy most is that I’m not just cooking anymore — I’m developing menus, managing a team, working with suppliers, looking at costs and standards, and creating an overall experience for our guests."
What is your proudest career moment to date?
"Becoming a Head Chef is definitely one of them. It’s a huge responsibility, but it’s also incredibly rewarding to look around the kitchen and know that you’re leading a team and helping shape what comes out of it. I’m particularly proud of developing my own style and having the confidence to put my ideas onto a menu."
What is your signature dish?
"I’d say my style is very much gastro-pub food — familiar dishes but with a little more thought, detail and personality. I love taking something people recognise and giving it a modern twist without losing what makes it comforting in the first place. For example our current menu has a tiramisu cheesecake on it. Everybody loves the classic tiramisu, but a layered cheesecake form is just an extra something special."
What is your favourite dish currently on your menu?
"At the moment I’m really enjoying working with seasonal dishes that have a few different elements but still feel approachable. I love a dish where you get something rich, something fresh, something with a bit of texture and a really good sauce tying everything together. My autumnal menu currently has a gorgeous seafood dish on, pairing together king prawns, river Teign mussels and Dorset crab. It has a rich tomato and chilli pescatore base with some crispy kale."
Where is your favourite place to eat in Hampshire?
"There are so many brilliant places in Hampshire that it’s difficult to choose just one. I love finding smaller independent restaurants and pubs where you can tell the people behind the food genuinely care about what they’re serving. For me, atmosphere is just as important as the food. Get to those little local establishments that aren’t in the city centres and keep them going."
What is your favourite meal to cook at home?
"Something completely different from restaurant food! At home I like food that is simple, relaxed and doesn’t involve ten different pans. A really good pasta, lamb steak or something I can put in the middle of the table and let everyone help themselves."
What do you like to drink with dinner?
"I am not somebody who pairs alcohol with meals as I am not a massive lover of alcohol unless it’s a cocktail. A rum based drink will suit me quite nicely."
What is your culinary guilty pleasure?
"Potatoes. Definitely fries! You can put the most elaborate dish in front of me, but sometimes all you really want is a plate of proper salted fries."
Which key ingredient is always in your fridge?
"Butter. You can never be without butter in a kitchen! It’s one of those ingredients that can transform a dish, whether you’re finishing a sauce, cooking vegetables or simply spreading it on good bread."
What is your favourite Hampshire ingredient?
"I love using local Hampshire produce wherever possible. We’re incredibly lucky to have such good meat, dairy, fruit and vegetables around us, and I think showcasing local produce is one of the best things about cooking in Hampshire. Chalkstream trout from Romsey always comes so fresh and beautiful and I cannot wait to put it on my menu in the spring."
Which chef do you most admire?
"I admire chefs who have managed to build a strong identity around their food while still remaining true to themselves. I particularly respect chefs who develop their teams and bring other people through the industry with them — for me, being a great chef isn't just about what's on your own plate, it's about the people you help along the way. A person I admire is a chef I worked for called Rob Clayton. He owns Claytons Kitchen in Bath. I worked with him in 2019 and I have a lot of respect for him and his business. He is that type of chef who respects you as a person and an employee and is always happy to teach and he has a lot of time for people."
What’s your career ambition?
"I want to keep progressing and keep challenging myself. I’d love to keep building the strong reputation here at The Northbrook Arms for my food and eventually have a kitchen that people know for its food, its standards and its atmosphere. I also want to develop the people I work with and give them the opportunities that helped me get to where I am."
What do you think will be the next big restaurant trend?
"I think we’ll continue moving towards food that feels more relaxed but is still really well executed. People want quality, but they don’t necessarily want food that feels overly formal or complicated. I think seasonal, local produce, sharing-style dishes and really good versions of familiar food are going to continue growing.
"For me, the future is about making good food feel exciting without making it intimidating."
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