'Real People' role for Per at Ox Pasture Hall
Per Soderberg (34), from Best Western Ox Pasture Hall in Scarborough, has become
one of the ‘faces’ of a new ‘Real People, Real Hotels’ national advertising campaign,
to be launched by Best Western in Spring. Per, originally from Sweden, and now living in Scarborough, was nominated by
Ox Pasture Hall’s owner, Shaun Conway. He explained: “Per hasn’t been with us
very long – he only started here two months ago, however, he is such a breath
of fresh air and a great character I wanted to nominate him right away. We took
him on to improve our restaurant’s appeal to local diners, and he transformed
it from day one.”
“We hoped to find people with the individuality and personality which reflect
the hotels themselves – and we are pleased to have found that in Per,” said Mikhaila
Brentnall, Best Western’s PR manager.
“We weren’t looking for typical models,” she adds. “We wanted real people who
work in our hotels that go above and beyond – the hidden gems.”
Per has ten years experience in a 2 Michelin star restaurant behind him, however,
he describes himself as ‘only a cook’. He explains: “People can find it off-putting
to hear about Michelin stars. The other side of the story is that I’m a farmers’
son, born and raised on a farm, and my mother taught me to cook from an early
age.”
His down to earth attitude is balanced with a high standard of cooking and an
absolute dedication to the food that he produces. He buys only food in season
– from sea bass to Yorkshire lamb, and sources as much as possible locally. “What
I bring to the kitchen is a simple philosophy,” he says. “If it’s seasonal, it’s
good – if it’s not seasonal, it’s not good.”
His menu includes customer favourites, such as rack of lamb, local fresh caught
fish, and a number of more challenging combinations, such as a starter of cauliflower
panacotta served with warm pea shoot salad, parmesan crisps, pickled cauliflower
and warm cheddar foam.
“I’ve been taught that if you don’t challenge the customer, they don’t come back,”
says Per. “There has to be something on the plate that the customers can’t make
at home.”
