All stories
Podcast
July 25, 2022
Episode
10

North Star

Episode
10
Episode 10 is an interview with one of the UK’s most experienced operators — the longtime maître d’ at the award-winning restaurant L’Enclume.
Podcast
July 25, 2022
Episode
10

Our guest this month has been described as “hospitality personified”.

Sam Ward is the managing director of the Umbel Restaurant Group — a collection of restaurants launched by chef Simon Rogan, who’s widely considered one of the pioneers of the ‘farm-to-fork’ movement in the UK.

The group’s holdings include one restaurant in London, three in Hong Kong, and three in the Lake District village of Cartmel — including the group’s flagship restaurant L’Enclume, which turned 20 earlier this year.

Named the UK’s top restaurant for four years in a row by the Good Food Guide, L’Enclume won a third Michelin star in February — making it the only restaurant north of London to receive that accolade. 

And it’s fair to say that Sam has been integral to the group’s success.

Born and raised a few miles from Cartmel, he worked at Rogan and Co — the group’s more casual eatery — in his early twenties, before moving to London and working at The Ritz hotel as a sommelier.

He returned to Cartmel in 2012 to head up L’Enclume's FOH team, helping it become a culinary destination on a par with the likes of Noma or Blue Hill at Stone Barns. Following a stint as the group’s operations manager, he became its managing director in January 2020.

Sam gives us the lowdown on his career so far, sharing what he's learned about good service from his local pub, The Ritz, and L'Enclume alike.

He also discusses Simon Rogan's expansion to Hong Kong, the group’s "nimble" response to the pandemic, the ongoing popularity of its home meal kits, and what winning a third Michelin star means for everyone at L'Enclume, as well as for its future.

Keep exploring

Stay in touch
Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest stories and insights from the new generation of restaurateurs directly in your inbox