Celebrate 30 Years of The Star Inn at Harome with Andrew Pern, as he wins AA Restaurant of the Year

Originally from Whitby, Andrew is the son of a farmer and consequently had a great appreciation for quality Yorkshire produce from a young age, when he spent time cooking with his mother. ‘I was surrounded by these great ingredients. Local pheasant, partridge, and we lived by the River Esk so wild salmon. So I’d always grown up with decent food,’ he explains.

He spent time completing his training in France before returning to North Yorkshire, but The Star had been in his life from his earliest days. ‘We’d been to The Star as kids,’ he says, noting it had previously enjoyed a good reputation for its food before being put up for sale. Andrew and Jacquie decided to take the plunge and became the new owners in 1996.

For those of us outside the hospitality industry, imagining the pressure of a professional kitchen can be difficult, and we can’t help but wonder if what’s been shown on screen recently even comes close. Andrew jokingly admits that while The Bear is still on his list to watch, he did catch Stephen Graham in Boiling Point (2021). ‘Somebody said “I can’t believe it, I can’t watch it, I get palpitations”. I thought, that’s just a Sunday lunch with us! It used to be wild in the old days. You’re running on adrenaline most of the time but you just keep going.’

The Star Inn at Harome made rapid progress in its earliest days, when Andrew washed the pots he cooked with and Jacquie polished and set tables for guests, and gained its Michelin star in 2002. Despite the chaos, Andrew’s fondness for those early days is obvious, and his enthusiasm is infectious. ‘The Yorkshire grit came out and away we went,’ he says, laughing again. ‘It eventually came with a lot of great accolades. It was all quite surreal because we were just doing what we enjoyed doing. It’s never really felt like work – it’s been a great hobby to have!’

Decades on, and North Yorkshire has slowly become a must-visit for foodies, with a number of incredible restaurants lying only a stone’s throw from each other. But in this idyllic area, all roads lead to The Star and Andrew is proud that so many talented chefs have come through the gastropub before setting off on their own adventures, including Jake Jones of Middleton Lodge’s Michelin-starred Forge, Tom and Laurissa Heywood of Pignut & The Hare, and Josh Overington of the Michelin-starred Mysé. ‘If we kept all these chefs that went on to win Michelin stars, we’d probably have about 10!’ he jokes. ‘It’s good that we’re all still mates and we wine and dine together. It’s like a little club that have grown up together really and I’m pleased that a lot of them wave the White Rose flag for Yorkshire.’

Andrew is no stranger to setbacks and The Star has had more than its share, including a devastating fire in 2021 which all but destroyed the building. Through it all, Andrew had no doubt that The Star Inn would rise again. ‘We came back bigger and better. People thought we’d fold and never open again, but it didn’t even cross our minds,’ he explains. ‘In a way it was quite odd in that it made us more determined to do what we’d set out to do, because everything was new again.’

A reliable team is key to success, admits Andrew, and he’s proud of his. ‘Nowadays I’ve learned the art of delegation and I’ve got a brilliant team. They help piece together this patchwork of a great pub,’ he says. ‘Front of house is as much a part of it as the kitchen staff and the food, from the initial hello to the final goodbye and all the bits in the middle.’ Central to that team is chef-director Stephen Smith, who has helped lead the kitchen since 2008.

Part of The Star’s popularity comes from a commitment to the local community. The picturesque village of Harome has helped to support The Star Inn across the years, and Andrew and the team have worked hard to return the favour. ‘We’re very much known within the community. We do a lot for the local schools, a lot for the church, and the cricket team,’ he explains, estimating that they’ve successfully raised around a quarter of a million pounds for various charities. ‘We’ve even been auctioned off to cook at people’s houses. It’s all a bit bonkers, but it seems to work,’ he says.

This refocus on local connection in restaurants is something Andrew has noticed is on the rise in other areas of the country, listing famed chef Jason Atherton and French chef Claude Bosi, who has opened two bistros named Josephine in London. ‘They’re moving from fine-dining to family service that’s more relaxed but still quality. I think that’s where we fit in. It’s food people can relate to, but given a bit of a twist,’ Andrew explains.