Inside the Mind of a Michelin-Starred Chef: Jean Delport’s Journey from Great British Menu to Culinary Excellence

The Grueling Reality Behind Great British Menu Success

When Jean Delport, head chef of the Michelin-starred Interlude restaurant in West Sussex, decided to compete on Great British Menu, he knew it would be challenging—but nothing could have fully prepared him for the all-consuming nature of the experience. As a finalist on last year’s show, Delport offers a rare glimpse behind the curtain of what it really takes to compete at that level while simultaneously running a successful restaurant. The commitment required is staggering: practice sessions stretching into the early morning hours, sometimes not wrapping up until two or three o’clock, all while maintaining the exacting standards expected at a Michelin-starred establishment. For approximately four months, his life became a balancing act of perfecting competition dishes while ensuring his restaurant guests received the same exceptional experience they’d come to expect. The physical and mental exhaustion that comes with this dual responsibility is immense, but for Delport, the rewards made every sleepless night worthwhile. The exposure from performing well on the show transformed Interlude’s profile completely, with bookings skyrocketing and guests traveling from across the United Kingdom specifically to experience his cooking. This wasn’t just a personal achievement—it breathed new life into the entire team and put their West Sussex location firmly on the culinary map.

The Double-Edged Sword of Michelin Recognition

Earning a Michelin star represents the pinnacle of culinary achievement, a dream that drives chefs throughout their careers. But as Delport candidly reveals, what many people don’t understand is that receiving that coveted star is just the beginning of a new chapter filled with its own unique pressures. The moment the celebration ends, a different kind of weight settles on your shoulders—the constant awareness that what has been given can also be taken away. There’s an ever-present fear lurking in the background about potentially losing the star, which creates a relentless internal drive to not just maintain standards but to push beyond them every single day. It’s a psychological challenge that requires chefs to dig deeper, to innovate continuously, and to never rest on their laurels. The experience is simultaneously exhilarating and humbling, offering moments of incredible professional satisfaction mixed with periods of exhausting self-doubt. This level of sustained excellence demands not just technical skill but emotional resilience and an unwavering commitment to the craft. For Delport and chefs like him, the Michelin star isn’t a destination—it’s an ongoing journey that requires constant vigilance, creativity, and an almost obsessive attention to detail that permeates every aspect of the restaurant’s operation.

Navigating the Delicate Dance of Customer Relations

When it comes to the often-awkward topics of tipping and complaints, Delport offers refreshingly straightforward perspectives grounded in practical experience. On tipping, his philosophy is simple: guests should feel completely empowered to adjust their gratuity based on the actual experience they received, ensuring that truly exceptional service receives the recognition and financial reward it deserves. This approach puts the control back in diners’ hands and creates a direct connection between service quality and compensation. However, when it comes to complaints, there’s a right way and a wrong way to handle dissatisfaction. The best approach, according to Delport, is addressing concerns politely and constructively with staff during the actual meal. This gives the restaurant team an immediate opportunity to rectify any issues and ensures the guest leaves satisfied. The worst thing a disappointed diner can do is leave without saying anything at all, then potentially escalate the situation through online reviews or other channels. This removes any chance for the restaurant to make things right and usually leads to outcomes that don’t benefit anyone involved. One particular pet peeve that Delport shares is when guests misrepresent personal food preferences as allergies. While the team at Interlude loves customizing experiences for individual tastes, falsely claiming something is an allergy rather than a simple dislike can significantly restrict the kitchen’s ability to create the best possible dining experience, as they must take extra precautions and eliminate entire categories of ingredients that might otherwise enhance the meal.

Championing British Cuisine and Authenticity

Delport is passionate about the evolution and current state of British cuisine, which he believes now ranks among the world’s finest. The country boasts truly exciting culinary establishments, and being part of this vibrant scene while watching it develop over the years has been remarkable. British cooking has undergone tremendous evolution, skillfully blending global influences with a renewed celebration of exceptional local ingredients. However, this success comes with a concerning trend that troubles Delport: the gradual loss of individual personality in high-end British restaurants. Too many establishments, he observes, are labeling their cuisine as “modern British,” which often becomes a catch-all term for following current trends rather than expressing genuine culinary vision. What frustrates him most is seeing restaurants abandon their unique voices to serve essentially the same fashionable dishes simply because that’s what’s popular on social media at the moment. For Delport, dining out should be an opportunity to experience a chef’s authentic personality on the plate—their personal story, their refined craft, and what they genuinely love to cook, not merely what’s trending. This philosophy extends to his recommendations for exploring the UK’s food scene, with regions like Cornwall, the Lake District, and Edinburgh standing out as areas packed with unique culinary gems that showcase individual creativity and local character rather than homogenized trendy concepts.

A Vision for Supporting the Hospitality Industry

If given the power of prime minister for just one day, Delport knows exactly where he’d focus his energy: supporting the hospitality industry through meaningful financial incentives and structural changes. His priorities would include reducing business VAT rates, which currently place significant burden on restaurants, and implementing comprehensive training programs that promote both sustainability and innovation. This isn’t just self-interest speaking—hospitality represents one of the UK’s largest economic sectors, yet it frequently gets overlooked and remains chronically under-supported by government policy. The industry faces unique challenges including high operating costs, staff shortages, and razor-thin profit margins, all while being expected to maintain world-class standards. Delport’s proposed interventions would help level the playing field and ensure that this vital sector receives the recognition and support it deserves. By investing in training programs, the industry could develop the next generation of talented hospitality professionals while ensuring current workers have opportunities for advancement. Sustainability initiatives would help restaurants reduce their environmental impact while potentially lowering costs. These changes would strengthen the industry’s foundation, making it more resilient and better positioned to continue its evolution as a world leader in culinary excellence.

Culinary Wisdom and a South African Secret

For aspiring home cooks looking to develop their skills, Delport offers encouragement grounded in his own journey. He credits his early inspiration to Jamie Oliver’s initial cookbooks, which featured easy, accessible recipes that didn’t intimidate beginners—exactly the right approach for building confidence in the kitchen. His advice is wonderfully practical: practice constantly, taste as you cook to understand how flavors develop, and never fear making mistakes because they often provide the most valuable learning experiences. As technical understanding and familiarity with processes grow, creating truly exceptional food becomes increasingly achievable. But Delport also shares a more personal culinary secret: his love for biltong, the South African dried meat that connects him to his heritage. At Interlude, the team makes their own using venison from the estate, and Delport finds it incredibly versatile. He loves serving it thinly sliced to showcase its concentrated flavor, but also uses it as a seasoning ingredient that adds unique depth to various dishes. Quality biltong typically retails for around £50 per kilogram and can be difficult to find, but Delport enthusiastically recommends making it at home using a biltong-making box available on Amazon. The homemade version, made with plenty of love and sunshine, invariably surpasses anything commercially available and offers home cooks a chance to create an authentic South African favorite in their own kitchen.