Cooking with the stars: Andrew Fairlie Scholar's 3 Michelin star experience

The Andrew Fairlie Scholarship is designed to give winners experience within renowned culinary establishments, enable them to grow their knowledge, and be inspired to be the best they can be. What better place to do this than in a three Michelin star restaurant?

We were thrilled to send one of our first Andrew Fairlie Scholarship winners to London for a week. Emma-Rose Milligan, currently a Commis Chef at Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, experienced working at Core, the debut restaurant of Clare Smyth, the first British female chef to win three Michelin stars.

Emma-Rose got to see first-hand what makes Core three Michelin star-worthy. This coveted rating is the highest that the Michelin Guide awards to restaurants it believes provide ‘exceptional cuisine, worth a journey’.

Emma-Rose visited Core in April 2022 and said:

“My experience was phenomenal; my week flew by! I was welcomed into the team and made to feel at ease immediately. Clare Smyth was such a lovely humble person and easy to talk to and laugh with, and the head chef Jonny Bone is such an amazing guy, both are inspirational.

“To be honest, I thought I wouldn’t get to do much as the chefs there are highly experienced, but I got to help on the prep for the classic menu items which was very cool to see behind the scenes.”

Emma-Rose revealed that this friendly environment was a welcome surprise:

“I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t how I imagined! Everyone was friendly and laughing, enjoying work, but very serious about what they do, and they seem to push to get better every day.”

Consistency is key for Michelin star restaurants. Precision is everything, both in the cooking process and plating up. Emma experienced this first-hand, using tools like tweezers to ensure everything was perfectly presented.

“I’m privileged to be working at Restaurant Andrew Fairlie just now, after doing my stage there I applied to work with them, and was delighted to be given the opportunity. Both [Core and Andrew Fairlie] want the produce to speak for itself and both restaurants have such passion for food and history and everything about it.”

One thing Emma-Rose was impressed by during her work experience at Core was the immense care and knowledge of the entire team, saying:

“Core has an emphasis on natural, sustainable food, sourced from the UK’s most dedicated farmers and food producers. Each chef knows the story of every single dish, they know all the producers by name and the conditions they work in.

“I think what makes Core stand out are these strong values, their drive to push every day, and how they treat every guest with care and respect – as they do with their food, too.”

The highlight of Emma-Rose's work experience at Core was “getting to try some once in a lifetime food! I don’t think there was anything I didn’t try. The food looked and tasted amazing. I’d like to thank everyone at Core and the Andrew Fairlie Scholarship for this amazing experience, and for opening my eyes to a different world.”

Clare Smyth enjoyed having Emma-Rose's enthusiasm in the kitchen, commenting:

‘It was brilliant to have Emma-Rose in the kitchen at Core, she was a really enthusiastic, bright young talent. Can’t wait to see how her career progresses. She fitted in very well with the whole team here and she is welcome back to Core at any time.’

Stephen McLaughlin, Head Chef at Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, knows this real-life experience is vital for scholars: “Working in a Michelin-star environment is a priceless experience for Andrew Fairlie Scholars.

“Mirroring Andrew’s own experience as a winner of the Roux Scholarship, we know how valuable it is for young chefs to learn from those who have created such high-quality dining experiences.”

Find out more about the range of scholarships HIT Scotland offers here.