Whitehall Chef Neil McCue on his British-inspired fare

Those who love British food won't find many dining options in the city — at least beyond the usual pub fare.

But that's changed since chef Neil McCue returned to Canada this fall to open Whitehall in the historic de Waal block in Bridgeland, in the space that was most recently Il Sogno.

Neil grew up in Yorkshire, in a small, mining town called Barnsley.

"My grandma cooked a lot," he said. "She was the woman you'd see all the time with the pinny on, polishing the brass on the mantel piece in the morning, and then she'd bake, bake, bake. She was my inspiration."

Neil's menu, built on local Alberta ingredients, reflects his British heritage.

There's traditional pork pie, black sausage, whipped pork drippings offered up as butter with their in-house baked bread, eccles cakes served with blue cheese and, at this time of year, his own recipe for mince tarts with a whipped Viennese topping.

In the '90s, Neil cooked at the celebrated Langdon Hall in Cambridge, Ont. before coming to Calgary to open Catch with chef Michael Noble in 2001. 

He spent four years there alongside a tightly knit group who would become some of the city's best-known chefs.

"I like to think I taught Duncan [Ly], Nicole [Gomes] and all those guys — even Nick Nutting, who's now at Wolf in the Fog in Tofino," Neil said. "They were all my first cooks. It's nice to see how well they're all doing."

Awarded a Michelin Star

After Catch, Neil went to cook at Square in Toronto, then headed back home to the kitchen at the Curlew near Bodiam, East Sussex, where he became known for his use of local produce.

The restaurant was awarded a Michelin star while Neil was at the helm. He decided to come back to Calgary largely because of the support network he has here.

"And it's a friendly place," he said. "People pull together rather than apart, and I think that's the key. Especially in the chef community — it's not like that in other places, so it's nice that everyone genuinely wants to support each other."

As we sat chatting at the bar, snow falling outside, Neil brought over a sample of thinly sliced shallots, brushed with Marmite and baked until golden, saying they remind him of the crisps he'd buy by the bag back home.

"A lot of the menu is what I like to eat," he said. "And I like fat. I like pork. That's why we have dripping with the bread, because that's what we used to have on our bread as kids. Beef dripping, pig dripping — it used to wake you up in the morning. Butter was really for posh people."

The bar itself has a focus on gin, with dozens of bottles on the upper shelf and daily cocktail creations on the restaurant menu. (It should be noted that because of the bar placement, there are no minors allowed at Whitehall — so don't bring your kids.)

It's food big on comfort

"We're doing some funky stuff for the bar — potted shrimp, pork pies, pickled herrings — things that we have in England to snack on," Neil said. "Even cheese biscuits, served in little vintage biscuit tins. We're sort of giving it an old feel."

Lunch is much more casual, dinner a bit more technically challenging but still approachable.

"I think people will come thinking it's a gastropub," he said. "It's more upscale than that, but it's still recognizable food."

"It's a piece of cod, cooked perfectly, with seasonal ingredients. Duck leg for lunch, just cooked old school. We're going to do fish and chips. There's a pub outside of London that has two Michelin stars and does fish and chips for lunch, because it's delicious. You want that sort of food — it's comfort food."

Even if it's not the sort of food you grew up with, it's familiar, somehow nostalgic yet stylish, and big on comfort.

"I don't want to label it British," Neil says. "It's normal food, cooked well."

Chef Neil McCue's Fruit Mince

Neil suggests using home dried raisins soaked in rum as a variation, or swapping other dried fruit, by weight.

• 450 g apples, peeled, cored and diced.
• 225 g suet (or substitute unsalted butter).
• 350 g raisins.
• 225 g sultanas.
• 225 g currants.
• 225 g candied mixed peel.
• 350 g brown sugar.
• juice and zest of 2 lemons and oranges.
• 4 tsp. mixed spice (cinnamon, ginger, allspice and nutmeg).
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon.
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg.
• brandy (optional).

Mix all the ingredients together, cover and leave for 12 hours. Slowly cook at a very low heat — about 100˚F until it cooks down and thickens — to render the suet.

Cool, add the brandy (I added a splash – about 1/4 cup) and store in the refrigerator.