Meet the new face behind the food at Jesmond's Italian restaurant Fratello's
Tyneside Italian restaurant Fratello's has a new face heading up the authentic kitchen and delivering delicious cuisine -
The festive season is upon us and there’s a new face behind the food at Jesmond Italian restaurant Fratello’s, bringing with him 31 years’ experience of working at some of the region’s top restaurants.
Steve Jobson, 51, from Heaton, has taken the reins of the kitchen at the popular eatery which sits within the Holiday Inn Newcastle on Jesmond Road, known for its authentic take on Italian cuisine.
A week’s work experience at the age of 15 is what Steve credits as sparking his passion for the restaurant industry, working his way up the ranks since then and now sitting within the venue’s leading culinary role.
We caught up with Steve to find out more…
What attracted you to your new role at Fratello’s?
I’ve worked in the restaurant industry for many years across a range of venues in the North East and saw the opportunity with Fratello’s as a great way to test myself with a new challenge. From school days, I knew that I wanted to work in a kitchen and this was the beginning of the great journey I’ve been on – I’m in a fantastic stage of my career and excited for what is ahead.
What dishes we can expect to see on the menu?
Fratello’s is an authentic Italian restaurant serving up a range of offerings to suit all tastes, from stone baked pizzas to flavoursome pastas, as well as options from the grill and a variety of starters and desserts to complete dinner’s experience with us. We also have a children’s menu with a choice of options popular with any young diners which may visit us.
What is your favourite dish from the menu?
It’s a tough decision as I’m a real fan of both cooking and eating Italian cuisine and am spoilt for choice as there’s so many delicious options to choose from our menu, but if I had to pick my absolute favourite, it would be one of our pizzas – I don’t have a favourite type, I love them all! For a stand-out option, the seared sea bass with wild mushroom, chorizo and gnocchi is one of our most popular at the moment.
Could you tell us more about your kitchen team?
I have a team of seven chefs and three kitchen porters working with me in the kitchen. They’re a great bunch and I’m really looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together – trialling exciting new recipes and creating irresistible menus.
Are there any exciting plans we should look out for from Fratello’s in 2016?
Fratello’s has three restaurants in the North East, Jesmond, Newcastle Airport and Scotch Corner. As we are a brand we all have similar menus but as we enter 2016, each of the restaurant’s head chefs are keen to put their own mark on their restaurant’s menu, offering some special dishes bespoke to our branch, so it’ll be really rewarding to design these.
And finally, just for fun…favourite celebrity chef?
I spent a lot of time reading Raymond Blanc recipe books during my studies at college, taking inspiration from the fantastic array of dishes he creates. He’s a real inspiration of mine.
For more information on Fratello’s call the Jesmond restaurant on 0191 212 5500, or follow @FratellosUK on Twitter.
