Chef-patron and owner of three restaurants, debut cookbook writer, and mother of a two year old. It is a wonder that Edinburgh born Roberta Hall-McCarron (the former head chef of Castle Terrace) has time to come up for air in a day, let alone sit down for interviews - but like all things she puts in her path, she does so with ease. Here, we discuss her latest restaurant opening, Ardfern, her upcoming cookbook, and the one thing she bans from all of her kitchens.
In the beginning there was The Little Chartroom. A French-British ‘casual fine dining’ spot in Albert Place, Edinburgh, which Roberta founded with her husband and business partner Shaun McCarron (the former manager of Castle Terrace, where they met). After just a few years, The Chartroom was moved to a larger site on the back of thriving demand and multiple awards. Eleanore - a more laid back restaurant and wine bar - followed, and for a while the pair believed this would be a natural stopping point.
"Ardfern came into the picture sooner than expected," Roberta admits when we sit down together. Though she'd considered opening a wine bar and shop in the past, the idea only came to fruition when the space next to The Little Chartroom became available. "Friends of ours had a wine bar there before, and when we heard they were moving on, it was hard to resist," she explains. "Fast forward seven or eight months, and here we are."
While its timing may not have been as planned, she maintains that it has been the perfect addition to their growing family of restaurants. “Each one offers something so different that I can hardly remember a time when we didn’t have Ardfern. It really felt like a very natural, organic move for us.”
With two flourishing restaurants under her belt, building the third came more naturally. “We’ve learned the basics of what you actually need to succeed with a restaurant, which we didn’t have a clue about when we first opened The Little Chartroom. I think having a child and opening up a restaurant are two of the steepest learning curves one can encounter,” she laughs, “you learn a lot on the job”.
Wary of past mistakes, one of the key challenges for Roberta and her team was to clearly convey Ardfern’s vision. With breakfast, brunch, a distinct evening menu, a wine shop, and cocktails, there’s plenty to enjoy in the space, but therefore much to communicate. “This was crucial, because we really wanted Ardfern to be enjoyed in all the different ways we envisioned. When we first opened The Little Chartroom, we had an idea of what we wanted, but we didn’t communicate it well. For instance, we tried doing sharing plates at lunchtime, and it just absolutely tanked. We weren’t getting the message across properly, so we had to adjust. I’m never afraid to change things if they’re not working, though I’m more careful now about how we implement changes.”
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Ardfern maintains the core concepts that guests have come to expect from all of the couple’s restaurants: British-French classic food served in a “relaxed, friendly and accessible” setting. But having a morning and evening menu allows for a change of pace across service, enabling guests to see the restaurant in a number of lights. “The vibe totally changes between brunch and dinner” Roberta says, “it’s a different atmosphere, and I’m really enjoying working with these different styles while keeping the essence of what we do intact.”
It also allows the team more flexibility in their menus, which are always a collaborative endeavour. “I don’t write the menus alone. Each team member brings a wealth of knowledge from their different experiences and backgrounds. They’ve worked with different cuisines and styles of food that I might not be as familiar with, so their input is incredibly valuable.”
This close-knit collaboration goes beyond menu creation, and it’s clear that Roberta has worked hard to build a team that really cares about what they do, and about each other. “Everyone is on equal footing, and any evidence of that old-school, testosterone-driven kitchen behaviour is dealt with there and then.” Roberta says, adding that any form of shouting is strictly banned from her kitchens. “I want a calmer, more inclusive working environment, for women but also for everybody.” And despite winning numerous personal awards as a chef, she takes the most pride in those won by her restaurant and team. “I don’t achieve these things alone. There’s always people around me that are helping me achieve these things, and they’re the ones that should also get the recognition for it. So when we win something as a restaurant, it means so much more. Everyone works so hard and they all really care, so for them to be able to see that recognised is such a lovely boost for them as well.”
The cherry on top is putting on a really great service for guests. “There’s no better buzz.” Roberta pronounces. “There is nothing better than seeing cleared plates come back to the kitchen and hearing that people had an amazing experience. That kind of really positive response from guests is the best thing ever. I’ll take that over an award any day.”
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With a new space comes new responsibilities and it’s been a learning curve to juggle multiple businesses, each with its own unique characteristics. “When we opened Eleanore three years after The Little Chartroom, I had a solid team in place from the start, and they've remained the same since day one. So I've never had to be too involved with Eleanore. But Ardfern is a different story. With it being right next door to The Little Chartroom, I’m really learning how to balance my focus between the two spaces. I’ll be walking into one restaurant, focusing on the menu, the style, and the day-to-day details—like what’s in the fridges and what’s happening in the building—then jumping to the other restaurant the next day and doing the same. It’s been a big change for me. Of course as women we already know how to multitask, but this is definitely a whole new level!”
Add in a toddler at home, and Roberta and Shaun are performing a juggling act which keeps them both on their feet. “There’s so many rotas! But we’re finding our way…” Despite the challenges, Roberta is loving the thrill of having a fresh new venture to work on, and with a slightly lower price point than the others, Ardfern is proving to gain interest from even further afield than her first two venues.
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The opening of Ardfern has also uncovered some exciting new business opportunities for Roberta and her team. It’s the first restaurant of hers that doubles as a bottle shop, and whilst this is mainly overseen by the wine experts within her team, it’s provided invaluable learning for herself too. “I’m gaining a lot of business knowledge, which is an exciting addition to running and cooking in the restaurants.” On top of this, the team have started a wine importing business, to be headed up by Finn Porrelli - the sommelier who oversees Ardfern and The Little Chartroom, Johanna Cole - the manager of Eleanore, and Roberta’s husband and co-owner Shaun McCarron, who manages Front of House across the restaurants.
Despite the venture being no mean feat, Roberta remains characteristically calm about the prospect, seeing it as much an opportunity to learn as a potential money-maker: “it’s something we’ve never done before… it could either tick along on the side or really take off and become so much more. Time will tell.”
Whilst running three restaurants should be enough to have most tied up, Roberta has also had her head down writing her debut cookbook, The Changing Tides, which is due to be released in November this year. “The idea first came up about two years ago but at the time I wasn’t ready. I was working a lot in the kitchen, and then I had my daughter Cara. I also probably had some self-doubt, like ‘what did I have to offer, what are people going to want to eat?’”
As it turns out, she had more up her sleeve than she may have thought, and as she got back into work post-pregnancy, the idea resurfaced. “Once we decided to go ahead with it, the ideas started flowing. I remember brainstorming with Shaun on a long drive back from London. Shaun’s my favourite person to brainstorm with - he’s not a chef at all but he’s got so many great ideas and we work really well together in that format. I think by the time we got home, we had about fifty dishes in mind.” What came next, Roberta admits, was more work than she anticipated - but not in a begrudging or horrible way. “I’m enjoying the process and it’s nice to have put so much into it and be so close to it. I think I’ll probably cry when I finally hold the finished book in my hands.”
As for what we can expect, the book will feature recipes from the early days of her restaurants as well as some created especially for the book. With a home cooking focus, the aim is to push people towards learning new ideas in the kitchen, without becoming intimidating or inaccessible. Chapters are split across four seasons, with a bonus dinner party menu at the end of each season, complete with cocktail, starter, main course and dessert. “They’re probably my favourite part of the book.” Roberta notes. “The idea is that on the actual day, whether for dinner or lunch, it's mostly about finishing touches so you can just enjoy the event. I love the idea of people gathering around the table, sharing food, and just having a really lovely time. That’s really what those sections are all about. For me, eating—whether out or at home—is one of the greatest joys because food has this amazing ability to bring people together.”
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Whilst it was never something she set out to prove, Roberta has undoubtedly paved the way for many young women in the industry who might otherwise be discouraged by the prospect of juggling a demanding and unpredictable career with raising a family. “There aren’t many female chefs with children, and I think this can deter women from pursuing this path. But you absolutely can do it. Of course, adjustments are needed, but it's entirely possible. So while I didn’t plan on having a child to make any kind of statement, it’s a great thing to have happened that might encourage more women to enter this industry. I try to be visible in the public eye to show women that it’s possible.”
This kind of encouragement is found not only in her restaurant kitchens, but also her domestic one - where her two year old is often involved in the family cooking. “I think all two year olds just want to mirror you and do everything you’re doing. When she was younger, every time I’d try to cook at home she would crawl onto my feet because all she wanted was to be able to see what I was doing. So we got her a ‘learning tower’, which is basically a standing highchair, so she can be at worktop level. It’s been the best present ever - now she’s up there with tools from her little Ikea kitchen, and she’s whisking things and getting involved.” We can’t wait to see what’s next for each and every member of the Hall-McCarron family.
Keep up with Roberta on her Instagram, @chef_roberta_hall, and do book a table at Ardfern, The Little Chartroom or Eleanore at your earliest convenience. The Changing Tides can be preordered here.