Why Scottish chef who ran beloved Michelin star restaurant has traded it all for Disney Cruise Line
He made his name as the owner of a Michelin Star restaurant in the Fife town of Anstruther before selling up earlier this year in a bid to “make a change” in his career.
Now award-winning Scottish chef Billy Boyter is to take to the seas - to head up a high-end dining experience for luxury cruise ship passengers in a restaurant named after a much-loved rat character in Disney classic Ratatouille.
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Hide AdMr Boyter, who owned and ran the award-winning Michelin Star restaurant The Cellar in Anstruther for 10 years, is to take on a new role as executive chef for Restaurant Remy onboard Disney’s Fantasy cruise ship.
Speaking to The Scotsman earlier this year, he explained that he had decided to put his restaurant up for sale after struggling to recruit staff, as well as a personal need to move on.
He said: “Our manager was leaving and we've been trying to get someone for three months. We had CVs but no-one of the kind of calibre we wanted, and I didn't want the restaurant to then slip in terms of the quality offered. It just seemed the right time for us to sell and move on. And, for me also, it was 10 years of doing the same sort of thing, standing in the same spot in the same kitchen. It was just the right time for me to make a change.”
Initially, he became executive head chef at the Rusacks hotel in St Andrews, where he oversaw all of the venue’s restaurants. However, six months later, after a less than favourable review from Observer food critic Jay Rayner, Mr Boyter announced he was moving on to a “role he couldn’t say no to”. This, he said, was “further afield”.
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Hide AdRestaurant Remy, which has “artful” Ratatouille-themed designs, is an adults-only fine dining establishment onboard the luxury cruise liner. Serving gourmet French food, guests can expect a dinner that starts with a chilled champagne cocktail made at their table followed by a seasonal tasting menu of courses that “celebrate the sea and earth”. Remy’s menus were created by chefs Arnaud Lallement - chef at the three-Michelin-starred L'Assiette Champenoise near Reims, France - and Scott Hunnel, chef at the one-Michelin-starred Victoria & Albert's at Walt Disney World.
Announcing the news on social media, Mr Boyter wrote: “After an amazing four days of on-shore training I'm delighted to have finally joined the ship and started my role as executive chef for Restaurant Remy, onboard Disney’s Fantasy.”
Remy made its debut on the Disney Dream ship in 2010 and was billed as the “most luxurious dining experience available on board”.
Speaking to The Scotsman about his new role, Mr Boyter explained that he’d put his CV into Disney a while ago but hadn’t applied for any particular positions. He was keen to work for the global brand as he and his family are ‘big Disney fans’ and he’d heard how good a company they are to work for. When he got a call from the recruiter in France, it was a role he couldn’t turn down. He said: “it’s only the second time in the past 10 years that they've actually recruited for this role. Because when people take it, they tend to stay for a very, very long time, which straight away makes you think it's obviously a very, very good job.” This tied into Mr Boyter’s own research and experience so far, as he explained: “When I looked into working for Disney before, one thing that always came out was how good of a company they were to work for, in terms of their training, their company ethics and how they treat their staff. I’ve been here now for just over a week, and the training and what they’re willing to put into you as a person is phenomenal. I've never really experienced anything like it.”
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Hide AdMr Boyter’s role means he will oversee the dishes going out and maintain the quality of the Arnaud Lallement and Scott Hunnel’s menus. This means diners aren’t eating his food but this new direction is something he’s relishing. He explained: “My role is basically to make sure that the standards of the menu are correct and that dishes are leaving the kitchen consistently. It’s using my past expertise of having my own star restaurant, just to make sure that we’re meeting those standards consistently. It’s quite exciting, because it's food that I've never done before, so it's all new dishes that I'm having to learn and help implement into the kitchen with the guys there. It's a bit strange, obviously, not having complete, creative freedom. But it's a different kind of pressure because it’s someone else's reputation that you're helping maintain. It’s something I’m going to enjoy and I’m looking forward to starting.”
Mr Boyter will work four months at sea, travelling to places like the British Virgin Islands, San Francisco and Mexico before returning home for two months of uninterrupted family time. He’s also keen to get out and try some of his contemporaries restaurants including Lyla in Edinburgh and Fallachan in Glasgow. But for now, while he’s still in his training, Mr Boyter is excited at his new position and the future. He said: “I'm sitting in a classroom today with about 12 different nationalities, so the opportunity to meet new people, to grow as a person, and to grow inside the company as well is brilliant. I’m also excited to see more of the world.” With the backing and magic of Disney, Mr Boyter’s new chapter is only just beginning.
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