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Head chef Jesse Spears shares kitchen secrets at Stirling’s Meadowpark Hotel

I spent time behind the scenes at The Meadowpark Hotel's restaurant and learned how head chef Jesse Spears makes his wonderful dishes and inspires his team.

In summary:
  • Chef Jesse Spears fuses American flavours with local ingredients, creating dishes like crispy fried chicken on fried rice, layered with soy, sriracha, and fresh vegetables.
  • Drawing from his military background, Spears builds a disciplined, collaborative kitchen culture at The Meadowpark, emphasising loyalty and support.
  • Spears prioritises family time and promotes balanced schedules for his team, aligning with a broader industry shift toward healthier work practices.

We use an AI model to generate these news summaries. The article below is original and was created by one of our journalists. Please note that while every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of our news summaries, they may contain errors.

Food and drink writer Rachel with head chef Jesse Spears holding a plate of food at the pass in The Meadowpark's kitchen.
Food and drink writer Rachel at the pass with The Meadowpark Head Chef Jesse Spears. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson

The hum of sizzling oil and the sharp scent of freshly chopped herbs welcomed me into The Meadowpark’s expansive kitchen, where head chef Jesse Spears was preparing to unveil a twist on comfort food classics.

A native of Ohio, Jesse brings a bold, American flair to his dishes while respecting the local produce and British palates of his customers.

Today, he’s taking me through the chef’s secrets behind one of his favourite fusion dishes, sharing how his U.S. military background shaped his leadership style, and, best of all, letting me dive into his famous lobster pie.

Let’s begin with the dish I’ll be learning: crispy fried chicken atop savoury fried rice.

“It’s easy and it’s delicious,” Jesse says with a grin, “and it’s comfort food everyone loves.”

Behind the scenes at The Meadowpark

It’s always fun to see behind the scenes at a restaurant. All professional kitchens are different, and it can be a dynamic and high-energy place to work.

The first thing that struck me about The Meadowpark kitchen is how big it is, the various rooms and stations just keep going, giving loads of space to keep everything clean and organised.

The exterior of the large Meadowpark Hotel with it's classic Scottish architecture of turrets and with a large marquee and gardens outside.
The Meadowpark, overlooks beautiful countryside just outside Bridge of Allan. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson

After a tour which included the vegetable and herb gardens and a look at the large storage space which used to house a renowned student nightclub, we headed to the stove.

We visited before the busy lunchtime service so there was just head chef Jesse and two others who were prepping for service in the kitchen.

How does Jesse make his famous fried rice?

So, I grab an apron and step to the stove with Jesse in his whites giving the orders.

We began with a dash of rapeseed oil in a hot pan and then some spring onions.

Then a scoop of rice hits the pan with a satisfying sizzle, sending up a plume of savoury steam as soy sauce is added, followed by a handful of crisp mange tout and an expert shoogle over the heat.

Food and drink writer Rachel frying some spring onions with chef Jesse in his whites at The Meadowpark.
Jesse shows Rachel how to put together one of his fusion dishes. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson

The savoury steam smells amazing as the flames lick the base of the heavy pan.

And in no time the fried rice base of the dish is ready, and Jesse spoons it onto a plate on the warm pass.

“It’s easy and it’s delicious. Everybody loves it,” grins Jesse.

Chef Jesse spoons the steaming fried rice onto a warm plate on the pass.
Chef Jesse spoons the steaming fried rice onto the plate at the pass. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson

And then comes the golden fried chicken.

It’s a butterflied breast covered in crisp batter placed on top of the rice which Jesse then drizzles hot honey soy sauce over followed by an artful squirt of sriracha.

The secrets of textures and layering

“So that’s one layer of flavour and texture, and then the mayonnaise will add another,” says Jesse.

“And then we want protein again, so we have our crispy onion.

“Then we get the healthy element for a little bit of colour,” he adds, placing a delicate pile of Julienne cucumber and thinly sliced radishes for the final flourish.

Rachel and Jesse present their dish of fried rice and crispy chicken at the pass.
Rachel and Jesse present the finished dish at the pass. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson

And the finished dish looks like a work of art.

“Originality is very difficult, right?” says Jesse. “But that’s not original, it’s just combining two things to make a new thing.

“It shows the importance of immigration. The importance of cultures.

“I feel very lucky, I get to incorporate all the things that I’ve experienced in America and then come here and see what everyone eats and learn something new,” Jesse adds.

And the final result?

It’s simple comfort food, done in an original and innovative way combining colour and texture perfectly for cosy crunch, fresh crisp bites, the perfect amount of spice and a deliciously savoury feel.

The finished dish: fried rice with greens, with golden crispy firied chicken, topped with honey soy sauce, sriracha, fried onions, Julienne cucumber and sliced radishes.
The finished dish of fried rice with greens, golden crispy chicken, topped with hot honey soy sauce, sriracha, fried onions, Julienne cucumber and sliced radishes. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson

Jesse Spears brings a blend of Midwestern roots, military discipline, and a focus on teamwork to his kitchen.

“My whole family’s from the Ohio area,” Jesse says, describing his upbringing in a small farming community near Dayton.

After serving in the U.S. Army, Jesse carried the values he learned – teamwork, humility, and collective effort – into his culinary career.

The team moves like a ‘wonderful dance’

“In the army no one individual is highlighted for praise… everyone has to work together for it to work. Same as in a kitchen,” he says.

At The Meadowpark, the only hotel in Bridge of Allan, Jesse has fostered a strong, supportive team culture.

“I praise people in public and if I need to give guidance, then that’s in private,” he explains, adding that he’s proud to have “a group of people that have been with me for four or five years.”

The interior of The Meadowpark restaurant looks cosy and has lots of little lights hanging down to create a warm glow above the bar restaurant style table.
The Meadowpark’s restaurant has a lovely cosy feel to it. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson

This dedication to teamwork means he rarely loses staff and creates an environment where everyone thrives.

“When you’re working well as a team you can look in about 30 seconds and know if everyone’s doing what they’re supposed to,” he says. “It’s a wonderful dance.”

Beyond leadership, Jesse’s menu reflects his commitment to versatility and customer care.

“Most of what we have in our menu is already geared towards being able to be made gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, whatever it needs to be,” he explains.

How does chef Jesse create ‘a good balance’ in his kitchen?

Balancing a demanding career with family life, Jesse has reshaped his schedule to spend mornings with his one-year-old son. “I now spend as many mornings as I can with my son…I try to see him as much as possible,” he shares.

“I’ve shifted my focus.”

The Meadowpark's head chef Jesse Spears dishing up heritage carrots onto a plate containing a red ramekin of lobster pie. Jesse has a dark short beard and dark-rimmed glasses.
Head Chef Jesse Spears serves up lobster pie with heritage carrots at The Meadowpark. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson

And he helps the rest of his team achieve a good work-life balance in an industry renowned for long and unsociable hours.

“There has been a massive shift for chefs in general, for how you spend your time.

“I have done as much as I can in the kitchen to make sure people don’t spend endless hours at work… so everyone can get their holidays and work in a good environment,” he says.

Taste Test: The lobster pie at The Meadowpark

One of the regular specials at The Meadowpark is the lobster pie, so I was keen to check it out.

The pie was served in a ramekin with a pastry lid, colourful heritage carrots and a quenelle of mashed potatoes topped with perfectly crispy kale.

Food and drink writer Rachel holds a fork and knife above a plate of lobster pie, colourful heriutage carrots, a quenelle of mash topped with crispy kale.
Rachel can’t wait to dig into the lobster pie. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson

It was so artistically presented I could hardly bear to eat it, but it smelled amazing, so I didn’t hold back for long.

The gluten-free pastry (especially for me) was surprisingly soft as I sliced through the buttery lid releasing a waft of rich lobster aroma.

Is it as good as it looks?

The creamy mash, with its crispy kale crown, complemented the sweet bite of heritage carrots.

The sauce in the pie was so rich and delicious, packed with flavoursome chunks of lobster.

All the elements came together wonderfully to create a thoroughly filling meal that felt healthy and nutritious as well as hearty and a little naughty.

I hardly had space for dinner that night!

An aerial view of the lobster pie from The Meadowbank.
Presentation of the lobster pie was a work of art. Image: Kenny Smith/DC Thomson

Information:

Address: 56 Kenilworth Rd, Bridge Of Allan, Stirling FK9 4RY

Tel: 01786 834084

W: https://www.themeadowparkstirling.co.uk/

Price: Main courses from £13 to £26.

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