An Interview with Kevin Tickle, Head Chef at Heft
Lead by Head Chef Kevin Tickle, Heft is a restaurant with real character, rooted in place, people and personality.
Based in High Newton, this 17th century village inn has been sympathetically restored by Cumbrian born and bred couple Kevin and Nicola Tickle. It is a place that balances warmth and quality beautifully. The front bar remains open for locals to pop in for a pint and freshly made pie, while the rear restaurant offers a Michelin star dining experience shaped by the seasons, the surroundings, Kevin’s imagination and his deep knowledge of local produce and foraging.
For a kitchen like Heft, recruitment is never just about filling a position.
It is about finding someone with the right standard, the right skill set and the right attitude to become part of a very specific kitchen culture.
That is where the partnership between Heft and Ginger Hospitality began.
Understanding the kitchen before starting the search
Ginger Hospitality’s General Manager, Hannah Taylor, has been working closely with Kevin Tickle to support Heft with finding the newest member of the kitchen team.
From the beginning, the brief was clear. Kevin needed someone who could meet the expectations of a Michelin star kitchen, but just as importantly, someone whose personality would fit the atmosphere and environment he is building.
As Kevin explained:
“I didn’t need an excellent CV, I need a good CV, but more importantly, I needed the personality of the candidate to shine through for what I want to achieve in that kitchen.”
For Hannah, that meant taking the time to understand more than the technical requirements of the role.
It meant understanding the people already in the kitchen, the pace of service, the standards, the atmosphere and the type of person who would genuinely work well within the team.
Kevin said:
“Hannah listened to every single word I said. And everyone who’s been put forward really is exactly what I was after.”
Face to face partnership
A key part of Ginger’s approach is spending time with partners face to face wherever possible.
Hannah travelled to Heft to sit down with Kevin in person, understand the business properly and get a real feel for the environment the new team member would be joining.
Kevin described the process:
“Initially we sat down and had a face to face conversation. So Hannah travelled all the way up here to see me and speak to me personally.”
That face to face understanding has continued throughout the partnership. Angela Byrne, CEO of Ginger Hospitality, and Hannah Taylor have also visited Heft to catch up with Kevin and the team, helping to deepen the relationship and gain a clearer understanding of the people, culture and atmosphere behind the business.
For Ginger, this is an important part of hospitality recruitment.
A job description can explain the role, but it cannot fully show the energy of a kitchen, the leadership style of a Head Chef, the rhythm of service or the personality needed to fit into a team.
Being there in person helps build a much deeper understanding.
Filtering for the right fit
After the initial brief, Hannah was able to start introducing people quickly, while still keeping the focus on quality and fit.
Kevin said:
“After that, it was a matter of days, if one day, before candidates started coming through. Hannah seemed to filter what I needed to fill the roles in perfectly.”
The search was not about volume. It was about finding the right person.
Kevin was clear that the process needed to allow for proper consideration, trials and conversation to make sure the fit was right for Heft.
He explained:
“I need the right person for the job. So I’ve had candidates and a couple of trials just to make sure that they fit.”
For a kitchen with Heft’s level of expectation, this attention to detail matters. The person joining the team needed to understand the standards before arriving, feel prepared for the environment and have the right approach to become part of the team.
Kevin could see that preparation in the people Hannah introduced:
“I can tell that the candidates that Hannah sends over that she’s done her groundwork on that. Every single one I’ve had through is, you know, they ticked all the boxes.”
He added:
“I can tell she’s spending time talking to them and really finding out about them and making sure that they’re the perfect fit for the role before they’ve come to us for a trial.”
Recruitment support that understands Hospitality
One of the strongest parts of Kevin’s testimonial was the value of working with people who understand hospitality from the inside.
Ginger’s team includes people who have worked in the industry themselves, which means they understand the pressures, standards and pace of hospitality service.
For Kevin, that made a clear difference.
“I think the difference is all the staff I’ve dealt with at Ginger, they’ve been in the trade themselves. So they are hospitality through and through.”
He continued:
“I think it kind of helps because they kind of listen and understand what your needs are, rather than just slapping a CV in front of it.”
That understanding is central to the way Ginger works.
Hospitality recruitment is not just about matching a title to a CV. It is about understanding service, pressure, personality, standards and the realities of working in a live hospitality environment.
Seven day support for a seven day industry
Hospitality does not operate Monday to Friday, and neither does the pressure of running a busy kitchen.
For Kevin, one of the things that stood out most about Hannah’s service was her availability and responsiveness.
He said:
“Second to none really. It’s great. You know, I can get hold of Hannah at the weekend when she’s on her days off and she’ll always reply.”
He added:
“That’s what I love about Ginger the most. I don’t have to wait a weekend before I get an answer. She’s always there.”
In an industry where questions, changes and decisions often happen outside standard office hours, that level of communication matters.
Kevin explained the contrast clearly:
“Hospitality is like, it’s a seven day business. So what I find with other agencies is we get to the weekend. You just can’t get in touch with anyone when you’re trying to get answers.”
With Hannah, the experience was different:
“She picks up the phone every time I need it. Obviously, I just send her a text because it’s her days off, but, you know, I always get an answer to the questions I need.”
A partnership beyond the placement
For Ginger, the relationship does not end when a role is filled.
That was something Kevin noticed after working with Hannah and the Ginger team.
Once Heft had the support they needed and the kitchen team was complete, the communication continued. Not because there was another vacancy to discuss, but because the relationship itself mattered.
Kevin said:
“I think one of the best things about Ginger is that, you know, they’ve filled my placements and I’ve got a full happy team now, but I’m still getting the texts from them.”
He continued:
“They still want to stay in touch even though I’m not there needing something. I think it’s a nice touch that we have created a relationship where we are still in touch.”
That reflects the way Ginger Hospitality approaches partnerships.
It is not transactional. It is built on understanding the business, staying close to the people behind it and being there when support is needed.
The result
Through close communication, a clear brief and a strong understanding of the environment at Heft, Ginger Hospitality supported Kevin and the team with finding a new kitchen team member who matched the skill, attitude and personality needed for the role.
For Kevin, the experience has been a positive one from start to finish.
“I would recommend Ginger completely. I mean, I’ve had nothing but good experiences with them.”
He also made it clear that he would work with Ginger again in the future:
“I would absolutely work with Ginger again in the future.”
Continuing the relationship with Heft
It has been a real pleasure for Ginger Hospitality to work with Kevin Tickle and the team at Heft.
From the first face to face conversation, through to the search, shortlisting, trial process and continued aftercare, the partnership has been built around listening, understanding and delivering support in a way that works for the business.
Heft is a special place, with a distinct identity, a Michelin star standard and a kitchen culture that needed the right person, not just the right CV.
Supporting Kevin with that search has been exactly the kind of partnership Ginger values most.
One built on trust, communication and a genuine understanding of hospitality.
