That Mr Nathan Outlaw isn’t from Cornwall might come as a surprise to some. His classically trained way with seafood has seen him pick up Michelin stars at the restaurants he’s opened in the UK’s southwestern extent, while also flying the flag for Cornish seafood at his first restaurant in London. Yet the Kent-born chef credits working for Mr Rick Stein in Padstow in the 1990s as his career breakthrough, sparking a lasting love affair with the Cornish coast.

Splitting his time between his adopted hometown of Port Isaac and London, Mr Outlaw has slimmed down an empire that previously included a restaurant in Dubai to focus on the launch of Siren – an elegant brasserie at London’s storied Goring hotel, featuring fresh-caught fish from trusted sources. “There will be a few surprises,” he promises. “What we get in the kitchen will depend on what the fishermen have landed – that’s the exciting and creative part for me.”

As Siren’s final touches are put in place, Mr Outlaw explains how he became one of the UK’s best-loved seafood chefs.

Variety is what makes Cornish seafood so good.

Cornwall’s got two coastlines to the north and south, while the Gulf Stream comes up from the Mediterranean, bringing us things you won’t see elsewhere in the British Isles, such as gilthead breams and Mediterranean octopus. There are certain seasons when things are at their best and I’m always waiting for that next thing to arrive, whether that’s seafood or vegetables. Right now, we’re starting to get amazing lobsters and mackerel, then later in the summer you get beautiful female crabs, which have far more flavour.

Working in kitchens is like working with a bunch of pirates.

My dad’s also a chef and I was taken to work with him when I was seven or eight. It was the environment that got me hooked first, and that sense of fun and togetherness stuck with me. Dad now works with me here – he’ll be growing a lot of edible stuff in the garden, starting with our herbs.

The UK’s appetite for seafood doesn’t yet match that in Europe.

It has gotten better, but we’re definitely a meat-eating nation – you even find fisherman here who don’t like fish. Yet in San Sebastián, where there’s a big fishing community, you’ll find everyone eating amazing stewed or grilled fish. I went to a market in Ventimiglia on the Italy/France border and you’d see little old ladies without much money buying amazing red mullet or ceps – they won’t compromise. But in the UK, people just don’t know so much about it. Part of the reason I love writing recipe books is to make seafood more accessible.

Fish and chips is the ultimate seafood dish.

A lot of people might say fruits de mer or bouillabaisse or something else, but I love fish and chips, which is something that everyone has their own nostalgic idea about. I’ve also got a soft spot for mackerel – it might be one of the cheapest fish, but when you get it bang-on fresh you can eat it raw, you can cure it, smoke it. It’s very versatile. I always like an underdog, and I think mackerel is exactly that.

I’m proud of what I’ve achieved so far.

I’m not going to say that Michelin stars don’t matter – I got my first star eight months after opening Black Pig in 2004 and we’ve always got one star or more. Will we get one here? What I care about first and foremost is a restaurant full of people enjoying themselves, and staff welfare. That’s so important in an industry where many people burn out at some point. I want my staff to be happy.

What I’ve got on my plate now is plenty.

This time last year, I had five venues and it felt as if I was spreading myself thin. I like to be involved and know everyone’s names. There are people who are putting their careers in my hands and I want to do right by them.

I’ve switched off from the rest of the industry.

There were lots of chefs I looked up to when I was younger – Mr Rick Stein, Mr Gordon Ramsay – but I’ve found my own style. It’s always been there, but now I’m confident about what’s me and what I want to do. There’s a lot of preparation with seafood and sourcing can be difficult and I stick to the idea that what we do on our menu is difficult for people to do at home – otherwise, why would you go out for dinner?