Sauce Communications are proud to announce that we are now handling the PR for celebrated chef Luke French and his acclaimed restaurant, JÖRO. Together with his wife and business director, Stacey, the pair launched Sheffield’s fist ever Michelin bib restaurant in December 2016 to rave reviews for French’s fresh, sustainable and daring approach to his menus.
Quickly becoming the face of Sheffield’s dining scene, Luke draws inspiration from his local suppliers, classic training, and ancient cooking principles, from Japan to Norway. Making tasting menus exciting again, JÖRO applies true innovation to the finest native ingredients, such as Highland Wagyu, to bring some of the best modern cooking the city has ever seen.
‘Some dishes are merely extremely good – others are downright extraordinary’ – The Guardian
‘A cracking restaurant. I would probably strangle my firstborn to eat the duck again’ – The FT
In relaxed and modern surroundings, ever-changing dishes at JÖRO might include: BBQ katsu pork belly; BBQ hand- dived Orkney scallop in beef fat & scallop dashi; Fermented Mayan gold potato with smoked pike roe and Highland Wagyu knuckle with wasabi mustard & watercress. Desserts honour rich produce from near and far, including a Wild berry jelly and 70% Ecuadorian chocolate with Tahitian vanilla & sherry caramel.
Equal attention is paid to the drink menus, with bottles featuring low intervention wines from around the world as well as sake, beers, cider, spirits and their own foraged selection of juices and cordials.
The 38-cover elegant and ergonomically designed dining room allows for a warm and intimate dining experience while a chef’s bench is also available for those who like to be up-close to the kitchen action.
JÖRO, old Norse for ‘earth’, is located in Krynkl – a business hub created entirely from upcycled shipping containers in the north of the Sheffield city centre. Once home to warehouses and factories in the former industrial quarter, it is now a buzzing centre for restaurants and shops – the Shoreditch of Sheffield.
Luke says, “We might not have been open, but we’ve been refining the menu at JÖRO, getting in place some exciting partnerships and future projects. We are rested and more than ready!’
Awards
JÖRO boasts numerous awards and accolades including 3 AA Rosettes and a score of 5 in The Good Food Guide. JÖRO was a recipient of the MICHELIN Bib Gourmand in the first year of opening. In 2019 JÖRO entered the National Restaurant Awards top 100 list at No.97, Luke was also nominated the ‘Chef to Watch’ in the same year. Other accolades include ‘Restaurant of the year’ in the Yorkshire Life Food and Drink Awards 2019 and No. 20 in the Confidential Top 100 North West Restaurants list.
Other ventures
in late summer 2019 the couple opened a street food concept known as Konjö. Located at local food hall Cutlery Works, around the corner from JÖRO, the team cook over fire on Japanese Konro BBQ’s. Using the same prime and respectfully sourced ingredients as at JÖRO, their most popular signature dishes include Crispy Chilli Wagyu Beef and Korean Fried Cauliflower. Excitingly, a new location for Konjö is expected to open in May 2021 in GPO Food Hall at the Met Quarter, Liverpool.
Expanding further on the Konjö concept, the GPO Food Hall will see the couple also launch NAMA – a Tokyo Izakaya-Inspired kitchen counter, focusing on sashimi grade fish, wagyu, sake & cocktails. Aiming to offer sustainably sourced premium produce, to everyone at accessible price points
About Luke
Luke has been in kitchens since the young age of 14, starting his journey in the industry working as a Kitchen Porter at The White Pheasant in Fordham. From here, his interest in hospitality and cooking was piqued, and he hasn’t looked back since. After completing his GCSE’s, he left education to pursue his culinary dreams and began working full time at the restaurant.
After 4 years at The White Pheasant, he moved into Cambridge and began working in local hotels and at some of the finest restaurants in the area including Michelin-starred restaurant Alimentum (now closed). Following this, he carried out a stage at The Fat Duck and continued working there, before travelling and working in Asia. Luke’s love of travelling has allowed him to absorb new cultures and cuisines which reflect in many of the techniques and ingredients he works with today.
Shortly after travelling to Asia, he was offered the role of Head Chef at The White Pheasant and knew it was not an opportunity to miss. French then moved to Sheffield after a few years, to join The Milestone Pub Group. Over the six years working with them he proved himself as such a talent that he progressed to Executive Head Chef for the Group.
It was during his time at the The Milestone Group Luke would meet his future wife and business partner, Stacey, a talented hospitality professional. Together they conceived the pop-up incarnation of JÖRO. After a successful 9 months, they knew they were onto a winner; having perfected style of service, menu concept, a strong team and growing loyal Sheffield fanbase behind them, JÖRO opened its doors in December 2016.
Luke’s love of foraging and fermenting, as well as his dedication to sustainability and sourcing the best of local produce has really shown him to be a chef worth watching. His strong worth ethic is combined with his passion for education and collaboration.