Craig Rogan has learned from the best. Craig has always been around culinary royalty. That’s not to say my dad wasn’t brilliant, too, of course but it’cooking ox cheek a bit awkward when your dad’s the boss. You have to work extra hard to prove yourself.
Originally from Southampton and destined for a promising career in football, Craig diverted his attention to cooking, gaining a last-minute spot on a prestigious catering course at Bournemouth College. Football wasn’t for me in the end,’ says Craig. I’d actually signed up for construction college because I’m creative and wanted to channel that. But then I spent time working on pot wash at L’Enclume. I knew that was what I wanted to do, so my dad spoke to the college, which he had a relationship with at the time taking students, and managed to get me a spot.
Since then, Craig has worked at some of the best restaurants in the north, including The French at The Midland Hotel and Manchester House, both in the city, as well as at Fera at Claridge’s in London and, most recently, at the Grand Hotel in York where he won back its 3 AA Rosettes. But moving to Dakota in 2019 felt like coming home to Craig, who moved to Leeds to be near to son, Max. I’m very happy at Dakota and in Yorkshire,’ says Craig, 33. Although I grew up in Southhampton, Yorkshire feels like coming home. It’s been a great three years at Dakota and I don’t plan to move. It’s a busy place and people love what we do. It’s food to make people happy and the team are fantastic.
People assume I only do fine dining but our goal is to create fabulous food for our regulars and make new visitors want to come back. We’re about good food, good service. Craig celebrates the best of Yorkshire’s larder in his menus at the Dakota Grill, from Whitby crab and Thirkleby duck breast to Ribblesdale goats’ cheese and Yorkshire Nduja. We developed the Yorkshire pudding menu,’ smiles Craig.