Lee Tyler of Restaurant 1812

Chef’s Corner:
Lee Tyler
from porter to head chef

Kirsty MacLeod
07 January 2026

5 min read

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In conversation with Foster Refrigerator

From kitchen porter to Michelin-Starred marvel

Like many chefs, Lee’s journey began as many do; a kitchen porter while training at Norwich City College. A pivotal meal at a Jason Atherton restaurant changed everything.

“I was blown away. I just couldn’t believe people cooked like that,” Lee recalls. “That’s when I realised this was something I really wanted to do.”

After early setbacks—including being fired from his first Michelin-starred kitchen—Lee returned to Norwich determined to improve. A formative four years at Restaurant Le Cochon (Long Flute referenced in transcript) helped build resilience and discipline before he moved abroad, spending three years in Belgium working in a two Michelin-starred restaurant.

“The hours were gruelling, but the experience was mind-blowing,” he says. “You don’t always realise what you’re learning until you step away from it.”

Lee later worked in London before returning to Norfolk to join Meadowsweet in Holt. There, he says, his understanding of hospitality transformed.

“At Meadowsweet, I really learned what hospitality means. How to look after guests, how to look after each other, how to create a complete experience. That stayed with me.”

Developing his personal philosophy

Now leading the kitchen at Restaurant 1812, Lee’s menus are shaped by seasonality, locality and close relationships with small producers.

“I try to use as many small purveyors as possible. What they bring me often dictates the menu, if something’s incredible right now, you use it.”

Writing his own menus for the first time has been both rewarding and challenging.

“It’s been so hard,” he admits candidly. “Creativity is something I’m really working on. I’m not someone who sits and writes a thousand ideas, I need to think about how a dish sits within the whole menu.”

The restaurant operates a tasting menu format — a style Lee knows well from previous kitchens and one that allows flexibility and constant refinement.

“It can change at any moment. That’s how I enjoy cooking.”

Balancing cost, excellence and changing experiences

Lee's frank perspective on running a restaurant is "It's really difficult. My advice to others is just really watch what you're ordering. Build, slowly and that's all we do, we really just keep on top of it. Nothing can go to waste."

With carefully sourced ingredients and a small team, managing costs is a daily discipline.

“We know exactly how many guests we have with a tasting menu, which helps control costs.”

Savings are made wherever possible so that more can be invested in ingredients.

“The more we can spend on food, the better the guest experience — and that’s what matters.”

Lee has also noticed shifts in guest behaviour since Covid.

“People cook more now. They’re more switched on. They ask about techniques, fermentation times, everything.”

There’s also a growing focus on health and ingredient provenance. At Restaurant 1812, no processed sugar is used, a principle aligned with the owner’s background in diabetes care. Natural sugars and considered substitutes are used instead.

“Fine dining naturally lends itself to cleaner cooking,” Lee explains. “It’s about quality ingredients treated properly.”

Meet the Chef: Lee Tyler

Lee Tyler is chef at Restaurant 1812 in Stalham, Norfolk.

Lee's cooking has been shaped by his experience both within Norfolk (early days at Norwich City College then later Meadowsweet, Holt) and internationally at a two Michelin starred restaurant in Belgium.

Visit Restaurant 1812