Between them, two Derbyshire restaurants serve more than 12,000 steaks every year - and now, for the first time, their Executive Chef is lifting the lid on exactly what makes them so popular.
At The Red Lion at Peak Edge Hotel and Cocina at Casa Hotel in Chesterfield, steak isn’t just a menu option - it’s a phenomenon. Each restaurant serves around 500 steaks a month (that’s 1,000 between them), with diners ordering everything from ribeyes and sirloins to dramatic sharing cuts like tomahawks and chateaubriands. In the last 12 months alone, nearly 4,000 fillets and chateaubriands have been sold across the two hotels, with sirloin the most popular single cut at The Red Lion.
Now, Executive Chef Alan Rigby is sharing, for the first time, the real secrets behind steak perfection - from why breed and provenance matter to the simple home-cooking mistakes that can ruin a good cut.
The beef: slow-grown, naturally reared, and local
The steaks at both restaurants are sourced exclusively from Walton Lodge Farm Estate, owned by Casa Hotels founder Steve Perez. Nestled in the Derbyshire countryside just minutes from the hotels, the farm rears native Belted Galloway and Highland cattle. These slower-growing breeds are given time to mature naturally - something Alan says makes all the difference.
“Because the cattle are allowed to grow at their own pace, you get a wonderful depth of flavour and a rich, natural colour,” explains Alan. “The marbling - those fine streaks of fat – is key. It tenderises the beef and creates that melt-in-the-mouth texture diners really notice.”
Provenance, Alan adds, matters just as much as breed:
“Cattle that live well produce better beef. Stress and poor quality of life affect the flavour - you sometimes taste it as a metallic aftertaste. At Walton Lodge, the care and environment are second to none, and it shows on the plate.”
The chef’s take: respect the meat
For Alan, the perfect steak isn’t about chasing the most expensive cut.
“People assume you need a fillet or ribeye, but cut is actually the least important part. Respect the meat, cook it with care, and you can make any cut shine. That’s what makes a great steak.”
Still, he admits to a personal favourite: ribeye.
“I love the marbling and thickness - though recently, our farm manager Craig has even made me rethink sirloin. The diet and quality of husbandry come through so clearly in the flavour.”
By the numbers: steakhouse success
• 12,000 steaks a year served between Cocina and The Red Lion.
• 500 steaks a month, per venue on average.
• Fillet & chateaubriand - the best-selling cuts (nearly 4,000 sold last year).
• Sirloin - the top single cut at The Red Lion.
• Most popular side - home-made triple-cooked chips, followed by dauphinoise potatoes in winter and Caesar salad in summer.
• Most popular sauce - classic peppercorn. “Though with beef this good,” says Rigby, “the meat speaks for itself.”
The mistakes home cooks make
Alan also highlights the most common errors he sees when people cook steak at home - pitfalls even experienced home cooks fall into:
• Not resting the steak: “It’s the step people skip most often - usually because of space, time, or hungry kids.”
• Cooking the steak wet: “Always pat it dry before cooking. Moisture on the pan creates steam instead of sear.”
• Salting too early: “Salt only when you’re ready to cook - otherwise, it draws out the juices and dries the meat.”
So, what’s his own method?
“For me, it’s a heavy cast-iron pan, a deep sear, and a disgraceful amount of butter. That’s what gives you the flavour, the crust, and the aroma that makes people’s heads turn as the plate leaves the kitchen.”
Pride, not profit
Alan describes working with beef reared exclusively for the restaurants as a rare privilege:
“This isn’t just about money-making for Steve Perez. He genuinely cares about quality and wants us to be proud of what we put on the plate. That passion runs right through the team. It’s not something you find everywhere, and as a chef, it’s something you really value.”
