Gourmet chef opening new take-out, delivery restaurant, food trailer in Brighton Township

A classically trained British chef who has cooked for royalty, famous people and high-end private clients is launching a new restaurant and food truck in Brighton Township.

Chef Michael Jay is in the process of renovating a space at 5756 Whitmore Lake Road, which was previously occupied by Tom's Food and Fuel.

He is also working on getting a custom-made 24-foot mobile food trailer up and running.

Jay's new restaurant, Chef Mike's Gourmet, will offer gourmet meals made from scratch for take-out and delivery. He said he hopes to open the food trailer first.

He said he makes everything from scratch with quality ingredients.

"We're not going to do the standard stuff. We'll come up with something different," he said. "We'll custom-make anything if it's possible. We won't be rigid."

Jay hails from England, where he made a name for himself catering high-profile events and at private homes, including cocktail parties at Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's Cathedral in London. He said he cooked for Prince Charles, Queen Noor of Jordan, astronaut Buzz Aldrin and the Spice Girls, among others.

As a young man, he trained with the Savoy Hotel's chef training program and worked for The Director's Club, Lloyd's of London and Simpson's-in-the-Strand.

In the early 1980s, he started one of England's first home delivery services, and in 1982 he shifted gears to catering at homes, businesses and events, including weddings.

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He moved to Brighton in 2006 and then lived in Florida for a while before returning to Brighton. He continued working as a personal chef and caterer, known as The Freelance Chef.

He also sells products online, including desserts and ready-to-eat foods, and he has a line of Chef Mike's Sauces, including hot sauces, bacon jam, satay sauce, roasted peppers and giardiniera.

Like they do in England

He said he cooks dishes they way they should be prepared, like they do in England, France and other countries.

"With fish and chips, if you get fish and chips in the U.K., it's different. Here you get glorified fish sticks, whereas back home you get a full fillet."

He is using social media to poll locals on what kind of dishes they want.

He said chicken parmesan was one top pick among locals. Another was slaw dogs.

His nephew Nick Bader is helping him run the business and marketing side of the restaurant.

"He can make anything. So, why knock yourself out marketing when you can just ask what people want," Bader said.

Jay said his cuisine will be different than what people expect at restaurants in the U.S.

"A simple thing like tartar sauce. If you go to a restaurant and they say they make their own, it's mayonnaise with relish and parsley, if you are lucky," he said. "The right way to make it is with capers, mini-Gerkins and no relish. And we make our own horseradish from scratch."

Jay said they grind their own meat and only use fresh fish that has not been frozen.

He said he avoids using big food suppliers.

"If it's Asian, I'll go to an Asian market. If it's Italian, I'll get it from Italy."

Jay said he is bouncing back from injuries he sustained in an accident a few years ago when he rolled a food trailer on the highway.

There is more work to do to get the food trailer up and running, but he hopes to open it by the end of the month.

When the restaurant opens, it will feature an open floor plan where customers can see the chef and cooks at work.

"We've got nowhere to hide here."

He anticipates staffing the restaurant could be a challenge, but he is optimistic.

"One of our biggest hurdles is not just finding staff at this day and age, but finding people who can do it from scratch and cook it while out on display."

He said he can train anyone in his cooking style, as long as they have a heart for it.

"The supply chain issues and the staffing issues, we'll overcome it. I want people who have it in here," he said, pointing to his heart.

Contact Livingston Daily reporter Jennifer Timar at jtimar@livingstondaily.com. Follow her on Twitter @jennifer_timar.

This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Gourmet chef opening new take-out, delivery restaurant, food trailer