Our Story
Where it all began...
Haar at Home is a rare success story born from UK's 2020 national lockdown. When Dean Banks’ Haar Restaurant temporarily closed its doors in March, it was an uncertain time for everyone. Dean had to act quickly and think of a solution to protect the future of his business, his team, and their families. Ironically, his ‘outside the box’ solution was what was inside the Haar at Home delivery box itself.
Going from strength to strength, the company managed to bring the majority of Haar Restaurant's team back from furlough in 2020, brought a sense of normality back to so many lives, and helped to deliver a fine-dining experience at home. Our success owed hugely to our Crowdfunder campaign in July 2020, where the generosity of our donors helped to raise over £40,000 to expand Haar at Home's operations. Donations helped us to move into a major production site purpose-built for our needs, aided research and development costs for our sustainable packaging, and further expanded our weekly output capacity and range of delicious offerings. Fast forward through the madness and Haar at Home is still flourishing half a decade later!
The globe-trotting chef...
With humble beginnings as a child perched on stools and making family recipes with his Nana, Dean developed a passion for cookery and exploring flavours, beginning his professional career at just 15 years old. Being brought up in the small coastal fishing town of Arbroath, the birthplace of the renowned Arbroath Smokie, put Dean in very good stead to become the very chef he is today.
Dean’s culinary skills are well-travelled, to say the least. He has ventured the world, visiting over 40 countries all in the name of food. This has allowed him to take in many different cooking styles and skills, alongside lots of different cuisines and ingredients. In Dean’s younger years, he trained in what is widely considered the best seafood establishment in the UK: The Seafood Restaurant by Rick Stein. His constant drive for learning brought him back to Scotland where he worked in numerous Michelin starred restaurants helping to further refine and develop his skills.
Following on from his time in Scotland, Dean travelled to Verbier in the Swiss Alps, finding himself working in some of the best chalets known to the world. During his time here, he created some of the finest food possible for the clientele. When breaking between winter seasons, Dean utilised the time with further travel, exploring the globe for even more cuisines to influence the culinary experience that he offers today.
All roads lead to home...
In 2018, Dean decided to move back to Scotland, coinciding with his impressive stint on Masterchef: The Professionals. He amazed the judges from the get-go, implementing all of his training and experience that he had learned from his diverse career, wowing viewers and judges alike, advancing to the final three contestants.
This was a pivotal moment for Dean and his career, deciding to showcase his culinary skills to the Scottish public by opening Haar Restaurant in St Andrews. His view is to pioneer home delivery fine-dining – offering an experience like no other, and hero some of the best produce the world has to offer, enjoyed at home.
Haar at Home aims to offer a similar fine-dining experience to that if you were dining in Haar Restaurant. Delivering accessible and easy to prepare high-end food, enjoyed at home. It really is enjoyment unlike anything else, offering some of the finest seafood and produce that Scotland has to provide, delivered nationwide throughout the UK*.
You can order one of our Luxury Boxes right here, hand prepared by Dean and his team at Haar at Home.
Success beyond imagination...
Far beyond the small dreams he started with, Dean has grown his restaurant into a true culinary empire in just over five years, and is now the CEO and chef patron of six Scottish locations, two luxury-at-home delivery brands, MOND: a Scottish distilled premium vodka brand, and award-winning Lunun Gin.
In recognition for his rapid growth and passion for the hospitality industry, Dean has been the grateful recipient of SLTN's Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and Scottish Excellence's Chef of the Year Award.
What's next in the stars for Dean and his team? Watch this space...
