Issue 17 Winter 2018
Quarterly
The eyes & ears of the hospitality industry Our 30 under 30 talent Steaks at stake • Trade secrets • Apron strings
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SUBSCRIBE NOW It’s a must-read for any working in our industry, but CODE Quarterly is so much more than a trade publication - it’s a brilliant mix of informative and entertaining. From interviews with industry leaders to beautiful imagery of the people and places that make the food world so fascinating, from fiery head-to-head debates to inspiring stories of collaboration. Plus news, travel, shopping, book reviews and much more Now you can receive the magazine four times a year delivered direct to your door by subscribing – and app members save 4O% on the subscription price.
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21/11/20
18 11:3 9
Contents 7.
Staff briefing
8.
In season: shopping pages
10.
CODE breaking: restaurant news
12.
30 under 30: Britain’s hospitality talent
20.
Rising stars who’ll be big in 2019
21.
How to access your support system
24.
Tools of the trade: Zibi Zareba of McQueens
26.
How is veganism affecting meat restaurants?
38.
On the farm with the inspiring Calixta Killander
32.
What’s fuelling CODE this season
34.
Head to head: employing the young and the old
36.
Trade union: the two men creating a club for us
39.
What makes a meal ‘cheap’?
40.
What a cover up: chefs and their aprons
47.
A classic revisited: Halepi
50.
The hier-anarchy of Where The Light Gets In
53.
The drinks report: whisky
54.
On the shelf: the latest food books reviewed
58.
24 hours in... Mumbai
61.
What’s hot on social media
62.
Staff meal: what they have for supper at Gridiron
Publisher Adam Hyman Editor Lisa Markwell Creative Director Alexander Taralezhkov
Contributors Josh Barrie Samuel Buckley Max Coltart Romy Gill Loyd Grossman Chloë Hamilton Katie Hammond Ophelia Keane Will Lake Colin McSherry Tom Pilgrim Joe Sarah Nu Valado Slav Vitanov Kate Woodcock
Head office CODE Hospitality 6th Floor Greener House 66-68 Haymarket London SW1Y 4RF Tel: +44 20 7104 2007 contact@codehospitality.co.uk @CODEhospitality @codehospitality CODE Quarterly (online) ISSN 2398-9726
Front cover illustrated by Marina Muun (@marinamuun, marinamuun.com) Printed on recycled paper by DataComuniqué
New destinations on the app include:
DIRECTORY
Tozi Classic Venetian cicchetti in Victoria Hawksmoor Edinburgh The latest outpost from the time-tested masters of steak The Begging Bowl A Northern Thai neighbourhood spot Screwdriver Spanish-influenced bar and restaurant in Dalston
For full list of participating restaurants and bars, see page 63 -5-
Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
THE CODE APP
The Laughing Heart Contemporary British cuisine from Tom Anglesea
Peace.
Staff briefing What’s hot. As another year comes to an end and we get ready for the festive season, it’s also that time of the year when we start to look back over the past 12 months. There’s no denying that 2018 has been a difficult one for our industry. The perfect storm of rising costs, the continued staffing crisis and of course, Brexit. Yet for me, hospitality in this country is at such an interesting crossroads. Whenever I travel now, I’m a little disappointed because of what we have at home – the diversity of cuisines, the chefs and restaurateurs constantly pushing boundaries, the hospitality and the constantly growing interest and hunger for knowledge from guests and customers. Our 30 under 30 list is not just to celebrate the amazing talent we have in the UK, but to foster it and make sure the next generation is being recognised and rewarded. We hope to shine a light on our industry to show those leaving school, university or even fancying a different career that hospitality is as a respectable career path as any. You can now get CODE Quarterly delivered direct by taking out an annual subscription to the magazine – anyone with a CODE app membership can also benefit from a special rate (see p3 for more details). Thank you, as always, for your continued support. I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous 2019. Adam Hyman Founder, CODE @AdamMHyman
Gobble gobble Turkey is back in fashion: goose is just too… hollow
Zero per cent Those alcohol-free spirits just keep on coming
Hall or nothing At the moment, it’s all about collective offerings under one roof
Ball and chain Many people’s guilty pleasure, IKEA meatballs, now at your door via Uber Eats
What’s not. Curated menus etc What is this? A museum?
Eyes down Anthropomorphised food is just plain weird
Loafing around We get it, you can make sourdough, enough with the pictures
Delta lines Yes, Pret, it all works well till someone decides to swerve sideways
Lisa Markwell Editor, CODE @HoldsKnifeLikePen
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Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
My eyes have been opened during the making of this season’s Quarterly – as much as we are all in thrall to cutting-edge technology and innovative structures, sometimes old ideas and a gentler approach to hierarchy are what breeds success. So we have the ambitious young farmer Calixta Killander using centuries-old techniques to help her grow award-winning produce, and chef Samuel Buckley running his acclaimed restaurant like a cooperative. There’s always space for newness, of course, and this winter edition we celebrate the wealth of young talent in the hospitality industry. It’s not our style to rank our 30 under 30, as the skill across every sector – from chefs to PRs, sommeliers to financiers – stands on its own merits. Meanwhile, in a nod to the time of year that this edition is published, there are one or two ideas inside for gifts. I’m a sucker for a cookbook and there are some brilliant new titles out there, or if spirits are more your thing, there are some wonderful whiskies too. Of course, I would say this, but a subscription to this magazine makes a terrific present for anyone interested in the people, places, trends and produce that makes our world so fascinating. All the details are at codehospitality.co.uk/CQsubscribe As always, please let me know what subjects you’d like to read in future issues of CODE Quarterly, and any other feedback, at lisa@codehospitality.co.uk.
In season We’re not saying these are all ideas to put on your Christmas list, but you could do worse than some delicious treats or great new gadgets...
A capital idea
Podding along
Perplexed by the slavish following the coffee-pod brand leader has, I’m making a case for the very stylish, very recyclable ones made by Volcano CoffeeWorks. The boxes look great on the worktop, plus – and it is rather important – the three varieties of coffee taste good too. From £19.80 for 32 pods, volcanocoffeeworks.com
Jake Coventry used to be a bar manager and started making his own liqueurs – now his Londinio drinks are wowing us. The name comes from the Roman for ‘from London’ and the small-batch drinks, an aperitivo and an amaro, are fabulously zingy with very few botanicals for a pureness of flavour. Available from Gerry’s, Old Compton Street, London W1 and Amathus Stores
A right pickle
Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
Chefs Glyn Gordon and Pat Bingley - who’ve worked in some of Britain’s most high-profile restaurants such as L’Enclume, Roganic, Fera and The Ledbury – are the small team behind this brand of kimchi and krauts. They brought some of their products into the CODE office, and won over the hard-to-please team. Mouthpuckering fresh and delicious. From £6, available from HG Walter and branches of Planet Organic
WINTER
2018 -8-
Pump action
If it’s good enough for St John Bread and Wine, Murano and Lyle’s to cook with, then I’m definitely down with using Pump Street Bakery’s singleorigin chocolate pastilles and nibs in my baking. These smart tins mean they look as good as they taste too. From £10, pumpstreetchocolate.com
You’ll pull through Junior chefs the nation over can celebrate – this dinky little metal tool makes picking herbs so much quicker. Just put the stalk through the appropriate sized hole and pull – it separates the thyme/tarragon/whatever leaves in a trice. You can even use it for getting the tough bits off kale and spinach leaves. £7.50, FusionBrands HerbZipper, boroughkitchen.com
Go rogue
Well, if there’s ever a time to buy wine boxes, it’s around Christmas and New Year isn’t it? I claim it frees up space in the fridge… New on the market is Rogue – with a white called Rascal and a red called Scoundrel that are both low in sulphites and pretty damned drinkable. And the packaging is designed to be recycled too. Win win. £30 for 3 litres, roguewines.co.uk
Look sharp
They’ve divided opinions among chefs, but I love the look and feel of the Skalpel steak knives – and not just because I forensically remove the fat from my sirloin before eating. Skalpel knives are hand-made from Sheffield steel and can be monogrammed for that Harley Street feeling. From £120, theskalpel.com
All fingers & thumbs
Pour me
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Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
There’s still time to buy a brilliant limitededition print of one of 50 portraits from the Chefs’ Hands set by photographer Joakim Blockstrom. A portion from each print sale will go to the Pilot Light initiative to help burn the stigma around mental health in the professional kitchen. Blockstrom says “A professional kitchen is an extremely tough environment, both physically and mentally; each image will hopefully reveal a part of their personality, and engage visually in the conversation around the strain on mental health in the restaurant world.” www.chefshandsproject.com
Robust, elegant and ecofriendly, there’s lots to like about this 3-pint jugs from old-school classicists Falcon Enamelware. We can’t decide between periwinkle or falcon blue – might have to have both, with matching tumblers too, of course. £29.50, falconenamelware.com
CODE breaking
London
Bob Bob Cité
Champagne lovers rejoice, Leonid Shutov’s infamous ‘press for champagne’ buttons are coming to a table near you, but this time in the Leadenhall Building. Opening in March, Bob Bob Cité is the equally flamboyant and glamorous sibling to Soho’s Bob Bob Ricard, featuring classic French country-style cooking from chef Eric Chavot (The Capital, Brasserie Chavot). Bob Bob Cité will accommodate 190 covers across two dining rooms, which hang suspended above the 30m-high atrium.
Soutine
The eyes and ears of the industry
Chris Corbin and Jeremy King, the team behind The Wolseley, Bellanger, Brasserie Zédel and The Delaunay, among others, are to open their ninth restaurant in the capital in January. Soutine will occupy the former site of Carluccios on St John’s Wood High Street, close to Regent’s Park. Described by the owners as a style somewhere between Colbert and Fischer’s, Soutine will be in the spirit of the strong artistic heritage of the area.
The Standard
Following the success of his two Bristol sites, Casamia and Paco Tapas (with a Michelin star apiece), chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias will launch his first London restaurant on the rooftop of the Standard Hotel in King’s Cross. Arriving in early 2019, this is the first overseas venture for US-based Standard International Management and the collaboration promises to showcase Sanchez-Iglesias’ bold flavours.
Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
Big Mamma London
Victor Lugger and Tigrane Seydoux, the duo behind Big Mamma group’s La Felicitá, Pink Mamma, as well as a string of Italian eateries in Paris, are to open in Shoreditch in February. This east London ‘Italian Trattoria’ aims to encapsulate the feeling of 1970’s Capri and work towards 100 per cent traceability. Pasta and gelato will be made on site along with Big Mamma’s home-brewed beer, coffee and limoncello.
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Rest of the UK
In addition to our weekly digital Bulletin, here we round up this quarter’s biggest news in the global restaurant and hotel scene. By Tom Pilgrim
In early 2019, Tattu is bringing its contemporary Chinese cuisine to the Grand Hotel, which is being revamped by Principal Hotel Company. Located in the 5,000sq ft basement, the 150-cover Colmore Row site will be Birmingham’s biggest restaurant and bar, and diners can expect Tattu’s signature chilli and sesame scallop with Chinese sausage, as well as saffron black cod. This is Adam and Drew Jones’ third restaurant, following successes in both Manchester and Leeds.
Pensons, Herefordshire
Lee Westcott is opening a destination estate-to-table restaurant in the Netherwood Estate in January. Pensons will be a partnership between Westcott (formerly of Tom Aitkens and Typing Room) and the estate’s Peta Darnley, and will serve produce foraged and grown on the historic farmland. Rooms are also available for restaurant guests at the estate’s 13th-century Medieval house.
Bistrotheque, Manchester
Launched in the capital in 2004, East London institution Bistrotheque is the latest London establishment coming to Manchester. Founders Pablo Flack and David Waddington will run a dining space in the apart-hotel London Warehouse in the Northern Quarter – a three-way collaboration between operator Go Native, Bistrotheque and luxury gym operator BLOK. Bistrotheque, slated for spring, will run the ground-floor space, with an open kitchen serving a modern European menu.
Barrie Bros restaurant, Liverpool
Pearl Social, Doha
Rest of the world
Tattu, Birmingham
The 15th venture in Jason Atherton’s international restaurant portfolio, Pearl Social, will open in the Marsa Malaz Kempinski Hotel, Doha. Executive chef Karl Emson, who was previously sous chef at Michelin-starred City Social under Paul Walsh, will showcase Atherton’s signature creativity in its menu. The 80-cover art deco style restaurant will sit below The Divers Club, serving cocktails from award-winning group mixologist, Jay Doy.
Sister City
Atelier Ace, the company behind ACE Hotels, will open Sister City, a 200-room hotel in the lower East Side of New York. The ground-floor restaurant – Floret – will be headed by chef Joe Ogrodnek (formerly of Brooklyn restaurant Battersby), and have 200 covers, an outdoor patio and 11th floor bar, run by Josh Hanover (ABC Kitchen, ABC Cocina). The hotel is described as an experiment in essentialism, inspired by the functional perfection of Finnish saunas.
Naumi Wellington
Following the success of Naumi Auckland in February last year, the Singapore-based private hotel operator has bought two properties in Wellington. Located on Cuba Street, Wellington’s bohemian capital, Naumi hope to redevelop and rebrand the neighbouring hotels and tap into the rise of experiential travel and the allure of the the New Zealand city as a new and vibrant destination for tourists.
Momofuku Noodle Bar, LA
You could be forgiven for thinking that the Momofuku empire already had a foothold in West Hollywood, but David Chang’s lauded Momofuku Noodle Bar is set to open only its second branch, after Majordomo in early 2018, with a spot on La Cienega Boulevard sometime in 2019. Surrounded by Nobu LA, Poppy, The Nice Guy and Fig & Olive, Momofuku Noodle Bar will be in excellent company.
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Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
The brothers behind the innovative Anglesey café the Marram Grass, which specialises in locally caught seafood and hand-reared livestock, are set to launch a restaurant in their home city of Liverpool. Ellis Barrie (Great British Menu finalist) along with his brother Liam were headhunted by city bosses for their vitality and energy and hope to raise the profile and culinary offering at the World Heritage Site waterfront at the Royal Albert Dock.
In association with
Erchen Chang, 28
Casey Sorenson, 27
The JKS-backed restaurant XU has settled into life in Soho, becoming a well regarded and busy fixture serving Taiwanese food in a beautiful setting. Chang has much to do with both its interior decor and its appealing menu, along with her co-owners, husband Shing Tat Chung and his sister Wai Ting Chung. This year, XU’s ground floor became a daytime tea house, serving traditional teas in elegant china alongside dainty dishes.
At 18, Australia-born Sorenson was bartending in Adelaide but by 20 he’d moved to London and was working at Soho House on their cocktails on tap. He stayed with the group until 2017, working across all their sites in the UK before leaving the same year to co-found Hingston & Co with Kuleen Khimasia – their own brand of cocktails on tap is already a huge success across the country.
Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
Co-owner and chef-director, XU and BAO
CODE’s annual roll-call of young talent is bigger and better than ever. All around Britain there are people making waves in every sector of hospitality and we want to celebrate them here. Plus, on page 20, is the list of fresh faces that are definitely ‘ones to watch’ -12-
Co-founder, Hingston & Co.
CMS is one of the largest law firms in the UK and has more than 70 global offices in more than 40 countries around the world. The firm’s leisure practice is headed by David Roberts, one of the leading lawyers in the hospitality space, with clients ranging from Hawksmoor and Hakkasan, to Daisy Green and Crosstown Doughnuts and from Aquavit and Blacklock to Tom Aikens and Gordon Ramsay. The practice is set up to act for early-stage restaurant businesses that want to raise capital and grow.
“CMS has been supporting up and coming chefs and restaurateurs for more than a decade now and we pride ourselves on finding talent and helping them to succeed. Our lawyers are tasked to enter the dining community and s pot talent and the 30 under 30 is the perfect event for us to express our support for the next generation of our sector. With clients across the premium dining, casual dining, R200 and start up restaurant spaces, we know how to turn your plans into reality.”
Calixta Aurelija Killander, 28 Sovaite, 28
Matt Emmerson, 27 & Ben Marks, 26
Farmer and founder of Flourish Produce
For a full interview with Killander, please turn to page 28
Group GM, Barrafina
Co-owners, Perilla
Their entries to hospitality were very different – Marks started in kitchens at 15 and has worked at Claridge’s, Noma and The Square, while Emmerson studied chemistry at university and then joined the Polpo group. They founded Perilla in 2016 and have made a major name for themselves with their inventive food in the elegant, stripped-back Newington Green site. -13-
PR & partnerships manager, D&D London
Mundy began her professional life working in travel PR before transferring to hospitality, joining D&D London in January 2017. She worked on marketing for the group before being promoted to the manager role in April this year – she has worked on significant launches this year, including 20 Stories, and Bluebird in NY. Her skills are key for the D&D London team as social media and ‘influencer’ relationships become ever more important.
Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
Sovaite moved to the UK from Lithuania in 2009 to study in Nottingham, and while there she worked at a restaurant owned by the parents of London hospitality powerhouses Sam, Eddie and James Hart. She moved to London and has worked her way up from waitressing at the original Barrafina on Frith Street to becoming GM of the group in 2017. This year she has overseen the opening of the fourth restaurant of the same name, in Coal Drops Yard.
Bria Munday, 25
Rose Ashby, 28
Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
Head chef, Spring
Ashby runs the kitchen at Spring with calm authority, a trait she also exudes in her work to encourage minimising food waste and to promote women in hospitality. This year she has appeared at events for Countertalk and Soho Farmhouse Food Summit among others after spending a period at the end of 2017 travelling around South America for inspiration. Ashby continues the close relationship with the prestigious farm Fern Verrow set up by Spring’s owner Skye Gyngell.
Alexandre Freguin, 29
Head sommelier, Moor Hall Freguin won this year’s Taittinger Sommelier of the Year, a high achievement for one so young – and the pinnacle (so far) on a career that’s taken him from one- and two-Michelin-starred restaurants in his home of Provence to Lyon and on to L’Enclume and Jean Suplice in the Alps. He was appointed head sommelier at Moor Hall in Lancashire in 2016, which itself won two Michelin stars this year.
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Merlin LabronJohnson, 28 Consultant chef, The Conduit
2018 has proved to be a watershed year for the acclaimed chef of Portland and Clipstone. Earlier this year Labron-Johnson both signed on as consultant chef at private members’ club The Conduit and started working on various food-charity initiatives. This led to him leaving the restaurants and devoting more time to working both with refugees and farmers to bring good food to more people.
Ellis Barrie,29 Co-founder and executive chef, The Marram Glass
His dish appeared at the banquet in this year’s Great British Menu but Barrie already has plaudits galore. The modest restaurant he runs in Anglesey with his brother has two AA rosettes and glowing reviews from Marina O’Loughlin and Tim Hayward. This year the pair announced plans for a new restaurant in their home city, Liverpool. Not bad for a chef who started with junior cookery classes at community college.
Doug Sims, 25 Amy Head chef, Quo Vadis Corbin, 30 Bristol’s bustling restaurant Co-owner, Kudu
Chef-owner, The Frog
Kudu, Corbin’s restaurant with chef (and fiance) Patrick Williams, won a Bib Gourmand this year after just eight months. Her own restaurant has been the dream of Corbin since childhood, no surprise since her father is Chris Corbin, of the highly successful Corbin & King company. The restaurant, in Peckham, has become a neighbourhood favourite for its European dishes with South African influences.
Adam Handling has barely stood still since he won Scottish Young Chef of the Year in 2011. Still just 30, he now owns The Frog Hoxton, along with its linked Bean & Wheat deli and Iron Stag bar, plus a further Frog by Adam Handling and attached bar Eve in Covent Garden. It was recently announced that Handling will be overseeing all food and beverage ops for the new Belmond Cadogan Hotel when it opens in 2019.
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Ivan TisdallDownes, 29 & Imogen Davis,30 Co-founders, Native
Tisdall-Downes grew up in London and learnt to love nature when his parents moved to the country; Davis grew up surrounded by fields and learnt foraging and butchery at a young age. The pair came together – after self-taught chef TisdallDownes worked at River Cottage and Blue Hill at Stone Barns – to create the brilliant, innovative restaurant Native, which opened at London Bridge in mid-2018.
Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
scene proved the training ground for Sims, who started by washing dishes at Bell’s Diner in 2015, before head chef Sam Sohn-Rethel trained him up, eventually becoming sous chef. After a stage at Faviken, Sims moved to London and joined Quo Vadis as chef de partie in early 2018. In short order, he’s been named as head chef and now heads up the kitchen for the restaurant and club.
Adam Handling,30
Joseph Otway, 28
Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
Head chef, Where The Light Gets In
Brighton-born Otway has a stellar CV. He’s worked his way up from The Ginger Pig to Benu to The Salt Room - but it was his year at Blue Hill at Stone Barns that proved the biggest leap forward. Otway focused on sustainability in farming (presenting a speech on the subject), then travelling to London for the WastED pop-up. Since then he’s worked at the acclaimed Relae in Copenhagen before recently returning to the UK to work with Sam Buckley.
Kian Samyani,29 Chef-founder, Berenjak
It’s the latest smash hit restaurant from the JKS Group, but Berenjak is all about chef-founder Samyani, who has interpreted the Tehrani cafe food he experienced both growing up in London with Iranian parents and during his annual trips to that country’s mountains. Samyani joined JKS in 2016 after working in the kitchens at The Bingham, and was at both Gymkhana and the launch of Brigadiers before getting his own site in Soho.
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Louise Ayres,29
Tomáš Kubart,25
One of the lower-profile but crucially important roles in hospitality is finance – get it wrong and the repercussions affect the whole business. Ayres is already managing huge highend projects for Ennismore, after a degree in International Hospitality Management, she worked at W and Aloft hotels, then The Beaumont. For Ennismore she’s run the numbers for three independent restaurants and three Hoxton hotels. Next up is Hoxton Southwark.
At just 16, Kubart was a waiter at the Mandarin Oriental in Prague. The Czech Republicborn hospitality graduate then moved to the UK and worked at Bar Boulud, where he worked his way up to maitre d’ before leaving in 2017 to join Tom Kerridge’s team ahead of the launch of the chef ’s first London restaurant. Kubart is now masterminding service at the vast bustling new restaurant inside the Corinthia hotel.
Finance manager, Ennismore
Restaurant director, Kerridge’s Bar & Grill
Luke Selby, 28
Daniel Smith, Laudy Gibba- Oscar 26 Smith, 24 Holgado, 29
Head chef Above at HIDE Chef-patron, HIDE has been one of 2018’s The Fordwich Arms
Gibba-Smith first came to CODE’s attention when she The Fordwich Arms near was a finalist at the Roux Gold Canterbury opened a year ago Service Awards; this year she and has quickly become a huge also won the front-of-house success, down in no part to its category at the YBFs. Born in pedigree. Chef Smith worked at The Clove Club for five years and The Gambia, she grew up in Lancashire where her parents had previously worked for Jason run the acclaimed gastropub Atherton - the pub Smith runs The Parkers Arms. Gibbawith wife Natasha and ex-Clove Smith worked at Northcote as a Club sommelier Guy Palmercommis sommelier before joining Smith is stylish and welcoming, L’Enclume in 2015, where her with the food a precise, modern excellent customer skills have interpretation of fine dining. seen her promoted to head waiter. -17-
Head chef, Murano
Holgado is head chef at the Angela Hartnett restaurant Murano, having previously worked there in the brigade – starting as demi chef de partie and working his way up to sous. Stints at Fera at Claridge’s and Pitt Cue in the City followed, before Holgado returned to Murano. As well has heading the busy kitchen, he finds time for creative collaborations with other chefs.
Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
biggest openings and the role of head chef at its first floor, tastingmenu restaurant Above is a big job. Selby comes to it having held senior positions at Le Manor aux Quat’Saisons, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay and Dabbous. His own already-illustrious career includes winning both the Roux Scholarship and the National Chef of the Year titles in 2017, having won the National Young Chef of the year in 2014.
Head waiter, L’Enclume
Hugo Campbell, 27 & Digby Volrath, 27 Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
Co-founders, Feast It
Fed up with not being able to easily find good catering for events they were involved with (Vollrath’s background is in festivals; Campbell’s in journalism), the pair decided to do it themselves. Feast It, a fastgrowing booking platform they created and now run, works with more than 450 food operators, and is used by everyone from Soho House to individuals planning parties.
Tom Booton, 25
Sarah Rhone, 26
Another early starter, Booton has rocketed through a variety of restaurants, including a stint in Alyn Williams’ kitchen, in a decade. The Essex-born chef counts L’Autre Pied and Dabbous as his most influential experiences, which include stages while travelling, before returning to The Westbury in 2017 as head chef, leading the kitchen at the Michelin-starred restaurant, alongside the patron who helped him earlier in his career.
Rhone’s hospitality career started at Limewood, working with Luke Holder, and later Angela Hartnett. In 2014 she moved to London and joined The Square, where she became an integral part of chef-patron Phil Howard’s team. When he left to launch Elystan Street and at this young age of 26, Rhone is now GM of the restaurant, which itself gained its first Michelin star last year.
Head chef, Alyn Williams at The Westbury
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General manger, Elystan Street
Seamus WilliamsSharkey, 27 Head sommelier, The Ledbury
The Ledbury is not known for PRing itself, but is renowned for the talent in every area. WilliamsSharkey is certainly noteworthy – he has run the purchase, maintenance and service of wines at the two-Michelin starred restaurant since 2015, after holding the same role at Restaurant Story and at The Nut Tree Inn and Hampton Manor. He doesn’t just guide diners, in 2017 Williams-Sharkey blended and shipped his own wine.
Shaun Young, Niall Keating, Sarah 26 27 Pearce,28
Tommy Banks, 29
Young founded Noble Espresso, bringing great coffee to events, in 2013. He then diversified to help establish The Estate Dairy with his partner Rebecca, whose father is a dairy farmer himself – in partnership with carefully chosen Somerset farms it provides top quality milk and cream for restaurants, including Spring and the Brick House Bakeries.
The last 12 months have been huge for Banks, who published his first book and opened a second restaurant, both titled Roots. The Yorkshire native, whose two restaurants are run in close collaboration with his family, holds a Michelin star and four AA rosettes for The Black Swan and is already a familiar face from last year’s winning dish on the Great British Menu and judging this year’s Big Family Cooking Showdown.
Founder Noble Espresso and The Estate Dairy
Executive chef, Whatley Manor
Originally from North Yorkshire, Pearce grew up in the sunnier climes of Mallorca before returning to the UK to study business and marketing at Oxford Brookes. Drawn to hospitality, she was reservations manager at Hix Soho and restaurant manager at The Palomar before joining Petersham Nurseries for its vast 2018 opening in Covent Garden. She manages the more formal The Petersham restaurant.
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Chef-owner, The Black Swan Oldstead & Roots York
Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
There’s not enough space here to include all Keating’s experience and accolades, but 2018 was marked by him winning a Michelin star for the Dining Room at the hotel. He also won Michelin Young European Chef, and scored Whatley Manor three AA rosettes. Keating has worked at Bath Priory Hotel, Restaurant Sat Bains and Benu on his way up – from a humble start washing pots aged 15 at a restaurant in his home county Staffordshire.
Restaurant manager, The Petersham
Wadsworth was named Young National Chef of the year last October by the Craft Guild of Chefs – a sure sign that the 23-year-old junior sous chef from Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons is one to watch. He’d won the same title the year before from the Rouyal Academy of Culinary Arts. Wadsworth started by washing up in pubs near home as a young teenager before joining Mark Hix’s operation in Dorset and has been at Raymond Blanc’s restaurant for four years.
Henry Wadsworth Belmond Le Manoir aux Quatr’Saisons
The winner in the chef category at the 2018 YBF awards – and recipient of a recent glowing review by Marina O’Loughlin in the Sunday Times – only opened her restaurant, The Little Chartroom, last June. The tenacious Edinburgh-born chef got her first full-time role at 17 after a week’s work placement and went on to work at The Balmoral. After a stint as the only woman in the kitchen at the Burj Al Arab she returned to Scotland and worked for Tom Kitchin among others before opening her own restaurant.
Roberta HallMcCarron
For a first head chef position, it doesn’t get much better than at The Clove Club. Williamson was recently named in that role after spending a year working in San Francisco at the celebrated Benu restaurant, and at 27 has also had experience as senior sous at Daniel Clifford’s Midsummer House in Cambridge. Williamson intends to use his experience to nurture the team and further develop the restaurant.
Oli Williamson The Clove Club
Bywater, 23, is the head baker at Green & Fortune, solely running the pastry section for the very busy business - private events can number 350 guests in addition to the restaurant and coffee shop. During her way up to her current role, Bywater also worked in United Arab Emirates and in America, initially on placement during her training. As well as a mastery of sugarwork and pastry, she enjoys creating new flavour combinations.
Sorrel Bywater Green & Fortune
It’s not a usual path into hospitality, but Wright – general manager of The Dairy and Counter Culture – studied criminology at university. After working for Robin and Sarah Gill to raise rent money, Wright, now 28, realised he’d found his natural home in the restaurant world. He has done a variety of different roles for the company and has been GM for the last two years.
Lewis Wright The Dairy
The Little Chartroom
ONES TO WATCH IN 2 O 1 9 James Harrison Brat
Dan O’Regan Origin Coffee
Ravneet Gill Countertalk
Joyce & Raissa de Haas
Rachel Smith
The Black Swan / Roots
Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
Double Dutch
Noble Rot is a pretty good place for a wine enthusiast to start their career. Harrison, now 27, learnt about building a strong, creative list, and in 2017 he moved to The Ledbury as sommelier. Last March, Harrison joined the team at Brat, Tomos Parry’s launch in Shoreditch, as wine manager, responsible for managing all the wines, sherries and other drinks. The restaurant recently gained its first Michelin star.
At just 25, O’Regan is already a huge part of the Origins Coffee success, as European wholesale manager. He’d developed a love for coffee while at university in Bath and then worked in specialist cafes before joining Origin in its education department. He travels widely building the business but hasn’t lost any of his early coffee-making skills – he came second in the 2018 UK Barista Championship.
Gill, 27, is a highly experienced pastry chef who has worked at Black Axe Mangal and St John Bread and Wine, among others, but it is for her work establishing the chefs’ collective Countertalk that she has become best known. She works tirelessly to give more exposure to underrepresented chefs in the UK hospitality industry as well as champion and support female chefs. Once a month a guest chef event showcases a woman chef, and quarterly events allow those in similar fields to compare notes on their businesses and skills.
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Creative soft drinks are a huge growth area, so having a USP is invaluable. Enter Joyce and Raissa de Haas, twins from the Netherlands who, at 28, have a fast-growing business. Double Dutch (of course!) has won multiple awards for innovation and the pair constantly try pairings with spirits to arrive at the right flavour combinations. They currently sell seven different mixers both to trade and retail.
Rachel Smith went to school with chef Tommy Banks and his brother James, but her route to her current role, as marketing and social media for the Banks’ family’s restaurants - The Black Swan Oldstead and Roots York - was not straightforward. Smith studied fashion communications, worked in PR and civil engineering before she joined Tommy’s team in front of house. Now she still greets customers at The Black Swan but develops the restaurants’ visibility too.
SUPPORT SYSTEM Following on from the Happiness in Hospitality survey last quarter, CODE is focusing on some of the networks and services available to help and support our community. Max Coltart reports
HEALTHY HOSPO
healthyhospo.com
EVERYDAY PEOPLE
The Benevolent is a charity dedicated providing practical, emotional and financial support to those who are currently working, or have worked, in the UK beverage industry and now need help. The services provided range from ongoing and one-off emergency grants to alleviate hardship, funding towards private treatments, as well as support with stress, depression, bereavement or other issues at home or in the workplace. The Benevolent also has a completely confidential helpline for mental health and wellbeing, manned by professional counsellors which is available seven days a week from 8am to 8pm.
A UK-wide community of company culture, employee engagement and learning professionals, who want to help you build a thriving culture within your organisation. Everyday People offer a number of half-day through to two-day courses that give operators, leaders and managers a Mental Health First Aid accreditation. As found in the CODE Happiness in Hospitality report 2O18, 79 per cent of hospitality staff either don’t have, or are unaware of, mental-health support in their workplace. The main purpose of the course is to train mental health first aid skills - just as a physical first aider would. Participants learn to spot the signs and symptoms of mental ill health and know how to best support in a first aid capacity. The one-day course covers stress, depression, anxiety, and touches on other common mental health conditions, with the two-day course extending to suicide, eating disorders, self-harm, psychosis and bi-polar disorder. Self-care and recovery are important themes throughout the course.
thebenevolent.org.uk
COUNTERTALK Run by the pastry chef Ravneet Gill, previously of St. John, Llewlyn’s and more recently Black Axe Mangal, Countertalk is an online platform aiming to create a community for chefs. As a space for chefs to access and share experiences, as well as talk and learn from one another, Gill aims to promote a culture of collaboration. Chefs will also get the chance to network and gain advice from one another on career moves, techniques and so much more. So far, offline events have seen Countertalk collaborate with CODE, FoodChain, Caravan and The Good Egg.
countertalk.co.uk
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everyday-people.co.uk
Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
Healthy Hospo is a platform to help, educate, inspire and activate hospitality professionals around the world to thrive. Their main areas of expertise are online education, events, workshops and training. In January there will be a Healthy Hospo all-day event in east London, with workshops covering a number of crucial topics for those working in the industry. A seminar covering essential tips to maximise the quality of your sleep - particularly important when the average hospitality worker scores very poorly for quality and quantity of sleep compared to the rest of the UK workforce. As well as sleep, workshops on nutrition, mental health and exercise will be held, including a cookery class on simple vitamin-packed recipes, to help you avoid relying on the one place that’s open at the end of your shift – the kebab shop.
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Tools of the trade In this regular feature, we take a closer look at the workspace of people who inspire us. Here, Zibi Zareba of McQueens, florist to our most luxurious hotels and restaurants, talks about his craft. Photographs by Joe Sarah
Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
McQueen’s is my first adventure with floristry. I grew up loving nature at home in Poland, but my background is as a musician. When I came to London, I was just basically looking for a job and it wasn’t easy to find work as a musician! I found McQueen’s… and it’s been 10 years now. Large scale designs are my specialty. I am in charge of contracts such as Claridge’s and The Berkeley hotels, and some restaurants. I think I am good at large scale – I really enjoy creating big, big, big designs. The biggest may be the tree in the tea room at Claridge’s. It’s quite huge! Of course, I have to make sure everything is safe. Whenever we build big structures, or let’s say a big tree in the middle of a hotel foyer, we have to make sure no one is going to get hurt… The flowers I always work with the seasons and seasonal flowers and with a lot of themes. So for Halloween, Christmas or Easter, the concept is obvious. The rest of the year, where there is no theme, I have a freedom of decision. Of course I send word to the hotels, because they need to know the names of the flowers. When we are planning big arrangements, like for Christmas, we do drawings of ideas. I’m not that good at drawing. I can do simple sketches, which sometimes is enough. But luckily there are a lot of people, and some of them are quite talented with the drawings. So I can always ask someone to help – and that then helps the hotel staff know what everything is – because guests will ask. Everywhere, in restaurants and hotels, we have to be careful because some of the flowers have a very strong scent. For example, we can use a flower such as an allium, which is actually garlic flower, but we have to be careful. My favourite flower is the Gloriosa Lily. It’s kind of tropical flower, but very, very beautiful.
These days, you can buy really any single flower the whole year round really, thanks to air freight. Mostly we use flowers from Holland, they’re high quality. We also buy flowers from Columbia or Ecuador, especially hydrangeas. We use flowers from all over the world, but of course we also use a lot of English flowers. At the end of the week, when I change the arrangements in the
hotels, some of the flowers can be used again for something else, for a short period, and because we do maintenance twice a week so in the hotels, many of the flowers are really, really good at the end of the week. So we give them away. The equipment Just my scissors, really. Any other equipment I can get anywhere. And they’re not special scissors, I just make sure they are new and sharp and ready to go. When they get -24-
blunt, though, I just buy a new pair. Then there is always wire, always string or ribbon. There is maybe some strippers for roses. That’s it really. Of course we use oasis, but not every single flower likes oasis. If you are doing an event, you don’t have to worry about your flowers lasting a whole week. For contracts, it’s completely different. So I put my flowers in water and we use special tablets, something very similar – or maybe it’s even the same thing – that they put in swimming pools. A lot of the time, I arrange everything in the shop, I prepare the entire arrangement here [at the McQueen shop, workshop and school in east London]. So I move the finished piece to where it is required – I have a McQueens van – and that means driving very, very carefully! Most other drivers are upset with me when they are behind me. But what can I do? Inspiration At McQueen’s, we are more than 40 florists, so there is always something that you can learn from the others or you can see how they’re doing things. It’s quite inspiring. I do look at the books, too, especially how people mix colours and that kind of thing. These days, of course, everyone knows Instagram, it’s super powerful. So there is a lot of very nice work of what people are doing – and the old-fashioned style of the thirties and forties is coming back very, very strongly. It’s not my kind of floristry, but definitely I take inspiration from it.
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Steaks at stake
Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
The rise and rise of veganism is inescapable and has much to commend it. But where does it leave those restaurants who focus on meat? Josh Barrie talks to leading industry figures about their response to our changing eating habits
Plant-based living has never been more in vogue. Just ask restaurant critic William Sitwell. For him, it proved hugely disruptive: in November, the Waitrose Food editor resigned under a cloud from a position he had held for nearly 20 years following a crass joke he made about vegans. Consumer culture and restaurants have never been more entwined. Usually, restaurants lead the way when it comes to food trends: experimental dishes begin in top kitchens, filter into high street staples, and then hit the supermarkets; the mainstream. Veganism is the other way around. Supermarkets have arguably been quicker to identity that market because brands have to cater for everyone. Niche restaurants, meanwhile, stand by their concept, be it prime rib or lavish hot dogs, and are often unwilling to budge. But now, according to Waitrose (and numerous other reports), one in eight people are either vegan or vegetarian; a third are looking to actively cut down on meat. Flexitarianism is growing formidably and the trajectory is clear. Indeed, whether health, the environment, or animal welfare is the spark, vegans are no longer the irritating minority, hiding in sheds, riding bicycles and handing out Green Party leaflets in Brighton. And vegetarians aren’t that one person you invite to dinner, their ‘on my way text’ instigating a frantic aubergine parmigiana and an extra loaf of bread. An overlooked importance in all this isn’t who eats what and why, it’s how the industry evolves and responds. As the great Richard Corrigan recently said in The Times, a sense of common ground is imperative. So while a heightened focus on plant-based living is pertinent, here we ask: what about the other side – the restaurants and restaurateurs to whom meat has always been front and centre? What about Hawksmoor, an institution of a modern steakhouse where quality beef is the emphasis and vegetables are – as has been the tradition up to now – very much a side gig? What about MEATliquor (the clue’s in the name)? If everybody is
shunning meat, be it forevermore or in a consciously flexible fashion, are its creators not worried? Should they not be reacting and shifting their position? MEATliquor’s co-founder and managing director Scott Collins tells CODE: “Meat is in our name, and we’re always going to be that sort of restaurant. It’s too late to change now. But I don’t think we need to change our whole concept – and I wouldn’t want to. “We’ve always had vegetarian diners. At the beginning, we wouldn’t change anything on the menu. Now, we’ve given some ground and concede we have to. It’s important to adapt to the market. “It was the same with gluten-free options. I’ve found that to be a bit of a ‘vegan diagram’, I suppose – there are people who avoid certain foods. The main thing is we’re trying to say ‘no’ less. So, yes, we’ve changed tack a bit. But actually, you can put a positive spin on this – it’s a new aspect to the market and a new way to attract diners.” We all know how challenging – this itself is an understatement – the hospitality trade is right now. Collins suggests vegetarianism and veganism might in fact be a way of pushing for buoyancy. “We’ve got to be progressive,” he says. “This business is terrifying and exhausting, but we’re seeing good things happen too. These days, you’ve got parents who used to come in when we started, now coming in with their kids. Everything is changing.” MEATliquor has long been a trendsetter. It’s always had imitations. With flexitarianism rising, one day it might be more of an anomaly. The market is saturated – pop-ups these days are more likely to be of carrot and seed than of juicy steak dripping in cheese. But while there’s room for a genius burger in the midmarket, there’s also the high-end to consider. What about the bastions of carnivorous indulgence, the London steakhouse, where suits sit behind the finest of red wines? Florian Siepert, an experienced restaurant manager currently in charge of Goodman Mayfair, tells CODE: “I don’t think top steak restaurants need -26-
to worry. While plant-based choices and lifestyles are growing in popularity, it’s also important to note that it’s still predominantly wealthy and educated people. “We’re not ever going to appeal to everyone. But we are perfect for people who opt out of meat three or four, even five days a week, but want something special when they do eat meat. It might be a special occasion, and our meat is higher welfare; it’s premium, so it works.” Goodman might be a point of excess. In fact, the high-end may even benefit from the rise in plant-based influences. If we all abstain from the cheap meats Monday to Thursday, then look out for tenderness to satiate our animal desires come Friday, somewhere like Goodman would definitely be high on the list. “Yes, we are a good option in that regard,” adds Siepert. “Though that’s not to say we’re not accessible. We also do dishes such as steak frites. Meat has always been an aspirational thing and it should be available to all consumers. But it’s true that restaurants will have to rethink. I know a lot of places are clinging on for dear life, and think anyone who makes it through this year will have done an exceptional job. “So in a differing market and in the industry as a whole, we all have to be reactive and reflect consumer trends. We’ve got to be creative. Above anything, it’s not about a concept – it’s about keeping going.” Like Collins, Siepert is largely positive: “There’s been a proliferation of knowledge in London in the past decade and an understanding of food has permeated through kitchens. We can all benefit from this and plantbased dining is just another thing we can work with in a tough period.” Hawksmoor’s Will Beckett echoes these sentiments. Vegetables are not alarming. They’re good news, actually. “I think that the bigger trend is a general interest in the link between food and health, between food and animal welfare and between food and sustainability in its many guises,” Beckett says. “Vegetarianism and veganism often have their roots in one or more of those concerns and so does
Hawksmoor. We’re doing so [offering an all-encompassing menu] proactively rather than reactively I think – we’ve always wanted to do vegetarian well. “We also have Foxlow, which is a more overtly ‘flexitarian’ kind of restaurant where we get to indulge our love of vegetables much more.” Beckett mentions his mum as an example of something looking to cut down on meat, but who won’t shy away from London’s famous haunts. He says: “My mum has dramatically reduced her meat intake, but not in a way that would stop her going to Hawksmoor. She’s cut out cheap meat (where she knows the ethical standards are likely not great) or meat at places where she can’t be sure they pay attention to the things she cares about (health, the environment, animal welfare etc.).” With the culinary landscape shifting too, does Beckett have concerns in a broader sense? “I think the most in jeopardy are the restaurants that don’t keep up with what customers want, and they care a huge amount about having a great meal, being served by people who love what they do and having a good time – those things are still the main reasons people go to restaurants and the places that have struggled have often been
places where those three things can’t be said, irrespective of what kind of food they serve. “I think there’s a clear place for restaurants like ours, but I think the dinosaurs that serve any old meat with scant regard for sustainability issues are likely to make way for restaurants who do it with a sensibility to the kind of issues we’ve discussed today.” Like Hawksmoor, Sophie’s – which has two outposts, in Mayfair and Soho – puts quality and welfare on a pedestal. The restaurant sources its meat from Warrens in Cornwall. Cattle roam free on Bodmin Moor. In the Soho branch, proprietor Rupert Power has installed a huge fire pit, where slabs of prime rib and other meats are sat over flame, fat rendering and meat colouring. Are vegans not put off with such a scene? Has footfall fallen? “We focus on appealing to a broad market,” Power explains. “When customers do want a steak, they go to trusted sources, where it’s about top produce cooked well. On our firepit, vegetables are cooked too. We have always been proactive. There are steaks, but there are ash-baked sweet potatoes too, for example. “I think Sophie’s really does lend itself to flexitarianism. We’ve
never been one of those alpha male steakhouses you find in New York. Even our decor reflects that. We have built an experience suitable for everyone, we always have – but that’s not to say we’ll continue to adapt. I think we have to. It’s obvious and we will.” It is clear that restaurants, midmarket and high-end, have an eye on plant-based goings on. And as these restaurateurs exemplify, a willingness to adapt is crucial. We’re not going to lose the glorious steakhouse or the loud burger joint anytime soon. If anything, veganism will sift out the ones we don’t need, and propel those we ought to be going to, come the weekend after our week-night chickpea curries.
“We’re trying to say ‘no’ less often and you can put a positive spin on it – it’s a new aspect to the market and a new way to attract diners” Scott Collins, MEATliquor
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Ploughing her own furrow The farmer Calixta Killander, one of this year’s 30 Under 30 stars, does things differently – and the results mean her produce is in demand by our best chefs. Chloë Hamilton travelled to her traditional yet innovative land to find out more. Photographs by Katie Hammond
Calixta Killander is a name not easily forgotten, and is perhaps remembered by some for her YBFs win in the vegetable category earlier this year, and her appearance in Observer Food Monthly alongside chef Tomos Parry. She is not your average farmer. For a start at 28 she’s built her business, Flourish Produce, on her own and from scratch (note her place in CODE’s 30 Under 30). Secondly, her focus is on progressive sustainable agriculture. More uncommon still, she’s farming her land using a 100-year-old cultivator carted along by a pair of horses, Bill and Ben. All of these things might be surprising, but of little further interest, were it not for the fact that what she is pulling out of the ground is turning up on the plates of London’s very best restaurants – those heralded for championing beautiful produce with simplicity of cooking. There’s Brat, St Leonard’s, Primeur, Anna Tobias at P. Franco, Pidgin, Kiln, Mãos and Nuala. The list goes on and her waiting list grows longer. And it certainly grows faster than she can harvest her bounty and drive it from her Cambridgeshire farm down the M11 to the doorsteps of some of the best chefs in London. How did she acquire such an illustrious customer list in less than two
anyway, it transpires, as she takes us out to the maturing crops in the fields. “I say everything is my favourite, but these really are one of my favourites.” She brushes back the leaves of a badger flame beet, a type of golden beetroot created in the US by Dan Barber. “[Dan]’s been incredible and worked with some really amazing seed breeders to breed varieties that have a really special flavour profile. These are much sweeter and less earthy than the normal golden beet varieties, so are amazing eaten raw, just thinly sliced. Our chefs have been really excited about it, because there aren’t a lot of people growing them.” We step over the rows of ripening crops, trying not to trample such goodlooking vegetables. “Down here are some rose radicchio – the colour doesn’t look that interesting now but when it turns colder their heart turns the most amazing antique pink. And this looks boring but it’s amazing – it’s spigarello – Italian leaf broccoli”. Calixta pulls out her paring knife as we move along, slicing blushing pink scallions and cutting flowing broccolette for us to taste. “And here’s some amazing holy basil, quite a rare variety of it. We harvest it at flowering stage and Kiln uses loads of it.” I ask whether she’s seen tastes
something about soil science and not something more theoretical.” So it was to Warren Wilson College, at the edge of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, where studying and working on the university farm was a precursor to years of an intensive nomadic education. She moved from North Carolina to Hawaii to Massachusetts, spending at least a growing season in each place. “I saw it as an opportunity to work as much as I could on as many farms as I could, to meet as many farmers to learn from them. Their knowledge base is vast and they’re decades ahead of where British farming is.” Her inexhaustible passion and the fact that she was this ‘weird English girl’ propelled her from job to job. The next one was lined up in Pennsylvania, but a trip back to the UK for Christmas brought her home for good. Her path crossed with farmer Brian Cavendish, who offered her the gift of the handsome Comtois heavy horses Bill and Ben, which presented the opportunity to start her own farm back home in Cambridgeshire. “In some ways I would’ve loved to have stayed on but I thought, if I don’t do this now, I’ll never have an opportunity like that in the States.” Whilst Bill and Ben came from
“Even though it’s such a foreign, faraway, different culture, the Amish are just such a big part of what I’m doing” change even over the short period of time she’s been growing. “I’m super happy with the celtuce,” she says. “Last year was my first season growing it and it was devastating having to compost it because I couldn’t sell it. I was literally crying. But this year, amazingly, I’ve found customers who love it and it’s selling out. It’s a kind of a Chinese vegetable – a stem lettuce, it looks kind of uninteresting but the flavour is delicious, it’s really crisp and nutty.” I wonder how Calixta knows when to harvest varieties she’s never grown before. “A lot of it is just experimenting; and actually 40-45 per cent of what we grow is a trial. We invest a lot in trialling crops because we always want to find something special and with flavour. Then season after season you go with what’s the most outstanding.” It seems a lot like feeling around in the dark, a lot of risk to take on for a small business, but Calixta’s level of experience is deeper than most. Though the family business is traditional grain farming, her interest was specifically in sustainable agriculture and for that, she went to North Carolina. “I scoured England and Europe but there was nowhere where the educational opportunity was deep enough, where you’d learn -29-
Comté by way of an early career in Cornwall, the farm equipment they would be powering was sourced from an Amish community in Sugarcreek, Ohio. “Even though it’s such a foreign, faraway, different culture, the Amish are just such a big part of what I’m doing. They had the engineering that allows us to do the work we need to do with the horses.” One of the most-used pieces on the farm is the McCormickDeering cultivator which looks rather rusty in its old age, but is in perfect condition. The other is an original John Deere plough, which was hardest to source. “I knew I needed one just like this because it’s what I learnt on and I knew they were amazing, but also super rare – I couldn’t find one anywhere.” Eventually a dairy farmer, Laverne, helped find the ploughs sitting in a hedge on his brother’s farm. And from those run-down parts they built the machine Calixta now uses in Cambridgeshire. “I was incredibly lucky to have their help,” she reflects. “It’s those relationships and connections that give you opportunities.” Though the use of non-mechanised equipment seems like an antiquated way to run a farm, there are myriad benefits, beyond protecting a dying
Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
years of running her business? “I know it’s really frowned upon,” she says, “but I just went cold calling. I’m a farmer, not a marketer and I don’t have time to make phone calls and send emails. So I just did as much research as I could on the chefs themselves – because ultimately, whilst we’re working with restaurants, we’re really working with the chefs – and I’d go in with a box of samples and try and have a chat.” Her hit list was carefully thought out, targeting those she thought would understand what she was doing. And it worked. For one thing, the type of produce she’s growing is unusual, both in the rarity of varieties and the painstaking care with which she cultivates them. It’s a blue-sky autumn day when we visit Cooks Penn Farm and Calixta’s tour begins in the nursery. “Lots of other people buy in starter plants – understandably – as it’s a lot of work to produce them,” she explains, “but everything here is grown from seed to harvest”. We’re standing in the warmth of a polytunnel, one of three that she retrieved from a derelict strawberry farm nearby. She’s careful not to divulge the details of her carefully sourced seed suppliers, but one of them is a big name
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craft. “Because of the horses we have very little that’s brought onto the farm in terms of fertiliser,” she explains. “It’s all grown or made on site, which is quite uncommon. If you don’t have animals or have those systems, you’ve got to bring commercial fertiliser in from somewhere else to have a decent soil.” It also means no use of fossil
than enough. Though it doesn’t stop her working 14-18 hours a day. In the spirit of a young start up, she just has one full-time employee, Fabio, whilst the rest of her help comes from a team of volunteers through the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms programme, some of whom have been with her for a year. For 2019 she’s going
trying to do things in a more forward thinking, sustainable way. Beyond the furrowed fields, the skeleton of a new polytunnel rises out of the ground in preparation for spring crops. It will be twice as long and three times as wide as the existing ones and will allow her to take on some of the customers that are lining up to buy
fuels and subsequent pollutants near the crops (though Calixta admits to occasionally using ‘an actual mower’ for some bits of cover crops). The impact on the land is also much gentler under the hooves of Bill and Ben. As they’re harnessed to the cultivator for their photo call, they amble along the furrows much more nimbly than we do. In fact, the only collateral damage comes from Bill stooping for a quick snack of the radicchio. Calixta knows her farming methods may not be for everyone but is sure there is a place for it in modern farming. For her land – 16 acres of which six is currently being farmed (the rest is fallow) – the horses and the astute Amish engineering are more
to take on three apprentices both to help her and to educate others. “I’m hoping that coming and working on a farm like ours will help people gather the skills they need to learn and to do their own thing in the future.” Having taken such a significant step away from the family business, what do they think of what she’s doing? “They’re very supportive. In fact my brother is often out here at 11pm at night helping me,” she says. “Lots of people around here are having to sell their farms to developers because they’re not making enough money. Farmers look to their children in the hope that they’ll do something new. My amazing neighbour’s son Sam is doing pastured Red Poll beef – people are
her produce. “At the moment we’re literally at maximum capacity, but we’re keeping in touch with everyone that’s been in contact. It’s so nice to see an enormous amount of interest in what we’re doing; that there are chefs that want to work with producers like us on a much smaller scale and very different to what they’re used to.”
“I’m hoping that coming and working on my farm will help people gather the skills they need to do their own thing in the future” -30-
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Each season, publisher Adam Hyman and editor Lisa Markwell make it their business to check out new restaurants and old favourites. These are the places that fuelled this edition of CODE Quarterly
Head to head In each edition we ask two industry figures to share their own opinions on a subject exercising the food world. This season two successful restaurateurs tell us their views on working with those just starting out in the industry, and those who are more seasoned
“MY WAITER, WELL INTO HIS FIFTIES, MADE ME FEEL COMFORTABLE, COUNSELLED, GUIDED AND CARED FOR”
Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
Jeremy King, Corbin & King I am not suggesting it is “Age before Beauty?” but the massive potential of older workers in restaurants and hotels is an opportunity we are missing. It was in the indubitably ‘trendy’ restaurant Pêche in New Orleans that I realised so clearly something I was intuitively feeling but not grasping – that being served by someone with experience and maturity can sometimes add another dimension to the restaurant experience. We had arrived at lunch and were greeted, seated and initially served by two very pleasant, capable and eminently hipster staff with perhaps just the hint of a suggestion that this was not something they necessarily would be doing long term. Having settled in, we spotted a spare booth and asked if there was any chance of taking it and were grateful that this was readily arranged – I like Pêche and their attitude. This meant a change of waiter’s section and we looked up to see the antithesis of our lithe initial server approaching. Clearly at least 30 years older and male; he couldn’t be more different in appearance, but as he opened his mouth we were bathed in his warmth, care and genuine interest in giving us a good time. It elevated the experience of the restaurant from very good to terrific. Pêche has all the right ingredients for deserved success, but as with every experience in a restaurant, this means nothing if the hospitality doesn’t match. Our server told us that he was indeed late fifties, had taken early retirement from a more sedentary job and, having loved restaurants all his life, thought this would be the perfect second career. He was, as the French say, “Bien dans sa peau’ and his guidance, advice and attention made the lunch a great memory and a salutary lesson. It was a couple of months later that I was sitting at the bar of Upland in New York for dinner. Upland is another fashionable creation by the brilliant Stephen Starr and it was a noisy Saturday night. I was feeling that I was the oldest in the room and a little uncomfortable. At which point the barman
approached and I realised he wasn’t that far behind me on the age front – well into his fifties – but he had a youthfulness, energy, poise and confidence that shone out like a beacon amongst his colleagues. Again I was made to feel comfortable, counselled, guided and cared for in an extraordinary way. As I spoke to him I learnt that he had deliberately eschewed promotion to remain a barman, as he had no interest in “Ordering, stock-taking, controls and rotas – I want to interact with people – I earn good money and have a clear head. I couldn’t be happier.” It set me to thinking that there was a great untapped resource of talent that we in the hospitality industry should no longer overlook. There are the ‘Second Careerers’ and the ‘Returnees’ who we need to reach and reveal the opportunities available. At Corbin & King we are already looking at making it easier for mothers to return to their roles offering flexible working hours to fit in with their childrens’ schooling, and I now believe the encouragement of the ‘Over 50’s initiative’ is a priority. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that the older are better – on the contrary – a mixture of age groups will bring balance and diversity that will enhance the customer experience and consequently we are really working hard to encourage more school and college leavers to come into the industry. Having observed how transformational it can be for the young to enter the profession and learn a trade, I feel that if we can give the more mature the confidence to take the plunge we could have a wonderfully
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mutually beneficial result. Interestingly the evidence of how valuable an older member of staff can be is staring us in the face, because a recent audit of our ‘age groups’ revealed that we already have 44 staff of 50 or more, ranging up to an 81 year old, and they are the bedrock of our experience! That’s five per cent of the workforce and raising that to 10 or 15 per cent will not only make us vacancy-free, but greatly enhance our quality of service and enrich our workforce. I do feel that with the national percentage of employees over 50 sitting at 30 per cent we have been missing a trick!
“WITH OUR PROGRAMME, PEOPLE CAN BUILD ARMIES WITHIN THEIR TEAM BEFORE THEY ARE REQUIRED TO LEAD THEM” Gordon Ker, Blacklock I believe that the success of any organisation is down to its people. Whether it’s Apple, the All Blacks, or Blacklock; people can do great things when they are happy and passionate about what they do. At Blacklock, our focus above all else is on our people. We talk relentlessly about food standards, consistency and creating a memorable experience, but top of our agenda every day is how we make our restaurants great places to work. Our team is relatively young – the average age is 28 – but rather than hospitality being a stepping stone to something else, we aim
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culture and crucially build armies within the team before you are required to lead them. This has been really successful and led to much higher manager development and retention. Our third restaurant in Shoreditch was just opened by four managers who went through the 90, including Chris our restaurant manager who started with us as a waiter two years ago and has developed through head waiter, to ARM and now RM. Chris fits our culture perfectly, the right balance of professional and fun – and so when Shoreditch came up I couldn’t think of a better person to invest in. We found that improving the quality and regularity of our feedback has helped us hugely. We are very focused on service rather than back-of-house processes, so struggled to regularly feed back and formally appraise people’s hard work. Less experienced managers often found it hard to properly feed back and development plans weren’t getting done. So we came up with WordTake – a way to make sure our teams got regular succinct feedback and development without the administrative hassle that usually entails. WordTake ensures everyone in the company gets a month-end sit down with their manager where they focus on the positives of the last month, assess their performance visually, using traffic light colours and set a development focus for the next month that is just one word. One word to focus on instead of a whole document. Your word might be “Knowledge” to focus on a learning area, or “Agent” for someone needing to give a little more to guests. All words are shared openly with the team so everyone can help each other grow. The process is completely admin free and fun which fits nicely with our culture and the make-up of the team. Ultimately I think the environment is key. Yes it’s fun at Blacklock, but I think people thrive in a safe environment where they can push their comfort zone every day. We work on principles not rules and we trust our people to make sure our guests leave happy, and work hard to provide a supportive network for them to thrive.
Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
to build meaningful careers for everyone. All our general managers are in their early 30s and our Drinks Chief is 28 – they are managing big teams, large budgets for busy restaurants and each responsible for a few thousand guests a week. They have autonomy and shares in the company as I want them to run the restaurant as if it were their business – now it is. I’m not aware of many other industries you can gain that level of experience at such an early age. As a junior lawyer you just saw the back end of the photocopier! We invest a lot in talent selection and development. We think hard about who joins, train heavily, empower people in their jobs and then trust that they will, and most importantly want to, do a good job. Purpose is important for everyone but particularly amongst the younger generation. We think everyone is better when they understand the purpose, so we start everything we do with “Why?”. Progression and career development is great, but can’t just happen. We never want to promote because someone left or there is a hole. We want you to be ready to give you the best chance for success and without proper training and guidance that’s not fair on the individual or the team. Now when someone starts as a manager or gets outlined for promotion, rather than being given the role and expected to smash it instantly – we take the pressure off and pop you in the ‘90’. This 3-month programme is designed to teach the relevant parts of your new job before you actually start it. It provides a safe environment to assimilate our
Trade secrets Fed up of having to socialise after work in casinos or nightclubs, master sommeliers Xavier Rousset and Gearoid Devaney decided to set up a members’ club for the hospitality community. From January, a Soho basement promises to be a buzzing hub for industry people. Lisa Markwell gets a sneak preview
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We sit in Bar Italia with strong coffees. Gearoid Devaney and Xavier Rousset are in smart suits, as befits master sommeliers with day jobs running restaurants and advising operators on their wine lists. But after our conversation they’ll be going next door, to number 23 Frith Street, putting on hard hats and descending into the basement. That’s where their new joint venture is being built (they already run Cabotte in the city). How and why are they going to run a members’ club for chefs, bar staff, front of house, hoteliers, and all the other trades involved in hospitality? GD: We first met on a wine trip to Burgundy in 2000 and we both had similar outlooks in terms of doing competitions, exams – at that point we were both working our way up aiming to be head sommeliers – and we stayed in touch.
ago, and then we realised, ‘oh we should do it!’ The reception we’ve had from the hospitality industry has been really amazing. People are very keen to be part of it and use it, so hopefully it is going to work. The feedback has been amazing. Some people are looking at it as somewhere to network and have meetings, that sort of thing, some people are going to use it as a restaurant or a bar. There might be some people who never set foot in it before midnight!! ever, and there might be people who never set foot in it after nine o’clock at night. So its going to be a different story for different people. XR: Our membership is open to anyone who comes into contact with our trade, with hospitality. Not just
XR: Then we opened restaurants together… and now Trade. He’s from Belfast, I’m from St Etienne in France and it’s a good mix – that’s typical London and I love this city for that. GD: The idea for Trade was based on the idea of not having anywhere to go ourselves. Xav and I are similar – we’ve both got Moleskine notebooks with ideas jotted down. Some will probably never work and some are things that are now happening. One of my ideas was a place for industry workspace, for networking, a place where you can have a nice drink, a glass of wine when you finish service. XR: When we’d meet up it would mean queuing for a club, or going to a casino! GD: So when we properly brainstormed the idea two years ago, we felt it had to be in W1 and it needed a late licence, that was crucial. We spoke to some property guys and said ‘look this doesn’t need to be the beautiful, swanky, glassfronted site, this can be in a basement or down a side street…’
Joe Sarah
GD: So far most of those applying have been the more senior, 28-40 year olds; people who are already managers or head chefs or head sommeliers. There’s still a gap for the junior guys to get involved, but we are encouraging that – they get 25 per cent off membership fees. We want it to be inclusive and the membership pricing reflects that.
GD: And good drinks! The offering will be strong and it will be good value because its for the trade – something for everyone. People will come in and be like ’Oh my god there’s an amazing Barolo for £50’. We want to have a few of those and possibly change them regularly – they will all be well priced and there will be some crazy prices too, just for fun. GD: What I’m excited about is that we are already looking at doing some evenings with top chefs, not just for them to do the food but a Q&A too, to talk about their passion, to give advice… For me that’s a big part of it. We don’t want to avoid the difficult issues. This is a hospitality hub so if there are things to be talked about, whatever that is – substance abuse, mental health, women in kitchens – we want to be the space to do that. XR: So we had this great idea, now we need to deliver! We’re going to open in early January and we’ll have 600 members in total . Some might use it once a week, some once a month and some members are out of town. You’ll be able to book a table, we can tell people via the app when spaces become available if we’re busy – they can get a beer or a coffee next door in the meantime. GD: I think some nights we’ll go in there and there will be new restaurants being hatched in one of the alcoves – it’ll be great, such a buzz. For more information on membership, visit tradesoho.co.uk
XR: The food at Trade will be what people want – we’ll be open until 3am so its what you want to eat at that time of night. Oysters, cheese, charcuteries, steak tartare, steak sandwich, bone marrow on toast… Pretty straightforward food, with a glass of good wine or beer. Many in the trade work with complicated
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Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
XR: Actually that’s even better. The more twist and turns and alcoves the better. This site came up about a year
chefs, sommeliers, operators, but PRs, designers… In fact the guy who is doing our extraction does the same for lots of restaurants and he wants to be a member so sure, why not?
dishes and when they go out they want something simpler.
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How much?! As a nation, we are more savvy about food than ever before, but we still get antsy about spending a lot on dinner. Discerning diners know that value for money is about more than a plate piled high, as Adam Hyman reports
30 per cent on the price of a dish of food. But, of course, we cannot do this. There’s a tipping point that would result in customers simply not going to eat a restaurant – we all subconsciously know what we expect to pay for a burger, a pizza or steak frites. These things have a value to us. Like many people in hospitality, I regularly get a Whatsapp pop up on my Blackberry. They usually go something like this. “Where’s somewhere new, cool, great food, excellent hospitality, central? And not too spenny?” I reply: “Check out this new wine bar in Shoreditch. Great small plates with exceptional produce and a good choice of wines by the glass. Sit at the bar. £40 a head or so.” Ping!: “£40 a head!! I’m not loaded. Just wanted a casual bite to eat and a few glasses.” Me: “Well fuck off down to Garfunkels, you tight bastard.” Since forever I’ve battled with school friends, university mates and former work colleagues over dining out. Yes you can probably eat at one of the high street, cookie-cutter restaurants for £20 or so – dough balls, a tiny pizza and a pissy Pinot Grigio with service that is tolerable. Value for money, I think not. Cheap, maybe. I would try endlessly to tell them that if we went to the likes of POLPO on Beak Street it wouldn’t be that much more than a bill at a high street chain and the food, service, atmosphere (and clientele) would all be far more desirable. Why not spend that bit more to get a meal that hasn’t only got properly sourced ingredients but has likely been cooked by someone who cares and served by someone who has a well-thumbed copy of Setting The Table at home? But perhaps change is afoot. The recent decline of the high street chains is -39-
partly related to the fact that diners are both far better educated as to what good food and drink are, along with the fact they’ve realised for that extra £10 a head, you can get such better value for money. Thanks to the aforementioned popularity in food culture, a microwaved plate of food prepared in a central kitchen just can’t past the test these days. And cheap air travel means diners now want, and understand about, a broader range of cuisines – the curry houses and Chinese restaurants that we’ve been used to are slowly being replaced by the modern-day versions like the Dishooms and Din Tai Fungs. Could somewhere like Ikoyi – that specialises in West African cuisine – have opened in London ten years ago? Definitely not. Is a meal for two there going to set you back over £100, yes. Is it value for money? Incredibly. New Yorkers seem to spend more dining out than on their rent – no mean feat considering the price of real estate in Manhattan and the surrounding boroughs. A decent meal for two in the Big Apple these days with an OK bottle of wine and the good old 20 per cent tip is easily $250. Back in Britain, we are flush with restaurants that now cater for all tastes and budgets. A bite to eat at one of the many street food markets can be just as satisfying as a tasting menu in a swanky West End restaurant. Value for money is there… for anyone willing to look for it.
Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
What does cheap mean these days when it comes to dining out? Well it’s completely relative and subjective, but it’s a conversation I keep having with a lot of people of late. Cheap is an awful word. Should food and hospitality, which involves a team of hard-working individuals – from the supplier to the chef to the server – even be called cheap in the first place? Perhaps the better word to use is value. So, what is value for money these days? Can a three-Michelinstarred dinner at a sushi counter that sets you back £300 a head be considered value for money alongside a £10 burger? The London restaurant industry has come on leaps and bounds over the past decade – with pockets of the UK following closely behind. You turn on the TV, look at the choice on Netflix or scroll through Instagram – it’s inundated with food. The UK has gone food mad – it’s a national obsession. It’s just a few weeks since the furore over a food magazine and a vegan writer made national headlines. This has never before been the case in this country. We’re used to the French and Italians talking passionately about food and their passion has finally crept across the Channel – just as we’re (supposedly) about to separate ourselves from Europe. Ironic, much? Yet there still seems to be a hurdle when it comes to perception of value for food – particularly dining out – in this country. My honest belief is that the majority of food is too cheap in restaurants. As a customer, of course I’m not lobbying for a bigger restaurant bill, but when you look at the economics behind a restaurant and tally up all the elements that go into putting that plate of food down in front of a customer – it’s entirely justifiable to whack an extra
What a cover up
Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
The days of uniform white or blue-and-white striped aprons are long gone – today’s chefs, bakers, workers and waiters freestyle it in all manner of top layers. Lisa Markwell and Tom Pilgrim discover the stories behind some of the most interesting aprons in town. Photographs by Joe Sarah
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Andrew Clarke
Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
of St Leonards and Brunswick House in Super Lamex
If you saw Andrew Clarke walking towards you in a full metal apron wielding a cleaver, you’d what? Run away? Not so at Meatopia this year, where people were lining up to take his picture. “I put it on at the start of the day,” he remembers with a laugh, “but soon took it off. People kept asking me to put it back on for photographs!” Clarke found the apron at the Kitchen Provisions shop in Netil Market. “They bring in a lot of Japanese hand-made knives and sell them, and Japanese object d’art. And they had this, which is a French abattoir apron. It’s an antique, really, a well retired apron.” From reading the interlocked metal flaps, it’s made by a brand called Super Lamex.
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It fits Clarke’s famous ‘Viking chef ’ look but, as he says, “it’s more for show than anything else, it’s quite good for butchery though, obviously, and it’s relatively lightweight.” Maybe, although maybe only for Clarke. It feels heavy to me and its usual position, hanging on the wall of the Shoreditch restaurant St Leonards, seems like a good place to leave it. Clarke has quite the collection of aprons, it turns out, including a leather one that he explains turned colour from pale yellow to dark brown within weeks. One sniff of its meaty aroma suggests that it too, has been used for butchery. Perhaps metal is the way forward after all.
Jeremy Lee of Quo Vadis in Margaret Howell
was.” Lee is, of course, describing his blue-and-white striped Margaret Howell apron. “It’s amazing linen and is based entirely on the classic butcher’s apron which I loved I think it even came with a tea cosy and oven gloves.” What about the practicality of linen in the kitchen? “It washes so well, it holds up and it has a certain style to it which is rather alluring… amazingly it’s the one that survives all the accidents and all the terrible things chefs do to their aprons,” Lee says. “Although I do wear other aprons, this is the original one – it’s extraordinary, not a hole in it and that’s been seven years. It’s become my best pal. They always say when I come into the kitchen wearing this one then it’s going to be a good day.”
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Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
Jeremy Lee glides through the upstairs bar at Quo Vadis, chatting to excited lunchtime diners, before greeting me as if we were old friends. He cuts a striking figure with his trademark heavy-rimmed spectacles, white shirt with rolled up sleeves and blue-and-white striped apron. Is this an outfit for the shoot, or is this the real Jeremy Lee? “Back in the day, chefs would wear white jackets and long white aprons and tall white hats and it was all a bit classique. We thought that it would be very nice to get away from that,” he says. “One of the things that Quo Vadis lends itself to are textures, and one day, as I was dashing up to La Fromagerie to do a panic buy of hazelnuts, I had to cycle past Margaret Howell. I was so hacked off I thought I’d have a bit of fun, so I went in and there it
David Carter
Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
of SmokeStak in Charlie Borrow
Standing outside the rugged exterior of SmokeStak, chef-owner David Carter has something of a rugged exterior himself. His apron is made of sturdy canvas in inky black, with leather trim and it is, well, very snug. “I like being really gripped, sounds a bit weird – but I like it feeling like incredibly tight round here,” he gestures to his waist. Apparently standing in front of the grills will wear through the toughest apron in short order. “We do go through them quite fast,” Carter laughs. “But one of the best things about having your own business is that you get to buy from people you like…” That person is Charlie Borrow, who has a shop on Columbia Road where he sells beautiful bags and accessories. “I don’t know how we found him, but he -44-
was just 23 or 24 and we wanted to support him. We chose the material and we just evolved it together – it used to be completely different.” Everyone at SmokeStak, from front and back of house, wears the same apron but, as Carter explains, there are differences. “Mine is different to everyone else’s because I’ve got a really long torso and very short legs, embarrassingly! If you put it on one of the other guys they’re swimming in it!” Custom-made and super-stylish, the Borrow aprons are integral to the restaurant’s image. Yeah, agrees Carter. “Charlie would have to really really fuck it up for us to stop buying aprons from him.”
Abi Glencross
Joe Sarah
of The Sustainable Food Story in Real Bread campaign
Her enthusiasm for more natureal grains is forceful, as she recently said to Vice: ““For the agriculture side of things, that’s why I’m so interested in the weird varieties and getting them into people’s consciousness. It will be a niche market to start with. But if you look at anything that’s trickled down, it started off as elite. Once it’s realised that there are benefits on the farm and then the Government might realise they don’t have to fortify it, it will slowly become a thing. But it will take time. This is the starting point.”
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Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
The apron says it all, really. Abi Aspen Glencross is a passionate grower of wheat, student of ancient grains, food scientist, farmer and – above all – a fan of real bread. In a rare moment of quiet between checking over her crop of bearded wheat on a farm outside London, and such activities as writing about heritage grains, Glencross, co-founder of Future Farm Lab, works with The Sustainable Food Story to spread the word – this summer she was at the Oxford Food Symposium and Amorevore in Ibiza. It’s a bit of a jump from a white lab coat – she’s a trained chemical engineer and exsynthetic meat scientist – to a flour-dusted apron. She’s wearing her heart on her chest, as well as her sleeve.
James Ross-Harris Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
Between Rochelle Canteen and Rochelle Canteen at the ICA
of Blenheim Forge in vintage
There’s something almost mythical about Blenheim Forge – the headquarters of these knifemakers is hidden away in a Peckham railway arch behind twisty-turny metal gates and well-used heavy machinery looms large. It’s an image not dispelled when you meet James Ross-Harris, Richard Warner and Jon Warshawsky. Their dust-smeared faces and beaten-up aprons speak of long arduous hours turning steel and iron into elegant blades. About those aprons. Where did you get them? “I think mine was found on the floor when we got the workshop,” says Jon. Before us it was a steel fabrication place and they had lots of aprons just to keep the welding splatter away from them.”
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James’s, meanwhile, “was handed down to us from the stonemason next door, so you’ll notice the different colouring, it’s got bits of stone in it.” Both these and Richard’s welder’s jacket are made from leather because, they say, “Leather doesn’t burn; well, it does only if you try very hard!” They should know. They tried buying new ones from eBay but apparently they didn’t last well, so the vintage aprons are here to stay – even though Jon’s has lost its straps and it’s held in place with a bit of baling twine. “It does the job,” he smiles. “And when you forget to put it on, you start getting holes in your clothes…”
Jon Warshawsky
Richard Warner
A classic revisited We work in an industry in thrall to the new, so sometimes old-school restaurants get neglected. Loyd Grossman returns to the charmingly unfashionable west London fixture Halepi
with feta and just sublime. There is some innovation too. They serve their very good quality grilled halloumi on top of a thick slice of tomato, which brings just enough acidity and freshness to make an often stodgy dish definitely moreish. The kitchen produces a heroic kleftiko and an admirable moussaka, but fish is the star turn. There is a wide and good quality selection every day - I
of visual mixed metaphor. There are red plush upholstered banquettes and a team of waiters in white shirts and black trousers serve swiftly, efficiently and with charm. Little wonder the place is packed with many family groups. Prices are reasonable and the paper napkins are branded with the Halepi logo dating from a more innocent time of geographical confusion and featuring
of those traditional Greek restaurants – and it has become a landmark on its street, near Paddington. Of course many of the Greek mostly Cypriot Greek - places of that era also sailed under the banner of ‘Continental Cuisine’, a few examples of which still haunt the Halepi menu. You may like steak Diane, beef Stroganof or scampi a l’orange – but at Halepi I personally steer clear of them and head straight to some of the classics of Greek cypriot cookery. The melizanosalato is a rich and smokey blend of smashed aubergines, the tzatziki is as thick as a brick and garlicky enough to fell an ox, and the spinach pie is richly spiked
am particularly partial to the John Dory - and it is really expertly grilled over charcoal. It needs little more than a squeeze of lemon and a dribble of olive oil. I have never explored the wine list, only drinking retsina there, which may in your mind totally invalidate any pretensions I have to judge. I make no apologies… The decor has that do it yourself quality that predominated before design consultants worked on interiors with an eye for rolling out a chain. The wood panelled walls are hung with an intriguing assortment of Hyde Park railing style still lives, pottery and some empty Chianti bottles in a kind
a camel beneath two palm trees. This place is a source of joy: a seriously good and reliable restaurant, without being serious.
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Halepi 18 Leinster Terrace London W2 3ET 020 7262 1070
Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
It is hard not to love a restaurant with a plaque by the front door announcing that it has been in business since 1966 under the same family ownership. Half a century is an eternity in the restaurant business. Today London is the most cosmopolitan dining scene in the world. Fifty years ago ethnic cuisine in London was dominated by Indian and Greek establishments. Halepi is one
Reaping the rewards from training Of all the issues faced by those of us in the hospitality sector, staff retention and ensuring return footfall are up there with the most challenging. But what if you could tackle both in one go? Sophia Godyn looks at how staff tuition could be more rewarding than you thought
Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
Hospitality issues The Happiness in Hospitality survey produced by CODE and reported in the last Quarterly revealed some uncomfortable truths about our industry. A staggering 40 per cent of front-of-house staff had moved employer within less than a year, with a further 24 per cent moving within two years. The key reason? 38 per cent moved for the opportunity to have greater personal development, meaning staff simply aren’t feeling valued enough to stick around; and it’s the business that ultimately loses out. How can training help with staff retention? Understanding an employee’s career aspirations – and supporting staff to achieve them – means they are less likely to go looking somewhere else to fulfil their professional needs. This can mean anything from informal, on-the-job training to professional qualifications like WSET, but however you do it, equipping front-of-house staff with the tools they need to excel in their role goes a long way to helping them feel confident, motivated and supported. “If you are thinking of offering formal qualifications, training contracts can be a great way to guarantee staff stay with you for longer”, says Bibendum Head of Training, Julia Bailey. There’s no point paying for someone to do their WSET if they leave straight after completing it, so drawing up an agreement stating that the candidate must remain employed for a set period of time (otherwise they have to pay back the cost of the training), means you are more likely to hold on to a knowledgeable, experienced member of staff. Such agreements can also help motivate employees to engage with the course and make them feel more valued, once they understand how much their employer is investing in their professional development.
Training doesn’t have to cost the earth While formal qualifications like WSET reap huge benefits in terms of staff performance and motivation, informal sessions held internally can also be very beneficial. Just opening a bottle of wine before service to taste with staff, and encouraging them to talk about it, is an easy way to boost confidence. Suppliers should also be happy to come in and help with staff training, so it’s definitely worth asking your account manager. A better customer experience Staff who can confidently talk about wine will enjoy more meaningful exchanges with customers, giving them a better overall dining experience – hopefully leading to a return visit or that all-important fivestar review. Rather than just pouring the house wine, staff will be able to offer recommendations, encourage cross-selling and leave customers feeling like your staff ‘know their stuff’. Just knowing how to pronounce the wines and one interesting fact is often enough… it can be that simple.
Bibendum’s wine geeks are on hand to help Bibendum’s dedicated training team offers a huge range of training opportunities to help you retain staff and boost customer experience. Wine Confidence is a power-point-free, one-day course packed full of fun activities to get front-of-house staff talking about, and understanding, wine. It includes free access to our e-learning platform that has heaps of resources for smart-phone-based learning on the move. As well as WSET qualifications at our Primrose Hill office, we offer bespoke on-site training to match the needs of different businesses and even train the trainer courses so you can offer your own on-site training. Also look out for more in-depth courses like our new Mindful Winemaking course, which aims to simplify the sometimes tangled issues of organic, biodynamic, natural and sustainable wines. Visit bibendum-wine.co.uk/training-hub or give us a shout on 0845 263 6924. We’d love to help!
in collaboration with CODE Hospitality
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“[Training] gives staff more confidence and they’re able to deliver more in terms of service on the floor. Then in turn, as a business, it allows us to drive wine sales. Customers actually come back because they know they’re getting told the right information about wine, but also that we have people who are really passionate about it.”
Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
Bibendum training in action
Lindsey Southward, Group Director People Development, Malmaison and Hotel du Vin
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Cider house rules The traditional terms for restaurant staff – chief, brigade – have never changed, and the sense of hierarchy is strong. But is it possible to do things differently? Samuel Buckley, of the acclaimed restaurant Where The Light Gets In, shares his philosophy
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is responsible for the whole. Cleaning, laundry and other menial duties are shared out evenly across the board to ensure there is time for creativity and progress. In our organisation, communication is also integral. We sit down each morning with breakfast as a whole team to share information about improvements needed for the next service, bookings and dietaries. A member of the team will introduce a dish, a wine, coffee or
special ingredient, with stories of the producers giving voice to everyone and making sure that each aspect of our experience is understood by all. Family meal times and pre-service briefings give us more opportunity for constructive communication. Of course, we have leaders within the organisation but we work on an experience system where those with more of it for the task at hand, lead. This means everyone, at some point, plays the role of both student and teacher, something that is good for personal and group development. The top-down power struggle of restaurant employment breeds an unhealthy competitive nature in a lonely arena, pitting team-mates against each other and businesses against each other. This concentric and vicious circle leads to oppressive attitudes, and incorrect reasoning of the mind. All too often members of our industry feel they need to ’stick it out’ or ‘last two years,’ in order to succeed to the next level. -51-
The bullying, drug abuse and mental exhaustion that plague our industry are all spike-like symptoms of this desperate system, where we are willing to put too much aside in order to reach the top. This scramble, in most cases, turns into a pitiful rattle to just keep everyone’s head above water. The attitude drips down from the organisations to its staff like sewage from a drainpipe. Competition is good, it makes us progress. But we as owners have to set the pace, the rules and the prizes. Teams must be able to work together in confidence of their own part played, to push the limits of what the business can achieve. The project must belong to all. At the recent Food on the Edge symposium I heard Helen Puolakka of Aster say that a kitchen brigade is not an army, it’s an orchestra. A great sentiment for us all to keep in mind. Obviously Escoffier’s militarised brigade system is the fulcrum of organisation in a modern-day kitchen but the army-like attitude can be swapped for one that allows more harmony for everyone to feel their part is integral, no matter their experience. In a horizontal system, space created for the individual allows independent thought, creativity and voice, making the group effort more multi-dimensional. Traditional and contemporary, relaxed and disciplined, opulent and austere can all exist, amicably in one experience. Recently I have spent a lot of time on our farm with my hands in the soil; this has led me to think of our work system as rhizomic. There exists a loose framework of ethics and creativity in which we all exist symbiotically. Each person brings his or her passion and knowledge into the framework to create a complex system where each element relies on the next. The system is shared as an experience with our guests who hopefully in turn take on board some of our creative and ethical values, and so on. This system is not without its difficulties. Structure can be hard to maintain without the traditional discipline practices and job titles. Autonomy-led group tasks can lead to the task in fact not being carried out – but communication and reliance on everyone’s individual skills allows for a better understanding of structure, why systems are in place and how best to stick to them. And of course the 3am cider-making disco parties help.
Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
A few weeks ago on a Saturday night, after a busy service we were sat, as always at this time of the week, in the staff room, drinking wine, listening to records and winding down after another full-paced shift. These times allow us reflection and retribution, a necessary and almost ritualistic shedding of the week gone by. By the end of our family dining table was a huge store of apples, stacked up high in crates and covered over with dust sheets – the bounty of our last pickings from the farm and no less than 120 kilos in weight. I decided to take a quick look and, finding that some of them were on the turn, I began to grade them into empty crates, the good, the bad, the ugly, etc. The team, one by one followed suit to make the job lighter. By the time we had got to the end of the third crate it had been decided what we must do. The fruit mill and cider press, lent to us by our mutton farmer, was set up in the main kitchen and the music was turned up. Caro our sommelier scrupulously found the right bottles of wine for the job and we set to making cider. The scene was, at best, unusual. Young ladies gyrated to Italo disco, tossing apples into the fruit mill. The spattering of crushed fruit mingled with the grating of iron teeth under deep disco baselines as bearded men twisted on the press to release a rich golden juice into muslin-lined buckets. The fruit mill continued to spatter amidst dancing, drinking and giggling, juice pouring forth in a dionysian frenzy. I was surrounded, in the throes of some kind of Berlin meets West Country electro, apple romp. But the work was conscious, methodical and precise, even though we were excitable, intently impassioned and pissed. Within 90 minutes we had pressed around 70 kilos of apples into 40 litres of clear juice, ready for a gentle maturation into cider. Thirty more minutes and the machines were stripped and cleaned, benches scrubbed, floors mopped, eighties disco baselines still booming. As I looked on at the celebration, I wondered if this is what I had really intended to create two years ago when we set up Where the Light Gets In. Day to day we try to keep things a little more sober, but the principle is still there. Everybody grab a rein, the one you feel most comfortable with, and help to steer. We try to encourage an autonomy where each individual
Choice just got a whole lot more interesting We are living at a time when customers want more. More choice. More variety. More awareness. As food offerings have become increasingly complex and interesting, consumers are seeking different flavours, new taste experiences and alternatives to the sugary drinks and mixers that have dominated the market been captured before. From the delicacy of juniper, the light sweetness of meadowsweet to the earthy nature of fennel, the range are all delicate, aromatic and completely natural. Perfect in cocktails, as mixers and delicious to drink simply over ice. It also doesn’t hurt that they’re sugar, preservative and sweetener-free, never contained in plastic and can be offered as an interesting alcohol-free alternative. In partnership with Raffaelle Marino, Head of the Bar Department at The Arts Club, No1 Botanicals have created a range of signature cocktails which showcase the versatlity of the range and the possibilities to enhance any drinks offering. No1 Botanicals endeavour to showcase the power of herbs, to increase the variety on offer and add excitement to the industry. Appealing to the health conscious and to the flavour-seeker, the new range offers a taste for everyone.
Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
Following on from the success of No1 Rosemary Water, No1 Botanicals have released a range of nine new and unique single extract herbal drinks, enhancing the flavour experience you can offer your customers now. The first of its kind, the range harnesses the power of nature, using cold extraction to preserve their compounds, and has been authenticated by world-leading experts at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Founded by David Spencer-Percival, No1 Botanicals was created after a lifechanging trip to Acciaroli, a tiny hamlet with a record number of centenarians. Noticing their consumption of rosemary and the health benefits it brought, he created No1 Rosemary Water, the first single extract botanical drink. The addition to the range of basil, fennel, mint, juniper, thyme, lemon verbena, olive leaf, meadowsweet and sage have added to the flavour spectrum available to the public in these drinks profiles which have never
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For more information on No1 Botanicals, visit no1botananicals.com
in collaboration with CODE Hospitality
The drinks report CO M PA S S B OX W H I S K Y CO.
FAC T S H E E T
HEDONISM B LE N D E D G R A I N S C OTC H W H I S K Y
For a long time, clear spirits like gin, vodka and tequila have had all the attention – ‘browns’ have been left behind. But whisky’s getting Signature Whisky interesting again. However with a wealth of different brands Our and categories, how to decide which is worth buying? If you can’t tell your Scotch from your Irish, your single malt from yourisblend, don’t and award-winning Hedonism our unique worry. Ophelia Keane has found the most interesting bottles on offerScotch whisky. blended grain We produce it once or twice per year, depending on our ability to source the quality of casks we require. Rare and old, it’s something special for both the collector and the new whisky enthusiast.
WHISKY
When good Scotch grain whisky is aged
H E D O N I S M is unusual in the Scotch
in good quality American oak casks, the results can be stunning: a rich, sweet, alluring whisky,
whisky world: a blended grain Scotch whisky. It is very rare to see 100% grain whisky
redolent of vanilla, pastry cream and coconut.
bottlings, in Scotland. Going back 100 years,
You’ll find all these things in our
but they were overtaken in popularity by the big brands of blended Scotch, which comprised
F L AVO U R D E S C R I P T O R S
B O T T L I N G D E TA I L S
Elegant flavours of vanilla cream, toffee, coconut.
Bottled at 43%. Not chill-filtered. Natural colour.
Raasay While We Wait Another Scottish island with only one (legal) whisky maker, the remote island ofD I S T I L L E RY S O U RC I N G Will vary Raasay’s distillery went into production inaccording to batch but typically whiskies from the following distilleries: 2017 and intend to release their firstCameron batchBridge, Carsebridge, Cambus, in 2020. In the meantime they have created Port Dundas or Dumbarton. While We Wait, a blend of two expressions from one distillery – one peated and one not – and aged in French Tuscan oak. The result is a lightly peated, fruity drink with a lingering finish and some particularly pleasant saline notes. £54.95, masterofmalt.com ___ Glenmorangie 10 Years Often regarded as the “original” and possibly the most traditional in this selection, Glenmorangie produces single malt Scotch whiskies, which set the standard for many other distilleries of the same calibre. Easy drinking and with a long finish, I particularly enjoyed the little notes of spice. This year they have also collaborated with Grain Surfboards to create surfboards out of their old casks, proving there’s life left at the bottom of the barrel. £37, clos19.com
Compass Box Hedonism This relatively new independent bottler has been making waves in the industry both grain whisky and malt whisky. Today, most by grain sourcing individual and creating Scotch whisky gets blended into casks the big artisan-style brand names, typically at young ages. products. For Hedonism, ForCompass Hedonism, we Box searchhas for old casks of a number of married Scotch grain whisky. And we only produce different 100% grain whiskies with matching H E D O N I S M when we find casks with the right flavourflavour profiles and aged them in highprofile. quality oak. The result is a smooth, creamy blend with notes of toffee and vanilla I especially enjoyed. It has also created a called Hedonism J O Hlimited-edition N G L A S E R — Founderversion & Whiskymaker The Muse to celebrate the fact that women now make up the majority of the company’s team. £65.82, masterofmalt.com BÅRELEGS ISLAY SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY ___R E C O M M E N DAT I O N S grain whisky brands were more common,
H E D O N I S M bottlings. Jura Seven Wood As the only distillery on the 142-squareThe inspiration behind our whisky H E D O N I S M mile island of the same name, Jurais just might that – pleasure, enjoyment, a celebration of that ideal have been inclined to rest on its laurels. Butmarriage between distilled spirit high quality oak maturation. This is a whisky instead the Scottish company has and created that will appeal to both the ardent whisky consistenyly brilliant whiskies, of which enthusiast and newcomers to whisky alike. Seven Wood is a firm favourite. Using seven separate oak wood barrels, including ex-bourbon American white oak, vosges and limousine, has resulted in multi-layered drink in a beautiful mahogany colour with subtle notes of peach and coffee. £58.75, thewhiskyexchange.com ___
Bårelegs Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky is a Single Malt from one of Islay’s most As well-known distilleries, which must remain a a small an aperitif, serve with secret! Our home island, Islay, with currently 8 distilleries in production is famous for producing smokywater. whisky, and amount of peated, chilled Late in the ours has a refreshing sweet peatiness, balanced by a crisp finish. It is bottled at a higher strength of 46% vol. and like the makes evening, serve neat. Also very best Scotch whiskies, it is unchill-filtered for much greater mouth-feel and persistence.aBottled in small batches, insour. a great whisky high-quality bottle with a cork enclosure, it is aimed at a more discerning customer.
The Islay Boys Bårelegs Islay whiskies are famed for their peaty, smoky taste and Bårelegs embodies this in WOO D a way that even ‘peat-haters’ could enjoy. 100% first-fill American oak barrels or NamedAmerican after Magnus III ‘Barelegs’, the rejuvenated oak Hogsheads. Viking King of Norway who ruled the islands of Scotland in the late 11th century and took to the Highland tradition of wearing kilts, this whisky is made in an undisclosed Islay distillery and shrouded in mystery. This single malt is young, crisp and has a good heat on the tongue. It’s also great value for its price. £42.95, masterofmalt.com ___
Lord of the Isles - Magnus III “Barelegs”, Viking King of Norway, ruled the islands of Scotland in the late 11th century. He adopted the Highland tradition of the kilt, hence his nickname! His successors were the Celtic Lords of the Isles, who ruled their domain from their base at Finlaggen on our home island, Islay. Fiercely independent, lovers of life and community, we raise a glass to the Lords of the Isles and remind ourselves to live our lives like they did - born of adventure!
Boys of the Isles - We, the ‘Islay Boys Ltd.’, are Donald MacKenzie and Mackay Smith, from the villages of Port Charlotte and Portnahaven respectively, both situated on the Rhinns peninsula on the west of Islay, the mythical whisky island. We grew up amongst the 8 distilleries on Islay, and in our veins flows not blood, but Islay Whisky! Nose: Waves of peat, over embers, with sea breeze hints. Palate: Fresh, direct peatiness, with a touch of sweetness, balanced by crisp, drier notes. A long finish, with persistent peat smoke, leaving a clean palate. 70cl - 46% abv
@islayboysltd
/islayboysltd
#flatnosewhisky_islayboysltd
Emporia Brands Ltd. The Church, 172 London Road, Guildford, GU1 1XR 01483 458700 | info@emporiabrands.com | www.emporiabrands.com
www.islayboys.com
The Balvenie Caribbean 14 Ah, Balvenie. This maker of classic single Scotch whisky is a firm favourite of mine (and many others) and is one of the few distilleries to produce their own barley and still have a malting floor, allowing an unparalleled overview of every part of the production process. Their Caribbean 14 is aged in casks that previously held Caribbean rum, resulting in a sweet, soft whisky. I especially loved the notes of banana and honey. This is also a great choice for those first venturing into whisky tasting. £51.95, thewhiskyexchange.com
On the shelf
Winter is the perfect time to snuggle up with a good book – and if it sparks culinary creativity or a different way of looking at food, so much the better. Here are ten titles to inspire you
Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
1. A LONG AND MESSY BUSINESS
2. MATTY MATHESON: A COOKBOOK
by Rowley Leigh
In his trademark colourful vernacular, Matheson has produced a book that truly encapsulates his love for life and positivity, with some creative and no-nonsense recipes thrown in for good measure. Matheson is Canada’s most successful (and tattooed) culinary export, and the importance of place and memory is obvious, whether it’s through interpretations of classics such as rappie pie or hot turkey sandwiches, or restaurant dishes such as bouillabaisse and cassoulet, inspired by his time cooking in a French bistro. £26.99, Abrams
I think this is the book of the season. Leigh is much loved and just as respected, a chef with a ceaseless imagination and an irreverent passion for food. His book, suitably, has been created without such usual stuff as food stylists and brisk, punchy recipes – his engrossing prose makes this one to devour for its words as much as its dishes. £25, Unbound
8.
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3. SLOW: FOOD WORTH TAKING TIME OVER by Gizzi Erskine
A spag bol requiring miso paste, dried and fresh shiitake mushrooms, nutritional yeast and a whole bottle of wine might seem like an overwhelming – and expensive – undertaking. But the payoff for Erskine’s umami-rich, vegan ragu is surely worth the effort. Slow is most extravagant in its demand for as much time and attention needed to get the best flavours and textures from everyday dishes like dahl and jacket potato to hand-pulled Sichuan noodles and pierogi. There’s also a nice balance of blow-out meat feasts and more planet-friendly takes on the classics. £25, HarperCollins
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This is the story of two restaurants beloved by chefs and diners worldwide. Jeremiah Stone and Fabián Von Hauske are co-chefs/ co-owners of New York’s Contra and its sister establishment Wildair. In the spirit of collaboration, friendship and boundary-pushing creativity, A Very Serious Cookbook brings us 85 distinctive recipes organised into four chapters – Always (non-seasonal, mainstay), Sometimes (hyper seasonal, guest chef collabs), Never (dishes on the menu once, not yet existent) and The Pantry, which includes Yuba Emulsion, Garlic confit and Vanilla bean oil. £35, Phaidon
Rogan stands as one of the most influential of our chefs, and L’Enclume’s tasting menu is still at the very top of British eating experiences. His definitive cookbook is divided into herbs and vegetables first, then meat, fish, dairy and finishes with fruit. Dishes such as roasted carrots with ham fat or quince tart with gingerbread ice cream showcase his passion for and mastery of seasonal ingredients. £30, HarperCollins
by Ed Smith
A favourite amongst locals and visitors alike, Borough Market is a place to revel in all things food. The Borough Market Cookbook aims to capture the essence of this centuries-old institution and inspire readers to bring seasonal produce into their kitchens, whilst providing a snapshot into the market’s history and the traders that inhabit it. If you can’t make it to London Bridge, this is the next best thing. £25, Hodder & Stoughton
4. 3.
7. THE RITZ COOKBOOK
8. YOU AND I EAT THE SAME
The tallest toque in town has created a suitably towering cookbook, with stunning photographs by John Carey (who’s clearly been busy). The supremely elegant dishes are interleaved with tips on carving, stories of the hotel’s rich culinary history and much more. A special mention for the sweet recipes, which look sublime, if challenging. £30, Mitchell Beazley
Brought out by the MAD Dispatches imprint, this book could scarcely be more timely, with its subtitle On the Countless Ways Food and Cooking Connect Us to One Another. It is a collection of essays (with a foreword by René Redzepi), ranging from why the whole world eats flatbread to the life-saving properties of coffee. It’s a fascinating if sobering read and in our pre-Brexit anxiety, the harmony that food brings is a small comfort. £14.99, Artisan
by John Williams
by Simon Rogan
5. THE BOROUGH MARKET COOKBOOK
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1.
6. A VERY SERIOUS COOKBOOK: CONTRA WILDAIR
4. ROGAN: THE COOKBOOK
edited by Chris Ying
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9. SEASON: BIG FLAVOURS, BEAUTIFUL FOOD by Nik Sharma
Food legend Diana Henry has been championing Nik Sharma, the American author of Indian descent. His blog, A Brown Table, is gloriously inspiring and this cookbook is more of the same, a whirling journey through Sharma’s mind and experiences. You’ll learn much about spices, for they are everywhere, but also a killer recipe for spicy chocolate chip hazelnut cookies. £26, Chronicle Books
10.POLLEN STREET: THE COOKBOOK
by Jason Atherton The latest cookbook from Jason Atherton takes us to the heart of where it all began – on London’s Pollen Street – with the recipes that have kept that restuarant at the forefront of the London scene ever since opening in 2011. One may wonder how Atherton has found time to produce this 400 page celebration – brought to life by photographer John Carey – in amongst opening restaurants from Doha to Shanghai. But who are we to ask, there’s blackcurrant Eton mess to be made (spoiler, it’s not remotely messy). Now someone please pass me my acetate… £50, Bloomsbury
24 hours in... Mumbai by Romy Gill of Romy’s Kitchen in Thornbury, Bristol India’s coastal city is a thrumming, non-stop cavalcade of sights, smells and sounds. The food on offer is as diverse as the city itself, from tiny, traditional cafes to ultra-modern tasting-menu restaurants. And now a new Soho House has just opened in Mumbai, bringing its cool-as-a-cucumber style to join the party
1pm
12am Lunch at Goila Butter Chicken
Stay at Soho House Mumbai
Juhu beach is the location for the latest outpost of the Soho House empire, so it’s closer to the airport than downtown, but makes an elegant, fun base. The bedrooms are vibrant and luxe, while the menu has everything from avo toast to lentil burgers. sohohousemumbai.com
10am
Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
9am
My friend Saransh Goila is a very talented chef who has a few takeaway places in Mumbai. He makes the best butter chicken I have ever had, getting the balance of smokiness and texture so right with the juicy, tender chicken. Don’t miss the naan bombs too. goilabutterchicken.com
People-watching at Leopold Café
Leopold has been in Mumbai in some form since 1851 and is a legendary destination for backpackers and western tourists, but upstairs in the air-con section you’ll find locals slaking their thirst with a beer and watching sport on TV. leopoldcafe.com
Breakfast at Yazdani Café
They are still using the old methods and techniques from generations ago at this timeless pitstop, including a 1950s bread slicing machine. The smell of freshly baked breads fills the air. Breakfast of a currant bun and the best Iranian chai is essential. .
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9pm
2pm
Late supper at Masque Chef Prateek Sadhu has created something really special here in a converted mill building in an edgy part of town. The tasting menu uses traditional ingredients in stunningly creative ways, from a gingery gin cocktail to mango tartare with a poached oyster. Booking essential. masquerestaurant.com
Drinks and snacks at The Bombay Canteen
Dessert at Britannia & Co
At the heart of Mumbai, this café bar is a great place to hang out, it’s open till 1am. Each dish and drink has a story to tell, in a buzzing, bustling atmosphere. Vindaloo tacos and aam pora margaritas await… thebombaycanteen.com
Dating back to 1923, Mr. Boman Kohinoor, a Zoroastrian immigrant from Iran, decided to open a restaurant in Mumbai serving Parsi food. Sadly he died earlier this year but the legend lives on, including a superb crème caramel! Wakefield House, 11 Sprott Road
4pm
12am
5pm
Tea at The Taj Mahal Palace
Refuel at Jimmy Boy
Near to the main banking area, Jimmy Boy is another Mumbai institution. The Parsi menu has plenty to tempt you but what really makes a visit fun is washing down a good biryani with the classic, tooth-rottingly sweet Pallonji’s sodas. facebook.com/jimmyboyfort
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Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
The iconic sea-facing landmark in Colaba, South Mumbai has splendid views of the Arabian Sea and Gateway of India, but staying there can be expensive. Just go for afternoon tea, with both English and Indian classics – it’s a great-value way to enjoy an absolutely stunning place. taj.tajhotels.com
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Instagrab With a new opening or a menu change comes the inevitable flurry of social media snaps. So what’s feeding the news feed this season? Albert Adria’s signature cheesecake, for one, plus the sardine sando at Two Lights, black hummus at Berenjak and some challenging-looking duck dishes at Noma
Staff meal
Grilled sardine spiedini What do you eat when you get home after service? Colin McSherry of Gridiron shares his recipe ___ “I think sardines are absolutely delicious, an incredible source of nutrients and sadly too often overlooked when they should be celebrated. This recipe puts the sardine as hero. The dish includes ingredients that are easily accessible households and simple enough to make after a long shift so is a real winner for me.�
Ingredients 3 sardines, butterflied 3 sprigs of rosemary
Issue 17 | Winter 2018 | codehospitality.co.uk
For the pickle: 300g white wine vinegar 200g sugar 100g water For the gremolata: 30g chopped parsley 20g chopped basil 20g chopped mint 10g chopped capers I garlic clove, grated 1 lemon, zest and juice 100g good quality extra virgin olive oil Pinch of salt For the tomato sauce: 400g chopped Italian tomatoes 40g tomato paste 30g chopped black olives 20g capers 1 sliced red chilli 2 banana shallot, diced 2 garlic clove, grated Good pinch of salt Extra virgin olive oil 1
slice sourdough toast
Method 1. To make the pickle, add all the ingredients to a pan and bring to the boil. Allow to cool before adding the prepared sardines to the liquor for 10 minutes. 2. While the sardines are marinating, prepare the gremolata. Add all the herbs, garlic, capers, salt and lemon to a bowl then gradually add the oil to desired consistency, it wants to be quite thick. 3. For the tomato sauce, add the diced shallots to a pan over medium heat with a splash of olive oil and sweat off with no colour. Add a good pinch of salt then add the garlic and chilli. Sweat off then add tomato paste and cook out for 5 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Add the black olive
and capers, adjust seasoning and set aside. 4. Remove sardines from pickle and set on a j-cloth to dry. Take the rosemary stalk and feed it through the fish in a zig zag pattern so the fish is securely in place. Slice the sourdough and toast. 5. To serve, heat the tomato sauce and spoon into a bowl, drizzle the gremolata around the sauce. Grill the sardine skewer, then position across the bowl so it is sat above the sauce, serve with sourdough toast. Gridiron by COMO, 19 Old Park Lane, London W1K 1LB gridironlondon.com
The Laughing Heart
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