style
interview
drinking
culture
STYLE
Dawson Denim and the art of the practical apron
World-renowned chefs on their guilty pleasure food
Exploring the cocktails & small plates of Public
Architectural thoughts on the industrial aesthetic
Channeling Nordic cool with ARKET
page 15
page 43
page 38
page 52
page 16
I n
p u r s u i t
o f
a
q u a l i t y
l i f e s t y l e
I s s u e
37
"The golden rule is it has to taste good." - Tommy Banks
www.essentialjournal.co.uk
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Features
Contents Middle Eight
8
THE PRIMER A rundown of the books catching our eye, the places we’ve been and memories of food television
10 AN INTRODUCTION TO THE CHEFS The who and where of the culinary minds involved in this issue 16
15
ONE THING DONE WELL: DAWSON DENIM
18
The Brighton-based denim brand that makes aprons up to the task
SWITCHING UP THE MARKETPLACE ARKET are bringing a sprinkle of Scandi’ to the high street, we caught up with the chef behind their Nordic-inspired cafe CROCKETT & JONES: INTRODUCING THE BLACK EDITIONS Three styles, three leathers, one sole and one colour, The Black Editions are a striking ode to contemporary Japanese influence and British innovation
20 THE OTHER BANKSY We chat to Tommy Banks about new restaurants and the number one rule of foraging 33
38 partner content
DRINKING WITH:
PUBLIC
Exploring the cocktails and small plates of Sheffield’s former public convenience
TAILORED THOUGHTS ON: FOOD Huntsman cutter and resident tailoring columnist Matthew Gonzalez turns his attentions to the value of cooking at home
35
LA MARZOCCO On a recent trip to La Marzocco HQ in Scarperia, our creative director learned that there's more to coffee than the caffeine fix
37
HIGH SPIRITS Liz Lock of The Whisky Exchange talks us through a month in the world of fine spirits
40
SETTING THE BAR WITH COCKTAILS IN THE CITY For the second year running, Andrew Scutts turns his sights on Liverpool's bar scene
43
CHEFS: THE INTERVIEW Chefs on guilty pleasure foods, last meals, industry concerns and more
52
ARCHITECTURAL THOUGHTS ON: THE INDUSTRIAL AESTHETIC Ever sat on a scaffolding plank and sipped a cocktail from a jam jar at a table made from a reclaimed cable drum?
54
COOK BOOKS FOR THE MONTH AHEAD Including Norwegian baking from the middle of nowhere, simplicity courtesy of Ottolenghi and the wonders of mezze
25 partner content
THE WHISKY EXCHANGE Celebrating the future of whisky with this year’s Whisky Show 35
The 91 Year Conversation: La Marzocco
Online web www.essentialjournal.co.uk @essentialjournal
CONTRIBUTORS Andy Taylor Ben Shewry Bo Bech Clodagh McKenna Daniel Smith Dhruv Mittal Ed Smith Ellis Barrie Fergus Jackson Gregory Marchand Ian Harrold Ivan Tisdall-Downes Jack Wakelin Karan Gokani Kian Samyani Liz Lock Martin Berg Matty Matheson Matthew Gonzalez Merlin Labron-Johnson
PUBLISHERS Singleton Publishing Michael Carr Monica Galetti Nathan Outlaw Neil Campbell Neil Rankin Nicholas Balfe Paul Ainsworth Ramael Scully Robin Gill Róisín Hanlon Sam Buckley Theo Randall Terry Langton Tom Anglesea Tommy Banks
Issue 37 | The Essential Journal
EDITOR Davey Brett d.brett@singletonpublishing.co.uk CREATIVE DIRECTOR Thomas Sumner t.sumner@singletonpublishing.co.uk STAFF WRITER Will Halbert LEAD DESIGNER Jennifer Swaby FRONT COVER Tommy Banks photographed by Jack Finnigan
@essentialjournal @TEJOURNAL
PARTNERSHIP MANAGER Lara Poynor l.poynor@singletonpublishing.co.uk For all advertising enquiries please contact: sales@essentialjournal.co.uk For all other enquiries including guest editorial and feature opportunities please contact: info@essentialjournal.co.uk
TERMS & CONDITIONS Under no circumstances must any part of this publication be reproduced without prior permission to the publisher. Whilst every effort is taken, the publisher shall not be held responsible for any errors. Furthermore, the publisher shall not be held responsible for any advertising material/content. Please also note that the views and opinions written within this publication do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of the publisher. All prices and details stated within this publication are correct at the time of print, however these are subject to change and the publisher shall not be held responsible for these. Third party contributions own exclusive copyright to their own material that they have submitted as part of the publication. All rights reserved.
5
Chiltern BY APPOINTMENT TO HRH THE PRINCE OF WALES MANUFACTURER AND SUPPLIER OF FOOTWEAR CROCKETT & JONES LIMITED, NORTHAMPTON
MADE IN ENGLAND | SINCE 1879
CROCKETTANDJONES.COM
A classic Chukka Boot made in England, using the finest Dark Brown, Snuff and Earth Green Suede
THE PRIMER
“You learn a lot about someone when you share a meal together.” – anthony bourdain
A note from
Food glorious
the editor
food, as Oliver
WHERE WE'VE FREQUENTED ST JOHN AT HACKNEY BREWERY Hackney’s latest brewpub is a good’un. Slap bang in the middle of Hackney under a railway arch, St John at Hackney - a collaborative effort with the church over the road – is a tasty addition to the local scene. The land the church sits on was said to be the home of a brewery around 300 years ago, so it’s fitting that they’ve gone back to their roots over the road. We can vouch for their own 10.7% Imperial Stout, but go easy. Food meanwhile, comes courtesy of Eĺa and their fresh and moreish selection of Cypriot kebabs and skewers.
Twist once sang. Although food plays a part, this issue is mainly about chefs. The idea behind the issue, as we explained in hundreds of emails, was
16 & 17 Bohemia Place, Hackney, London, E8 1DU
quite simple. We went to our favourite chefs around the world and asked them a bunch
What's on our coffee table
of questions on everything
TTT BY TTMISM AND NICHOLAS SCHONBERGER
from their favourite books to what they would do with a carrot, as well as concerns with the industry and whether the customer is always right. Luckily for us, the chefs did not disappoint. From Ivan Tisdall-Downes’s homemade
what nearly broke our coffee table
It was interesting seeing the nation’s archaic attitudes towards tattoos play out during this summer’s World Cup. Raheem Stirling, the tattooed villain versus Harry Kane the pure untattooed footballing anomaly; cue swoons from all of your least favourite and subliminally racist newspapers. By the end, we were hoping for a crucial Raheem Sterling goal celebrated at the corner flag with Jamie Vardy pretending to fire Sterling’s AK47 tattooed leg, but we digress. To the cynics, we would present this book. Not merely a collection of pretty pictures (read stunning tattoo imagery), more a window into an art form. Insightful writing and imagery that stops you in your tracks makes for an incredible book.
FOOD & DRINK INFOGRAPHICS: A VISUAL GUIDE TO CULINARY PLEASURES
TTT (Laurence King) is out 24 September
poncho to cover star Tommy Banks’s penchant for Ben and
What we've been reminiscing about
Jerry's, this issue has been
WE ASKED OUR TEAM FOR THEIR FAVOURITE
an informative, personal and fascinating insight into restaurants and the people that head them up. A huge thank you to everyone involved for taking the time out to answer our questions and also to the people in the background that went about setting everything up. Enjoy reading it, eat your greens and follow us on Instagram. DB 8
FOOD TV MEMEORIES My earliest memories are associated with coming home from mandatory Sunday morning church when I was a kid and watching Rick Stein knocking around Cornwall and beyond doing heavenly things with seafood. For a while I binge watched episodes of VICE’s restaurant series Munchies on Youtube (which I think has since been renamed Chef’s Night Out). F**k That’s Delicious with Action Bronson was also an obsession. Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011) is hands down the best food documentary ever made and I recently enjoyed watching Francis Mallmann use a stick of butter the size of a house brick on his masterpiece episode of Chef’s Table. DB, Editor-in-Chief My earliest food-related memory stems back to recurring nightmares of Loyd Grossman. Not the real Loyd Grossman - with his endearing fondness for silly words and his oddly affected, Anglo-American drawl but the Vic Reeves’ interpretation of him. As a child, Reeves’ vision of the Master Chef presenter was surreal and upsetting. He had this spectre-like complexion, a colossal forehead, and wore what looked like a boardingschool uniform; he could also levitate and had knives and forks for fingers. He didn’t inspire me to cook anything, but he did feed my nightmares for years to come, chasing me down an endless hallway calling me a ‘fakey cake maker’. Harrowing. WH, Staff Writer
Without a doubt the most exciting book we’ve received in a while. Taschen’s food and drink infographic bible is a visual behemoth. Delivered in a box (true) and requiring bent knees and a straight back to lift (false), the infographics compendium is an all-encompassing visual masterpiece. Sit down with it for a week and you’ll learn a lot. We did. Stunning graphics leap from the page, with great slabs of the book dedicated to everything from cheese to eating habits and a fruit ripening calendar (pictured, right). Get yourself a comfy chair, put a cushion on your lap to take a bit of the book’s weight and read yourself into a visualised food knowledge coma. You will not regret it. Food & Drink Infographics (TASCHEN) is out now
The Essential Journal | Issue 37
Image credit: P.186. Fruits: when are they in season? Project: Chasing Delicious, May 2012, United States. Design: Russell van Kraayenburg / Courtesy of TASCHEN
THE PRIMER
Issue 37 | The Essential Journal
9
THE CHEFS
ANDY TAYLOR was the co-founder of London-based French American street food pop-up, Le Bun. His latest restaurant, Carte Blanche, opened this summer on Hackney’s Mare Street.
BEN SHEWRY is the New Zealand chef owner of Melbourne restaurant, Attica. His food is influenced by native ingredients and cooking methods and his episode of Chef’s Table is one of our favourites.
BO BECH is a Danish chef, TV personality and founder of the Copenhagen restaurant, Geist. His self-published book ‘In My Blood’ is out now.
CLODAGH MCKENNA Clodagh McKenna is a chef, food columnist, cookbook author and broadcaster. Her upcoming London suppers workshops run from September.
DANIEL SMITH is the chef owner of The Fordwich Arms in Fordwich, Kent.
DHRUV MITTAL is Founder and executive chef of DUM Biryani in London and alumnus of Le Cordon Bleu. DUM specialises in Hyderabadi Biryani, snacks and starters from the Andhra Pradesh region of India.
ED SMITH is an award-winning food writer, regularly contributing to the likes of the FT Weekend Magazine, The Guardian, The Telegraph and others. His latest book, ‘The Borough Market Cookbook’ (Hodder & Stoughton) is out October 4.
ELLIS BARRIE is the Head Chef and owner of The Marram Grass in Anglesey, Wales. Ellis, who was born and raised in Liverpool, was a finalist on the 2017 edition of The Great British Menu.
FERGUS JACKSON is the founder of Brick House, a London-based sourdough bakery and cafe with locations in East Dulwich & Peckham Rye.
GREGORY MARCHAND is the Chef Patron of Frenchie. The name of his restaurants comes from a nickname given to him by Jamie Oliver.
IVAN TISDALL-DOWNES is The head chef and co-founder of Native, based in London Bridge. Ivan previously worked with Dan Barber at New York’s Blue Hill Farm, his experiences inspired the foraged and seasonal menu at Native.
KARAN GOKANI is the director of Hoppers, a Sri Lankan restaurant based in both Soho and St. Christophers Place, London. The restaurant is named after the Sri Lankan rice and coconut pancake of the same name.
KIAN SAMYANI is the Chef Founder of Berenjak, a Tehran-inspired persian restaurant opening in London’s Soho in October. Kian was previously a chef at Gymkhana and Brigadiers, both in London.
MATTY MATHESON is a chef, broadcaster and author. A former head chef at Toronto’s Parts & Labour and regular presenter on VICELAND, his debut cookbook ‘Matty Matheson: A Cookbook’ is out 9 October.
MERLIN LABRON-JOHNSON is the founding chef of both Portland and sister restaurant, Clipstone. He is also the executive chef of the fourth floor restaurant at The Conduit, in London’s Mayfair. Merlin is also currently the UK’s youngest Michelin Starred chef.
10
The Essential Journal | Issue 37
THE CHEFS
MICHAEL CARR is the Chef Patron of Restaurant 92 in Harrogate.
MONICA GALETTI is the Chef Patron of the Mere restaurant in London. She is also a judge on Masterchef: The Professionals.
NATHAN OUTLAW sits atop an empire of restaurants specialising in seafood including his flagship site, Restaurant Nathan Outlaw. His latest book, ‘Nathan Outlaw’s Home Kitchen’ (Quadrille) is out now.
NEIL CAMPBELL is the Head Chef at Yottam Ottolenghi’s ROVI in London. Neil was formerly head chef of Bruno Loubet’s London restaurant, Grain Store.
NEIL RANKIN is the chef owner of Temper, a whole animal barbecue restaurant with sites in London’s Soho and Covent Garden. Neil’s swearing abilities remind us of a mellow Malcolm Tucker.
NICHOLAS BALFE is the Chef Founder at Brixton’s Salon restaurant and neighbouring Salon Wine Store. Nicholas’s latest restaurant, Levan, will open in Peckham in October.
PAUL AINSWORTH is chef-patron of Paul Ainsworth at No. 6 and Rojano’s in the Square, both based in Padstow. He is also the owner of Padstow Townhouse. He was awarded a Michelin star in 2013 and holds 4 AA rosettes.
RAMAEL SCULLY is the chef owner of Scully, based in St James’s Market, London. He was previously the head chef at Yotam Ottolenghi’s Nopi, also in London.
ROBIN GILL is the chef director of The Dairy and Sorella, both based in Clapham, London. Robin’s latest book ‘Larder’ (Absolute Press) is out now.
SAM BUCKLEY is the founder of Stockport-based, menuless restaurant, Where The Light Gets In.
THEO RANDALL is Chef Patron of Theo Randall at the InterContinental. Theo was previously awarded a Michelin star at The River Cafe in London.
TOM ANGLESEA is the Head Chef of The Laughing Heart, a London-based restaurant and natural wine bar.
TOMMY BANKS is chef owner of The Black Swan in Oldstead, North Yorkshire and Roots in York which opened in September. He is the youngest British chef to be awarded a Michelin star and is also pretty good at cricket.
Issue 37 | The Essential Journal
11
5 0 CARNAB Y STREET LONDO N
8 MAN ESTY ’S LAN E LIV ERPO O L
LI N K STREET BIRMINGH A M
BENSH ERMAN.CO .UK
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108 C O M M E R C I AL ST R E E T LON DON
21/09/2018 11:48
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ALTRINCHAM
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no.
14 Dawson Denim
STYLE
One Thing Done Well
Our series of brands doing one item especially well continues this month with the Dawson Denim Mercantile Apron words by Will HALBERT
Image credit: Courtesy of Dawson Denim
H
eritage workwear is a style so seldom taken to task in the relative comfort of the contemporary workplace. Sure, these styles are designed around romantic notions of labour, grit and graft, but they’re rarely ever tested throughout the daily grind. In an oversaturated market of intentionally-distressed, workwearesque dry goods, Dawson Denim’s wares stand out as the last bastion of the well-made and the unwaveringly authentic. Hand-cut and sewn by Kelly Dawson and Scott Ogden in their workshop in Brighton, the Mercantile Apron is a particularly glowing example of one thing done well. From the copper rivets to the branded, die-set buttons; from the heavyweight cotton webbing to the hidden Japanese selvedge denim reinforcements, the apron channels a heritage that stretches back further than Kelly and Scott’s 20 years of experience. That’s because each apron is made using original 1950’s sewing machines such as the fabled Union Special. Famed for its ability to sew heavy weight fabrics, the Union Special is as coveted in the denim community as it is rare. These machines provide the traditional flourishes that simply cannot be found in modern, mass manufactured goods. It is with the help of these machines that Dawson Denim forge both the 10oz Hickory stripe cotton (pictured) and 130z red listed selvedge denim variants of the apron. The end result is an individually-numbered, hand-logged, one-of-a-kind apron that will make you wish you needed an apron. ‘Back in 2012,’ Kelly and Scott recall, ‘there was no market for these aprons. We thought we might sell a few to the rockabilly scene or the vintage crowd. Instead, we started to sell to coffee shops, which was a completely unfounded market at the time in the UK.’ Now worn by award-winning chefs, baristas and bartenders alike, the diecast branded buttons that adorn each apron are as much a sign of quality as they are a badge of honour. They’re small features, unnoticed by most, but met with nods of knowing, silent kinship from fellow wearers. The Black Swan at Olstead’s Michelin starawarded Tommy Banks is one such wearer: ‘The craftsmanship is beautiful,’ he says. ‘You wear their aprons and you feel like you’re wearing a safety net. It’s one of those feelings that comes from a well-made item: if you know, you know. If you see someone in an apron like that and you know your denim you’re like 'Pfft. That’s pretty sick.'" Kelly and Scott’s own recommendation for one thing done well? The little-known Japanese jewellery-maker and metal-worker, Kiuchi Hand Craft. ‘After a brief and serendipitous meeting in Osaka at a bar one night, Yosuke showed us some of his outstanding work, which we now offer through our Dawson Denim store.’ Meticulously studied and masterfully executed, Kiuchi Hand Craft’s madeto-order offerings are further testament to Dawson Denim’s continued belief that authenticity has to be earned. Detail by detail. Stitch by stitch. EJ dawsondenim.com Issue 37 | The Essential Journal
15
Style
Switching up the Marketplace We checked in with Martin Berg, chef and Nordic café, to chat favourite pieces from the collection, fishtail parkas and childhood memories words by Davey BRETT
A
on the details of flavoured gin
Hi Martin, straight off the bat, what is your guilty pleasure food? The Tronchetti pizza at Café Dello Sport in Stockholm. Nordic food is a big inspiration for the ARKET cafe menu. Do you have a favourite food city in your native Sweden outside of the capital? Malmö is a very interesting city with a lot going on. A lot of different cultures that are merging to create something really cool
What’s your most cherished item of clothing? An old vintage fishtail parka. What do you think has been the biggest change in the service & hospitality sector over the last 5 years? People’s knowledge and demand for better quality food and service on a broader scale. It’s not only in fine dining restaurants or fancy hotels where you’d expect top service and great food. We demand it from food trucks, small local restaurants, cafés etc. and I believe that the places that will survive in the future are the places that deliver that. And it’s not a case of serving the most expensive ingredient. It’s also about delivering a personal, humble and crisp version of your product that you believe in. That goes for a cup of coffee or a 22 course meal. Is the customer always right? There is a customer for everything. First you have to be very clear with what you are serving. If you are clear about that, then it will eliminate the risk of people looking for something that you don’t have. Then of course you have to have your antenna up and listen to what the customer wants. But don’t lose your own concept. Stay humble and keep your integrity. Finally, if you were not involved in food, what would you be doing instead? What career? Playing music, I’m just a drummer trying to keep it together. Actually music and food has so many things in common. It’s like having a concert with the band every time you cook together in the kitchen. ARKET’s Liverpool store is now open; 91-92 Paradise St, Liverpool L1 8JF; arket.com
Martins five picks from the Arket collection:
Tall Glass, Set of 2
High Density Field Jacket
Body Wash Oakmoss
72 Hour Duffle Bag
‘G
ot any flavoured gin?’ It’s an oft-repeated question, one that’s likely met with a fair bit of eye-rolling and tongue-biting by your local bartender. That’s fair. After all, flavoured gin was seen as a little gimmicky for the longest time; a novel but ultimately overpowering affair with enough sugar in it to rot a tooth or two. But there is a charm and a nuance to a gin that embraces new flavours beyond the botanical. We like to think of our humble collection of gins as a celebration of that charm and nuance. Our Cascade Gin is a big, bold blend of pine, citrus, and floral notes. Our Dragon Tears Gin is a full bodied but naturally sweet jasmine infusion. Our latest gin, Our Man in Sicily, is a light, lemonforward affair fit for the warmer months. But here’s the thing: We don’t flavour our gins. Not to sound too pretentious, but it’s a point well worth making. So I’ll say it again: We don’t flavour our gins. We simply distil them with a range of botanicals. That’s what creates our flavours. How does that differ from the mainstream, you ask? Well, what most large-scale distilleries do - and this is by no means a criticism (who knows, maybe we’ll do it one day) - is mass produce a base gin. They make stockpiles of the stuff, and then add their new range of flavours after-the-fact. That’s not how we do things. Each of our gins is totally bespoke. Tailor-made. They wouldn’t work any other way. Take Our man in Sicily, for example. Lemons are pretty difficult to deal with at the forefront of a gin: You either overdo it and wind up with a limoncello, or else risk drowning the subtle lemon notes in juniper. Bottom line? We have to tweak the botanicals in each expression to tease out the desired notes. No shoehorning of flavours, no mass batching of base spirits, just good old, small-batch distillation. Why do we do it this way? Well, for one thing, we’re tiny: We simply don’t have the space for all that base gin. But to be honest, that’s exactly how we like it. It keeps our eyes on the finer details and it lets us maintain that charm and nuance we care so much about. It’s a funny thing, talking about yourself. Sometimes, showing pride in your own product means inadvertently judging someone else's. Again, that’s not how we do things. It’s not about being pretentious. It’s not about pontificating or lecturing. And it’s certainly not about criticising others. After all, small-batch or big-box, local or international, flavoured or infused, we all share the same space on the shelf. @weareturncoat The Essential Journal | Issue 37
Image credit: Courtesy of Arket
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turned-rebel gives his two cents
RKET is not like other high street stores. It’s as if they are out to right the wrongs of retail and make you fall in love with shopping all over again. At ARKET, there’s space to move. Their wares feel curated, laid out with care rather than giving the impression they’ve been smashed out the back of a piñata. Their stores are bright, airy and best of all, they have in-store cafés. They’ve injected a bit of Scandi’ into shopping and the results are wonderful. Part of this is down to chef Martin Berg. One of the early proponents of the New Nordic food movement, Berg has worked closely with the ARKET café to develop a menu that celebrates local produce, traditional healthy food and simple recipes. We caught up with Martin to quiz him on food, clothes and his favourite pieces from the ARKET collection. EJ
What’s your earliest memory of food? Having fights with my mother about how I wanted the food to be served. For example, not wanting to have my pork chops braised in the pan after searing and always having the sauce on the side. Her reply was “ok but you will understand when you’re older”. Now when I think back to that, I know that she, of course, was always right.
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Turncoat Gin’s head distiller-
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A Turncoat’s Thoughts On: Flavoured Gin
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Introducing The Black Editions Image Credits: Courtesy of Crockett & Jones
Three styles, three leathers, one sole and one colour, The Black Editions are a striking ode to contemporary Japanese influence and British innovation
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Image Opposite: Chelsea XI in Black Scotch Grain Top: Tay II in Black Rough-out Suede Bottom (From Left): Tay II, Lanark III in Black Cavalry Calf leather and Chelsea XI
Issue 37 | The Essential Journal
o say you saw these shoes coming would be to tell a lie. Crockett & Jones, the famed British heritage shoemaker and Northampton staple making a footwear collection, the basis of which being an over-sized, ‘cleated’ Vibram rubber sole? No chance. But friends, they have. And they are quite the statement. “The collection came about after a business trip I took to Japan last year,” Crockett and Jones’s head of marketing and advertising, James Fox, reveals. “It became apparent that there was a distinct decrease in interest in the sneaker market, which is good for us, however, the past two to three years of the sneaker phenomenon highlighted customer interest in comfort and a more casual styling.” “This brought about a discussion of what styles suit the more creatively-minded customer who might choose to dress in an understated fashion whilst still adorning quality items. A Chelsea and a plain fronted Derby were obvious choices with a chunky double monk acting as the curve ball.” Inspired by their biggest wholesale market, Japan, and classic menswear big hitters like Isetan, Hankyu, Barney’s, Beams & United Arrows, The Black Editions is a footwear collection that puts a bold and chunky spin on three classic styles, all of which are in black. A staple of AW18 worldwide, black allowed the heritage shoemakers to experiment with different materials from their vast leather stores, creating a collection with a global appeal. A Derby, Chelsea boot and double Monk strap all receive the bold treatment, with specially selected leathers giving each a unique feel. Family-owned, Northampton shoe-making heritage and quality come as standard and as Fox points out, the collection was about creative risk and balance. “The collection has genuine cohesion whilst offering three completely different styles to three potentially different customers.” It’s the Chelsea XI, Lanark III and Tay II styles that have been given the unique Black Editions treatment. Chelsea XI comes in a black scotch grain never seen before in the material colour-way, with the 335 last only adding to the robust and balanced shape of the popular Chelsea boot. The Lanark III meanwhile, boasts the finest black cavalry calf leather matched with one of Crockett’s most contemporary and fashionable lasts, the 378. The last makes for a heavier, high fashion statement that is perfect for the wider foot. Last but not least, the Tay II completes the collection. Made with the finest black rough-out suede, the eye-catching and downright audacious double monk is made on the 325 last, a popular last famed for country styles and loafers. All three place British heritage at the forefront of contemporary style, making for a footwear collection as at home on the streets of Northampton, as they would be pounding the pavements of the East Asian fashion capitals that inspired them. crockettandjones.com
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Foraging, the inspiration of home & the best restaurant in the world
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The youngest British Michelin Starred chef, the face of the best restaurant in the world and a new restaurant, called Roots set to open in York. You could say it’s all coming up Tommy Banks. But despite this, the North Yorkshire chef has his feet firmly on the ground. We caught up with him to talk about food tech, new restaurants and why there are better things to forage than chickweed… interview by Davey BRETT photographed by Jack FINNIGAN
Hi Tommy, What’ve you been up to today? [Speaking on the phone] Where are you? Are you in a bathroom or something? It sounds very echoey. It sounds like you’re talking to me from a bathtub.
I suppose. That was the thinking. The thing at the time though was we didn’t know how to do a better restaurant. The theory came before the actual practical ability, but that was the aim and we managed to survive so I think it worked.
Afraid not Tommy, I’m just in quite a big room. I’ll open a window, that’s better. What have you been up to today? We’re opening Roots our new restaurant in just over a week’s time, so I’m literally just walking out of the building now to find a quiet space because it’s still a little bit serious with machinery going on and stuff like that. We’ve just been planning the first couple of nights on the menu and how it’s going to work and unpacking endless amounts of equipment. It’s beautiful [here] actually, just sat by the River Ouse.
You’ve mentioned in the past that you never had a traditional culinary education. What was your alternative education? What were your references? I think it was twofold. We had a chef called Adam Jackson who was the Head Chef at The Black Swan for a few years and I worked under him, so I did learn the basics and the practical skills, but after he left and I retained the Michelin star in 2013, at that point I was literally cooking classical food that I’d seen in cookbooks and on TV and at other restaurants, like a lot of restaurants do. It was at that point that I had just turned 24 and I was getting a lot of press for being the youngest person to get a star at the time and I felt quite fraudulent. I thought I was getting hailed as some sort of genius, but in reality, all I’d done was just replicate what other people had done before me. And that was the real starting point really. We started again. I started the garden at that point, and a lot of foraging. The idea was we’d only cook with things that we’d only grown in Oldstead and that was a real turning point because it forced us into a new cuisine.
I read somewhere that you got kicked out of food tech when you were in school, is this true? I mean yeah, I wasn’t an out and out bad lad. I just found it hard to concentrate really, a bit hyperactive.
Image Credits: Andrew Hayes Watkins (food shots)
What would you do with food tech if you were in charge of the curriculum now? I think you just need to modernise it. I remember doing it at school and you were never making anything particularly interesting, were you? I don’t think you’re ever going to catch the children’s imagination with a pitta bread pizza or fruit salad. I think I would make it a bit more aspirational, but also, teach people practical skills. I reckon I would treat it more like a life skills class. Imagine if you’d been taught how to cook ten basic meals for when you left school, but also how to shop for them as well, learning about food and how to buy it and what things cost. But also how to kit out your kitchen and things like that. As a young person and you’ve got to feed yourself, you’re not going to go home and make scones for nourishment, are you? Definitely not. I also read that as the credit crunch was taking hold, you and your family were faced with a massive decision at The Black Swan. 2 for 1 pub grub or something entirely different. Do you remember this crossroads vividly? Yeah, it was a very tough time. During that whole credit crunch, people just drew the purse strings didn’t they. The news was doom and gloom, restaurants were closing every single day and actually, I do remember it vividly because we did advertise locally the two-for-one steak nights and all those sorts of things, but in reality you’re just extending the inevitable if you do something like that. At the time, I was actually reading Marco Pierre White’s autobiography and he was talking about when he opened a restaurant in Wandsworth Common in the late 80s when there was a recession. He was worried about whether people would come all the way out to Wandsworth for an expensive meal and maybe he should put his prices down? But someone said to him, in a recession, put your prices up, because the very bargain basement will probably survive and the top of the market survives. The people who’re spending money at the top of the market are spending money regardless of the recession. We realised we needed to make this a real destination, so that people will come for their birthday or their anniversary and even though people are tightening their purse strings, they’re going to spend money on their birthday or their anniversary. People who are recession-proof The Essential Journal | Issue 37
Who was your inspiration? I took a lot of inspiration from a lot of the Scandinavian restaurants who do similar things, Noma is really inspiring, and that was the real start of a new cuisine for us. People talk about not really having any formal training and things like that, because they look at the style of food we do and the techniques we use and they ask ‘how did you come up with that? Nobody does that.’ That was the real start of originality. That didn’t come from anything other than me and a couple of other guys who have worked with us for a long time just experimenting, trying things out and being brave. Tell me about foraging. How do you know what you’re doing? I grew up in the countryside and my family are farmers, so I already had a good base knowledge of what you could eat and what you couldn’t. Yeah, but how do you know you’re picking something good as opposed to something crap like grass or nettles? Nettles are alright! They’re quite good. I think it’s the culinary application of it. It’s alright knowing what it is, but how do you make it delicious? Foraging has become very fashionable, but some of the foraged products aren’t actually tasty. People put chickweed on their menu and things like that and I’m like, well it’s not as nice as… rocket, or any other type of lettuce. Why don’t you just use… lettuce? I think the skill is finding something you can forage, but it has to be absolutely delicious. So elderflower is a really good example. It’s a mainstream product in terms of something you can forage. Go into any bar in the country and they’ll have an elderflower drink. But it tastes phenomenal. I think if you find something like that, you think ‘wow, there’s so many uses I could do with this.’ It doesn’t just have to be a sweet thing I put in a drink, I can use it with savoury as well. Then you find the next thing and you apply the same kind of logic as well. Meadowsweet flowers for example. They have this amazing almond flavour. Well, let’s try do the 21
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same things we do with elderflower to meadowsweet and then you start building this portfolio. Pineapple Mayweed is an amazing weed which grows in our garden and it tastes like pineapple. So you’re thinking, why don’t we treat this like a pineapple? So we made rum out of pineapple mayweed and then rum and pineapple mayweed cocktails. Very quickly within a year or so, we had a portfolio of loads of different dishes and products and things we could make from foraged bits, that we could then make dishes from. I think it’s just about exploring really. Starting with one thing, moving on and knowing when something’s a fad. Sometimes you go out, you eat something, and you go ‘actually, it’s a lot of effort, and it’s kind of cool, but it’s not actually very tasty.’ The golden rule is it has to taste good. When you were crowned as the youngest ever British Michelin Starred chef at the age of 24, for your work at The Black Swan, how did that feel? You have to take things in your stride I think. When I was the youngest Michelin chef and that, I actually felt a little bit embarrassed. Obviously it was good, we’re doing good food and we got a good accolade for it, but I felt as a chef not particularly experienced and my food probably wasn’t that original. At that point, I was very conscious that people were judging me and expecting something amazing from me and I was thinking about whether I could actually deliver that and certainly feeling a little bit insecure. I think I’m a lot more mature and balanced now. What about Tripadvisor’s best restaurant in the world 2017? The best restaurant in the world thing last year was a great accolade. There’s all sorts of accolades, but this one was particularly good because it was taking into account reviews of people that had actually eaten in the restaurant. And I was like, that is an amazing thing and a huge pat on the back to the whole team. It tends to be me who gets the credit for everything, but in reality there’s like 50 people who work at The Black Swan and I’m just one cog in the machine really. I think things like that, you have to be very balanced and calm about it. How do you work out what the best restaurant in the world is? It’s such a subjective thing. It’s almost a bit of a nonsense. You know, they have this list of the 50 best restaurants in the world, but it’s total nonsense. For one person, the pub or the curry house at the end of the road is their favourite restaurant. I just thought the best way to approach it was, don’t
take yourself too seriously and to think of it as a massive pat on the back for the consistency of the restaurant. But if you start over-thinking it, you’re going to give yourself nightmares. We were obviously doing a decent job before, so we’ll keep doing the same thing and try and make it better. Definitely don’t worry what people think or say about your restaurant because there’s no time for that. Do you think being out in the countryside helps with keeping calm? I think it has been advantageous in loads of ways. Firstly, I think being out in the middle of nowhere means people that come to the restaurant really desperately want to plan a trip. They plan time off work, they plan a train or a car journey, they plan an overnight stay, so they're really invested in going out for this meal. You’ve researched the restaurant, understand what it’s all about and you want to be a part of it. I think that’s why we have such a positive customer response. I think that has been a positive. Is it difficult trying to make a restaurant out in the middle of nowhere work? Getting publicity in the first place is difficult. Luckily it has come to a point now where we get so much publicity because of the awards we’ve won. In terms of keeping grounded and that, it’s nice because most days you see the people you work with and the customers that come in. That’s quite nice and it keeps you in your bubble. The other thing is, I don’t think the Tripadvisor award would have been as big a deal if it was a restaurant in Mayfair. It’s almost expected. The reason that it was such a big story, internationally as well, was because it was an old pub in the middle of nowhere, a place nobody has ever heard of in rural North Yorkshire. If it was in New York, or Central London, it would have been expected. It was such a ‘what the heck?’ It’s not in New York, London, Dubai, Singapore or wherever, it’s in rural North Yorkshire. That was why it was such a great story and really the secret to our success. For years and years, it was hard to get people to come out to The Black Swan because we were in the middle of nowhere and we didn’t have much of a reputation and suddenly, after a decade of trying, it has flipped on its head and actually become the USP which we needed. I had mates all over the world, like South Africa, New Zealand, America, Asia and everywhere and they were like, I’ve just seen you on the news.
"I think things like that, you have to be very balanced and calm about it. How do you work out what the best restaurant in the world is? It’s such a subjective thing. It’s almost a bit of a nonsense. You know, they have this list of the 50 best restaurants in the world, but it’s total nonsense. For one person, the pub or the curry house at the end of the road is their favourite restaurant."
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What about the location itself? What is it like working there? In terms of the actual location, I’ve grown up here. In fact, it’s funny doing these interviews because it just sounds like I’m a loser that has never left home. We’re opening our second restaurant now after 12 years, and it’s in York, and it takes me about forty minutes to get to the restaurant and I don’t want to be any further than that. It’s really important to me to be close to home. It’s the inspiration behind all the food and that’s very important to me. It’s great, it’s the place I used to hang out as a kid, going to smoke and drink as a teenager. Suddenly, you’re now using these locations to gather these ingredients for your restaurant. Your new restaurant 40 minutes away is called Roots. What can we expect from it? It’s fairly different. The Black Swan is our baby really. It’s this beautiful tasting-menu-only restaurant where the food is seriously refined. With Roots, there’s been a massive amount of work that has gone into the building and it’s a beautiful space and a really lovely place to sit down and eat. That’s what I want to come through with the food. It’s inspired by the same ethos as The Black Swan with foraged things, preserved things, but it’s slightly more informal because it’s sharing food. Almost like a tapas style and you order what you want to eat and share it. Are there similarities with The Black Swan? The food quality is the same sort of techniques that we use at The Black Swan. I want it to be a very good restaurant and stand alone. There’s one dish which crosses both restaurants and after that it has got its own food. We’ve been working for three or four months this summer, developing all the dishes. So there’s been a lot of thought behind the concept, but also, all summer long I have had a team of chefs working on foraging and preserving all the produce from The Black Swan garden and the land around. We’ve got hundreds and hundreds of preserved products that we’re then going to serve throughout the winter. You’ve got a book out of the same name too... How does that tie into the restaurant? Roots has this very unique ethos. The Black Swan can change its menu every day and be whatever it wants to be, whereas Roots follows the three seasons of my cookbook. From now until the end of the year, we have a menu called the preserving season. Then for the first five months of the year, we have a menu called the hunger gap and throughout that time we serve exclusively products we have harvested and preserved from the following summer. We have this whole team of people creating this massive portfolio of ingredients to then cook with throughout the winter, then the middle months of the year, like the beautiful summer we’re just coming to the end of now, we’re just going to cook totally fresh produce. We’ll have a van of produce coming from the farm every day. It’s pretty unique in that sense. Most of all its got to be absolutely delicious. That’s my only thing really. Do you think chefs can be a bit too fiddly? Chefs muck around with food so much and we like to refine things and make them look really great, but the thing is – I want you to taste things and just go ‘Pfft. Wow.’ One of the things we’ve got at The Black Swan is people eat things and they go, I’d have that again. And the beautiful thing about Roots is, you can have it again. Just have another one mate. Whereas The Black Swan it’s a curated tasting menu. You have one dish and you have another dish and it’s all rolled into one. They fit together in sequence. Whereas at Roots, if you want another one… just have another one mate. Roots (the restaurant) opens mid September; (the book) Roots (Seven Dials) is out now Issue 37 | The Essential Journal
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09/18
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THE WHISKY SHOW 2018 EXPLORES THE FUTURE OF WHISKY AND BEYOND INSIDE 2 Welcome to the World of Whisky 3 The Future of Whisky 4 The Experts' Guide to Mixing Whisky 6 An Ode to Islay 7 The Return of the Malt
The Whisky Show 29th - 30th September 2018 Old Billingsgate, London Book online at www.whiskyshow.com
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AT THE SHOW
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WELCOME TO A WORLD OF WHISKY Age statements might not be everything, but our 10 year anniversary sure is something to shout about
GUEST SPIRIT: RUM! We’ve invited some of our favourite rum producers to join us at this year’s show. Don’t miss this opportunity to try the world’s best rums. HIGHBALLS Don’t be afraid to mix it up! Fever-Tree’s Perfect Pairing bar will fulfil all of your long drink needs with a delicious selection of highballs. INDEPENDENT BOTTLERS It’s not just distillers and blenders behind great whiskies: independent bottlers play an important part too. We’ll have the world’s best, showing off their latest and greatest releases. CHARITY AUCTION We’ll be showcasing some spectacular bottles to appear in our forthcoming charity auction, run by Whisky. Auction in aid of Plastic Oceans. NEW DISTILLERS AND NEW RELEASES We’ve got a whole area dedicated to new distillers – the future of whisky, and there are lots of exciting new drams to taste across the entire show.
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t’s been ten years since we began this celebration of whisky and I’m just as proud of this tenth show as I was of the first one back in 2008. Every year we add new elements to make it bigger and better, and this year is no different with our guest spirit zone showcasing the styles of rum I know whisky fans will love. This year’s theme is ‘the future of whisky’ and for me an integral part of this is trying old favourites and discovering new ones. Whisky is a living thing, with no two batches the same. A whisky we know well will change over time – an old expression which I may not have loved could become a new favourite! The future of whisky is exciting and there are many surprises waiting ahead of us. Join us to enjoy your own journey into whisky.”
Sukhinder Singh Owner of The Whisky Exchange & founder of The Whisky Show
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This year’s theme is ‘the future of whisky’ and for me an integral part of this is trying old favourites and discovering new ones.
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THE FUTURE OF WHISKY
meet the experts
An author, an editor, a bartender and a whisky maker walk into a bar…
Rising Star When asked for an upcoming name in the world of whisky, Thom suggests all-new organic scotch whisky distillery Ncn’ean: ‘Their new make is really tasty, and in 2 or so years I have no doubt they are going to wow everyone with their young and modern whisky.’
World Whisky at your doorstep As well as being a fully-fledged author and bar operator, Tristan also runs Whisky Me, a whisky subscription business that sends samples directly to your door.
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t’s a terrible start to a joke, but a wonderful premise for a chat about the theme of this year’s show. We sit down with Tristan Stephenson, Becky Paskin, Thom Solberg and John Glaser to discuss just what the future holds for the timeless spirit.
Do you think we're seeing a breaking away from tradition in the whisky category? John Glaser: I’d say so! In the world of Scotch, brands are embracing a more open approach to whisky, and I’d say age statements are taking less of a centre stage for a lot of people. Not to sound immodest, but I think Compass Box has played a small part in that trend. But I still think there’s a long way to go in terms of what’s actually possible in the world of Scotch whisky. Becky Paskin: Traditional elements like age statements and regions will always be important to consumers as flavour signposts, but whisky producers are generally embracing new ways to explore the boundaries of what’s possible in flavour creation. I feel like the world is waking up to the mixability of Scotch whisky now, too. It’s a slow awakening, sure, but Scotch – including the single malt – is gradually being used more in classic whisky cocktails like Old Fashioneds and Highballs. Thom Solberg: Every time someone tells me that the future lies with non-age statement whisky, someone goes and releases a whole heap of age statements! I don’t think age will ever truly leave whiskies. While it’s certainly not everything, aging is still an important part of making whisky. Tristan Stephenson: The biggest break from tradition can be seen in consumer reception. I think that attitudes towards non-age statement whiskies are improving but also that age statement whiskies - even the young ones - are perhaps held in a higher regard now.
How are consumer’s attitudes to - and knowledge of whisky evolving? Becky: Social media and increasing interest in what we consume means more people than ever are enjoying whisky, and learning more about it too. There’s still a lot of misinformation circulating, so – as with anything – consumers should be aware of which sources of information they rely on. Specialist books and websites such as Scotchwhisky.com are valuable resources for whisky lovers to discover more. John: Knowledge of Scotch is evolving year on year. Consumer perceptions of what Scotch should look like are changing. 18 years ago, people thought we were crazy with our design for Hedonism, for example. Nowadays, people are getting wise to a lot of dated misconceptions around what Scotch should look and taste like not to mention the information it should or should not wear on the label. Thom: People are now more open to try new things. Our guests’ knowledge varies across an entire spectrum, from novice to connoisseur, but their newfound willingness to challenge themselves is a recurring theme down here at Black Rock. Tristan: I think that in this era of awareness, whisky is opening up to a new audience of (mostly younger) consumers. These people are thirsty for knowledge but also hesitant to engage with a category that they don’t feel confident about. Education is key.
John Glaser is the founder of the irreverent and inventive Compass Box Whisky Co. Currently enjoying his own bottle of Delilah’s xxv blend.
Becky Paskin the Editor of ScotchWhisky.com and certified expert in all things distilled. Currently sipping on a Bobby Burns cocktail.
Tristan Stephenson is the author of The Curious Bartender series and a local legend on the London bar scene. Currently enjoying a drop of Benrinnes 15.
Thom Solberg is the competition-winning, whisky-slinging Bar Manager of specialist Shoreditch whisky bar, Black Rock. Currently making his way through a dram of Kyro Rye Whisky.
3 What do you see as the biggest change in the world of whisky over the last ten years? Becky: Whisky drinkers have never had so much choice! We’ve seen an explosion in craft distilling with over 5,000 new distilleries open in the US alone, all producing their own style of whiskey. Even here in the UK, whisky doesn’t just mean Scotch anymore, while Scotland will this decade see a record number of whisky distilleries open since the 1890s. During the last 10 years there’s also been an increased focus on wood quality and the flavours derived from the cask – it’s the one area whisky producers from around the world have experimented with the most. John: It seems to me that the biggest change lies in the fact that consumers are now coming to Scotch on their own. Even at the high end, people are finding what they like without the need for heavy handed marketing. They’re finding their own way to whisky through a greater appreciation for quality, not through being told what to like. Where do you see the whisky category ten years from now? Becky: If wood has been the focus of the last 10 years, the next decade will see a new wave of Scotch whisky made from different grains, whether that’s corn or wheat distilled in a pot still, rye or some other grain. A handful of distilleries are already working with rye, including Inchdairnie, Arbikie and Bruichladdich, which is extremely exciting. We’re also going to see distillers play even more with brewing techniques, such as barley roasting levels, which can give Scotch more IPA, chocolate or coffee characteristics. The potential flavour combinations when you consider cask varieties too is enormous. Thom: A lot of new distilleries have popped up over the last couple of years, with a lot more in the pipeline. I think we’re witnessing the beginning of a golden age for whisky. I’m particularly excited to see what the World Whisky category will come away with. It’s a category that has been on the rise for quite some time now, and I think we’re going to see some great world whisky coming out over the next couple of years. John: I see greater consumer interest in quality, provenance and sincerity emerging over the next few years. In my opinion, those are the elements that will continue to drive the interest in Scotch whisky. And that’s going to be primarily at the high end, premium whiskies made by smaller companies. Tristan: Whisky will be far more global for starters, and we’ll have lot more small single malt producers. This will likely take things in a similar direction to the way gin has gone, wherein more established brands may adopt some of the innovative practises of smaller producers. This will also be reflected in packaging, where a younger audience will look to craft beer brands for their design cues and shy away from the more traditional look and feel.
[Customers] are finding their own way to whisky through a greater appreciation for quality, not through being told what to like.
And finally, are there any upcoming projects - personal or otherwise - that you’re excited about? Becky: Whisky has always been one of those drinks shrouded in rules of how it must be drunk, the most frustrating of which has been the false idea that it’s a ‘man’s drink’. The perception is starting to change, but more work needs to be done to help consumers realise whisky is a drink for absolutely everyone. That’s why in March 2018 I co-founded the #OurWhisky movement with global whisky ambassador Georgie Bell. We’re encouraging everyone to join the movement by following us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and posting a photo of themselves enjoying whisky. Let’s together showcase the face of the modern whisky drinker. John: We’ll be looking to launch three new whiskies into the UK market. Two limited editions and one regular expression. The Story of the Spaniard, 2nd Edition of Delilah’s, 6th edition of Flaming Heart. You can find them all here at the Whisky Show! Thom: I’m looking forward to the experimental releases from big distilleries. I am very excited about Glenfiddich’s upcoming peat and rum cask experiment. Always curious to see what the next Jameson Caskmates is going to be like. I heard that Bruichladdich have made a distillate from Islay grown rye, so I am hoping that gets a release in a couple of years. Tristan: I’m about to embark on a 50-distillery tour of the USA and Canada for my next whisky book!
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THE EXPERTS' GUIDE TO MIXING WHISKY From the rich smoke of an Islay to the peppery bite of a rye, a good whisky will finish strong no matter how you take it - or how you spell it
Toasted Oat Old Fashioned Redbreast Irish Whiskey, Filter & Fox, Liverpool An ode to the production methods of yesteryear, this Irish twist on a classic Old Fashioned lets its Midleton roots truly sing. The rich fruit and nut notes imparted by Redbreast’s copper pot-still distillation are reinforced by Filter & Fox’s toasted oat infusion. The result is a pear-forward sweetness followed by a golden, toasted oatyness. Burnt sugar adds an autumnal, toffee apple edge to the whole affair, while a dash of walnut bitters invites another layer of charm and sophistication. It’s a clean, crisp experience that boasts a little more bite than your average Old Fashioned, but by avoiding the all-too-familiar pitfall of the over-sweet Old Fashioned, Liverpool’s Filter & Fox have come away with something that is as approachable as it is ingenious.
The Claymore Chivas 18, Happiness Forgets, Hoxton A modern Scotch classic and a masterclass in simplicity done perfectly, Rhys Wilson’s Claymore is a simple pairing of Chivas 18 and champagne cordial that makes for a bold but entirely approachable entry to whisky cocktails. The oak-forward, cinnamon spiced notes of Chivas’ blended malt scotch are offset by the delicate minerality of the champagne cordial. In The Claymore, Happiness Forgets has come away with a cocktail that’s as easy on the eye as it is on the palate. More than just a whisky twist on a Gimlet; The Claymore is one of those why-didn’t-I-think-of-that cocktails. It’s a staggeringly simple, effortlessly refined cocktail that feels like it should have always been around.
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The Whisky Show
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Public Highball House Blended Scotch, Public, Sheffield Tucked away in the former public convenience of Sheffield’s Town Hall, Public are no strangers to balancing the bold with the understated. Their highball is no exception. Using a top secret, house-blend of single malt scotch whiskies, Public’s highball is a lesson in nuance and restraint. The ashen and coastal notes of the Speyside/Highland blend are offset by Public’s salt-baked pear syrup. The Sauvignon Blanc used to steep the pears plays a pitch perfect tune with its soda top for a light, dry, and confident finish. Edgy yet low-key, intricate yet minimal, the Public Highball is both an easy-drinker and a perfect liquid metaphor for the bar itself.
Red Lips Rye Michter’s Straight Rye, The American Bar, The Savoy True to rye’s Wild West bite but grounded in the luxurious decadence of the world-famous Savoy, Red Lips Rye takes its inspiration from the photography of Terry O’Neill. Just as O’Neill captures the glitz and glamour of the Hollywood elite, so too does Red Lips Rye showcase the prestige and provenance of American whiskey. The oak contact of the Michter’s rye is prevalent throughout, with elements of Kummel, Campari and port providing a depth in keeping with the cocktail's profound crimson hues. Boasting exceptional balance, unfathomable layers of complexity, and peerless levels of presentation, Red Lips Rye is exactly the calibre of cocktail you’d expect from The Savoy’s American Bar.
For Peat’s Sake Elements of Islay Full Proof Peat, Bull in a China Shop, Shoreditch Bottled at a staggering 59.3% and containing a blend of Islay single malts, you’d expect this big, punchy dram to make for one heavy-hitting sparring partner. But Bull in a China Shop’s peat-forward concoction, For Peat’s Sake, is no boxing match, it’s a dance. The addition of Green Chartreuse and Yuzu Sake compliments the underlying cereal sweetness and citrus notes of Peat, while the Peychaud’s bitters and soda top keep things light and alluring. The result is a fresh, summer-friendly highball that boasts a lasting, floral finish without hiding its smoky foundations. By all accounts, it’s a bold step in demystifying the smoky clout of peated whisky.
The Whisky Show
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AN ODE TO ISLAY
whiskyshow.com
THE PEAT SCALE New to the world of peated
whisky? Fear not. Oliver offers his
Talking the wonders of peat and the art of independent bottling with Oliver Chilton
guide to the Elements on offer at this year’s Whisky Show
Pl5 - 63.1% Sitting proudly at the top of our peat scale, Pl5 is a testament to Port Charlotte’s penchant for experimentation. Distilled in 2009, this small batch (of just 582 bottles) is a vatting of a refill hogshead and a first-fill barrel. It’s the Port Charlotte we know and love, with dense smoke and sweet peat throughout.
Lp9 - 54.3% The ruggedly charming Laphroaig has always been the marmite of the Scotch category. This particular liquid was distilled in 1998 and bottled from a single Pedro Ximénez sherry butt. The signature notes of 1990s’ Laphroaig distillate are prominent throughout, and the balance of rich fruit and heavy smoke is nothing short of masterful. With only 714 bottles produced, Lp9 is sure to be a much-coveted piece of history.
‘T
he most important element of Islay is peat’ is more than just a slogan, it’s a loud-and-clear statement of intent. Dedicated to celebrating the prestige and provenance of the peated single malt, Elements of Islay offers a range of independently-bottled, small-batch Islay whiskies. Bottled at original strength from select casks with no chill-filtration, added colouring, or age statement, Elements are as excitingly varied as they are exceptionally rare. From Sauternes-matured selections of Port Charlotte to Syrah-matured bottlings of Octomore, Elements of Islay is a celebration of Islay’s rich heritage and glowing future. According to cask manager, Oliver Chilton, it’s exactly this balance between heritage and novelty that makes the independent bottlings so exciting. ‘Scotch is a wonderful place for experimentation, but within a tight set of rules,’ he says. ‘Elements of Islay revels in an exciting blend of tradition and innovation.’ Each bottle’s minimal, elemental labelling hints at the rich contents within, whilst also letting the liquid speak for itself. In Oliver’s own words: ‘We invite whisky drinkers - new and old - to think (and drink) beyond the name, beyond the age statement and beyond the marketing. What we really want is for drinkers to understand that it’s what’s inside the bottle that counts.’ Their own signature blend, PEAT, is made up of around 60 casks from distilleries in the north and south of Islay. By all accounts, it’s both a love letter to - and warm welcome from - the world of peated whisky. ‘With PEAT,’ says Oliver, ‘we just wanted to get people into peated whisky. We want people to understand that they can enjoy smoky whisky just as they’d enjoy smoked meats and fish.’ ‘No category captures our imagination and our obsession quite like Islay Scotch,’ says Oliver. And that’s clear in everything that Elements of Islay produce: They’re not just introducing consumers to the wonders of peated whisky, they’re taking them on a journey across the Queen of the Hebrides, one bottling at a time.
“
Elements of Islay revels in an exciting blend of tradition and innovation
Additional Dramming Because not all peated whisky comes from bonnie Scotland
PEAT Full Proof - 59.3% Occupying the middle ground on our peat scale, PEAT boasts a well-rounded coastal freshness, a confidently-balanced sweetness, and a hefty-but-approachable smoke. A warm welcome to the world of peat indeed.
Japan
Nikka Yoichi Single Malt A smoky Japanese whisky with a maritime character. England
English Whisky Company
Cl11 - 55.4% With only 1206 bottles produced, Cl11 was distilled in 2008 and has spent the last 18 months of maturation in two ex-solera sherry butts. The old wood has imparted a dusty, spicy note that plays well against the coastal, salt-andbrine charm for which the Caol Ila’s spirit has become so renowned.
A 5-year-old peated English with a wealth of fruit flavours to balance the young peat. USA
Westland Single Malt Peated American Oak Whisky A peated American whisky, equal parts smoke and fruit.
Bn7 - 55.7% Sitting at the gentler end of the scale, Bn7 was distilled in 2001 and aged for over 16 years in a pair of oloroso sherry butts. The result is a welcoming winter warmer full of rich caramel and dark-chocolate notes. Limited to a run of only 1620 bottles. islay.com | thewhiskyexchange.com
The Whisky Show
whiskyshow.com
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THE RETURN OF THE MALT For the London-based Bimber Distillery, age is just a number, and tradition is just the beginning
N
“
ot since the closure of the Lea Valley Distillery in 1905 has there been so much as a drop of London-made single malt whisky. Over the last few years, however, Bimber have set about changing that. Distilled, bottled and labelled by hand and on-site in north-west London, Bimber’s single malt whisky not only celebrates its London roots, but also challenges people’s perception of younger whiskies. That’s not to say that, with its relatively young single malt, Bimber is without history or heritage. After all, co-founder and master distiller, Dariusz Plazewski, comes from a long line of distillers. Over the years, generations of his family have distilled using copper pot stills and foraged fruits to make their hand-crafted, family-made moonshine. It is from that tradition that Bimber gets its name, which translates to ‘moonshine’ in Dariusz’ native tongue. That we are even able to talk about an English single malt whisky, made in London, by a Polish vodka distiller, is a testament to the variety, creativity and innovation that the world of fine whisky now enjoys. But what makes Bimber’s Whisky a London Single Malt, exactly? And how can such a young, innovative whisky maintain such a rich sense of tradition? Well, for a start, it’s made from floor-malted English Barley. ‘Floor-malted’ isn’t just a buzzword, it refers to a pre-industrial, manual method of malting. Sure, it’s a slower, more expensive process, but it imparts a character, a uniqueness and sense of heritage that makes it all worth it. Secondly, the spirit itself is double distilled in traditional copper pot stills. Now, copper pot still distillation is a labour of love: The stills are apt to erode and need constant care and attention to stay in perfect working order. But it’s a time sacrifice that Bimber are willing to make for a superior liquid. And finally, the whisky is split between ex-Bourbon, ex-Pedro Ximénez, ex-port and virgin American oak casks for maturation. All cooperage is carried out on-site, including repairing and re-charring the casks when required. In short, Bimber is a London whisky through and through. But Dariusz and Ewelina want more than to simply play on our collective weakness for nostalgia or tradition: They’re taking a stand against the bland, the tasteless and the overproduced. There is a truly artisanal, personal touch to Bimber that seeks to fuel the flame of whisky lovers world wide. Their Cask Ownership scheme is perfect proof of this. By offering a limited number of people the opportunity to become owners of their very own Bimber Reserve Cask, Bimber aren't just making production personal again, they’re offering front row seats to whisky history in the making.
There is a truly artisanal, personal touch to Bimber that seeks to fuel the flame of whisky lovers world wide
OXO2, London 2 November 2018, 5.30pm‑9.30pm Taste your way through famous names and undiscovered gems Meet the producers and discover the soul of Champagne
Tickets ÂŁ85 @whiskyexchangepresents
@champagneshow
Book your tickets now at champagneshow.com
STYLE
A Cut Above Suffering from a small dose of FOMO, Ian Harrold offers his own twist on our chef interviews words by Ian HARROLD
Who is the coolest barber in the world and why? Paul Wilson of Art + Science. You could honestly put that guy in a bin bag and he’d still look slick. The fact that he’s based in Chicago does him a world of favours too. Something about that city just oozes class. What advice would you give to your younger self? Don’t do it! But seriously, I’d say brace yourself: It will be hard work, but it will also be fun. Also, try not to take anything too seriously. What’s your most cherished item of clothing? I have almost 50 pairs of dress shoes if that counts! From Jeffery West to Churches, Loake to Grenson, you really can’t go wrong with Britishmade shoes. All paired with colourful socks. Plain socks are for dinner suits and funerals. Which clothes brand do you wear most on the day to day? There’s really something to be said for a bespoke suit. I get mine from Gieves & Hawkes. Everyone should try to go bespoke at least once. It’s both a learning experience and a lasting investment. Four guests, past or present, who would you invite to a dinner party? Oscar Wilde, Kate Moss, Jamie Oliver and, of course, my mum. What’s one concern you have with your industry? How do you fix it? There’s far too much hype around the idea of being famous, whatever that even means nowadays. Barbers need to ditch this obsession and get back to building strong foundations in technical ability. Barbering is a trade, after all. Get good, then think about getting famous. What has been the biggest change in your industry over the last five years? Social media has brought about huge changes in a barber’s visibility. It’s a bit of a double-edged sword, though. If you filter it well enough, it will open the door to a global community. But it can also become quite insular if you’re not careful. If you were not involved in barbering, what would you be doing instead? I’d be a florist. No question. After all, you’ll never see anyone sad to see a flower. They will always put a smile on someone’s face.
Issue 37 | The Essential Journal
Tailored Thoughts on:
Food Huntsman cutter and resident tailoring columnist Matthew Gonzalez turns his attentions to the value of cooking at home words by Matthew GONZALEZ
I
’m currently on a pre-birth-of-child trip to New York with my wife. It’s a city that I haven’t visited in many years and out of respect for the fact that she isn’t drinking, we have made this trip all about eating. Experiencing the culinary culture of the city and eating out for every meal has allowed me to meditate on how food influences our lives; reflect on what it means to eat well and most importantly reconsider the value of cooking at home. There’s something special about cooking. It involves all the senses. The colours, flavours, textures and aromas of fresh produce, the sound of chopping, sautéing or roasting creates an engaging experience that connects you back to the natural world. There is also something very therapeutic about cooking; sitting down and peeling a bag of potatoes or mincing a bunch of onions. These repetitive actions are calming and require focus on the task at hand which can also provide a short respite from your otherwise day-to-day worries. If you have ever seen an episode of Chef’s Table on Netflix then you will likely understand what I mean. Each featured chef doesn’t show us how to cook but rather explains why cooking is their passion, a passion that is contagious. They speak about cooking in a way that makes it sound serene, even though they are cooking in some of the world’s busiest kitchens. This probably explains why after each episode, I have an almost immediate compulsion to go into the kitchen and cook. The show has a unique ability to inspire and excite us about the process of cooking. It also asks us to stop viewing cooking as merely a skill, elevating it instead to an artisanal craft. And if cooking is a craft, then home made food is arguably its pinnacle form. If you ever hear a chef talk about food, more often than not they will pinpoint the source of their passion to their experiences of eating as a child. Whether it was their parents, grandparents, siblings or just access to the kitchen, there is usually a moment. I know this in part from experience. One of my older brothers is an extremely talented chef in Los Angeles who often finds himself cooking for the Hollywood elite. Growing up, I still vividly remember watching him try to recreate a recipe from a film or invent something new. It was a passion of his that I learned to incorporate into my own life and in doing so, fulfil that natural desire to create. From childhood we are given Lego or wooden blocks to stack up and build whatever we can imagine. As we become adults, many of us lose the opportunity to be creative and make things from scratch, thus denying ourselves a chance to fulfil that basic aspect of what makes us human. Cooking can fulfil that primitive human instinct. Last night my wife and I went to a famous New York restaurant called Keen’s Steakhouse for dinner. The food was incredible, the portion sizes were obscene and we left feeling several stone heavier than when we arrived. While we both had a great time, I realised that when I go out to eat, the food is just one component of the experience. Even though the meal was just a few hours ago, my lasting impression of the restaurant was visual. The restaurant interior had a rich character and looked like it hadn’t changed since it opened. Upon reflection I can’t recall a single restaurant where I walked in and was hit by the amazing aromas of food. That is a stark contrast to a home cooked meal. Think about going to a friend’s house when they are making a Sunday roast or walking through the front door of a home as Christmas dinner is being prepared. You are instantly enveloped by the aroma of food. It is a completely different sensorial experience. At home, food is the main event. Cooking food is a craft that can fulfil our deep rooted human desire to create while nourishing our bodies. Unfortunately, it is a luxury for many of us. The amount of time it takes to cook at home from scratch can make it impossible to do seven days a week. Our schedules are inundated with work, commuting, chores and errands. Cooking three meals a day seven days a week might never be a reality but a nice homemade Sunday roast at home is a step in the right direction. MG
"If you have ever seen an episode of Chef’s Table on Netflix then you will likely understand what I mean. Each featured chef doesn’t show us how to cook but rather explains why cooking is their passion, a passion that is contagious. They speak about cooking in a way that makes it sound serene, even though they are cooking in some of the world’s busiest kitchens."
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FOOD & DRINK
The 91-year Conversation On a recent trip to La Marzocco HQ in Scarperia, our creative director learned that there’s more to coffee than the caffeine fix words & photography by Thomas SUMNER
Issue 37 | The Essential Journal
A
s part of the La Marzocco induction pack, I am pretty certain there’s a section on the art of handshaking. Something along the lines of ‘How to greet people you’ve never met as if they’re a long lost friend you haven’t seen since what's'isname’s 21st some 10 years ago.’ Heading to Florence one blurry-eyed, Tuesday morning, I thought this article would be another of those production-line visit pieces. However, once we pulled up in the factory car park, located about 50 minutes north of Florence in Scarperia, it quickly became apparent that the factory-by-numbers feature would not suffice. Swiftly led upstairs by our host (and regular EJ columnist) Dan from La Marzocco UK, we found ourselves in an Italian villa-esque space that appeared part trophy cabinet, part museum, part coffee house. We were invited around the one of the last espresso machines that Bruno Bambi handcrafted himself which, above all, offered a mutual space for the greetings and small talk that would quickly follow. Staff of all departments and grades swarmed from behind their desks as members of the visiting Milan team ventured up the same set of stairs we had just climbed. Whether from Milan, Scarperia or the UK all were warmly offered a handshake and a genuine, heartfelt ‘bonjourno’. Having gotten to know the UK team over the past couple of years, this sort of welcome from familiar faces should come as no surprise, but it’s rare to experience that same warmth as you move up the hierarchy from from local set-up to HQ. La Marzocco, however, pride themselves on building relationships to ‘enrich the lives of others,’ and it was truly staggering to watch them practice what they preach so effortlessly. As we moved around the factory, lead by our guide Lavinia, the importance of the machine continued to grow. From communal-area-cum-trophy-cabinet, to meeting room, to think space and finally to factory floor, each area showcased a fully operational La Marzocco machine. Each one doubling as a hub for team members discussing operations, product development and marketing strategy over an espresso. Even in the factory, it was rare to see a member of staff working alone. Coined the Master of Welding, Massimo, was possibly the only member of staff not to have a workmate directly opposite him. Understandable. He didn’t have long to wait to buddy-up, however, as every two hours the factory takes a 15 minute break. During this time, a crowd formed around the machine, this time a Linea PB. Beautiful though it was, it wasn’t the machine that garnered attention, but the social platform it provided. It wasn’t the caffeine fix they gathered for, but the chance to converse. Here, an espresso takes around 30 seconds to pour and 10 seconds to consume, leaving 14 minutes and 20 seconds to get down to what really matters: The people around you. And isn’t that what we all really want in a coffee break? A time and a place for events to unfold? I think back to the sitcoms of the 90s: From Frasier's Café Nervosa to Friends’ Central Perk. They all had coffee shops, but the coffee was never the focus. It was the social space that the break provided, the conviviality that it celebrated. Next time you have a coffee, try to forget about the drink itself and take a closer look at the situation. The coffee break is a platform for safe, open dialogue. It’s a time to think, debate and discuss. To create, celebrate and counsel. It’s a time to reinvigorate and re-engage. More than anything, the La Marzocco factory was a reminder that a cup of coffee is not about the caffeine, but the conversation. EJ 35
ALL THE TRADITION BEHIND THE
Unique Brazilian way of serving
LEEDS
LIVERPOOL
MANCHESTER
EDINBURGH
GRA NA RY W HARF
EXCHANGE FLAGS
SPINNINGFIELDS
GEORGE STREET
BIRMINGHAM COMING AUTUMN 201 8
: @FazendaGroup
FOOD & DRINK
High Spirits A month’s worth of comings and goings in the world of The Whisky Exchange words by Liz LOCK
H
ere at The Whisky Exchange, we think that variety is very much the spice of life, and variety is exactly what we’ve brought you this month. Over the last few weeks, we’ve gone from admiring rare, exclusive, single cask Irish whiskeys to drooling over all-American donuts. We’ve pondered the cocktail possibilities of South African tonic syrups and we’ve waxed lyrical about the delights of Haggis Bon Bons. Some might call us greedy, we prefer to call it committed!
Who we're visiting What we're drinking
Iron Stag
Symmetry Tonic Syrups
Recently opened below Adam Handling’s The Frog Hoxton, Iron Stag is a whisky-lover’s dream. The drinks menu has been devised by a super-star duo Matt Whiley (Talented Mr Fox and owner of Scout) and Rich Woods (The Cocktail Guy), and celebrates all things whisky. The menu is one to be perused, with sections catering to a full spectrum of whisky drinkers. The ‘Whisky & Soda’ options give highball-lovers some interesting combinations of scotch whisky and mixers, served on tap or in individual pre-made bottles. ‘Whisky Fix’ (my favourite section) offers plenty of impressive cocktails that show some real love for rye, bourbon and world whisky. Throw in some delicious Haggis Bon Bons, Cheese Doughnuts and ‘Fat Bastard’ sandwiches, and it’s game over: I’m there all night.
Don’t worry, I’m not about to go all virtuous on you and start suggesting you substitute your whisky for soft drinks (I work for The Whisky Exchange, that might get me fired), but I am going to introduce you to one of the best soft drink options I’ve tried in a long time (oh, and it’s amazing with gin or for using in cocktails). The Geometric Drinks Company has taken inspiration from the Fynbos Floral Kingdom in their native South Africa, and use some incredible botanicals to create these stunning tonics. All three variants - Citrus, Floral and Spice - are beautifully balanced and much less sugary than your average tonic. Simply combine 50ml of tonic with 150-200ml carbonated water for a flavoured tonic mixer.
45-57 Hoxton Square, London, N1 6PD Tues - Sat, 5.30pm to midnight
£16.95 each - thewhiskyexchange.com
www.ironstagbar.com
what we're mixing Silent Pool Gin Berry Blend Gin? Tick. Cognac? Tick. Kummel? Tick. This could be a match made in heaven. A short and strong serve that’s perfect for this slightly odd time of year when the evenings can surprise us with warmth, or shock us into the new season chill. INGREDIENTS 25ml Silent Pool Gin 25ml Merlet Brothers Blend Cognac 15ml Blackberry syrup 15ml kummel Dash orange bitters METHOD Shake all ingredients together and strain into a chilled rocks glass that has been rinsed with Kummel. Garnish with a flamed lemon zest.
what we're dramming Teeling 27 Year Old, The Whisky Exchange exclusive A single cask from the distant past, this single malt hails from a time when Teeling wasn't even a distillery yet; rather, the name of the family who have nurtured this whiskey through almost three decades. Distilled in 1991 – the heart of an era now famed in Irish whiskey for producing some of the fullest, fruitiest malts that the category has ever seen – this is a spectacularly fruit-led and flawlessly balanced whiskey. An impressive addition to any collection and a wonderful whiskey by anyone's standards, this is a single, sherry-cask single malt selected by The Whisky Exchange team from Teeling's incredible stocks. £430 - thewhiskyexchange.com
Who we're following @whiskyanddonuts Apologising in advance - because this is pretty much porn for whisky lovers with a sweet tooth - but the doughnuts seen over at @whiskyanddonuts are all from Stateside bakeries. So I’m sorry if you’re already salivating over the thought of California’s Sidecar Doughnuts, but most of the whiskies featured are available online at The Whisky Exchange! Hurrah! 37
FOOD & DRINK
Drinking with
PUBLIC Tucked away in the former public convenience of Sheffield’s Town Hall, Public specialise in cocktails, wine, small plates and vinyl. Edgy yet low-key, bold yet understand, Public serve up independent passion without the prohibition-era pretence words by Will HALBERT
Image Credits: India Hobson
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The Essential Journal | Issue 37
FOOD & DRINK
Featured Libation
Knockbox City Limits
Get the Round In
Jack Wakelin Quickfire questions answered in the time it takes Public’s General Manager to finish his schooner of Mahou What’s the story behind the Public logo? It’s actually based around the handwriting of a toilet attendant pulled from an old logbook, back when Public was literally just a public toilet. There’s a lovely, lazy kink and rhythm to it that Totally Okay, a local design studio, really ran with. Who makes your aprons? They were made by Syd & Mallory over on Devonshire Street. They specialise in handmade clothing and vintage wares. They’re all one-offs, and each has a different letter from the Public logo. Pretty cool. What’s your house shot? It would have to be Bulleit Bourbon. But if we’re feeling fancy, our Queen of Jalisco cocktail is a real house favourite. It’s based on a banging dessert I had at Tommy Banks’ restaurant, The Black Swan at Oldstead. Lovage infused tequila with a chicory root tincture. Can’t beat it. How many of your menus have been ‘lost’ since you opened? They were put together by the guys and gals over at Sheffield’s ASAP. Over the last eight months or so we’ve had 134 of them stolen. That’s including the one you just slipped into your bag.
‘E
ssentially it’s tasty garbage’ is Public’s characteristically modest way of describing the ‘Public Awareness’ section of their cocktail menu. With the aim of making the most of citrus rinds, used coffee and spent pistachio shells, you’d be forgiven for thinking that taste rides shotgun to sustainable showboating. Judging by their Knockbox City Limits cocktail, however, you’d be dead wrong. Here, the rich, caramel tones of the soleramatured Ron Zacapa are offset by the rugged charm of a knockbox-coffee infused Pedro Ximenez sherry (made using waste coffee grinds from local coffee experts, Steam Yard). A dash of Mozart chocolate bitters and Angostura bitters rounds everything off nicely, while a large block of branded ice adds a further pinch of Public’s understated panache. It’s a beautifully bold and bitter winter bracer made possible by two of Sheffield's finest independents.
The Ace in the Hole
Public's Small Plates
P
ublic’s drinks menu might already set them apart, but it’s their food that puts them ahead. From corn on the cob slathered in fermented chilli and lardo butter, to oxtail ragu bathed in smoked bone marrow and parsley, Public’s list of small plates makes for more of a manifesto than a menu. Honestly, it’s hard not to resort to hyperbole when you’re looking at a menu graced with braised rabbit atop local sourdough and an artichoke frittata alongside preserved lemon and bottarga. All plated on handmade crockery from none other than Grey Suit Clay, no less. Food made in what used to be a public toilet has no right being this good. Issue 37 | The Essential Journal
Where do we go from here? There’s almost too many places to mention! Head over to Steam Yard for a banging coffee and kronut combo. Then on to La Biblioteka for some solid reading material. Get to Piña for some tacos and tequila. Stop at Clobber Calm Supply Co. to check out their wares. Finish up at Ashoka for some absolutely incredible Indian cuisine. Honestly, I could go on!
The Secret Ingredient
House Blended Malt Scotch
T
his month’s Secret Ingredient is a secret in the truest sense of the word, for the simple fact that Public aren’t spilling the beans on what’s in the blend. Made up of a range of single malts, the blend's cereal Speyside notes and Highland charm are evident (thanks to the menu, which tells me exactly that). Remarkably, this house blend doesn't just play a leading role in one of our favourite cocktails on the menu, the Public Highball, it also stands tall as a solid, straight-up, sipping whisky.
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PARTNER CONTENT
Setting the bar with Cocktails in the City This year’s Cocktails in the City is on a mission to celebrate the illustrious history of the cocktail by shining a spotlight squarely on the craftsmanship of the modern-day bartender
W
elcoming over 40,000 guests over the last five years and shaking up over 150,000 cocktails in the process, Cocktails in the City has proven itself to be the nation’s leading cocktail festival. For the second year running, Andrew Scutts is turning his sights to Liverpool's burgeoning bar scene: “Liverpool has a world-class cocktail scene in part driven by the rise in bartender owned venues. From the Baltic Triangle to Ropewalks in just a few short sips we bring all that talent together under one roof to celebrate the skill of the bartender”. Not only will visitors have the chance to get shoulder-to-shoulder with the city’s most skilled bartenders, they will also get to enjoy a range of all-new signature serves. From zero waste drinks to Nitro Espresso Martinis, the ethos of the event is to try something new, to discover something different, and appreciate the skill behind it all. According to John Ennis, owner of Graffiti Spirits Group “It’s really important that we showcase the best
of the city’s bars to a wider audience.” He goes on: “The top bartenders are real professionals: they study, practice and compete all over the world and it’s great to see the profession being celebrated in this way.” John will also be re-launching the city’s best-loved coffee shop, Bold Street Coffee at the event. Chris Edwards owner of Filter + Fox and Belzan believes that tastes in the city are changing, “We launched Filter + Fox with a focus on the aperitivo, heavy on vermouths and our guests are very open to new flavour combinations on the recommendation of well-trained bartenders.” Likewise, with Liverpool enjoy-
ing its own golden age of cocktails, Danny Murphy (Berry & Rye, Furnival’s Well and, most recently, The Royal Institution) feels the city has really developed since his time as a bartender: “When I was learning my trade - working in great bars we would only be making a dozen cocktails a night. Now there are sites all over the city doing 70 – 80% trade on cocktails” The evolution of the Liverpool bartending scene has been rapid and unstoppable. Cocktails in the City gives the public the opportunity to slow things down and appreciate exactly what it is that sets the city apart from its peers. It’s a masterclass in the craft, and history in the making.
12th – 13th October at St George's Hall Featuring:
81 Ltd, Aether, Aloha, Berry and Rye, Bold Street Coffee, Crazy Pedro’s, Dockleaf, El Bandito, Filter + Fox, Furnival’s Well, Santa Chupitos, Red Door, Smugglers Cove and The Alchemist Buy Tickets for £12 including your choice of welcome cocktail at:
www.cocktailsinthecity.com
5 things not to be missed at this years Cocktails in the City
The Tasting Rooms Hosted by 31Dover.com
The Five Dollar Shake Created by Santa Chupitos
The Botanists Foraging Table Hosted by The Botanist
Espresso martini masterclasses Hosted by Tia Maria + The Coffee Project
The Victorian 47 Created by Furnival’s Well
Immerse yourself in a series of three unique tasting experiences moving from room to room to discover the people, products, flavours and aromas driving the craft spirits revolution. Think speed dating meets spirits masterclass.
Is this Liverpool’s most popular cocktail? Chambord, vodka, blueberry jam and a lot of milk and cream the guys at SC will be shaking up their 100,000th Five Dollar Shake at CITC. Be that person and win prizes galore.
Grab a G&T and take a seat at The Botanists foraging table for an interactive session exploring the wild herbs and aromatics from the isle of Islay that makes The Botanist so unique with Abigail Clephane.
Enjoy a thirty-minute intimate and interactive session to make and perfect your own espresso martini under the expert supervision of barista, bartender and brand ambassador Stephanie Rainbow.
Enjoy this Dickensian twist on the classic champagne cocktail The French 75. Monkey 47 Gin shaken up with fino sherry, fresh lemon, a dash of absinthe and topped with prosecco. Fresh, light with a lingering anise finish.
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The Essential Journal | Issue 37
SAT 27TH OCT
NORMAN JAY MBE
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FOOD & DRINK
Chefs: The Interview Pre-prepare a questionnaire of approximately twenty two roughly chopped hot and cold questions making sure to cover a healthy diet of culture, lifestyle, travel and industry related themes. Choose your favourite chefs in the world, making sure you mix exciting names from around the UK with a sprinkling of names from further afield, then send your questions out via email. (If you have a phone handy, feel free to use one of those.) Leave chefs to answers questions for up to two months, letting their thoughts marinate. Once answers have returned, sort each chef’s answers by question, making sure you savour the passionate caps of Bo Bech and Neil Rankin’s thoughts on rocket. You should be left with among other things: Nathan Outlaw’s Star Wars obsession, Paul Ainsworth on courgettes, Michael Carr drinking an expensive bottle of wine through a straw and surprisingly, a unified love of Mcdonald’s, Belstaff jackets and the customer not always being right.
1
Best Uniform?
2
Overated or Overused?
3
Coolest chef ?
4
Cherished Item?
5
Guilty Pleasure?
6
Industry Concern?
7
Last Meal?
Once the best questions and answers have been narrowed down, serve over a few fresh pages. Excess answers can be saved for an extended version online. Print with a side of regular Essential Journal features and enjoy. Issue 37 | The Essential Journal
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FOOD & DRINK
1 WHICH RESTAURANT HAS THE BEST UNIFORM?
"...Besides that i would probably have to say McDonalds." CHILTERN FIREHOUSE. - Bo Bech Definitely Spring restaurant in Somerset House, I love their long linen aprons. - Clodagh McKenna I have never been a fan of dressed up restaurants, so the best, in my opinion is the one where you know the staff are comfortable and confident, hence I love the casual wear at Polpo. - Dhruv Mittal There was a time when the whole chefs and front of house wearing the same aprons was a pretty good look — I think Noma started it, people like The Young Turks continued the theme, then it became quite generic. So now I’m a fan again of St John’s vibe: straight jacket white coats for the front of house, well-used butcher’s aprons for the chefs. There’s a ‘never in fashion, never out of fashion’ nonchalance to it. - Ed Smith I’m not sure if they still have them, but there was a ramen restaurant in New York called Ippudo which had uniforms from Engineered Garments. Very cool. - Fergus Jackson I really like HIDE restaurant chef’s uniforms. - Greg Marchand I hear The Clove club is sponsored by Kenzo and Restaurant Story by Puma so theirs must be pretty decent, still waiting for Carhartt to hook me up. Besides that i would probably have to say McDonalds. - Ivan Tisdall-Downes I really like the uniforms at Xu, London. It’s a really cool place and I think they’ve emulated the feel of a traditional Taiwanese tea house exceptionally well. - Kian Samyani Spring Restaurant at Somerset House without question. I believe the uniforms were designed by Maureen Egg and they are truly gorgeous. Generally when I eat at a restaurant I’m not too bothered what the staff are wearing, as long as they are at least partially clothed. However I’ll make an exception for Spring as it is such a beautiful restaurant with equally beautiful uniforms to match. - Merlin Labron-Johnson Betty’s of Harrogate. - Michael Carr I like the uniforms at St John. Their guys look like a cross between chefs and butlers. I don’t like restaurants where the uniforms have been allowed to become tatty or dirty. That just tells you what the rest of the place is like! At Restaurant Nathan Outlaw, the front of house staff choose their own uniform, all in navy blue but slightly different styles so none of them can complain about what they have to wear. Luckily they all have good dress sense so there are no problems. Uniforms have to be practical too. It’s no use wearing something you are scared to move in or that will spoil if something gets spilt down it. - Nathan Outlaw I’m very envious of the soft cotton smocks they wear at Koya Bar. - Nicholas Balfe I recently watched a Heston Blumenthal documentary called Inside Heston’s World about bringing The Fat Duck concept to Melbourne. Their front of house team were just incredibly dressed, It has actually gone on to inspire our latest uniforms at No.6. - Paul Ainsworth Ernst in Berlin, they did a collaboration with Berlin’s Frank Leder. However Chloe Frejaville our creative director has sourced some beautiful waxed organic cotton from Scotland and is about to make the aprons we will use during service. On top of that we are creating a new shirt from British linen in a workshop collab with Joe Hartley. We will be united in our immaculate handmade threads perhaps giving the guys at Ernst a run for their money. - Sam Buckley Chiltern Firehouse. - Theo Randall Any restaurant in Scandinavia. - Tom Anglesea
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2 WHAT'S THE MOST OVERATED OR OVERUSED DISH OR INGREDIENT?
"I pretty much love everything, but for the life of me I don’t get courgettes at all." Truffle oil and I'm guilty. - Andy Taylor Truffles, Caviar, Foie Gras or any other traditional ‘luxury’ ingredients. - Ben Shewry I HAVE NO ISSUES AT ALL WITH OTHER PEOPLE’S DECISIONS. - Bo Bech Avocado! I know so many of you will hate me for saying this, but it’s becoming like the banana trade. - Clodagh McKenna Overrated: Truffle. Overused: Avocado. - Dhruv Mittal I love them, but really don’t think every roast dinner has to have roast potatoes. - Ed Smith Matcha. For a while it seemed to appear in everything. It’s definitely symptomatic of the Instagram food scene, that vivid green colour, but flavour wise it’s just not my bag. I don’t get it. - Fergus Jackson Chickweed. - Greg Marchand It’s got to be caviar. It bores me and I think it’s a cop out. Chefs should try and find more exciting and sustainable ways to add that flavour profile to a dish instead of just chucking that on top and slapping up the price tag, putting stress on the food chain and the fish. - Ivan Tisdall-Downes Truffle oil is overrated; I hate its cheap taste and overwhelming flavouring. - Merlin Labron-Johnson Rhubarb. - Michael Carr Anything labelled as ‘foraged’ or grown as ‘micro’. Both are faffy fads and really add nothing to the flavour of the dish. Pointless. I can hear the gasps now! - Nathan Outlaw I absolutely love burrata, but they are kind of everywhere. Maybe it’s time for something new? - Nicholas Balfe I pretty much love everything, but for the life of me I don’t get courgettes at all. - Paul Ainsworth Truffles. I love truffles, they are possibly the most unique ingredient, the problem is they are just too easy to use, if a dish doesn’t seem like it works, it’s all too often the case that truffle is just grated all over the top to make it a sensation. - Sam Buckley Over-rated: Truffle oil. Under-used: Cabbages. - Theo Randall The most over-rated ingredient, in my opinion, is cream and the most over-used has to be butter. - Tom Anglesea Charcoal powder. I use it in my Great British Menu. But what a shit boring product with no flavour. - Ellis Barrie The avocado. I think they’re quite average and we see them everywhere, especially on breakfast menus. - Neil Campbell
Manchester House. I like the smart casual look. - Ellis Barrie
Pomegranate. I’m not a fan. And sugar in general, I don’t like things too sweet. - Robin Gill
Faviken. I went to Faviken last year. It’s really cool because it feels like, obviously you’re on a farm in rural Sweden and they dress like people on a farm in rural Sweden. Just really cool. - Tommy Banks
Rocket. I fucking hate it and it can die. It’s a 90s thing. Everything had rocket on it. Pizzas with rocket on them make me want to cry. - Neil Rankin The Essential Journal | Issue 37
FOOD & DRINK
3 WHO'S THE COOLEST CHEF AND WHY?
"Anthony Bourdain." When I think of cool chefs I think of Keith Floyd and Anthony Bourdain. They were fucking badasses who loved to have a good time. RIP. - Andy Taylor Matt Orlando from Amass, Copenhagen is a super cool person and someone I admire. He goes to his restaurant every day and is just so happy to be there, is super kind to everyone he meets and runs one of the most sustainable restaurants in the world. He walks the walk. Of course, it goes without saying that his food is spectacular. - Ben Shewry ENRIQUE OLVERA, MEXICO – HE RESPECTS HIS ROOTS BUT IS MOVING FORWARD. DOES WHAT HE LOVES AND HAS MANAGED TO BUILD A HEALTHY FAMILY LIFE AND FOOD EMPIRE. - Bo Bech I love the work of Alice Waters. Her commitment to sustainability is heroic. Her restaurant Chez Panisse in California is one of the best places to eat in America. Serving delicious seasonal food from her vegetable gardens and local produce. - Clodagh McKenna Gaggan Anand. He is by far the biggest rockstar Indian chef. He’s brave and unashamedly bold with indian flavours and dishes, and I love the level of theatre he brings to the same food that I’ve grown up eating. He makes dinner into a party, and that’s what it should always be. - Dhruv Mittal He probably thinks of himself as more of a cook these days, and almost certainly wouldn’t consider himself to be cool, but I’m a big fan of Simon Hopkinson. He has this effortless style of cooking that combines classical technique and knowledge, paired with an almost paternal care for the ingredients he works with that speaks volumes for his own love of food and eating. His style isn’t really innovative or high concept, but he makes the kind of food I want to eat, and for me there’s nothing cooler than that. I have a pipe dream of being invited around to his house for a long boozy Sunday lunch. - Fergus Jackson Alex Atala. To start, look at him. I was lucky enough for him to come to eat at Native. All the chefs were super nervous, myself included. He came into the kitchen to say hello and he just had this magical aura about him, he greeted us all like old friends he hadn’t seen for ages and everyone was immediately relaxed and calm. I’ve never seen somebody do that to a room full of people before so that’s why he's the coolest... And the fact that he could probably take on James Bond in a fight and win. - Ivan Tisdall-Downes Coolest chef in the world for me would have to be James Henry of the former Bones restaurant, Paris. - Kian Samyani Fergus Henderson. Fergus changed the way in which my generation cook and the way we think about food. He is an incredibly witty and eloquent writer and is always fabulously dressed, no matter what the occasion. He is a true inspiration. - Merlin Labron-Johnson Marco Pierre White, he is the rock star of the cooking world. - Michael Carr As far as I’m concerned Keith Floyd would have won this title. He’s probably the person responsible for starting the whole cooking on TV thing. It’s not easy cooking on television, especially when you do it for the first time but he made it look easy and he was both entertaining and educational. He had a true love of food and cooking and I find watching him, even now, inspirational. - Nathan Outlaw David Chang from Momofoku because he is always doing something outside the box, something different and exciting. He brought bao buns back and he
Issue 37 | The Essential Journal
breathes life into food in an amazing way. - Ramael Scully I really admire Christian Puglisi from Relae in Copenhagen. Not only is he an incredible chef, he’s also created an ecosystem of innovative, interconnected food businesses that all support one another, contribute to one another, and do the right thing by their suppliers, their staff and the environment. - Nicholas Balfe There are many cool chefs in the world right now but one guy that has caught my eye is Robert Sandberg in Denmark – he is very on trend. As well as being cool he cooks like an old soul; proper food you just want to eat time and time again. - Paul Ainsworth Maybe Kobe Desramaults at Chambre Separee in Ghent. He always seems to be one step ahead of the creative curve and in an almost unassuming way. His interpretation of classic dishes and technique actually progresses the dining scene in a most intelligent way. - Sam Buckley Dario Cecchini from Panzano in Chianti. He is more of a butcher but is also a brilliant cook. His shop is well known and his energy and passion is second to none. Expect loud AC/DC coming from the speakers in the shop and the best meat and salamis to be found. His restaurant above the shop is a great place for entertainment, perfectly cooked meat and lots of delicious wine. - Theo Randall Rene Redzepi. The way he continually reinvents himself and what he does for the industry is amazing! He must be able to afford a lamborghini but he still rides his bike to work each day. - Tom Anglesea
It has to be Jason Atherton. Smashing the business side of the restaurant industry and out of somewhere has found a top wardrobe buyer. Swanky as hell. Who would have thought? - Ellis Barrie Anthony Bourdain, who sadly took his own life this year. Anthony was an inspiration to so many chefs across the world. He was a chef, restaurateur, journalist, food writer and author. Growing up as a young chef, 'Kitchen Confidential', a book in which Bourdain wrote about his career in cooking was one of the first books I read. Instantly I connected with it. What made Bourdain so great was that he would not only eat in fancy high end restaurants but travelled the world exploring different cultures, cuisines and exploring the lives of different people. Not only did he want to learn about food and cuisine but also the connection food has with lives and cultures which is fascinating and inspiring. - Daniel Smith Nuno Mendes. Coolest food style and his dress style is pretty cool too. He basically oozes coolness. - Robin Gill I think maybe Rene Redzepi is the coolest chef. I think he is like a psychopath. He is not willing to really compromise his vision and he’s exactly what he wants to do and I think he’s trying to elevate the culinary tapestry of our world. I don’t think anyone has done what he has done in our lifetime, or my culinary lifetime. The food in Copenhagen, and that Nordic cuisine thing, although people make a joke about it being a fad or a trend, he put a country on a map. I think that is a very cool thing, something that you can be very proud of. I think there’s so many cool chefs in Copenhagen and the food there is fucking amazing. I think Rene was at the forefront of putting his country, not his restaurant, but his country on the map. - Matty Matheson
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FOOD & DRINK
5 WHATS YOUR GUILTY PLEASURE FOOD?
4 WHAT’S YOUR MOST CHERISHED ITEM OF CLOTHING?
"I made myself a poncho the other day which I quite enjoy wearing at home. It’s like having a portable blanket." A women’s jacket that I brought from an op-shop in Queensland. It’s a perfect fit, it has black and white striped cuffs and collar and I love wearing it. Shoulder pads and all! - Ben Shewry My vintage herringbone tweed coat from Burberry. I bought it about ten years ago in a beautiful vintage store in Dublin and I wear it every winter, a classic. - Clodagh McKenna I’m not massively invested in anything I own clothes-wise but I do have my favourite pair of shoes which are a tan leather pair of brogues by Joseph Cheaney. You could wear them all day, to a date or a wedding or to the office, and they always look like the coolest in the room. - Dhruv Mittal A Cos soft cotton black bomber’s doing well for me at the moment — it’s quite good at fitting in at both smart and casual events. - Ed Smith A jacket by Tin House / Old Town. I bought it for £45 from a second -hand market in Spitalfields, London. It fits really well, and is incredibly well made. I’ve worn it so much, and other than the colour fading a bit, it shows no signs of wear. - Fergus Jackson I just abuse all my clothes, so I don’t really cherish… ah, do you know what actually? My Barbour jacket. Because, obviously they’re great in winter and they keep you warm, but I can chuck my Barbour on, get out into the field and do some work, I can wear it on the farm everywhere, but I can also chuck it on, go into town and look fine. Wear it into work, chuck it on the peg. It’s a coat for all occasions. People wear them as a proper smart piece of attire, but also it’s very practical, it’s got about 25 pockets on it so usually I’ll have potatoes in my pockets and stuff, but I’ll still look smart when I’m walking into the coffee shop and nobody realizes you’ve just come off the farm. - Tommy Banks I made myself a poncho the other day which I quite enjoy wearing at home. It’s like having a portable blanket. - Ivan Tisdall-Downes My most cherished item of clothing has to be my Schott b3 bomber jacket in black and it’s the best of all in terms of fit and quality in comparison to other brands. - Kian Samyani A dark green wool coat by Burberry that I bought in Paris about seven years ago. I’ve always had strong suspicions that it’s a lady’s coat but that’s never stopped me wearing it. - Merlin Labron-Johnson My Star Wars boxer shorts. Old, comfy and the nearest I can get to dressing like a Jedi knight every day. - Nathan Outlaw I bought a Belstaff Roadmaster jacket with the first pay packet of my first job after University (which now seems like a very long time ago). I still wear it to this day and get a great feeling every autumn when I pull it out of the cupboard for its first outing of the season. - Nicholas Balfe Probably a fucked pair of flip flops that saw me up and down the Himalayas. Now unusable, but I still hold onto them for memories’ sake. - Sam Buckley My bespoke Paul Smith wool suit. - Theo Randall My kilt – Campbells wear the Argyle tartan. - Neil Campbell
"Twiglets. The ideal partner for a Negroni." Late night fried chicken, kebabs, even a fucking McDonald’s. Andy Taylor Pidapipo gelato. It’s the greatest. It just is, nothing compares and I walk an hour from my home to their shop in Prahran, Melbourne to justify eating it. - Ben Shewry CHOCOLATE. - Bo Bech Fries with aioli to dip in, YUM! - Clodagh McKenna Burgers. Greasy, meaty, cheesy, spicy stacks of carbs, protein and fat. My favourite is the Bleecker black double cheeseburger. - Dhruv Mittal Cold wedges of supermarket extra mature cheddar, set on heavily buttered sourdough toast, and smothered in sweet chilli sauce or a layer of kimchi. - Ed Smith Twiglets. The ideal partner for a Negroni. - Fergus Jackson Veal sweetbreads cooked in brown butter. - Greg Marchand Pizza - breakfast, lunch and dinner, 24 hours, 365 days. - Ivan Tisdall-Downes Ice cream. Straight out of the tub, very late at night, after a long day at the restaurant. - Karan Gokani My guilty pleasure has to be choco ice. - Kian Samyani Gosh, I’m ashamed to say that I have many! I have a penchant for traditional English puddings, particularly sticky toffee, steamed sponge, treacle tart etc. - Merlin Labron-Johnson Pizza. - Michael Carr Cake. Any cake. I can’t resist. I’ve tried but it’s useless. My real favourite is Battenburg but not with that horrible synthetic yellow ‘marzipan’. Having said that, if nothing else is available… - Nathan Outlaw I actually have quite a few. After a very busy service, sometimes the only thing you need is a McDonald's double cheese burger. Nicholas Balfe Domino’s Pizza with the garlic dip! - Paul Ainsworth I have no guilty pleasures, just pleasures that make me feel rough the next day - mainly due to over consumption. In the case of food I suppose Chinese food would be the dominant contender. - Sam Buckley Chocolate and Tunnocks Tea Cakes. - Theo Randall McDonald's cheeseburgers. - Tom Anglesea Heinz tomato soup with diced cheddar cheese. - Ellis Barrie Special beans – Heinz beans, tabasco sauce, spring onion, cheese and butter on a bit of cheap white toast. - Neil Campbell Meat liquor chilli cheese fries. - Robin Gill Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. Literally they do them in pint pots, don’t they? I’ll do a pint no worries whatsoever. It’s like crack. It’s those pieces isn’t it. Something in those pieces is highly addictive. - Tommy Banks Domino’s Pizza. But they’ve stopped doing the sun-dried tomato sauce, so I no longer like them. Their hot wings are really good, the red hot dip as well. Bangin’. - Neil Rankin Griffins Chocolate Toffee Pops! Biscuits from New Zealand. - Monica Galetti
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The Essential Journal | Issue 37
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FOOD & DRINK
6 WHAT’S A CONCERN YOU HAVE WITH YOUR INDUSTRY? HOW DO YOU FIX IT?
"People need to get back to treating others the way they want to be treated." Gender equality and working conditions. Staff work too many hours across our industry. Business owners need to reduce their staff’s working hours to a reasonable amount. Men need to actively support equality in kitchens and set a zero tolerance for all forms of sexual harassment in the workplace for both men and women. Gender discrimination reduces us all and should be viewed by the restaurant industry as a business issue, not a ‘women’s issue’. We need to see more women in positions of power in restaurants and particularly in kitchens. There’s an imbalance and we all must contribute to addressing it. Ben Shewry FIRST OF ALL I CALL IT A PROFESSION, PEOPLE BURN OUT OR LOSE INTEREST TOO FAST. KEEP EVOLVING AND MAKING OUR PROFESSION RELEVANT TO GET OLD WITH. - Bo Bech Work life balance and making it an attractive industry for a career. I think that there needs to be a systemic change across the industry from cafés up to fine dining, where employers offer fair wages and normal working hours in line with other industries. There needs to be more planning when it comes to career development for hospitality staff and support services on hand for employers to issue strict contracts, salary development and training in order to constantly upskill staff. Biases such as gender, race and age need be faced head on from a government level punishing employers for delivering or allowing discrimination to go on in their restaurants. - Dhruv Mittal One word. Brexit. No one really knows what impact of Brexit is going to have on the UK, but from the point of view of the hospitality industry, it looks grim. There are huge question marks over the future availability and cost of imported food, labour costs, and the eligibility of EU nationals continuing to work in the UK. It’s a total mess. Another referendum might fix it, but it’s sadly unlikely to happen. - Fergus Jackson Quality staff. By creating good company ethics, work environment, by looking after your staff and growing opportunities. - Greg Marchand Tripadvisor blackmail. I’m breaking my back putting everything I have on the line and some entitled keyboard warrior will demand a free meal - because they didn’t like the colour of the plate - otherwise they’ll leave a bad review. Restaurants should be able to opt out of having these type of accounts online. Food is the last true way of exploring something new and people should go and find out for themselves or at least trust the opinion of a professional whose job it is to know about restaurants and food. Or we could just start to sue people for slander. - Ivan Tisdall-Downes Wastage. We need to be writing menus that are seasonal and frugal. - Theo Randall The number of new/large operators with ‘deep pockets’ who are willing to pay astronomical rents and promote inexperienced staff. They spoil the work culture and ethic and create a false economy making it impossible for real chefs and aspiring restaurateurs to open solid restaurants offering great food and hospitality. - Karan Gokani A huge concern at the moment in our industry is mental health, there are some great platforms to help chefs of all age and gender such as the Pilot Light campaign and to fix it we have to just keep speaking about it and offer help to anyone who needs it. This is all quite new for hospitality so I’m excited to see how this evolves over the next few years. - Kian Samyani I think restaurant staff are seriously overworked and ridiculously underpaid. The only way I can think to fix it is if the public were prepared to pay a much higher price when eating out, which seems unlikely at the moment. - Merlin Labron-Johnson The major concern in the hospitality industry at present is the future of staffing due to Brexit. Across the board, our restaurants and hotels are being run by enthusiastic, hard-working and professional chefs, front of house and housekeeping staff who have come from EU countries. Without them, staffing is going to be very difficult. For chefs, maybe things are a little brighter as UK nationals do see this a worthwhile career but for front of house and housekeeping, that’s a very different story as those jobs have never been taken seriously as a career here. Getting the right calibre of people with the right attitude and the will to work reliably and during unsocial hours is going to be hard. We also won’t have enough properly trained people here to fill all the vacancies anyway. - Nathan Outlaw Issue 37 | The Essential Journal
I think poor mental health in the hospitality industry is a big issue - it has always been there but with the rise in social media mental health issues have also increased. We are now constantly comparing ourselves to others, especially in the competitive chef world. I recently read an article that said 51% of chefs had suffered depression due to overwork, which is such an astonishing figure and things do need to change. It’s not an easy issue to fix but one thing my wife, Emma and I do, is ensure that all are employees feel part of the family. Although cooking and serving our customers is important, we see our staff’s mental health as equally important. By creating an environment where people are there to listen and understand, it means that employees who are struggling have a concrete support system. We also support the charity Hospitality Action. They offer vital assistance to all who work or have worked within hospitality in the UK and who find themselves in crisis. Hopefully the more we talk about it, the more likely people in the industry will feel comfortable enough to come forward and get the help they both need and deserve. - Paul Ainsworth One of my concerns would be the over-use of packaging for food products. The growing problem of plastic in the sea really concerns me. The solution is to cut down on plastic wherever we can, I think a lot of us are doing that now, which is great, but the supermarkets need to up their game and demand it from their suppliers. - Clodagh McKenna I have many concerns about our industry. A main concern is the level of awareness we allow ourselves before the first bite and then the responsibility we shun as we take that first bite. I know I am guilty of it everyday. What’s in it? Where did the ingredients come from? Who prepared it? How did it get here? There are so many factors to consider about our own health, the health of the planet, the exploitation of workers and so on before we even take that first bite. And many of our top restaurants or large chains are not asking these questions themselves. It is horrific that we’ve even got ourselves into this position but if we stop and ask these difficult questions before we take a bite and then make more responsible and informed choices we can start to drastically change many of the problems that surround our industry. - Sam Buckley The constant opening of new restaurants is a big concern I have right now. The way to work towards fixing it would be to strap down and concentrate on developing what we already have as an industry. - Tom Anglesea It’s more and more difficult to make a living with increased pricing, abolish business rates for a start. - Robin Gill The chef and front of house crisis. There’s just not enough front of house workers. So it’s just training people and not having that skill level there at the moment. That skill level being too expensive at the moment as well. There’s quite a few problems with the industry at the moment. They need to get paid more money for it to be made into an industry, but the trouble is, that needs to be passed on to the client. Then the customer’s not going to pay that money at the moment. In America, a hamburger costs $38, here it costs £12. There’s a disparity in what people think food is worth and you make more money out of selling cheaper food, so our margins are crushed. People don’t understand how we pay people. There’s a lot of negativity around the service charge, people think there’s an option to pay or not. You go into a bank, maybe you have a bad experience, but that doesn’t mean the bank teller shouldn’t be paid in that instance. I think that public opinion is skewed by the media and we’re scapegoats for people’s lack of understanding how we pay people. Also, people are a little bit too fucking nosy about it. I wouldn’t go into a bank or a corner shop and ask ‘how are you paying your staff?’ You don’t ask that question, whereas they ask us every day. It’s weird, we need to get over that and we need to charge proper pricing so that we can pay our staff better and then we’ll have more of an industry. - Neil Rankin Maybe men stop grabbing every fucking chick’s ass. As simple as that. There’s a lot of boy club shit. It’s pretty evident. It’s a human thing, it’s not an industry thing. Everyone with a bit of power and not even a lot of power. Somebody thinks they’re a little bit better than someone else and it’s suddenly okay. People should literally be able to come to work, be in a safe place and be creative and do what they want. Being a chef, you don’t make any money, so people are working the hardest they can, for 12-14 hours a day. They should be able to do that in a safe place and not get grabbed. People need to get back to treating others the way they want to be treated. As simple as it is, people need to go back to simple of notions of being a human being. - Matty Matheson 49
FOOD & DRINK
7 WHAT WOULD YOUR LAST EVER MEAL BE?
"A big Bottle of Tignanllo and a straw." Lasagne, it was our family dish. We would have it on every special occasion – birthdays and Christmas. - Ben Shewry I DON’T BELIEVE IN IT, I’VE CHOSEN TO LIVE. - Bo Bech Oh that is such a hard question! Definitely some Irish oysters, fresh chocolate truffles, grilled sea bass – not in that order though. - Clodagh McKenna My last meal would by a feast of my Mum’s cooking. For me it would be aloo ki sabji (potato curry) with Puris (fried flatbreads) and Dal ki Kachoris (stuffed crisp breads with a spicy lentil stuffing). Its comfort food at its finest, and no amount of meat could ever fill that void for me. - Dhruv Mittal I’d probably stuff myself full of lasagna until I passed out. - Nicholas Balfe Nothing fussy — just proper food with friends plus a few quality bottles of wine. It’d be seasonal, so depends a bit on when I’m exiting the building. But in autumn, something like oysters and Chablis to start; a tonne of really good braised beef ragu pappardelle with a mellow red to wash that down; then aged Comte from the Borough Cheese Company and a glass of vin jeune; and to finish a brown butter custard tart in the style of The Marksman in Hackney. - Ed Smith The million dollar question. It changes on a regular basis, but is usually based around a French Bistro menu. Scottish Langoustines with aioli, lemon, Brick House Country White sourdough and good butter. Steak frites - Aged côte de boeuf, triple cooked chips, béarnaise sauce and a bitter green salad. Classic Tarte Tatin with La Grotta Ices Barbados Custard ice cream. - Fergus Jackson Cacio e pepe pasta. - Greg Marchand
Traditional British cod, chips and mushy peas, accompanied by good rustic bread and butter and all washed down with a nice cup of tea. Oh, and that needs to be followed by a proper English Trifle. You can’t beat fried fish but the batter needs to be light and golden, the chips need to be crispy on the outside and fluffy inside and none of it should be swimming in oil. As for the trifle, well that needs to have lots of creamy custard and cream on top. A few ‘hundreds and thousands’ wouldn’t go amiss either. - Nathan Outlaw My ultimate last ever meal would be a Cornish rib of beef, homemade chips, my Caesar salad (that we serve at Rojano’s in the Square) and a magnum of Les Forts De Latour – heaven. - Paul Ainsworth Poached Scottish Langustine. Tagliarini pasta with butter and white truffles. Roasted Scottish Grouse with fresh porcini roasted on sourdough bread with fresh watercress, which we serve at Theo Randall at the InterContinental. Gorgonzola Naturale with a cox’s orange pipin apple with a slice of my Mum’s homemade bread, toasted. A bowl of ice cold cherries too. - Theo Randall Jiro sushi for starters, Thomas Keller’s roast chicken for mains and my mum’s apple crumble for dessert. - Tom Anglesea I feel I need to be dead to answer this. I love the thought of having to choose my last meal. I might go for braised shin of beef scouse. What a way to go. With a fat-arse chunk of bread. - Ellis Barrie It’d be either a baked cheese with loads of bread, something like a Camembert, but maybe Epoisse – really stinky. Imagine the last thing you smell being a Epoisse. Phwoar. Or something really regal like a beef wellington. Maybe a two course meal. - Tommy Banks Steak, chips and béarnaise. - Neil Rankin
A home cooked mutton biryani with a chilled raita on the side. - Karan Gokani My last meal would be my Dad's tomato omelette, we used to eat it in the basement of his bike shop with my brothers, cousin and uncle when I was little so it’s really nostalgic for me. It’s a traditional Iranian breakfast dish available widely in all the café’s on the hiking routes in Tehran. - Kian Samyani Mmmm. Steak tartare with frites and a custard tart to round things off. - Merlin Labron-Johnson A big Bottle of Tignanllo and a straw. - Michael Carr A Sunday roast – roast rib of beef, Yorkshire pudding, horseradish sauce and gravy. - Neil Campbell Lunch at Il concha Del sogne Napoli. - Robin Gill
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Probably like Taco Bell, Popeye’s, Arby’s. Chefs always get asked that. It would depend how I was feeling that day. Maybe it would be a chilled lobster? Or a lot of lobster, oysters and a bunch of seafood. Or a tonne of caviar. More caviar than I could ever eat. There’s like the high end of that, the really crazy seafood. It would be really expensive really nice caviar, all that kind of shit, or like literally dog food fast food. - Matty Matheson Seafood to start, served raw on a big platter, with white fish marinated with coconut, lime and chilli. For mains, I would have slow cooked roast suckling pig, Samoan style, cooked in the ground and served with coconut cream taro tops with plain baked taro root too. The meal would be finished off with any cake made by Mary Berry, who I’d fly out for the purpose and the occasion. - Monica Galetti It would have to be my mum’s beef rendang curry, with pandan leaf sticky rice. It’s my favourite meal ever. - Ramael Scully
The Essential Journal | Issue 37
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CULTURE
Architectural Thoughts On:
The Industrial Aesthetic Ever sat on a scaffolding plank and sipped a cocktail from a jam jar at a table made from a reclaimed cable drum? Welcome to the new industrial aesthetic
words by Róisin HANLON
F
rom the latter part of the 20th Century - as Britain’s manufacturing industry has declined - most major cities have an ever-increasing wealth of disused industrial units. Sat empty, in various states of disrepair; rent on these places is generally cheap because of the lack of amenities and the work needed to make them presentable. But as so often happens, cheap rents and challenging environments attract the most creatively thrifty. The trend began in earnest in the 1970s with squatters and artists living, working and holding events in empty industrial units. Stripped back interiors showed off the raw materials of the buildings; steel, concrete, timber columns and beams laid bare. Creating brutal yet beautiful utilitarian interiors. The old structures still useful for dividing spaces and hanging surfaces amongst other things. It was through the 80s and 90s that industrial architecture became less associated with loft living and more synonymous with the rave. One of the most famous examples is the Haçienda. This was on old yacht builders shop and warehouse, which was decorated inside to leave the original structure very much visible. At this point the industry look was still a mark of counter culture. The mainstream appeal was not far around the corner. Now in the 21st Century the number of empty buildings in post industrial cities is greater than ever. Coupled with a squeeze on inner city space, this has led to more and more previously ‘undesirable’ brownfield areas becoming gentrified. These areas lend themselves to smaller businesses like street food, bars and creative start-ups. Take for example the Baltic Triangle in Liverpool; formerly a largely vacant area of the city, now a lively cultural hub - home to places such as 24 Kitchen Street, Camp and Furnace and The Botanic Garden. All of these venues have breathed new life into warehouses and factories, and let the original structures speak for themselves. Portal frames now hold up strings of fairy lights, old furnaces sit under dance floors. This move is not confined to Liverpool - or even the UK. Birmingham has Digbeth, with venues such like the Custard Factory and Digbeth Dining Club. Copenhagen had a complex on Paper Island (Papirøen) full of delicious food wagons and start-ups inside in old (surprise) paper factory. Urban Village Lisboa houses start-ups and cafés in a teetering pile of shipping containers and double decker buses. This spread has led to the ‘industrial look’ now being perhaps the most ubiquitous style to find in bars and cafés. It has almost become a stamp signifying a trendy night out. And this is what has probably lead to its current widespread copycatting. It is now becoming associated with the hipster. Think scaffolding, wooden boards, OSB, shipping containers, pallets, cable drums. All of this leads me to wonder if this trend is on its last legs. I’m not sure such a trend can still be called alternative if we can buy tiles with the appearance of worn concrete, wallpaper with mock bricks on for a tenner a roll at B&Q and Edison light bulbs from the pound shop. What we are maybe missing now is just a little more honesty – buying brand new weathered upcycled products isn’t in the spirit that this all began with. Completely redecorating somewhere to look like it was just a bare industrial unit seems very disingenuous. I am by no means mocking this trend; god knows there are plenty of people out there ready to throw scorn at the homogeneity of the hipster and I am very much in favour of reusing materials, especially when done creatively. Only last month I was talking about how we must see waste as a resource in order to have a more sustainable building process. But is it just the association with counter-culture that explains the widespread appeal? It might be considered surprising – especially in a venue with food preparation, to want the bare, untreated - almost dirty - materials like brick, concrete and steel on display. I wonder if it is subconsciously an invitation to youth? An advert for a space that is welcoming, cheap and cheerful? An attempt to be non-exclusive and egalitarian? Even if ironically the ubiquity of the style has come to mean the exact opposite. So I applaud the person who looks at junk and sees a new lease of life as decoration or furniture. My only wish would be if we could just have a little more variety and less up-cycled cable drums. EJ
"Now in the 21st century the number of empty buildings in post industrial cities is greater than ever. Coupled with a squeeze on inner city space, this has led to more and more previously ‘undesirable’ brownfield areas becoming gentrified. These areas lend themselves to smaller businesses like street food, bars and creative start-ups."
Image Credits: Courtesy of Digbeth Dining Club, Ceclie Lopez, Flawless Dreams
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cafeindex Coming soon. . .
BOOKS
Including Norwegian baking from the middle of nowhere, simplicity courtesy of Ottolenghi and the wonders of mezze words by Davey BRETT
THE NORDIC BAKING BOOK by Magnus NILSSON
Despite Magnus Nilsson - the Saab-driving Swedish culinary enigma whose restaurant Fäviken requires a foodie pilgrimage to rural Sweden – being in the upper echelons of the cooking world, his baking book is actually really homely and helpful. Educational on both baking and Swedish Fika break traditions, Nilsson’s own insight makes for an endearing baking manual. Try: Crisp waffles, but read his thoughts on Nordic pizza too. The Nordic Baking Book (Phaidon) is out October 15
Whether you’re there for serious ingredients or simply out for a wander, Borough Market is one of London’s best sensorial experiences. Smith’s cookbook not only harnesses the atmosphere and ingredients of the market, from pastry and soups to salads and pasta, but also provides a seasonal cooking resource for the uninitiated. The real nudge however, is to visit the market and meet the stallholders in an environment where interaction is sacred. the borough market cookbook by Ed SMITH
Try: Cavolo Kritharaki, use Orzo if need be, but bask in the creaminess. The Borough Market Cookbook (Hodder & Stoughton) is out October 4
In My Blood is as much of a diary, visual memoir and sketchbook as it is a cookbook. There’s stuff in here that you could never dream of cooking in a million years, but as Bo reveals early on, there’s simpler stuff too. The Danish chef, TV personality and chef owner of Geist’s self-published cookbook is an intimate and beautiful example of food, design and writing. Sectioned by emotion, the book is a window into a passionate and creative mind. in my blood by Bo BECH
Try: Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Beets at a dinner party and blow people away. In My Blood (All The Way To Paris) is out now
larder by Robin GILL
Introductory stories aside (the opening pages of Larder left us lost for words), the mission statement of The Dairy and Sorella chef founder’s debut cookbook is simple. Prove that a more traditional cooking method is achievable in any home and that the rewards and possibilities are endless. Larder does just that. You don’t need a country pile, just a few cupboards should suffice. Try: Fermenting stuff! Potatoes or beetroots, you choose. Larder (Absolute Press) is out now
THE MEZZE COOKBOOK by Salma HAGE
Phaidon’s culinary travels continue with a delicious and sociable stop off in the Middle East. As Hage points out in a warm and evocative introduction, Mezze is the food of sharing. Whether celebrating, eating with family or connecting with new groups, The Mezze Cookbook pulls together an inspiring mix of exotic and colourful sharing plates, with something for everyone. Try: Harissa Sweet Potato Cakes, our pick from a delicious array of fritter style options. The Mezze Cookbook (Phaidon) is out September 28
ottolenghi simple If you’ve ever scoffed at by Yotam OTTOLENGHI his extended ingredients lists and challenging recipes in The Guardian, Ottolenghi has called your bluff. Using the title as an acronym, SIMPLE is a collection of vibrant and exciting meals based around time, ingredients and preparation. Even the pages themselves are bright, airy and modest, making for a handy kitchen companion to dip into for a breezy meal. Try: Chilli fish with tahini and pair it with baked mint rice with pomegranate and olive salsa. Ottolenghi SIMPLE (Ebury) is out now
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The Essential Journal | Issue 37