Short & Sweet: The Ledbury

Style: Modern European, fine dining

Budget: Very expensive (£600 for two, though we did drink a lot)

Venue and atmosphere: Inviting and elegant dining room with soft tones and plenty of natural light. White tablecloths and silver service but not too stuffy. 

Service: This is the kind of place where they read what kind of people you are and what service you want and behave accordingly. We were clearly there for a good time and they gave us one. Our waitress talked, joked and laughed with us. When my cousin wanted to swap one of the tasting menu options, they just brought it as an extra course. When it came to cheese, they saw we’d been having a few craft beers and suggested a beer matching instead of wine. Nice touch.

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Eat Like A Chef

What is the perfect recipe for a great food tourism experience?

1 informative and friendly host
4-6 fun fellow travellers, to taste
1 cup of local culture
1 handful of interesting sites
A pinch of education
750ml wine (or your preferred drink of choice)
1 gutful of delicious food

Chef Liam Barker comes close to achieving my perfect bake.

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Nadia's dolmades

This recipe is from Nadia Stoke's, trader at Borough Market and co-owner of Gourmet Goat. It first appeared on the Borough Market website as part of my series, I Am What I Eat, where I interview Borough Market traders about the foods that are important to them and why. This dish is a recipe that Nadia used to cook with her grandmother as a teenager in Cyprus.

Nadia learned to make vine leaves with her grandmother in Cyprus. One of her favourite parts of the process was going out and collecting the fresh leaves. In London she lives near a small, organic vineyard run by the local community in Enfield. “I called them up one day and said ‘Could I please come and collect some of your vine leaves? I just really, really miss them’ and they said, ‘Yeah sure, come, knock yourself out.’” If you aren’t lucky enough to have an organic vineyard on your doorstep, then she says the ones you can get in a jar, dry or in brine, are fine.

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Granada, city of my dreams

I went to Venice at Christmas and like most people I was enchanted by her stunning beauty. She was beautiful in the way that Audrey Hepburn was beautiful – perfect, elegant and untouchable.

This weekend I visited an old flame of mine, Granada. You might laugh in my face if I told you that to me she is more beautiful than Venice will ever be. You might cut me some slack if I tell you why.

I fell in love with Granada when I was 18. She was beautiful, charming and full of life. I was young, cheerful and full of energy. She won me over not only with her good looks, but with her vibrancy and lust for life.

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Bill's cheese souffle with tomato salad

This recipe is from Bill Oglethorpe, trader at Borough Market and owner of Kappacasein Dairy. It first appeared on the Borough Market website as part of my series, I Am What I Eat, where I interview Borough Market traders about the foods that are important to them and why. This dish was one that his father used to make for the family when Bill was growing up in Zambia. 

“My father used to make a soufflé and that’s an incredible transformation,” says Bill Oglethorpe of Kappacasein Dairy. “It’s quite magical to see it rise in the oven. It was a special event.” Did his father used to make it for special occasions? “No, I mean it was an occasion because the soufflé made it special.”

This was my first time making soufflé – despite being a competent cook I have always been terrified at the prospect. It turns out there’s no need to be; if you follow the instructions carefully it will work just fine. However, timing is everything – a hot soufflé will last at most 5 minutes out of the oven, so have your plates, sides and guests ready. 

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