Eating out was never like this. Sophie Farrah on two local supper clubs with a fresh take on the experience.
Once it was all about restaurants. These days, however, supper clubs – aka ‘pop ups’, ‘home bistros’ or, my personal favourite, ‘guestaurants’ – are fast emerging as the happening way to eat out.
Hosted by budding chefs – usually in their homes – these informal occasions provide the chance to sample new and interesting foods at a cost below typical restaurant prices. It’s an appealing idea, but the thought of going to a stranger’s home for an intimate dinner had always rather filled me with dread.
Until, that is, I came across a brace of intriguing new ventures in Battersea that give the chez moi element a miss...
Supper in a Pear Tree is a unique local pop up, tucked away in the shabby-chic surroundings of the London Fine Art Studios on Lavender Hill. A family affair, it’s run by sisters Charlotte and Annabel Partridge, a dynamic duo with some seriously impressive credentials.
Trained by top chef Skye Gyngell, Annabel worked as a sous chef at Petersham Nurseries, near Richmond, during its Michelin star phase. Her menus feature such wonders as Jerusalem artichoke, walnut agresto and goats curd on sour dough to start, and chocolate and prune flourless tart with blood orange and poached kumquat to finish.
Charlotte, meanwhile, is an artist, renowned for her sweeping landscapes and elegant portraits and recently shortlisted for Wildlife Artist of the Year.
What’s art got to do with it? Well, Supper in a Pear Tree is not just a dining experience: it doubles up as an art class. The evening begins with a glass of wine and a (nude) life drawing session led by Charlotte (beginners welcome), and then comes a three-course meal cooked and served by Annabel on stylish, candlelit communal tables.
These heady evenings of art and food take place just once a month, but there’s a monthly Sunday brunch too – March 6 sees a special brunch for Mother’s Day.
Meanwhile, The London Cooking Project is also becoming a magnet for discerning diners. An old ice factory thoughtfully converted into a large kitchen and very cool open-plan dining area, the venue boasts a team of extremely talented resident chefs, plus guest chefs for one-off supper clubs and other foodie events guaranteed to tickle your taste buds.
Recently, the Project has been hosting acclaimed chef and recipe writer Oliver Rowe’s Food For All Seasons: a series of monthly clubs celebrating seasonal food and timed to accompany Rowe’s book of the same name, due for publication in June.
Formerly a chef at London’s Moro – feted for its Moorish cuisine – Rowe was also the man behind Konstam at the Prince Albert, flagship of the capital’s sustainable and local food movement. Consequently, the focus of his four-course meal is on local produce, as well as the very best ingredients of the season. Warm chocolate and salted caramel brownie with clementine cream, anyone?
Make sure you Check Out the menus and event listings for Supper in a Pear Tree and The London Cooking Project and follow Sophie Farrah for more great foodie advice.
