Sophie Farrah chews the fat with chef Adam Byatt, who has won his first Michelin star for Trinity in Clapham
The start of the year may have its dreary moments, but there is indeed cause for celebration, as a third restaurant on our patch is awarded a Michelin star. Adam Byatt, chef and owner of the esteemed recipient, Trinity, is understandably rather pleased.
“When you cook for a living and your work is recognised by the most trusted food guide in the world, you can’t help but feel a sense of confidence in what you’re doing and a desire to push forward,” he explains.
The humble roots of the prestigious Michelin Guide date back to 1900 when it was designed to help French motorists find local amenities, such as restaurants and mechanics whilst out on the road. The star rating system was introduced in 1926 and despite having been published for more than a century, the selection process is tougher than ever.
“The Michelin Guide dined at Trinity five times that I know of over a period of ten months. There is simply no other guide that gives such financial or time commitment to its assessments,” says Adam.
“Michelin stars are awarded infrequently for good reason – they recognise a kitchen that has a clear and concise approach to food, buys the very best produce, charges fairly, cooks with accuracy and delivers a consistently across a prolonged period of time. Sounds easy on paper, but I can assure you that it’s not as simple in action.”
Trinity joins Chez Bruce in Wandsworth and The Glasshouse in Kew Village, both of whom have been flying the one-star flag since 1998 and 2002 respectively.
Adam, who also owns Bistro Union in Clapham, is a food writer and a regular on BBC One’s Saturday Kitchen. He also dedicates much of his time to mentoring young chefs starting in the food business.
“I feel very lucky to be able to do what I love for a living, although it’s not all roses. The hours and pressure are certainly demanding, but I’ve always found that delivering pleasure to people through food is an incredibly satisfying way to spend my day.”
- Trinity, 4 The Polygon, Clapham, London SW4 0JG; trinityrestaurant.co.uk
- The Glasshouse, 14 Station Parade, Kew, TW9 3PZ; glasshouserestaurant.co.uk
- Chez Bruce, 2 Bellevue Road, Wandsworth Common, SW17 7EG; chezbruce.co.uk
(Michelin) Star deal!
Fancy kicking off the New Year with a seriously delicious deal? Dine at Chez Bruce in Wandsworth (voted London’s Favourite Restaurant for an incredible 11th year running in the 2016 edition of foodie bible Hardens) and you will receive a voucher entitling you to 25% off the usual food price at its sister restaurant, The Glasshouse, nestled in a quiet corner of Kew Village. Both restaurants hold one Michelin star each, so this is an opportunity not to be missed! One voucher per table; chezbruce.co.uk
Neil Setchfield
Cock-a-doodle-doo
The Chinese New Year begins on January 28 and 2017 is the Year of the Rooster. London’s celebrations (held on Jan 29) are the largest outside Asia, with parades, performances and fireworks. The streets of Chinatown will be lined with food stands offering tempting traditional delicacies, such as fresh dumplings and tasty spring rolls. Closer to home, Richmond Adult Community College is hosting its own Chinese New Year celebrations with cooking demos and taster sessions, themed artwork and lots of information on display all about this traditional Chinese holiday. Happy New Year, or should I say, Gung Hay Fat Choy! Jan 20-28, racc.ac.uk/chinese-new-year
Roll up, roll up
Don’t miss the return of The Red Lion in Barnes’ Great Sausage Roll Off. Now in its fifth year, the competition invites chefs from across the country to create the ultimate sausage roll. This year’s event is set to be bigger and better than ever, with an impressive judging panel, including Mark Poynton of Michelin-starred Cambridge restaurant, Alimentum, Dan Docherty of London hotspot, Duck and Waffle, and Neil Rankin from BBC2’s Great British Menu and Temper in Soho. Each of the 20 competing chefs has just 30 minutes to make 20 of their finest sausage rolls, which are then judged and auctioned off to anyone who might be feeling peckish, with all proceeds going to the charity Shooting Star Chase. Meet the chefs, chat to the judges and do some sausage roll sampling yourself. Jan 25, red-lion-barnes.co.uk/rolloff
Don't forget!
January 25 is Burns Night, the annual celebration of the life, works and spirit of the great Scottish poet Robert Burns. Time to toast the haggis and warm up with a wee dram!
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