Riding the wave of COVID as a head chef in London

In light of reopening on the 19th May following a long period of closure due to lockdown, down to earth, London head chef, Ben Murphy, shared what it’s really been like over the past year, from being absorbed in a 90 hour work week in the kitchen to shutting the restaurant doors with no idea of when they would be back open again.

You may have heard of Ben Murphy, head chef at London’s Launceston Place, perhaps you’re a foodie who follows his Instagram which showcases his dishes, techniques and activity, or maybe you caught him recently on the BBC’s Great British Menu?

If you aren’t familiar with him, you will be as the 30-year-old with a passion for creating unique, attractive, complex dishes has been named ‘chef to watch’ by the Good Food Award and is climbing the ladder to becoming one of the UK’s most talked about chefs.

Ben said: “To keep myself sane I had to keep a routine, on a normal day in the restaurant we would have 7am as our breakfast service, 12pm we would serve lunch and the evening we would be preparing dinner and serving, so going from that routine to sitting watching Netflix was a huge shock to the system.

“I kept to my morning routine by structuring in a run, and looking for inspiration and experimenting in my own kitchen at home.”

The staff from Launceston Place who would usually see each other almost every day kept in touch over Facetime, planning the changes they would make to the menu when the day of having customers back finally arrived so there would be no surprises when that day finally arrived.

With the first month fully booked since launching their opening date, Ben said: “They say the come back is stronger and we are definitely ready to show people what they have been missing out on. “The concept of the restaurant has changed, customers now have more choice with their dishes, for instance if they want more fish than meat or vice versa this can happen, or if they wanted more vegetarian dishes, or even if they wanted to have two or three deserts - the customer gets to pick.

“We’ve increased the choice that we offer on the menu as well as the design, so I’m excited for people to try that. When you visit, expect good vibes and change that’s for the best.” He added: “It was really hard, not being able to be in the kitchen but I found inspiration online. Instagram plays a huge part in this, there’s a big foodie community and I would experiment at home with videos, techniques or concepts that I’d seen to put a spin on it and make it my own.

“I love to create complex dishes. In fact a lot of my customers find me on Instagram, they will see me post a dish in the restaurant and then book in so they can try it for themselves!”

In the first UK lockdown, where restaurants were shut from March until July last year Ben kept busy by delivering the fine dining experience to people’s homes. In just over two months he’d cooked 54 dinners privately so families and couples could experience something special.

Ben said: “Cooking in people’s houses was a good way to keep me sane, as adjusting to lockdown was really tough.

“I would take with me the food I had prepared at home in my car with plates and cutlery from the restaurant and then cook in people’s houses. I got to experience working in a range of different kitchens, some really luxury kitchens.

“It was something different which kept me on my toes, I had a lot of fun doing them.”

On the flip side of having fun and experimenting through lockdown Ben also felt the unfairness of the situation as he witnessed friends close the doors to their restaurants permanently due to administration.

However, with this bitter blow also came a sense of community, support and closeness that prior to lockdown had been more competitive.

Ben explained: “Working as a chef you are constantly competing in the industry, but with lockdown we all really looked out for each other especially in terms of mental health, I was speaking to people I had never met before offering them advice and guidance and I too was reaching out to chefs I admired for it too.

“The community became a lot closer than we ever were. Whilst there was a lack of support from the Government there really was a lot of love in the industry.”

As he prepares and plans for the big reopening Ben spoke about what he has learnt from the experience. He said: “Moving forward I want to live every day as if tomorrow is never promised, we didn’t expect to be in lockdown and for it to last so long so all we have is today.”

Ben also reflected on the good vibes mentality that he promotes in his kitchen, he said: “We are a really close team, we are all on the same wave. “If someone was going to work in my kitchen I wouldn’t be looking for their skill but I’d be looking at their vibe. I can mould and teach them the cooking skills but I need to know that they know when to have a laugh and banter but also that they can be serious too. “We have a really good vibe in the kitchen, if we are preparing we will have music playing and have a good time, and then when it comes to service we are on our game and serious.

“If I’ve got the speaker I will be playing some hip hop or R n B but we listen to all sorts! Sunday’s are definitely the day for slow jams!”

Since becoming head chef four years ago Ben has gone from strength to strength in the industry, he hopes that the future will see the restaurant will be awarded a Michelin star.

Ben said: “The lottery ticket for me would be achieving a long overdue due Michelin Star and continuing to bring good energy to what I do.

“Since I became head chef it’s made me more aware of what other opportunities there are in life, you can become so obsessed with being in the kitchen and the buzz you get from the kitchen and doing a busy service, but there is more to life, I’m 30 and still single, I want to find someone who understands my career and the hours, so that I can find balance, it’s really important.

“Happiness is the most important thing!”

With more success on the horizon for Ben, if he could look back with the knowledge he has now and give his younger self some advice it would be to niche his skills in the kitchen.

He said: “If I could go back in time and give any advice to the younger me it would be to work out what you’re really interested in, what it is you want to do, what hours you’re prepared to work.

“For me I have always been really interested in Michelin and find dining, creating food that is really complex and looks amazing on the plate.

“I would say to myself not to take anything for granted, I didn’t expect to get into the industry and I am nowhere near where I want to be, every day I am learning - I’m like a sponge absorbing information.”

You can experience Ben’s cooking by booking a table at Launceston Place, his favourite dish is the Vegetarian Celeriac dish with truffle, mint and pecorino, a recipe that has been evolving since it first appeared on the menu four years ago.

You can book and look at the menu online here

All images credit to Ben Murphy, Launceston Place

The Mother of modern French Cooking

Does the name Eugénie Brazier mean anything to you?

In honour of women’s history month we’re taking a look at the history of Eugénie, the first female chef to be awarded three Michelin stars and the first person to ever be awarded six Michelin stars.

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Known as ‘the mother of modern French cooking’ Eugénie was born in 1895 on a farm in Bourg-en-Bresse, Burgundy, on a farm located close to Lyon - French’s third largest city. As a child she would attend school only in the winter and the rest of the time work on her family’s farm.

In her twenties Eugénie became a mother and moved to the city Lyon for work, she worked multiple jobs, including cooking and later became employed by the chef Françoise Fayolle (nicknamed la mère Fillioux) who only hired women.

Eugénie didn’t stay long and at 26 years old in 1921 bought her own small shop originally to sell food but opened her first restaurant La Mère Brazier. This restaurant was later awarded not one but three Michilin stars between 1933 and 1968.

Eugénie Brazier - photocredit Flickr

This restaurant has been described as simple and elegant, it was here that she gave an opportunity to other women in the community with every server at the restaurant being female.

“On opening day, she served lunch and dinner, crayfish with mayonnaise and pigeon with peas. It was a simple and elegant space, the main room had a large bay window overlooking the street and earthenware tile on the walls in cream, grey and blue.” an account from food blog, Eater.

Its simple, but effective, never-changing menu became a treasured culinary destination which attracted those high up in society including celebrities, French presidents and prime ministers.

Eight years after opening her first restaurant in 1928 Eugénie opened her second, called Le Col de la Luere. By 1935 she received another three Michelin stars for this restaurant, making her not only the first female to receive a three Michilin star ranking but the first person to receive six Michelin stars.

She was writing a cookbook which was left unfinished when she died in 1977, however the book titled Les Secrets de la Mere Brazier translating to The Mother of Modern French Cooking was finally published by her family in 2009.

By © Benoît Prieur / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0,

References

How one of Manchester's fine dining restaurants adapted through the COVID pandemic

As the UK continues through its third lockdown, we spoke with Stockport restaurant Where The Light Gets In to get an in depth view of what it’s really like in the hospitality industry right now.

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Whilst restaurants in England still have their doors closed for usual service, it’s not all doom and gloom for Stockport's fine dining restaurant WTLGI, as they were awarded the new Green Michelin Star, which commends those who contribute to having high ethical and environmental standards, working in sustainable ways through recycling and minimising waste.

James Galton, who has been general manager at WTLGI for over a year, said: “The Michelin Guide is moving with the times and recognising the importance of sustainability. It also takes into account how the restaurant treats their staff, including factors such as a four-day working week and mental health.

Photo credit: @arestaurantwherethelightgetsin the staff before COVID restrictions

“At our restaurant we not only recycle, but cut plastic out of our supply chains, and constantly strive to do more through the long-standing relationships we have with our suppliers. New ways to be sustainable often come about through different treatment of our leftover products. This could be anything from dehydrating fish skins to make seasonings, fermenting or salting last season’s fruit, or even using vegetable peelings to dye fabrics like our napkins. To put it succinctly, zero waste is the target.

“We are also lucky enough to have our own local outdoor growing space which we helped build with MUD (Manchester Urban Diggers) as part of a community project. Although because of the weather at the moment, we just have fennel and some of the hardier herbs growing.”

The restaurant specialises in a prepaid no-choice tasting menu that they can adapt to cater to any and all dietary needs. Since the start of the pandemic last March, this menu now costs less, in a bid to make it more accessible.

James explains: “Our biggest challenge through the pandemic has been finding the balance between staff welfare and morale, keeping the business going and making sure our customers are happy.

“We have changed the length and cost of the menu, it’s shorter and cheaper, now £65 per person, to make it more approachable for people in our local area. Accessibility is so important, but it’s also about us evolving as a team and adapting to the ever-changing situation.”

James also shared how the team have used some of the time whilst the doors have been closed to invest in education. Knowledge of the food they serve, the local community and the suppliers is something that makes a dining experience at WTLGI a learning experience too.

He said: “We spent time once the doors closed educating ourselves about our suppliers even more. Then ten days into the first lockdown we set up The Pickle Factory, where we transformed to offer a multi-course delivery menu. For 21 weeks we made up to 100 meals per week! “It was a lot of fun and hard work, but it enabled us to still support our loyal and long-standing suppliers and our customers.”

After a short period of being able to open last August to November, England returned to another lockdown, and since then restaurants have been completely shut in Greater Manchester which stayed in the toughest tier three, meaning no restaurants or bars could open in the area.

James said: “At the beginning of this lockdown we didn’t jump straight back into The Pickle Factory. Instead, we opened the restaurant as a provisions store where we play on our strengths and use seasonal ingredients to fill your pantry - bread, preserves, cheese, charcuterie and organic veg boxes. Prebatched cocktails and natural wine from our cellar too.

“We have a lot of very creative people around us and we will also showcase their talents in the store. Anything from ceramics, wool felting, photography and candle making.

“The shop proved to be successful, but customers wanted us to be making dishes again. So, we now also provide three course meal kits, which can be preordered from our website and collected from the store.

“Food is a big source of happiness - for us it’s a ceremony and brings people together with so much joy, so we are glad that we can still provide that to people and they are supporting us.”

Some of the restaurant staff have been furloughed through the government scheme to support businesses through the pandemic, meaning that they receive a wage but don’t work for a period of time. WTLGI allowed staff members to decide which they would prefer, as circumstances differ from employee to employee.

James added: “Some people wanted to be furloughed which was fine as we want our staff to be happy especially through this period. However, others, like myself, would go crazy at home so we’ve managed to create a strict rota which allows us to share the tasks and still contribute.

“The chefs all get a chance to cook, they are constantly thinking about reopening, developing new dishes and how we can use local markets. They love being in the kitchen.”

James opened up about how the lack of understanding from the government about the hospitality industry has added fuel to the frustration felt through the pandemic.

He said: “Hospitality contributes so much to the economy but now when we need support to survive, there’s very little. And what little there is, is ill-conceived through lack of understanding about how our businesses operate. We really back what Angela Hartnett has been campaigning about - to appoint someone with actual knowledge of the hospitality industry as a minister to represent us in government. In the name of progress, that is a necessity.”

Whilst the pandemic is still ongoing and it’s too soon to say when their doors may reopen, James said: “We know it can be the same as before, but hopefully even better. Businesses have to adapt and evolve and do something out of their comfort zone to keep going. Everyone should use this opportunity to change it up, be different and diversify.

“When this is over, we will be having a huge celebration with the whole WTLGI team. Definitely a big family meal in the restaurant with some good wine and hopefully a special dinner out as well, so we don’t have to cook!”

All photos credited to Where The Light Gets In Instagram

You can find out more about what the restaurant is up to on their website