Having spent time in the kitchens at River Cottage in Devon and the renowned Blue Hill Farm at Stone Barns in New York, Ivan was influenced by the innovative cooking of natural, foraged and seasonal produce, while Imogen, a hunter-gatherer at heart, spent weekends foraging in the Northamptonshire countryside.
Their new restaurant is a return for Ivan to his south London roots; a stone’s throw from Borough Market, large windows allow plenty of natural light to stream into the room, surrounded by exposed brick and trailing greenery.
The menu begins with each chef creating a snack from kitchen offcuts, such as radish tops and grain husks, that would ordinarily go to waste. To follow, guests can choose from plates such as Fermented IOW Tomatoes, Smoked Salsa Verde, Graceburn, Yesterday’s Bread; and Venison, Nasturtium, Jersey Royal, Miso Bagna Cauda, Broccoli.
The kitchen is dedicated to cooking with sustainable meat and seafood: fish is caught off the Dorset coast, venison is supplied from South Downs in Sussex, and game shot in Yorkshire.
Every morning the chefs head to their new neighbours at Borough Market to take their pick of seasonal fruit and vegetables, and herbs are foraged locally by Imogen, Ivan and the team who work closely with local foragers.
Guests can sip on botanical-led cocktails, including a Melilot Mule with house-made melilot – or sweet clover – vodka, lime and organic ginger beer, and a Carrot & Sea Buckthorn Negroni, incorporating English vermouth. The wine list takes a similarly local approach: highlights include an English pinot noir by Worcestershire-based Sixteen Ridges, and a bottle-fermented sparkling wine from Three Choirs in Gloucestershire.
