tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72373377919287547932024-03-13T23:15:41.122-07:00Life in a Soho RestaurantAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08856459622215811392noreply@blogger.comBlogger82125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237337791928754793.post-29588087271472356632018-10-02T13:03:00.002-07:002018-10-02T13:03:44.753-07:00Veganisteria 111<h3>
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<b>Deep Problem</b></h3>
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If there was one thing that has seriously amazed me since becoming a vegan chef is the fact that I am still not connected to animals in their butchered form. I can't seem to have any sort of feeling when I see a beautiful filet of beef or a duck breast.<br />
I should be disgusted; horrified ; put off by the vision of this dead piece of meat. But I am not!<br />
A piece of meat which had previously breathed, seen, loved, cared, hoped and wished never to be sacrificed for its flesh. But I feel nothing- absolutely nothing.<br />
I am ashamed of myself for this non feeling. Maybe it is going to come with time.<br />
We shall see. It is hard to be vegan to the bone.<br />
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<b>Denial </b></h3>
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A trait that for we for sure do not share with animals is our aptitude of deniability.<br />
For example when it comes to eating animals we are very good at convincing ourselves that it is not a big deal after all to take one life away for our own gustative pleasure.<br />
Deep inside the brain of the stupidest man on this planet has appeared, one day, the sad conclusion that it is obviously not right BUT we are unashamedly happy to convince ourselves otherwise.<br />
Many other facette of our lives carry this trait, but I think it is the only one that systematically involves the death of a living creature.<br />
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Superstar</h3>
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It takes a lot to convince people that turning vegan is one of the best thing they would ever do in their life. A s a vegan it is funny how we feel the need to convince everyone to follow our path. It's a bit like when you discover that you are gay and attempt to convince your best friend that every single famous person on this planet is also gay. No better argument to make him "try" with you.<br />
So I sometimes resort to this old trick of mine and start name dropping the biggest vegan superstars on this planet.<br />
I am however careful to try to match who I feel they aspire to be like:<br />
<b>Leonardo di Caprio</b> (he is not vegan but he could be); <b>Grace Jones</b> (she is so cool- she looks vegan to me); <b>Will I Am</b> ( I cooked his last Birthday meal so I know); <b>Mike Tyson</b> (Yeah! strong and hard headed); <b>Ariana Grande</b> (that's for my 10 years old daughter' friends) and the one that always make me cringe to think as a vegan: <b>Barry White</b>. Who doesn't want to be like Barry White?<br />
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<b>Poster Boy for veganism:</b><br />
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<img alt="Barry White" src="https://secondhandsongs.com/picture/304785" /> <br />
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Small Star (or under star; lousy star; rotten star)</h3>
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The beauty of being part of a movement which you are persuaded is going to change the world for ever and for the better allows you to define people according to this. You have convinced yourself that vegans are on the right side of history. </div>
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So let's put the persons we despise the most on the other side of the argument. </div>
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It usually starts like that: do you imagine Donald Trump as a vegan? hahaha- impossible</div>
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The list goes on: Nigel Farrage; Jose Mourinho; the editorial team at The Daily Mail; Marine Le Pen; Katy Price; Gordon Ramsay...etc </div>
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Wait ! was Hitler vegan? shit.....</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08856459622215811392noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237337791928754793.post-90402139239966174902018-02-01T07:52:00.001-08:002018-02-01T07:52:37.741-08:00Journey to flavourJanuary 2018<br />
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It has been six months already and I haven't craved eating meat or fish at all. This is quite surprising as I really thought that I would be missing the texture, depth of flavour and overall satisfaction of a juicy piece of a medium-rare filet of beef.<br />
It seems that, as my body doesn't have anymore animal fat, my sense of flavour is much more exacerbated. It always feels like I am constantly looking for strong, bold and usually new flavour- regardless of how hungry I am.<br />
In the past, I would be really open to smell, flavour, scent...etc but this happened mostly when I was hungry. The minute I had fulfilled my need, I would just loose total excitement for flavours.<br />
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There hasn't been much other changes happening in my metabolism since turning vegan to be honest.<br />
Well, almost:<br />
I have lost 11kg in the last 6 months. About 15% of my body weight, without stopping carbohydrate or alcohol. I am now the same weight as when I was 20. Very strange.<br />
I have no more lower back pain and feel much more relaxed. One will say that it is probably all in my head- well wherever it comes from, I feel much better overall.<br />
I know what you are thinking: I am trying to sell it to you, in a very easy-peasy way; where no pain or craving has been attached to my new diet.<br />
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Anyway, what's important is that I am now surviving without feeding myself with death.<br />
No more- never, ever again. I swear.<br />
Nothing has breathed, hoped, loved and died just to satisfy my hunger. How cool is that? Many people I have spoken to, think that I am a childish dreamer who is just having a classic midlife crisis; and they are probably right. But how good is the feeling that when you come to the conclusion that half way thru your life you will not digest any previously born species. If I ever get reincarnated as an animal, I hope it will plays in my favour.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08856459622215811392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237337791928754793.post-47687706317419638972017-09-18T06:15:00.004-07:002017-09-18T06:15:50.277-07:00Born Again<b><br /></b>
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<b>20th June 2017</b><br />
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Shock horror. I am living the last few days of a life which has come to the sad conclusion that it needs dramatic changes.<br />
A kind of mild mid-life crisis: A crisis without the tattoos; the piercing; the Harley-Davidson; A new lover; crazy sex chem; hair transplant or hours at the gym.<br />
I have my age symptoms- I suffer from the single most common question everyone spent its entire life wondering: Why am I here for<b>?</b><br />
Philosophy, religious studies or just not giving a damn about it have not helped me giving an ounce of answer to this fundamental question.<br />
I have come to the conclusion that there is probably nothing worth living for, if it is just to wait for a normal death at the probable age of 83 (average frenchman)<br />
I have done what I was supposed to do: given life (my kids) and love (as many people as possible hopefully) all good to go then? Not really. I need to repair something:<br />
I have massively impacted the earth with my job as a chef and my relation with the other living creatures which I have ordered their deaths; which I have cooked their meat and which I am still selling their dead flesh for profit.<br />
I am becoming Vegan.<br />
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Not for me but for them, the other living creatures I share the earth with.<br />
I shall say that I have read Emeric Caron's <i>Antispeciste</i> book and it has had a major impact on me. Such an impact that I have promised myself to never ever again feed myself with anything which has lived and died. Life is too short for that.<br />
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<b>24th June 2017</b><br />
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Today is my 44th birthday. I am giving birth to a new me.<br />
1st morning:<br />
I haven't eaten anything for more than 12 hours and have organised a home blood test with ....<br />
I just want to check what my blood looks like on day 1 and compare it with a check in 3 month time.<br />
I repeat, this is not a health decision <b>BUT</b> in case someone need different motives to give up eating dead animals, perhaps an healthier blood results might kind of convince them to start doing it. <br />
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Day one of my new diet:<br />
Breakfast of 2 toasts without butter (bit strange) and some jam. Haven't had toast without butter for ever; seems like something is clearly missing. Never mind.<br />
Lunch:<br />
Tomato salad with toasted bread.<br />
A full bowl of very cold caponata (which I made 3 days before) delicious, except for the celery which is undercooked and contrasts too much with the mushy aubergine.<br />
A flat peach for dessert plus 3 biscuits (I have checked. No butter)<br />
Dinner:<br />
More tomatoes (I have prepared them in the morning- plenty of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and in the fridge). They have released their water and it has nicely mixed with the olive oil and vinegar. Dipping thick bread in this tomato juice is better than a lot of things I have recently eaten<br />
I serve myself a small glass of Tavel rose and I don't even feel guilty about it. Vegan wine of course.<br />
One more peach for pudding.<br />
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Boring. I need to do something about it.<br />
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<b>1st July 2017</b><br />
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My blood result is back.<br />
My LDL (Bad) Cholesterol is raised above the limit.<br />
Cholesterol overall is also high- it has always been for the past 10 years actually. It has never gone down despite me trying to be as careful as possible.<br />
My ALT is above normal; apparently my fatty liver is still there.<br />
I am told to continue the quality of my diet and to exercise 3 times a week.<br />
Exactly what I have been doing for years without any clear improvement in my blood result- especially my cholesterol one.<br />
Lets see in 3 months if not eating dead animals and dairy has an impact.<br />
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<b>24th July 2017</b><br />
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Despite my new diet, I do not feel any crave to go back to meat, fish or diary at all. The fact that I have just spent 2 weeks away in South of France might have helped.<br />
Taboulé, wild rocket, grilled aubergines, fresh melon: a few of the starters I have had indulged on.<br />
I spent a few mornings at Vintimille amazing' fruits and vegetables market. This would turn any reticent meat eater into a, at least, vegetarian. Serious. I have found the antidote to carnivorism.<br />
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<b>1st August 2017</b></div>
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I crave chickpea cooked with a madras spicy mix. </div>
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I am falling in love with Indian food and my taste bud have never been so open up. </div>
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I don't miss meat or fish. Not even milk. </div>
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Turning vegan is much easier than having to stop drinking wine .</div>
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I have also lost 5kg without having felt hungry. Strange. </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08856459622215811392noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237337791928754793.post-53251154913884742292017-05-09T04:30:00.002-07:002017-05-09T04:30:54.366-07:00The mysterious secret dining rooms of 19th Century Paris<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
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<span style="font-size: 13px;"><strong>During my college years</strong>, I became very interested in the work of Guy de Maupassant; more than often his Parisian elite protagonists would meet in one of the many small private dining rooms that Parisian restaurants were made of at the end of the 19th Century. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">Maupassant had the art to describe those mysterious rooms, heavily decorated, filled with crystal and silver and where aspiring politicians would meet and seduce whoever they needed to progress amongst the Parisian elite. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">I had vivid images of those hidden rooms where waiters had to knock at their doors; where silver cloches were lifted; where boiseries were covered of picture frames made of different type and colours. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">So when I was planning to open my restaurant and first visited 21 Romilly street in Soho, it suddenly reminded me of Maupassant’s description. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">It was then very easy for me to decide as to how this restaurant should look like; how the rooms should be decorated of and how the overall image of the restaurant should be. </span><br /> </div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;"><img data-file-id="4381" height="247" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/cadfb054e541d31b871e19783/images/55258869-f746-4b36-aa9d-3f62830a4484.png" style="border: 0px; float: right; height: 247px; margin: 0px; width: 150px;" width="150" />Gauthier Soho is to me the most intimate and unique succession of small dining rooms in Soho. Somewhere Bel Ami would have felt at ease to persuade Newspaper editors and seduce their partners!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">If you've never considered Gauthier Soho for your private event, do get in touch, even if you're only sketching up some ideas. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">Please call Samuel on 0207 494 3111 or email him at <a href="mailto:s.aiglon@gauthiersoho.co.uk" style="color: #17488a;" target="_blank">s.aiglon@gauthiersoho.co.uk</a>.<br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">We'd love to bring your plans to life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Alexis Gauthier</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.gauthiersoho.co.uk/privatedining/">View the private dining rooms at Gauthier Soho here >></a></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237337791928754793.post-52606276329484798562017-04-11T09:37:00.000-07:002017-04-11T09:37:19.904-07:00Wine knowledge for the rest of us - Dino Joannides<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In a series of 'wine knowledge for the rest of us' interviews with industry friends and colleagues, we've asked Italian food expert and restaurant lover Dino Joannides to share a few tips based on his personal wine tastes.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>There is an awful lot of wine out there. Where do you start when thinking about what to drink?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For me wine should always be drunk with food so what you are going to eat is the starting point. Old world wines are generally easier to match with food especially European food as generally they have less alcohol and more acidity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>People often talk about feeling daunted about huge extensive wine lists in restaurants. Any tips for making a decent choice in this situation?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is a good idea to do some homework many wine lists are on restaurant web sites, booking sites or apps so you can view them before going for your meal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>As you’ve got older, what’s changed in your tastes?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I prefer to drink lighter more complex reds like great Burgundy now and more top German Rieslings , the latter are wonderful with spicier cuisines like Chinese, Thai, Malaysian and Indian.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Any wines you avoid?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I avoid very oaky Chardonnay and over extracted reds from both old and new world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>An often cited gripe for restaurant customers is feeling the sommelier is forcing his own agenda on the customer, regardless of the customer’s wishes. As a customer, how would you get round this?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you do engage with a Sommelier it helps if you are clear about your preferences especially regarding how much you are willing to spend and the style of wine you like as well as what you will be eating - </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">a good Sommelier should be able to take these points on board and hopefully provide you advice that will lead to a a great wine experience. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Good wine service is one of the key factors in ensuring a customer considers returning over and over again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>You must have had some high points over the years and tasted some special bottles. Any particular stories?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">I have been very fortunate to have sampled some really outstanding wines all over the world.</span><span style="font-size: 12px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12px;">Special bottles include Chateau Latour 1961 ,Vieux Chateau Certan 2006,</span><span style="font-size: 12px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12px;">Corton Charlemagne</span><span style="font-size: 12px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12px;">Coche Dury 2005, Isola e Olena Cepparello 2007, Ridge Montebello 1998, Domaine Economou</span><span style="font-size: 12px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12px;">Oikonomoy, Sita 1999, Salon Cuvee "S' Clos Le Mesnil, Blanc de Blancs 1996.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Dino Joannides is Author of Italian food bible <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Semplice-Real-Italian-Food-Ingredients-Recipes-Joannides/1848094205">Semplice</a>, and Director of wine assistant app <b>Corkscrew</b> - <a href="http://www.getcorkscrew.co.uk/">www.getcorkscrew.co.uk</a></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Gauthier wines is offering a superb Italian baby Super Tuscan -<a href="https://www.gauthierwines.co.uk/products/6x-mirapiana-maremma-toscana-2014"> Mirapiana Maremma Toscana 2014</a></span></i></div>
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</script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237337791928754793.post-16378570489026964972017-04-07T02:13:00.004-07:002017-04-07T02:29:42.574-07:00Wine knowledge for the rest of us: Oisin Rogers<i>In a series of 'wine knowledge for the rest of us' interviews with industry friends and colleagues, we've asked legendary London landlord Oisin Rogers to share a few tips based on his personal wine tastes.</i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image credit: <a href="http://www.hot-dinners.com/">Hot Dinners</a></td></tr>
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<b>GW: There is an awful lot of wine out there. Where do you start when thinking about what to drink?</b><br />
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O.R.: Although I do know a fair amount about wine I'll readily admit my knowledge is very far from extensive. There is so much to know before becoming any way competent in wine. For me though, as my palette is not amazing, wine is about stories, about memories of places I've been and dreams of where I'd like to go. When a friend or staff member takes me a bottle from their travels or I see a great bottle from a journey I've done, that's something I'll enjoy drinking, and I look out for bottles I've enjoyed before.<br />
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<b>As you’ve got older, what’s changed in your tastes?</b><br />
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There's no doubt that exposure to great wine at work has affected everything I think about wine. Having the chance to taste top wines and vintages allows me to take a view on what I'll drink when I'm out or if I'm cooking at home. I enjoy full-bodied punchy reds a lot more than I used to and lots of adventures in Northern Italy , Austria and Spain has given me a love of the wines from those bits of Europe.<br />
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<b>Any wines you avoid?</b><br />
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I avoid everything natural or orange. They all taste like cheap cider to me and I've witnessed a good friend unexpectedly jump over a wall and disappear after having had a feed of some vile orange artisan crap.<br />
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An often cited gripe for restaurant customers is feeling the sommelier is forcing his own agenda on the customer, regardless of the customer’s wishes. As a customer, how would you get round this?<br />
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Stick to your price point and have an idea what wine you'd like to drink with your food choice. If it's not on the list any decent somm should be able to suggest something similar. I've never been upsold to something I didn't want to pay for and suspect this is a myth<br />
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<b>You must have had some high points over the years and tasted some special bottles. Any particular stories?</b><br />
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My friend Paul found a case of mixed 1960s wine in his father's garage. Among it was a 1968 chateau Latour. I was born in that year so he took it to the pub and opened it on my birthday. It was an extraordinary wine made all the more excellent by the generosity and fellowship of my friend.<br />
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I also love amarone, having visited Allegrini and Masi on my travels. It's hard to match it with food because it's so rich and distinctive. The unique grape-drying process is extraordinary. I like to have a bottle between main and cheese to share on special occasions.<br />
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<i>Oisin Rogers is Landlord of The Guinea Grill, Mayfair.</i><br />
<i>From its wine list, Gauthier Wines is offering the superb <a href="https://www.gauthierwines.co.uk/products/6x-chateau-de-parenchere-2012">Chateau de Parenchere Bordeaux Superieur.</a></i><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237337791928754793.post-6041127619688398212016-08-14T23:17:00.001-07:002016-08-14T23:17:08.008-07:00Tripadvisor - The restaurant's best friend<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #4b484b; font-family: Raleway; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<i>(<a href="http://airhospitality.co.uk/tripadvisor-the-restaurants-best-friend/">First Published by AIR Hospitality</a>, 12-08-16)</i></div>
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Boo! Hiss! Everybody stand up and denounce the villain of the restaurant industry: Tripadvisor. It’s shit, right? All those pompous gits, whining and complaining, with their made-up reviews sabotaging the competition, what a bunch of wankers. Ban it! </div>
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I’m the first to admit, Tripadvisor is a pain in the arse at the best of times. An unregulated, unelected free-for-all, lawless pit of self-important judgement, like the wall of graffiti in the school toilets, but written by people who read The Daily Express.</div>
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Sure, It has its fair share of idiots and bullshitters. There’s also the clichéd vision of the typical Tripdavisor reviewer, very similar to mine, which is a cross between Nigel Farage and Howard and Hilda from Ever Decreasing Circles. The idea that anyone the least bit informed or cool would use Tripadvisor is a bit of a joke, or that’s how we all like to imagine. It’s also the root of all restaurant marketers’ problems, with the dreaded ‘one star review’ morning notification welcome less than a tequila hangover. </div>
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But has anyone taken the time to look beyond the criticism, and analysed the real impact and influence of such a behemoth on this industry? </div>
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My personal enthusiasm for the dreaded TA is well-known. Quite often I’ve stood up in restaurant marketing discussions and been the sole lonely voice making the case for everyone’s favourite pain in the arse. So I’m going to stick my head on the block and make the case: </div>
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If you’re a restaurant, Tripadvisor has to be your friend.</div>
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WELCOME TO THE WORLD, USER GENERATED CONTENT</div>
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One of the most interesting things is how quickly we’ve all adopted the online review as part of life, like they’ve always been there. TripAdvisor began its life in 2000. To get an idea of how early this was, Google only moved out of their garage the year before, and Facebook and twitter wouldn’t happen for 5 years. It was never intended to be about users’ opinions. </div>
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Originally it was to focus on a mix of official words from guidebooks or critics reviews in newspapers and magazines. A helpful digital combination of all. So far so good, everything works fine, just like many other guides.</div>
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Then one day, someone added a little button for visitors to add their own reviews, famously the feature Amazon pioneered only a couple of years previously for books. </div>
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Take-up went crazy. Website visits and registered users skyrocketed. Do you know what happened? People were more interested in the user opinion than the ‘professional’ opinion.</div>
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Basically: welcome to the world, the user-review.</div>
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THE OPINION CONSENSUS</div>
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As a restaurant marketer I’ve been trying to make sense of guest influence in restaurants for 20 years, and I don’t think I’m alone in believing the user review has been the single biggest game changer in restaurant marketing in that time.</div>
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What’s clear to me is this: People trust other people.</div>
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People trust people like themselves. It’s part of the opinion consensus, the internet or specifically Tripadvsor has simply provided a platform for this.</div>
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The old media has obviously been disparaging: you don’t have to look far to find journalists sneering at ‘hoi polloi’ and their basicness. See how they guffaw at Mr Smith and his good lady wife from Tunbridge Wells, the ‘opted for’/‘melt-in-the-mouth’ brigade. It’s the same snooty attitude which is heaped on ‘comment warriors’, the same ‘comment warriors’ who have driven arguably the biggest revolution in how media effectively earns money since the battle of Wapping in 1986.</div>
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But this self-satisfied sneering needs to be watched. AA Gill seems almost Luddite now when heard quoting ‘Citizen Journalism’ back in 2010.’ (00.23)</div>
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‘Would you trust a citizen dentist?’ he cries, chuckling smugly to himself (I love how he proudly puts journalists in the same bracket as the medical profession). His ‘leave it to the professionals’ point is a good one, and granted not simply taking about critics, but sadly this attitude all sounds a bit twentieth century now. </div>
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THE USUAL COMPLAINTS</div>
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Let’s start with the addressing the usual complaints about TA. To begin, we hear a lot about the ‘no control’ angle. Nothing we can do, no reasoning etc etc. What’s funny to me is how nobody has a problem when they get a nice review. Only when they get a bad one. So instead of thinking about the reason someone posted it, they moan about TA like it’s got something in for them. Like having a suggestions box, not liking the suggestions, so you shout at the box. And don’t start the ‘but that’s not public information’ argument. This is 2016. Transparency is King. </div>
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Another argument frequently trotted out is, ‘if you have a complaint, you should make it at the time’. </div>
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Well, call me British, but I’m not one of those people who likes to treat every commercial or hospitality experience as a live confrontation session for raising problems with service. I go out to enjoy myself. Nobody likes the complainer, not your friends, guests, colleagues or anyone else. The only people who complain in restaurants are frankly arrogant, self-entitled tossers who relish this pathetic bit of power they manage to uncomfortably ejaculate over some poor young server. No, normal people keep these things to themselves. </div>
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SO WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?</div>
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Now that the restaurant industry has begun to realise the user review cannot be ignored, its time to think cleverly about the positives. TA is quite possible one of the industry’s best sources of feedback one could ever wish for. </div>
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It was Gordon Gekko in ‘Wall Street’ who famously said ’the most valuable commodity I know of is information’. Well, feedback is your information. We all know it’s crucial, which is why every serious consumer business in the world invests so heavily in it. Tripadvisor gives people the best chance to let you know what you are doing right or wrong, and that information should be relished. Ignore it at your peril.</div>
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Lastly, there is customer loyalty. Think about the process of leaving that review. The guest has paid their bill, then left, gone home, and then taken the quite boring and tedious process of entering their review. They really wanted to do this. Why? Quite honestly I don’t know myself. But they do. Good or bad (but usually good, it has to be said) the urge to share is there. If it is a bad point they want to share, we have to consider why they want to do this. Spite? Pure vengeance? I’m not sure. I like to think it’s mostly a cry for help. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve contacted guests after they’ve left bad reviews, reasoned with them, killed problems with kindness, and they’ve become our best ambassadors and most loyal regulars to this day. People feel let down, unloved perhaps. TA gives you the chance to love them again.</div>
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I believe what we have to accept is Tripadvisor and the user review is here to stay. The way I see it is its all part of an evolving situation. Tripadvisor is not perfect, but if you are looking for pure unbiased guidance then neither is the highly corrupt PR/Journalist self-preserving model that has existed in old-world press and reviews for years. People are not stupid, they don’t go to Tripdavisor for the last word, it just provides another opinion. </div>
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And maybe they just love reading the hilarious home-made reviews about Nazi Maitre d’s and dirty loos in hotels.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237337791928754793.post-31802455383557636762016-06-03T03:56:00.000-07:002016-06-08T03:44:50.942-07:00Big Dipper comes to Soho<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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From Monday 6th June until 10th June 2016, Gauthier Soho will be supporting <a href="http://sohocreate.co.uk/" target="_blank">Soho Create</a> festival with a special food offering designed just for Soho Create.</div>
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The BIG DIPPER is a classic French dip sandwich of pastrami and caramelised onions served with a pot of deliciously rich Gauthier Soho beef jus for dipping and soaking, evoking the 1950s spirit of Soho - indulgent, ephemeral and fun.<br />
The price will be £7.<br />
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As a goodwill gesture to our neighbours in Soho, on Wednesday we're giving </div>
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<b style="color: #ff2500; font-family: times; font-size: 16px;">Big Dippers to all Soho workers & residents a 25% discount!</b><br />
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<b style="color: #ff2500; font-family: times; font-size: 16px;">Big Dipper + Pint of Sambrook's Pale Ale or Glass of Soho Red £10</b></div>
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Simply turn up at the stand and give us proof of work, address, business card etc, quoting this offer.<br />
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See you there!</div>
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Our stand will be serving our Gauthier Soho house red wine, the </div>
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2012 Blauburger <a href="http://www.gauthierwines.co.uk/products/soho-red" target="_blank">Soho Red</a> at £5 by the glass, </div>
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as well as local craft beer in the form of the fabulous Battersea brewers </div>
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<a href="http://www.sambrooksbrewery.co.uk/our-beers" target="_blank">Sambrooks Pale Ale</a> on draught £5 Pint / £3 half.</div>
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Monday June 6th until Friday June 10th. 11am-8.30pm every day.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08856459622215811392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237337791928754793.post-80274908137347766142016-05-04T06:40:00.001-07:002016-05-04T06:40:34.894-07:00Funniest Tripadvisor review ?The funniest review of my favourite restaurant.<br />
The reviewer is clearly gifted- hilarious recollection of an attempting meal at La Petite Maison in Nice.<br />
It reminded me so many good memories there....<br />
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“A once in a lifetime experience...”</div>
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<span class="rate sprite-rating_s rating_s" style="background-image: url("/sprites/lodging_pack-vfbc2b178d1e6c8a31eea794fd6fe4e47.png"); background-position: 0% -46px; background-repeat: no-repeat; display: inline-block; float: left; height: 14px; line-height: 14px; margin-right: 4px; overflow: visible; position: relative; width: 70px;"><img alt="1 of 5 stars" class="sprite-rating_s_fill rating_s_fill s10" src="https://static.tacdn.com/img2/x.gif" style="background-image: url("/sprites/lodging_pack-vfbc2b178d1e6c8a31eea794fd6fe4e47.png"); background-position: 0% -32px; background-repeat: no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block; height: 14px; position: absolute; vertical-align: text-top; width: 14px;" /></span><span class="ratingDate" content="2015-08-27" property="datePublished" style="color: #555555; font-size: 1em; vertical-align: 0px;">Reviewed 27 August 2015</span></div>
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One immediately knows that something special awaits when, a couple of days before the big day, one calls the restaurant to confirm a reservation which has been made several weeks in advance. A sort of conversational quick-step begins when I confirm that I have a reservation, but want to double check whether it is for 8pm or 8:30pm. “What time would you like” comes the reply; “What time is the reservation for?” I respond; “Well what time would you like?” again they ask… After 2 minutes of this back and forth I confirm that our party of 5 will be there at 8pm and hang up with a growing sense of anticipation (or was it trepidation…). The day itself arrives and in our best glad-rags we made our way over to the restaurant; the follow up to the telephone tango did not disappoint. Upon arrival at the restaurant we walked through the front terrace up to the main reception whereupon I was reassured to see that, given recent terrorist activity around the world, they obviously took clients’ safety very seriously – we were greeted by a row of stony faced security personnel, cunningly disguised as waiters, who scrutinized us up and down before parting to reveal the manager, the formidable “Nicole”, described by the French press as a “personality”… With her diminutive head of security by her side, she glanced over at us and, as Emperor Titus, waived her thumb in the direction of a table delightfully situated just off the main entrance, at the foot of a large staircase, laid for 4 people. While I was particularly enchanted by the proximity to the stairwell, the view of the service hatch, and the close physical contact this location afforded us of people entering and leaving the restaurant as well as the comings and goings in the stairwell, what sold me was the fact that this was a multi-functional table featuring a large bread hamper at one end, which the waiters frequently flocked to whilst replenishing clients’ bread baskets. My party, however, were less impressed and stated that not only was the table not set up for 5, but that it was terribly located and that we would prefer another one in the room which at this stage still stood half empty (8pm). It was at this stage that we could fully appreciate the French sense of humour, so often misunderstood. Our request raised a reaction tinged with hilarity and horror. The Lady herself, followed by her diminutive minion, walked among the empty tables, pointing randomly and audibly muttering how this one was booked for “Mr Le Juge”, and the other for “Mr le Prefet”. Whilst we truly appreciated the guided tour of “who’s who” of the restaurant seating plan, this did little to help our case and, still standing in the middle of the restaurant waiting to be seated, my party were growing impatient. After a few more minutes Nicole muttered that there were no other available tables, which the minion repeated as the words had not been spoken to us directly, to which he added that this was a very good table. I am sure that Mr Le Prefet, when he finally arrived at the restaurant, asked to be moved given that our table was so much better than the one that had been earmarked for him! I do hope that Nicole did not feel slighted by our decision to turn down their kind offer of such a delightful table, I myself am rather partial to an animated dining experience and enjoy the feeling of people jostling my chair throughout a meal, watching the activity around the service hatch, and having fresh bread so readily available. I particularly appreciated the manner with which, as we were leaving the restaurant, one of the waiters uttered “see you soon” with a charming smirk on his face. As for the food, I unfortunately cannot comment on this, which is a shame given that La Petite Maison in London is one of our favourite restaurants, however if the food is on par with the service at this Nice establishment, I would go as far as saying that this is an experience which cannot be equaled...</div>
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<br /><a href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g187234-d795181-r303991436-La_Petite_Maison-Nice_French_Riviera_Cote_d_Azur_Provence.html#" style="background-color: transparent; color: green; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; outline: none;">https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g187234-d795181-r303991436-La_Petite_Maison-Nice_French_Riviera_Cote_d_Azur_Provence.html#</a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08856459622215811392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237337791928754793.post-42898560605413253262016-05-03T07:22:00.001-07:002016-05-03T07:41:20.296-07:00Service Charge Debate: A view From the Inside<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
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As a time of year when one of the most important questions in our generation is being considered and debated- remaining or leaving Europe- something rather trivial for all of us is getting some interest in the media:</div>
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Shall we force restaurants to include service charge in their pricing?</div>
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I have been thinking about this for a while and having ran a restaurant in a country where service is included (France) I am getting quite worried about the impact on employees rather than employers those changes will ultimately have; unless we look in depth about how it might affect peoples lives, things should not be rushed just because a spoilt food pundit is having an existential tantrum. </div>
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At the moment, “his” annoyance of having an extra line on a restaurant bill adding 12.5% service charge is the main problem. One could wonder why this has not been factorized already in the price of the meal but I think a lot more thinking has to be put into this to decide ultimately if this arrangement needs to be changed.</div>
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So this what currently happens in a British restaurant: </div>
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An employer usually pays his employees minimum wages per hour and then allows a Tronc master to distribute usually between 90 to 100% of the total discretionary service charge collected via credit card, cheque or cash payments (which is 12.5% of a total restaurant bill ex VAT). </div>
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A tronc scheme is something serious and follows strict guidance from HMRC. </div>
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A tronc master who is usually elected by employees (who have probably left long time ago) decides who earns what (as point or percentage of the amount collected) and distribute the money accordingly. </div>
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Because HMRC accepts that service charge is not a safe income, there is no NI contribution on the amount paid from the Tronc and a fixed % on income regardless of the amount. It is a great benefit for an employee who can receive a share of income tax discounted. But again, for small earners who only collect a tiny portion of service charge, one way or the other does not make much difference. From the employer side, the saving from using this method is quite small.</div>
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However, for those who collect a big chunk of the Tronc, this is like earning your salary in Panama.</div>
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In fact, there is no maximum as to how much you can pay yourself from the tronc.</div>
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Say, if a restaurant collects £20,000 of Tronc money per month and the Tronc master decides to keep half of that for himself; there is nothing stopping him from doing so. Imagine earning more than £120,000 per year (on top of your minimum wage) only taxed at around 20%. Not bad.</div>
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There is no arguing that this arrangement is a massive carrot for top people in a restaurant and has helped to retain and motivate many of them and ultimately helped to make this country one of the most hospitable in Europe.</div>
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On the other hand, France who abolished “payment á la piece” many years ago, things are very different there.</div>
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Based on 35 hours a week, a minimum wage for a French waiter is equivalent to a British one (just over €9 euros per hours x35 against £7.20 x40); cost of National Insurance plus many other things pushes the price of employment to almost €18 an hour.</div>
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This makes an impossible mission for an employer to entice staff by offering them the opportunity to earn more by selling more; to earn more by being kinder to guests; to earn more by being flexible with guests…etc</div>
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Some might say that all of this should be standard- but sadly it is not the case.</div>
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Go and grab a lunch in a Paris brasserie and you’ll quickly understand that when there are no carrots, service suffers.</div>
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Employees are locked in their “service inclus” and quickly come to the conclusion that an ok service will pay them as much as an outstanding service.</div>
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The system currently in place here in UK is intelligent and works for both employers and employees. So as long as a Tronc system is not abused by greed - things should stay exactly as they are. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08856459622215811392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237337791928754793.post-26094267480267264242016-03-15T09:03:00.002-07:002016-03-15T09:03:43.691-07:00Disappearing items of the classic English dining table<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;">
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Personally I was a little confused when asked to write a little article about disappearing tablewares, as all of the items listed below of course feature as standard on my domestic dining table. But alas, apparently it is true, in some parts of the modern world, progressive people have begun to forget the delicacies and details of elegant tablewares.<b> </b>Alarmingly even the toast rack, that essential part of breakfast equipage is now under threat. </div>
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So here is a little round-up of my favourite essential tablewares, apparently in decline, that make dining a more effortless and elegant experience. </div>
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My advice: If when restoring yourself at any of London's more fashionable establishments, any of these items do not by default appear at your table, politely ask to speak to the manager and with a perturbed expression, demand an immediate explanation as to what on earth is going on.</div>
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<b>Sifter spoon</b></div>
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For sifting rough sugar lumps, which wasn’t as refined as we know it today, so in quite large crystals. </div>
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<b>Grape scissors - </b>A small pair of scissors to elegantly detach a branch from a large bunch without any vulgar pulling and tearing and risk of dropping grapes. Also occasionally comes with matching grape dish.</div>
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<b>Berry spoon - </b>a tiny ornately decorated spoon for the enjoyment of specific berries.</div>
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<b>Marrow spoon - </b>long like an apple corer for scraping out hot marrow from roasted bones.</div>
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<b>Chocolate cup -</b> an elegant, delicate cup often with a lid (my own theory is to prevent skin forming). Chocolate was a serious luxury and taken on very special occasions, hand prepared from precious cocoa powder or even raw beans, and served as a dessert.</div>
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<b>Grapefruit knife</b></div>
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A small knife with a serrated edge, specifically for tackling grapefruit. For years I thought this was a miniature bread knife and used it for rolls.</div>
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<b>Toast rack</b></div>
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Designed to present warm toast elegantly. But by all means, chuck it on a plate, loose and messy. Be my guest.</div>
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<b>Cutlet holder </b></div>
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Like a knife handle with an open clasp and thumbscrew clamp for holding chops and cutlets, saving fingers from unsightly stains. I cannot be alone in thinking '<a href="http://www.tayyabs.co.uk/">Tayyabs</a>'.</div>
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<b>Creamer</b></div>
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Usually shaped as a cow, with removable back plate, tail handle and spout in its mouth. One of my favourites, and still on the the tables in <a href="http://www.le-gavroche.co.uk/">Le Gavroche</a> if I’m not wrong.</div>
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<b>Napkin ring</b></div>
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This is an interesting one - napkin rings were originally used to identify the napkins of a household between weekly wash days, very typical for a house member to re-use their napkin each day, and store them in their specific rings marked with their initial.</div>
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<b>Cloche</b></div>
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(from the French for ‘bell’) a large silver dome used to cover dishes to keep them warm on the way from kitchens often large distances away from dining rooms. Now one of the most recognised and theatrically remembered items of functional tableware. Can happily say silver cloches are in use every service at <a href="http://www.gauthiersoho.co.uk/">Gauthier Soho</a>.</div>
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<b>Sauce spoon</b> - similar to a dessert spoon, but flatter, with indent for draining oil & fat. Often placed alongside a fish knife.</div>
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<b>Presentation plates</b> - An ornately decorated plate of the highest quality, typically porcelain but often in silver, gilt metal or even gold plated, remaining on the table beneath functional plates throughout the meal as a kind of placemat. Still in use today at some very grand restaurants. </div>
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<b>Pastry Fork</b></div>
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A small fork/knife combination, designed to make the navigation of delicate pastries such as <i>millefeuille</i> that much simpler.</div>
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<b></b>(Forks - this is where it can get a little ridiculous. There were specific forks for Asparagus, Lettuce, Lemon, pickle, cheese, cold meat, beef, and sardine to name a few.)</div>
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<b>Silent Butler</b></div>
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A miniature dustpan & brush used by a butler to sweep a table between courses. </div>
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<b>Wine coaster</b></div>
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Silver, with mahogany or walnut bases and felt underneath. Used to prevent unsightly stains from red wine drips.</div>
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<b>Presse de la Canard</b></div>
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I’ve saved the best til last. A large device for extracting the juices from an entire cooked duck. The dish ‘canard a la presse’ is prepared tableside with various parts of the bird used for different courses. In service to this day with panache at the lovely <a href="http://www.ottos-restaurant.com/">Otto’s</a>.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237337791928754793.post-90663511335473392002016-03-03T10:12:00.000-08:002016-03-03T10:12:40.801-08:00Being in Europe is a bit like going down the pub.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When you go to the pub, you join a club.</div>
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Lots of different people are members of this club.</div>
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There might be a managing director of a successful company. There might be someone unemployed.</div>
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There will probably be lots of people from all walks of life, Some of them rich, some of them poor.</div>
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All offering different levels of input.</div>
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Some offering advice, some offering generosity. </div>
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Some offering practical or physical help. </div>
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Some offering a shoulder to cry on. </div>
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Some offering the most interesting conversation. </div>
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Some offering jokes. </div>
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Some offering music or songs. </div>
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Some offering gossip. </div>
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Some you might even have special little arrangements with.</div>
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One person does a bit of plumbing for you. Another you helped clear out their garage recently. Another gives piano lessons to your children.</div>
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Members lucky enough to have succeeded in their chosen paths will from time-to-time find themselves buying drinks for the others perhaps less fortunate than themselves. </div>
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This can be expensive. </div>
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Those members accept that, and do so gladly, because what the less fortunate can offer is not always financial.</div>
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The club will also have a few rules. </div>
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No glasses outside after 9pm. No pets. No ordering from certain sections of the bar.</div>
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You might not agree with them all, in fact some you might find annoying.</div>
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Stifling. ludicrous even.</div>
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But being a member of this club means you have your say and be able to voice your opinions, maybe get the rules changed to suit you better.</div>
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What you get from this club is community. companionship. Strength in numbers. Solidarity. Support.</div>
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Now, if you suddenly start to feel that you buy too many drinks for people, or you don’t like the rules, then you can leave the pub.</div>
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You can go outside, buy your own drinks, sit on your own, and drink by yourself. </div>
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With no support, no conversation, no-one to talk to. </div>
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No friends to sort out that bit of plumbing.</div>
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No friends to help with the piano lessons.</div>
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No help, no jokes, no friends.</div>
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A loner. </div>
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The current E.U. Brexit campaign seems entirely based on a quite selfish, xenophobic and often racist argument. </div>
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How much we get out of Europe financially? How many immigrants we have to put up with? It’s frightened and stupid.</div>
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We should think of the EU like going down the pub. </div>
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Not everyone is as successful as others, some of the rules are frustrating and sometimes you find yourself buying a few more rounds than some. </div>
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I’d rather be part of the community, with all its faults, than the selfish lonely bloke, outside, drinking on his own.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237337791928754793.post-72488445620025519352016-01-28T03:28:00.001-08:002016-01-28T03:37:37.573-08:00British Liver Trust Fundraising Dinner<span style="font-family: inherit;">We welcomed the British Liver Trust to Gauthier Soho in order to raise awareness of liver disease and to fundraise for the charity, for which Alexis is a patron.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Liver disease is the fifth biggest killer in the United Kingdom and the only disease where the number of deaths is increasing rather than decreasing each year so we were more than happy to host the dinner for such a worthwhile cause.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vmp6hGzeFfI/Vqn4HjYeKdI/AAAAAAAAF9k/-0PFYU8_vYM/s1600/IMG_7412.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vmp6hGzeFfI/Vqn4HjYeKdI/AAAAAAAAF9k/-0PFYU8_vYM/s640/IMG_7412.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Thank you to Audrey & Melissa for organising the event and for drawing attention to an important cause.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">To find out more about the disease please <a href="http://www.britishlivertrust.org.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a> to visit <a href="http://www.britishlivertrust.org.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The British Liver Trust website.</a></span><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237337791928754793.post-91962199219650628722016-01-25T06:43:00.000-08:002016-01-25T06:43:57.338-08:00Winter Menu 2016<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
It’s one of the mildest winters I can remember, with produce appearing to have a life of its own! <a href="http://gauthiersoho.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=cadfb054e541d31b871e19783&id=1e619dd1f6&e=45b4f4490f" style="color: #17488a;" target="_blank">I wrote a blog post about this here</a>.</div>
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I’ve been really inspired by the fresh mild weather this January, and my new winter à la carte menu is hopefully reflecting this.<br /> </div>
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There are wonderful wild yellow chanterelle and trumpet mushrooms, the best I’ve seen for a while, paired with port wine. This season’s excellent black truffle is balanced within a light tortellini with pancetta and a not-too-reduced pork jus, and superb halibut - some of the most spectacular fish I’ve ever come across - is baked simply with Meyer lemon and olive oil.</div>
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I do hope you will come and see us to try some of these super dishes before spring is upon us.<br /><br /><a href="http://gauthiersoho.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=cadfb054e541d31b871e19783&id=c460e0a8ac&e=45b4f4490f" style="color: #17488a;" target="_blank">Please view the menu here. </a></div>
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<a href="http://gauthiersoho.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=cadfb054e541d31b871e19783&id=e800279128&e=45b4f4490f" style="color: #17488a;" target="_blank">Book here</a> or telephone 0207 494 3111.</div>
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Best wishes,</div>
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Alexis</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; text-align: -webkit-left;"><strong>Duck </strong>- Apicius Rubbed Breast & Leg Feuilleté, Braised Long Kentish Carrots, Glazed Young Turnips in Duck Jus, Apicius Scented Duck Jus.</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; text-align: -webkit-left;"><strong>Golden Louis XV - </strong>Dark Chocolate Mousse, Crunchy Praline.<br /><br /></em><em style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; text-align: -webkit-left;"><br /><br />Tableware: ‘Arris’ by <a href="http://gauthiersoho.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=cadfb054e541d31b871e19783&id=a0cadf1a6d&e=45b4f4490f" style="color: #17488a;" target="_blank">Wedgwood UK</a></em></td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237337791928754793.post-86946612766553203982016-01-08T05:18:00.002-08:002016-01-08T05:29:34.917-08:00Something weird is happening on menus<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
Something weird is happening on menus - how can we keep to seasonal classics when the seasons themselves have changed?</div>
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It’s already January, and here I am introducing my new winter menu. I have been creating winter menus for more than 10 years now and I have never struggled finding inspiration in the abundant varieties of local ingredients at this time of year.</div>
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Delicious fondant salsify cooked in heavily buttered chicken stock; braised celeriac in honey and spice to compliment a fat grain-fed pigeon or cooking quince in rum caramel to enhance their deep flavour.</div>
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Yes winter, and especially in January, is the kind of time where chefs across the country can fall back on dyed-in-the-wool classic combinations and flavour pairings, digging deep into their tried and tested toolkits to excite menus which could otherwise be quite boring when you remain loyal to sourcing ingredients as nature’s flow dictates. </div>
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But wait. Something is happening. Things are changing - dramatically.</div>
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Yesterday, the first Welsh asparagus were on the market - usually this would not happen naturally until late April. And last week wild garlic was appearing everywhere in woods around Britain - also something more suited to early spring. Morels mushrooms are in abundance and am told that wild Carros strawberries (from the Nice region of France) are sweet enough to be eaten! </div>
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Abnormal? Well yes it is, at least for me.</div>
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There was a time, I thought, where things would be coming out of the ground in season to be paired with something which also was in season: new season lamb and wild garlic; asparagus and morel, green peas and purple artichokes</div>
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This year, do I need to start thinking introducing asparagus in my winter menu? Perhaps peach in my spring menu? Blood orange in Summer?</div>
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I’m no climate scientist, but I can tell you that there is nothing familiar about seasonal cooking in 2016. All the classic pairings wild garlic & new season spring lamb; red cabbage & grouse; Williams Pear & Venison are becoming harder and harder to sync.</div>
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Maybe this is just the way things are to be now? Maybe it is the job of the chef to constantly find new pairings, new combinations and flavours. To be inventive. Maybe old combinations like asparagus and morels in April are a thing of the past. Maybe we have to trust that nature will find a way to produce its offerings with new harmonies to match the "weird new" seasons.</div>
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All I know for sure is, nature is rewriting menus.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08856459622215811392noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237337791928754793.post-8617490571260759602015-11-17T09:18:00.000-08:002015-11-18T01:52:36.600-08:00Our favourite restaurant menus ever<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We're unashamed menu fans here, and love nothing more than poring over a grand old magnum opus of some ancient long-gone restaurant. Probably terribly naff these days, but what the hell. Naff is cool. </div>
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Here, we've gathered together a little collection of our personal favourites. </div>
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(Photographed from our own collection)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B_1A1_zCLlw/VktttzXm74I/AAAAAAAAATM/jB3WFLS7KOo/s1600/tumblr_ly04ab7jJr1qk2tqu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B_1A1_zCLlw/VktttzXm74I/AAAAAAAAATM/jB3WFLS7KOo/s1600/tumblr_ly04ab7jJr1qk2tqu.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">Oustau de Baumaniere, Baux de Provence, France: 1990</span></td></tr>
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<b>Oustau de Baumaniere, Baux de Provence, France: 1990</b> So wide you need to share it to read it. From the L’Oasis school of ostentation. Commissioned illustration.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yn9PJsBXMLo/VkttuGi91-I/AAAAAAAAATA/HiYWq3lFm5I/s1600/tumblr_ly04bdkHKr1qk2tqu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yn9PJsBXMLo/VkttuGi91-I/AAAAAAAAATA/HiYWq3lFm5I/s1600/tumblr_ly04bdkHKr1qk2tqu.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">Jamin, Paris, France: 1991</span></td></tr>
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<b>Jamin, Paris, France: 1991</b> Reflects everything Joel Robuchon stands for. Refined, smart, small, precise, thoughtful. Pensive. Confident.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uUAGSsGk64Q/VkttuRQ9V5I/AAAAAAAAATU/VFwVdE9JtNU/s1600/tumblr_ly04bwzWiZ1qk2tqu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uUAGSsGk64Q/VkttuRQ9V5I/AAAAAAAAATU/VFwVdE9JtNU/s1600/tumblr_ly04bwzWiZ1qk2tqu.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">Maison Troisgros, Roanne, France: 1988</span></td></tr>
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<b>Maison Troisgros, Roanne, France: 1988</b> Beautiful, though I think if you did this today you would be taken to court and charged with pretentiousness. Commissioned psuedo-surrealism fr watercolour illustration, Conqueror paper (illustration by Michel Granger, of Jean Michel Jarre fame).</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Htk03YL0Lrg/VkttuTcOjKI/AAAAAAAAATQ/ncLDnDv7JUM/s1600/tumblr_ly04c5Ogyl1qk2tqu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Htk03YL0Lrg/VkttuTcOjKI/AAAAAAAAATQ/ncLDnDv7JUM/s1600/tumblr_ly04c5Ogyl1qk2tqu.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">Le Louis XV – Alain Ducasse, Monte Carlo, Monaco: 1995</span></td></tr>
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<b>Le Louis XV – Alain Ducasse, Monte Carlo, Monaco: 1995</b> Faux baroque, embossed card. Possibly the antithesis of what is fashionable in London today, and quite the reason to love it. In 2025 it will probably look very similar. I hope.</div>
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<b>Fouquet’s, Paris, France: 1990</b> The most famous restaurant in the Champs-Élysées. If you want to create a brasserie anywhere in the world, this is first place to look. At the time, more crazily different ingredients than any restaurant in the world. Classic 80s Paris.</div>
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<b>Pharmacy (Notting Hill Gate), London: 1999 (est)</b> A great example of ‘trends’ in menu (and restaurant) design. Seems so dated now! Fun. Doomed.</div>
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Taillevent, Paris, France: 1991 THE menu. Spirit of Escoffier. Completely French wine list. So snobby, not even all of France is allowed. 100% Bordeaux, Bourgognes and a few Côtes du Rhône! We love this one so much, it's hung in the corner of our Grand Salon at Gauthier Soho.</div>
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<b>L’Oasis, La Napoule, nr. Cannes, France: 1994</b> Massive, (almost 1m2!). Unashamed in its vulgarity. Anyone who needs a “Caravane de Desserts” is not here to appear frugal. Classic flash Cote d’Azur.</div>
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<b>Scott’s, London: 2005</b> The quintessential London menu. Unfussy, clever, straight to the point. User friendly. Also could easily be The Ivy.</div>
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<b>Harry’s Bar, London: 2003</b> The real private club menu. Complicated, all in Italian with no translation, super expensive but refined to the extreme. Austere.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237337791928754793.post-34602852411803358632015-11-16T04:08:00.000-08:002015-11-16T04:08:25.310-08:00#SupportParisThe shocking incidents on Friday night in Paris have made me think about this industry slightly more deeply than usual.<br />
Restaurants began life as places to revive, feel welcome, feel comfortable, well fed and restored. The last thing you expect to feel in a restaurant is scared.<br />
When terrorists choose restaurants to attack, they are identifying the softest most vulnerable target. This makes it all the more deplorable in my eyes.<br />
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I was reminded over the weekend of the fact that terrorism has plagued in the restaurant industry many times before.<br />
In the 1970s in London, it was not unusual for restaurants to be held to ransom by the IRA, bombing and shooting and following up with extortion demands. In fact, between 1974 and 1975 there were 40 bombs exploded in London, killing 35 and injuring hundreds more. Many of these featured restaurants and hotels.<br />
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In 1975 the now legendary <a href="http://www.scotts-restaurant.com/">Scott’s</a> in Mount St, Mayfair was subject to one such attack, bombed (killing one and injuring 15 others) and then attacked with a drive by shooting the following week.<br />
The resulting police chase culminated with the<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balcombe_Street_siege"> Balcombe Street Siege.</a><br />
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I think it’s worth remembering the industry we are in, hospitality. We trade in happiness, warmth and generosity. The very things a terrorist wants to undermine.<br />
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#supportparisUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237337791928754793.post-61516170340015207182015-10-16T09:02:00.002-07:002015-10-16T09:03:07.608-07:00Behind the Scenes at 'Soho Create' with Alexis Gauthier<span style="font-family: HeroRegular, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">An interesting interview from back in June with Alexis at the Soho Create festival, where he talks about life in a changing Soho.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: HeroRegular, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">Soho Create is an annual festival celebrating all the extraordinary offerings of London’s most vibrant district –Soho. Entertaining, thought-provoking, and well curated, Soho Create is a platform to share the best of modern art and creativity. At ‘The Art of Live’ discussion, Comedian Sara Pascoe, chef Alexis Gauthier, and theatre director Steve Marmion came together and shared their perspectives on the live moment. </span><br />
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Whether on stage, facing a live audience, or catering to a crowd at a restaurant - a single moment has the power to delight or disappoint. With so much effort involved in creating the live moment, what does it mean to a live performer or a chef who aims to present his ideas in edible form? To shed light on the ‘The Art of Live’ and to discuss food, the vibe that attracted him to Soho, and more, we interviewed Chef patron of Gautheir Soho – Alexis Gauthier. Famous for being the U.K’s first Michelin-starred chef to include a calorie count for every dish on his menu, Gauthier Soho boasts a strong celebrity following. French celebrity chef, Alexis, has succeeded in creating a space where many of his customers become regulars, and the food manages to delight and wow as much as the ambience.</div>
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Q. We live in an age obsessed with social media, and that means diners taking selfies with their food. Do you think that taints the experience of fine-dining at your restaurant?</h3>
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<strong>A. </strong>No not at all. I believe we should all be free to live as we want to, and my restaurant is about feeling relaxed and comfortable and enjoying yourself. If you enjoy taking pictures of the food, and you’re not constantly using a flash or bothering others, then please go ahead. It’s good for business exposure anyway.</div>
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Q. When you were asked at 'The Art of live' session at Soho Create who in your field of work is the best live performer, your answer was 'The Pope'. Could you elaborate on that for our readers?</h3>
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<strong>A.</strong> It was such a broad question I couldn’t think of a better answer. Of course there are people I’ve seen live from popular culture - Coldplay, The Cure, Peter Gabriel for example - who are fantastic at capturing an audience’s attention through art and charisma. But the Pope - like other global religious or political leaders - is commanding attention through completely different channels, and their live performances are founded on a much greater responsibility.</div>
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<strong>A.</strong> For me, the cleaning up and regenerating of Soho is inevitable, but slightly sad, and sometimes I don’t see the logic in it. All the estate agents are selling these super apartments and restaurant rents on the dark, independent, seedier side of Soho, it’s as if they are saying ‘hey, come and live in Soho, it’s where the gay scene is, it’s where the cool creative kids hang out, it's where naughty things happen’.I think the biggest problem will be when the last dark alleyway, sex club and grimy bar is finally replaced with a shiny apartment block or branch of Starbucks, the very thing Soho is sold on will be lost. It will simply become a central London version of an airport lounge shopping centre. Who will want to live in a central London Westfield? The same thing happened in the 90s with Greenwich Village in New York. It went super ‘normcore’, and nobody wants to be there now. It’s a ghost town. Everyone went to Brooklyn.</div>
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Q. You believe in the freelance style of cooking without the use of scales, does that apply to when you bake as well? Especially as baking is considered to be such a precise science.</h3>
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<strong>A. </strong>Because baking is such a precise science, there are rules and timings you simply have to adhere too, if you want consistency in fine patisserie for example. But there is always room for a little self-expression and freedom, especially with rustic breads and puddings.</div>
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<strong>A. </strong>Alain Ducasse, Alice Waters, Roger Vergé</div>
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Q. To a first timer at your restaurant, what dishes would you recommend they try?</h3>
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<strong>A. </strong>Well, our classics are the truffle risotto (best in October/November, when the white truffle is in season) and the Golden Louis XV chocolate pudding, both directly influenced from my time in Monaco in the early 90s.</div>
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I would recommend also they try the tasting menu, which changes every season. It is the best way of enjoying a little bit of everything we try to do best, without the burden of choice. Apart from those, the fresh brioche we make daily in the kitchen is always wonderful, and that’s free! You can eat as much as you like.</div>
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<i>This article was originally posted on <a href="http://www.theculturetrip.com/" target="_blank">theculturetrip.com.</a> </i></div>
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<em>By Manjiri Chitnis of Sliceoffme blog</em></div>
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<em>Sliceoffme is a food,travel and lifestyle blog with fusion recipes, reviews and more. Moving soon to ‘travelsfortaste’ with lots of tips of the best places to stay and eat at while you are travelling. Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/manjirichitnis" style="color: #1d70b6; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">@manjirichitnis</a> Instagram: <a href="https://instagram.com/travelsfortaste/" style="color: #1d70b6; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">travelsfortaste</a></em></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237337791928754793.post-81927119672215988122015-10-05T10:54:00.001-07:002015-10-08T02:48:01.689-07:0010 rules for running a restaurant<br />
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<span style="font-size: 12px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wrote this list because over the years I've found myself repeating bits of this mantra to my staff, over and over </span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">again. I think it's all relevant today.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><i>Alexis Gauthier</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. <b>Going to a restaurant should make the customer feel special.</b> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="font-size: 12px;">Restored.</i><span style="font-size: 12px;"> This, without contest, is by far the most important thing to remember.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. <b>A customer should not have to remind you of personal preferences.</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For example: If a customer has been more than once in the past year, and each time they mentioned they were allergic to shellfish, this should be remembered.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. <b>A restaurant should be flexible and cater for all of its guests.</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take dietary requests with grace and menu choices with a smile. If someone wants a tasting menu and the others a la carte, of course that will be no problem. Nobody goes to a restaurant to obey petty little menu rules from an uptight cook and be ordered around like a child at school by an overzealous restaurant manager.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. <b>Give a little love.</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A great example is when my grandmother used to cut the crusts off sandwiches when I was a child, because she knew I liked it like that. No crusts just made the sandwich a little bit more special, and I loved my grandmother all the more for it. If you apply that philosophy to every dish and bit of service in some way, the love will transfer to your guests.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. <b>Kill problems with kindness.</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You will always get the odd problem customers. Deal with all problems with humility, generosity and kindness. It is amazing how a bad experience dealt with calmly and generously can turn a furious customer into your most faithful regular and ambassador.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. <b>Look after your regulars.</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Returning customers are 5x more valuable than new customers, and worth 5x more effort to keep happy than constantly investing in finding new customers. You’ve already won them over, now it’s your job to reconfirm their affections. Get this right, and every time they visit they will act as your best ambassador.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. <b>Be careful of the ‘them and us’ attitude.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Visiting a restaurant is not like going to a show. At a show, or a football match, or a concert, you are part of the audience, watching a performance. Nothing more. You buy your ticket, you’re herded in, you patiently wait, you watch the show, you leave.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At a restaurant, it is not them and us. We are not performers, we are friends. The customer is a fundamental part of the experience, and the whole time there should be constantly organically adapting to reflect that. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8. <b>Make your booking process as friendly and convenient as possible.</b> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;">The moment a customer makes the decision to book a table, picks up the phone or books online, you have become their servant. Make the process as easy and hassle free as possible, just as if you were their personal PA.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Work as hard as you can to allow for your guests booking late, if that’s what they sometimes do. Late cancellations should be taken with good grace. Life is like that, we can’t always predict. A good restaurant will understand that life doesn’t always run smoothly, and your customers will love you for that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9. <b>Be very careful with heavy-handed rules.</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Same with regulations, taking deposits, giving table time limits, terms and conditions. The experience of going to a restaurant begins far earlier than when they sit down at the table, and the worst possible thing to do is put guests in a bad frame of mind before they’ve even arrived. Make them love you before they've arrived. Half the job is done.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10. <b>Don’t take yourself too seriously.</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Remember we are just chefs, waiters and customers, We are not prophets and disciples. This is not medicine or politics. We are simply feeding appetites and making people comfortable. And thank God for that. </span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237337791928754793.post-40811873055457288432015-10-05T08:47:00.000-07:002015-10-05T08:49:09.709-07:00All The Best Parties Happen in Soho....<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.gauthiersoho.co.uk/privatedining/rooms.php" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hnuJLQLtK-8/Vgu-05pUGxI/AAAAAAAAFXE/fkVTnvIUjvo/s1600/party%2Broom.gif" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 40px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, times, 'times new roman', serif;">Party season is upon us!</span></span><br />
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<strong>Gauthier Soho,</strong> the classic five-storey Georgian Townhouse at 21 Romilly Street, is the perfect setting for a really special dining celebration. Five independent rooms offer a completely personal dining experience, with flexible table arrangements, versatile menu choices and all the special touches you expect from Damian, Pierre, Claudiu <span style="line-height: 1.4;">and the rest of the team. </span><br />
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<strong><span style="line-height: 1.4;">All party menus </span><span style="line-height: 16px;">include complimentary gifts of canapé, amuse bouche and pre-dessert courses for each guest, with prices </span></strong><span style="line-height: 16px;"><strong>starting at £30 for three courses.</strong></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 1.4;">Call Events Manager Samuel Aiglon now on 0207 494 3111 or email <a href="mailto:s.aiglon@gauthiersoho.co.uk" target="_blank">s.aiglon@gauthiersoho.co.uk</a> to enquire about your party.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.gauthiersoho.co.uk/privatedining" style="color: #17488a;" target="_blank" title="View The Rooms"><img align="none" height="44" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/cadfb054e541d31b871e19783/images/be902079-000a-47a0-96d6-59be0ef3c753.jpg" style="height: 44px; margin: 0px; width: 365px;" width="365" /></a></div>
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<span style="height: 43px; margin-bottom: 0px; width: 431px;"><img align="none" height="43" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/cadfb054e541d31b871e19783/images/55dfe8d3-43db-4498-9b36-a842243ab744.jpg" style="height: 43px; margin: 0px; width: 431px;" width="431" /></span><br />
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<img align="none" height="44" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/cadfb054e541d31b871e19783/images/3bad24eb-5c4b-4d1a-936c-bc2286e67fc7.jpg" style="height: 44px; margin: 0px; width: 497px;" width="497" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="http://www.gauthiersoho.co.uk/privatedining" style="color: #17488a;" target="_blank"><span style="color: navy;">View the rooms</span></a><span style="color: navy;"> • </span></span><span style="color: navy;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> </span></span></span><a href="http://www.gauthiersoho.co.uk/privatedining/pdf/Gauthier-Soho-Christmas-Menus.pdf" style="color: navy; font-family: helvetica;" target="_blank">View the Christmas Party Menus</a><span style="color: navy;"> • </span><span style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.gauthiersoho.co.uk/privatedining/menus-autumn.php" style="color: #17488a;" target="_blank"><span style="color: navy;">View the Autumn Party Menus</span></a></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.gauthierwines.co.uk/" style="color: #17488a;" target="_blank"><span style="height: 200px; margin-bottom: 0px; width: 600px;"><img align="none" height="200" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/cadfb054e541d31b871e19783/images/e3489b4d-1bfb-4f98-bfcd-0eb27d563329.jpg" style="color: #333333; height: 200px; margin: 0px; width: 600px;" width="600" /></span></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237337791928754793.post-30648887267721252122015-09-30T03:18:00.000-07:002015-09-30T03:58:18.344-07:00Autumn Arrives in Style<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.gauthiersoho.co.uk/pdf/Gauthier-Soho-Autumn-2015.pdf?utm_source=Gauthier+Soho+Friends&utm_campaign=a4d5949384-Private_dining_Doll_s_House_20159_2_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_9cdad41fbf-a4d5949384-286869157&mc_cid=a4d5949384&mc_eid=5400cacb36" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iRVrTRlh_YY/Vgu91rlsehI/AAAAAAAAFW4/6ph1mhJgokU/s1600/autumn%2Barrives.gif" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>Only</strong> a few weeks ago</span>, the sight and smell of bright red strawberries would have sufficed to tame my hunger. I was stuck in summer and couldn’t imagine having anything else. But now the weather is changing, I dream of shiny and wet pumpkin; sweet and intense roots; purple and dark fruits; gamey flavours and much more robust ingredients.</div>
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Imagine how excited we were when we received our first perfectly formed and ripened butternut squash. It was like a toy; we had to touch it, feel it, smell it. A trophy. Odd for some but completely natural for us. </div>
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I wrote our autumn menu exclusively with my dream ingredients in mind. I have tried to find other ways of inspiration, for example by experimenting with cooking techniques. It just doesn't work for me. I also force myself not to eat in other restaurants during my menu creation. I am scared it might influence me and would ultimately make me lose my focus on ingredients. This also means that dishes might not change drastically from year to year. They certainly evolve but at a very organic pace.<br />
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I hope you enjoy the <a href="http://www.gauthiersoho.co.uk/pdf/Gauthier-Soho-Autumn-2015.pdf?utm_source=Gauthier+Soho+Friends&utm_campaign=a4d5949384-Private_dining_Doll_s_House_20159_2_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_9cdad41fbf-a4d5949384-286869157&mc_cid=a4d5949384&mc_eid=5400cacb36" target="_blank">new Autumn menu</a> as much as we have creating it. Personally I think it's our best yet!</div>
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I hope to see you all soon,</div>
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Alexis</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237337791928754793.post-40581997382674025352015-09-03T03:29:00.000-07:002015-09-03T03:57:20.373-07:00Celebrating our 5th Birthday<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
This August we celebrated our 5th birthday, and to mark this special occasion we invited all of our closest friends to join us with a whole month of feasting. Each guest was presented with an original piece of specially comissioned artwork depicting a table setting in the Grand Salon to take home as a thank you to them for coming. Every single day in August we were full with guests and we couldn’t be more grateful. </div>
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Thank you and Happy Birthday to us!<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UrhkiriEqoM/Vegfybf7byI/AAAAAAAAFS4/I1vC2tdvPTY/s1600/watercolour%2Boriginal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UrhkiriEqoM/Vegfybf7byI/AAAAAAAAFS4/I1vC2tdvPTY/s1600/watercolour%2Boriginal.jpg" /></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237337791928754793.post-53304672489192340112015-07-07T09:04:00.003-07:002015-07-07T09:49:33.558-07:00'The best surviving interior on the street'<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<i>Beware: the following may only interest the London domestic architecture geeks among us.</i></div>
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I'm always very interested in the history of our building, but ashamed to say often referring to it rather lazily as a 'Regency townhouse' due to it's 'demi-lune' overdoor so reminiscent of this style. After a little searching however, I've discovered the building is in fact much earlier, being built in 1738-9, making it early George III. The text below very flatteringly describes No. 21 as having 'the best surviving interior of the street', and we are happy to say it's still very much surviving.</div>
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Another pleasant discovery is the noting of an assumed previous resident, the artist George Clint (no relation to the 1970s funk pioneer), who exhibited from the house in 1805. </div>
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All following text property of the British History Online Archive <a href="http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vols33-4/pp202-205">http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vols33-4/pp202-205</a></div>
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<b>Nos. 21 and 22 Romilly Street</b></div>
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These houses were built in 1738–9, under two Portland leases neither of which was a building lease. No. 21 was built under a sixty-five-year lease to Thomas Cuthbert of St. Anne's, described as 'gentleman' but probably the tallow chandler of that name, and No. 22 under a thirty-five-year lease to Jane Allam of Paddington, spinster, a descendant of Joseph Girle, the early lessee of all Soho Fields. The first occupant of No. 21 was Richard Stainsby, described as 'gentleman' and at one time nominal mortgagee of the Pitt estate. The painter, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Clint">George Clint,</a> exhibited from the same house in 1805.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v6AJU79_sFY/VZv34r5SQMI/AAAAAAAAARQ/jaUb_pc-sZ0/s1600/George_Clint_by_George_Clint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v6AJU79_sFY/VZv34r5SQMI/AAAAAAAAARQ/jaUb_pc-sZ0/s320/George_Clint_by_George_Clint.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
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The two houses are of closely similar proportions, each of them containing a basement and four storeys, and having a brick front three windows wide (pictured below). The fronts are now of little interest because that of No. 21 has been painted and that of No. 22 completely rebuilt in modern times. However, the original segmental gauged arches of the second- and thirdstorey windows can still be seen at No. 21, where the different character of the windows in the fourth storey shows this to be a later addition. The back wall of No. 21 is of purple-red brick, the windows with rough segmental arches and containing flush frames.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">21 Romilly Street (Third from left) 1964, then as Taj Mahal restaurant.</td></tr>
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The houses have the standard plan of a single front and back room, the latter with a dog-legged staircase beside it on the east and a projecting closet-wing on the north. The interior finishings are not well preserved and much of what remains has been concealed by asbestos sheeting. At No. 21, which has the best surviving interior in the street, the entrance hall and the first two storeys of the stair compartment are lined with ovolomoulded panelling in two heights. This is finished with a moulded dado-rail and a boxcornice, the hall having a dentilled cornice and a pair of plain pilasters flanking the entrance to the stair compartment. The lower flights of the staircase have been completely boxed in, but those at the top of the house have moulded closed strings, turned balusters, and column-newels with big square heads. Box-cornices are still visible in the ground- and first-floor rooms, the groundfloor front room having a dentilled cornice and the room above fragments of ovolo-moulded panelling.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Particularly interesting and possibly earliest balustrading, found at the very top floor landing.</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237337791928754793.post-16015208972453498002015-02-16T03:37:00.000-08:002015-02-17T01:47:33.602-08:00Staff Profile: Francois Chateau<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><i>Assistant Restaurant Manager Francois Chateau has been with Gauthier Soho for four years. His professional attitude and natural character with the customers has proved a highly successful combination. Here he speaks to James Lewis, shedding light on his life at Gauthier Soho and providing an interesting insight into to the industry from a service point of view.</i></span></span></b><br />
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<b>JL: What made you get into the hospitality industry?</b></div>
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FC: I was born in Bordeaux. I moved to Paris at a very young age, where my mother ran a small restaurant on a boat on the River Seine. My father was in the military so we moved around a lot.</div>
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At one point we went for a few years to Ile de la Reunion, a tiny French island near Madagascar.</div>
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Finally we moved to Cognac, where my mother taught at a local catering school.</div>
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I wasn’t so good at conventional school, so I spent most of my time helping my mother with the students at the catering school. I loved it there.</div>
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<b>So hospitality was always your aim?</b></div>
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No, Actually I tried different things. Engineering was an option. But catering was the thing I felt most comfortable with.</div>
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<b>What made you want to come to London?</b></div>
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I was working for a fantastic restaurant, with a great team. I learned so much there, the staff were extremely experienced and lived and breathed years of knowledge. But I realised I needed to speak English to advance myself in the industry. So London was the place for me.</div>
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<b>There’s a huge demand for catering staff in London at the moment, and here in the UK some employers have the feeling that foreign staff work harder or are more motivated. Do you agree with this?</b></div>
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It’s not only a UK thing. In France it’s the same. In my home town many of the local French staff are lazy and demanding, expecting special treatment, not wanting to work hard. Maybe it’s the fact that when you are away from home, you have a purpose. Your attitude is you are there to work.</div>
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To be honest, for me this is great. If people are lazy then it means more opportunity for me.</div>
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Also, I don’t have many distractions here. In France I would go kite-surfing or skiing at the weekend. Socialising with my friends etc. Because of my hours I get maybe one night out a week.</div>
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<b>Are there any downsides to living in London?</b></div>
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The cost of living is high. My friend and I choose to live in a nice place, around Borough Market. It’s beautiful and convenient but very expensive.</div>
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<b>From a non-British point of view, what do you think of the industry? How easy is it for non-British workers to find employment?</b></div>
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It’s very easy. The London hospitality industry is booming. There is a huge demand. Probably 10 or more jobs for every worker. When I hear people saying ‘there is no work’ or asking for money from the government I wonder what planet they are on. The only thing you need is an attitude to work hard.</div>
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<b>What do you think of the phrase ‘fine-dining’? Do you think it is still relevant in the restaurant scene today?</b></div>
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I think there is always a need for a place where you go to feel a bit special. ‘Fine-dining’ is not a good expression, it sounds dated. But the truth is restaurants that really focus on the comfort of the customer will always find business. People remember the experience for all the right reasons and go back to them.</div>
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Gauthier Soho is an example of this. I hear a lot of places are taking the ‘informal’ route, which is great, but the market is becoming saturated with this. It’s not so special for me.</div>
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<b>Which of London’s restaurants do you like best?</b></div>
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I go a lot, mostly on Sundays and Mondays. Of course I’m a fan of places that celebrate a bit of luxury. My favourites have been The Waterside Inn, Sketch, Hibiscus, The Square, Kitchen W8, Pollen Street Social. For a less formal occasion I like Brindisa. All very good restaurants.</div>
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<b>What do you think makes Gauthier Soho an attractive place to go?</b></div>
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Well, apart from the good looking staff, I have to say the price is a huge part. We offer the diner the kind of service, luxury, comfort, space, familiarity found at places much, much more expensive. People like to feel special, really looked after, and we offer this for an extremely reasonable price. </div>
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You can come here and have lunch, 3 courses, wine, Champagne, water, bread, canapés, amuse bouches, pre-desserts, petits fours, coffee and all the little touches you would expect at a grand hotel in Monaco, but you pay £45. £45! I know restaurants in London where a course of Dover sole costs this alone. </div>
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<b>Would would you say was the key to successful service?</b></div>
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Regulars. At Gauthier we do more than anywhere I’ve ever known to focus on keeping regular customers. It’s true that with regulars you do half the work, they already know they love you. But the thing is, you have already done three or four times the work to make them regulars. Over time you build a relationship, just like a friend. I really consider them friends. Some are very generous, I’ve been given gifts, invitations to holiday around the world, all sorts of things. It’s very flattering.</div>
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<b>What’s the secret to building the relationship?</b></div>
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Anticipation. If the customer wants to be left alone, leave them alone. If they want conversation, give them that. Most people want to be recognised, so remember this. Remember their little peculiarities and special requests. </div>
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I always say, the ultimate luxury is to not have to ask for things. For somebody to know already what you want.</div>
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It’s crazy, you work all your life to be able to afford expensive things, yet the things you really appreciate are free.</div>
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<b>You’re becoming known for your Cognac list. Tell us about it.</b></div>
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I’m from Cognac and yes it has become a special passion of mine. I’ve built a small but very interesting Cognac list, involving some of my favourites. Some of the makers are even old friends of mine. It’s funny, Cognac. Such a globally known but tiny little town, with so many well known producers. The Cointreau family & Remy Martin, Courvoisier, Hennessy, Martell , Frapin. And not just brandy. Grey Goose Vodka comes from Cognac. Did you know that?</div>
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<b>No, I didn’t. So anyway, any last words for the readers?</b></div>
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Yes, of course. Come back and see me soon. </div>
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Francois is on twitter <a href="http://www.twitter.com/chateaufrancoi1">@chateaufrancoi1</a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237337791928754793.post-89267701390890004282014-12-08T10:40:00.002-08:002014-12-09T06:19:28.249-08:00Soho, please don't get too bland.<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from the set <a href="https://www.facebook.com/lewisland/media_set?set=a.10150155692286302.289485.685771301&type=3" target="_blank">'It's all happening' </a></td></tr>
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The sad closing of Madame Jojo’s last week has been hailed as a final nail in the coffin for the soul of Soho. It's true, with its streets over the past twenty years slowly but surely turning from famous den of freedom and debauchery to a sort of norm-core shops-n-lunch village, the chances of catching a glimpse of some old stripper’s arse or - heaven forbid - paying said stripper to do exciting things to you in a flock-wallpapered back room somewhere are becoming extremely slim. </div>
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With all the huggable feel-good brands to eat and drink at now, with their on-trend pastiche menus and US style service, it’s far more safe and sober, lots less edgy and erotic. </div>
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Clearly, Soho appears to no longer be the byword for exoticness it once was. Its style and design has become bland and homogenous. Most new restaurants or bars opening today all look like some kind of buy-by-the-sq-foot BHS Brooklyn, a look you can get in any branch of Habitat. </div>
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You can now buy a <a href="http://www.bathstore.com/products/bathroom-suites/shop-by-suite-range/soho" target="_blank">‘Soho’ bathroom set</a> (no crack addicts included, I bet) and even John Lewis now does a <a href="http://www.johnlewis.com/house-by-john-lewis-soho-round-2-seater-outdoor-bistro-set-steel/p1599076" target="_blank">‘Soho’ furniture range.</a> </div>
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Mind you I don’t claim to be any more edgy. My own early memories of Soho are not exactly laced with malfeasance.</div>
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I remember as an art loving teenager discovering a book of my Dad’s called ‘Soho in the Fifties’ by Daniel Farson, and consuming it as a kind of ‘essential reading’ for any budding louche and bohemian creative. In reality I am about as louche and bohemian as a Surrey Golf Club, but aged 16 I was convinced I was a cross between Mick Jagger and Francis Bacon.</div>
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My first memory of visiting Soho is passing my GCSE’s in 1991, my mother taking me for lunch at Andrew Edmunds, then - in her words - ‘the canteen of the gossiping media world’. Then a couple of years later I was rewarded for getting into university with lunch at The French House, by the same mother. It was then a funny little first-floor restaurant and home to a couple of chefs called the Hendersons. It was the first time I’d eaten pigeon. </div>
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Later in the mid nineties I remember feeding a vinyl habit at the record shops: Chocy’s, Unity, Black Market and Uptown, and even occasionally playing them DJing at our little tin-pot do’s at Mars and Velvet Underground. A high-point in my blagging career must be in the late 90s gaining an unofficial membership at The Groucho Club under the name of an Iranian carpet dealer client of mine, which I used for nearly a year before being asked for six hundred quid or so in ‘unpaid membership funds’ and swiftly doing a runner, not to return for 10 years or more. </div>
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Some other places ring a bell - peering through the stained glass of Quo Vadis at the time (I wasn’t rich enough then to book a table) you would catch a glimpse of Damien Hirst’s dead animals preserved in formaldehyde. How Brit-pop. </div>
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Bars and clubs like Abigail’s Party, The Sun and 13 Cantons, Alphabet Bar and Soho House when it opened all felt the tread of my 90s cords and Wallabees on occasion, and of course there was The Midas Touch, a wine-bar style pub next to the Virgin Radio building Golden Square in quite possibly the naffest, post-naff, neo-naff, pre-irony naff wine bar styling the mid 90s could be capable of. It was like a tribute to Grecian Gods crossed with cross-channel ferry. Chris Evans was often there on a Friday afternoon. That’s my sole memory of rubbing shoulders with rock n roll Soho celebrities in the 90s. Everyone else had Liam & Patsy, I had Chris Evans and Billie Piper.</div>
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It’s not all bad, Lots of the best places in Soho are still here. My favourite pub, The Coach & Horses is now owned by a big brewery (Fuller’s) but remains untouched aesthetically, right down to the Skol Lager and Ind Coope motifs, rotten carpet and Jeffery Bernard cartoons. </div>
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The French House still has an air of intellectual old-soak, and The Algerian Coffee Stores still serves a great espresso for a pound. The Blue Posts on Berwick St still has its pot plants and thick curtains. The Dog & Duck still has one of the best examples of Victorian glass engraving panelling in a London pub. </div>
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There isn’t much that can stop the inevitable changes, as ultimately, landlords will always go for the highest paying and lowest hassle tenant, who wouldn't? Why would you want some skint little independent outfit always complaining about the rent, never paying on time and not investing properly in all the boring health & safety trivialities, when you could have a nice well-behaved superbrand paying you handsomely like clockwork every month, just for the Soho bragging rights?</div>
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I hope Soho is too old and wise to let itself fall completely into the bland trap. I know it's tempting to the planners, but remember, Covent Garden is next door, and look what happened to that. Leicester Square and Piccadilly is now a lost hope. And Mayfair will tell you it needs a naughty neighbour, not a girl next door.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1