We said it last year and we'll say it again this year: we like the Taste of London food festival that is currently taking place. The reason is very simple, not only are the genuinely biggest names of the restaurant industry present (just see the pic below), but they are also available to everyone there: the pictures below required no special access, they were taken just walking around.
Michel Roux Jnr, who we think is always so nice at all these events, endures selfie after selfie with guests with a genuine smile and he is very clearly a genuine star. And we can only repeat what we said in our post on Taste last year (it was a very good post after all) - try getting a selfie with Lewis Hamilton at the British Grand Prix in 2 weeks time; good luck. And that's the difference with Taste, the stars are readily accessible and that's rare. To have so many in one place is rarer still. It varies day to day and hour to hour for sure, but there's enough going on in any one session that you're unlikely to feel disappointed in our view. Of course, as you wander round, you'll get better value if you can recognise the chefs because often they're wandering around too, just like you; don't forget, they've all got beards now so you'll have to factor that in also.
We have a big thank you to say to Electrolux who are a major sponsor of the event and of whom we were guests today, but would we be prepared to pay to go? The answer is undoubtedly yes. We are lucky, we do get invited to lots of events though we seldom go to any; when we say yes, it means for sure we're genuinely interested. Rene Redzepi has the world's No1 restaurant (according to SP50), while Massimo Bottura the world's No3. We bumped into both just wandering around. They like many other big name chefs are also giving talks and demos on the Electrolux stage, so if you want more of a set piece that's available for you at no extra cost.
And on that subject of cost, it's a shade under £30 to get in, how should that be received? I just Googled ticket prices for Chelsea FC for the forthcoming season. Adult general sale seats for top grade matches range from £50 for the worst seats to £87 for the best. You wont get to meet the players and selfies with the players are clearly not available. How about tickets for Wimbledon? Oh yeah, right.
We have no vested interest here, this is simply how we see it. Taste has succeeded in attracting some of this country's, and the world's, top cooking talent. There's simply no other event in the UK where this range of the industry's excellence is not only available but accessible too. So if you like this kind of thing go and enjoy. Keep you're eyes open, be bold, approach them and say hello, even ask for a selfie if that's your thing, and remember, they all have beards now.
Related articles:
Our 2013 post on Taste of London
Michel Roux Jnr, who we think is always so nice at all these events, endures selfie after selfie with guests with a genuine smile and he is very clearly a genuine star. And we can only repeat what we said in our post on Taste last year (it was a very good post after all) - try getting a selfie with Lewis Hamilton at the British Grand Prix in 2 weeks time; good luck. And that's the difference with Taste, the stars are readily accessible and that's rare. To have so many in one place is rarer still. It varies day to day and hour to hour for sure, but there's enough going on in any one session that you're unlikely to feel disappointed in our view. Of course, as you wander round, you'll get better value if you can recognise the chefs because often they're wandering around too, just like you; don't forget, they've all got beards now so you'll have to factor that in also.
We have a big thank you to say to Electrolux who are a major sponsor of the event and of whom we were guests today, but would we be prepared to pay to go? The answer is undoubtedly yes. We are lucky, we do get invited to lots of events though we seldom go to any; when we say yes, it means for sure we're genuinely interested. Rene Redzepi has the world's No1 restaurant (according to SP50), while Massimo Bottura the world's No3. We bumped into both just wandering around. They like many other big name chefs are also giving talks and demos on the Electrolux stage, so if you want more of a set piece that's available for you at no extra cost.
And on that subject of cost, it's a shade under £30 to get in, how should that be received? I just Googled ticket prices for Chelsea FC for the forthcoming season. Adult general sale seats for top grade matches range from £50 for the worst seats to £87 for the best. You wont get to meet the players and selfies with the players are clearly not available. How about tickets for Wimbledon? Oh yeah, right.
We have no vested interest here, this is simply how we see it. Taste has succeeded in attracting some of this country's, and the world's, top cooking talent. There's simply no other event in the UK where this range of the industry's excellence is not only available but accessible too. So if you like this kind of thing go and enjoy. Keep you're eyes open, be bold, approach them and say hello, even ask for a selfie if that's your thing, and remember, they all have beards now.
Related articles:
Our 2013 post on Taste of London
Massimo Bottura (Osteria Francescana), Michel Roux Jnr (Le Gavroche), Rene Redzepi (NOMA)
Monica Galetti (Le Gavroche)
passion: Massimo Bottura on the Electrolux stage
Dan Doherty (Duck & Waffle), Tim Anderson (BBC Masterchef winner), Theo Randall (Theo Randall at the Intercontinental)
