A Love Letter To London

There’s a part of me that feels the need to cull these down, but hey to my readers out there, if you wanted shallow and brief content, there’s my IG you can have a squizz at as you spend minutes of your day scrolling before realising you spent way too much time on it then immediately feeling like crap. I don’t want to hate on social media but I also kind of do haha. 

I’m a writer and storyteller, I do it by accident and get way too into things, so this update is, let’s just say, CHONKY. Enjoy. 

So many potlucks.

Honestly it’s unexplainable, least inexpressible, what I feel for the people I met during my time in London. It’s funny, even though I met most people for the first time, after only a few days, I connected to them like no other. I knew if I called my Mum and best mate to tell them I felt like I had fallen in love with these people I had just met, even they would not believe me. 

I want to use the natural transient process of falling in love with a place your travelling in as my excuse; it is so easy when you are on holiday, there’s a lack of stress, you’re not working, you actually spend time watching the cities and your surroundings which you might not in your day to day. But this is why when I travel, when I go anywhere, there is a certain amount of living I want to experience, I want to immerse myself in their world even if sometimes it’s financially unadvisable at the time.

London definitely pushed it in that aspect, rocking up with only a week’s allowance and return flight from winning MasterChef’s first episode of this season was a privilege. BUT deciding to extend this trip on borrowed money and going into the negatives was a stretch. I know what you’re thinking, what about your winnings Nat, but things like that don’t work as fast as you’d think. Anyway, sometimes you’ve just got to follow your heart, that inner pull that calls out to you, that vibrates through your body and pulls your chest towards the thing you want to do, and just stay a little longer. 

So you live through it, count the dollars on the veggies you find at the corner store and the tins of red stripes from the offy (off-licence) to make sure you don’t rack that credit card debt any further, refuse to go see the main tourist attractions but make the most of the wet and cold days by running along the canal to Victoria Park and back. Experience the hangover days in Broadway market where you become so riddled with anxiety from the sensory overload. Walk through it wanting to lock fingers with the stranger you’ve come to know so well the last few weeks it makes your heart burn and vibrate. 

As I write this, my heart feels a gravitational pull like no other. It’s not just the people, it’s the realisation of just how much I connected with people through food. I am going to sound like a broken record for saying this. But I have fallen in love with food, I have totally surrendered to it and am not mad about it all. 

Restaurants in London.

People are always so quick to compare foods between different cities, cultures and countries but I think that’s a mistake we’re constantly making as consumers and even as chefs. Food has this beautiful ability to capture a moment, time and place. The nostalgia that ties in with food often plays a larger role on why you love a specific dish or cuisine so much. 

When I was in London working at a whole bunch of restaurants, I was often asked whether I found the food in London better than the food in Australia. This kind of question is obviously an easy conversation starter, especially when it leads into the chefs asking if Australia had things like rhubarb and white asparagus (someone even asked if we had regular asparagus haha). It’s one of my least favourite questions, but at the same time one I love to answer to open up this discussion. Until now, I didn’t feel like I had the platform to allow conversations like these to pull in other narratives. 

When we compare the food to other cultures, we have to remember to honour history and how food plays a role in shaping each culture. Cuisines and cultures are interconnected, so aside from obviously not being able to compare a whole country like Australia to a single city like London, even when it comes to the countries, it doesn’t make sense. 

We often do the same thing with Asian countries. When you take into account the different seasons, land and culture of these surrounding countries, plus the various political and economic disparities throughout time, I think it’s better to think of food rather as a collection of these individual histories, to be savoured not compared. 

Wow I am really rambling on here. My point is. Food is more than just food. It tells stories, it brings us together, it creates strong nostalgia emotions.

Jamie Oliver.

You guys surely want to hear about Jamie rather than the nonsense I just dished out to you for a good few minutes. I’m writing like I write in my journal, just absolutely rambling about something then suddenly talking about my feelings about something in particular for way too long. So here it is.

I really have to appreciate that someone like Jamie, and the others I met along the way, gave me so much more of their time and love than I had ever expected. This type of support, friendship and love goes a long way and it only makes me feel like I want to help others, to uplift them, support them to reach their dreams and goals. 

Jamie had great chats, became a great mentor and when he was too busy he reached out to people and connected me with those who could. Honestly, Jamie really made me feel energised, totally unstoppable to the things I want to do and achieve no matter how big and small. For that, I am forever grateful. 

To everyone else along the way in London, the various chefs I connected with in the restaurants of London, either visiting or working, thank you. Like Ferokh from St John Bread and Wine who didn’t question my ability to work hard and learn, and who didn’t hesitate when I asked to learn how to do all the nasty bits of the kitchen (though they did hesitate a little when I begged to learn how to cut kidneys, hearts and deal with pig trotters and heads at 7am in the morning).

I could name all the chefs I met that inspired me, had great conversations with in London, but I won’t. 

I will however say one thing. And I will sound like a naive newbie to the industry right now for saying this. But please check in on our chefs, our hospitality workers and people in general. But especially chefs, I know there is something romantic about the rock and roll energy that goes parallel with being a chef, but I don’t want to lose anymore of them. Because I care, and we need chefs to share the stories of food. 

What’s next

I’m currently in Seoul where I will be doing some work at Restaurant Evett, including a 4 hands pop-up event with Brent Smoller who I met in London. We’ll be foraging, going to markets and writing the menu all based on what’s in season - for those who can’t be there with us, check out some BTS ongoings via my socials (one of the few times I’ll actually encourage you on there).

Excited to bring you more updates from these adventures soon!

Until next time,

🫶🏽 Natty