The Duke of Cambridge
London’s first ever ‘officially organic’ pub...Tastebud = Gareth
The Duke of Cambridge scored major brownie points with me before I’d even crossed the threshold (though it’s only fair to say I didn’t try the brownies; I’m sure they’d have fared extremely well). The reason for such advance admiration? Well, The Duke of Cambridge is not quite your average pub. In fact, this relative newcomer to the Islington drinking-and-dining scene is the first and only certifiably organic pub in London. An astonishing fact, when you consider the sheer amount of air-time given to buzzwords like ‘organic’ these days; and – as someone interested in environmental issues and a supporter of various eco initiatives – enough to get me very excited indeed.
The pub’s modus operandi is to serve only sustainable, seasonal, locally produced food, and to uphold a ‘sustainable fishing’ policy. The menu focuses on predominantly British fare and incorporates Mediterranean influences – but that doesn’t mean your greens come complete with their own colossal carbon footprint: The Duke of Cambridge sources 80% of all its fresh ingredients from the home counties. Moreover, all their ingredients are certified organic by the Soil Association – and their provenance is traceable as a result. Menus change twice daily, according to what’s at peak freshness and therefore most flavoursome, and all the food is made on-site, including breads, pickles and ice-creams.
But here’s where they’re onto a real winner in my opinion: there are always two meat, two fish and two vegetarian main courses on the menu. Traditional restaurateurs take heed: this is the way of the future, so don’t remain stuck in the past! As a long-term vegetarian who has recently started eating fish again – largely due to the sheer lack of variety in vegetarian cooking when out and about – I’m thrilled to see this ‘equal opportunities’ attitude to menu design. Never again need I pay for a full Sunday roast while receiving just a parched plate of veg and (if I’m lucky) a Yorkshire pudding; and I don’t have to accept the seemingly obligatory (bland) mushroom risotto while my carnivorous companions take their pick from dozens of possible platters. Instead I can hop down to The Duke of Cambridge and choose something carefully tailored to my tastes. Just because I’m a pescatarian, doesn’t mean I’m not a dedicated foodie, and with the arrival of The Duke of Cambridge, I’m beginning to hope my tomato pasta days are over!
The Concept
Geetie Singh founded Sloeberry Trading in order to open and run The Duke of Cambridge. Having already gained extensive experience in the restaurant trade and wanting to do something about the appalling amount of wastefulness she’d witnessed, Geetie was determined to put her interest in social justice and her passion for nature to good use. Starting an environmentally friendly business seemed a great way to do so, and The Duke of Cambridge was the perfect way to support organic farming, sustainable living and healthy eating – but it was equally important to Geetie that her pub deliver top quality food to diners.
As a result, the chefs at the pub (bless ‘em) buy goods direct from small independent farms. They also ensure that no food is wasted and source as much Fair Trade produce as possible – tea, sugar, coffee and chocolate comes from small producers who are paid a fair and decent premium for their crops. The chefs also adhere to a strict fish-buying policy (Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall would be proud) and try to avoid packaged, processed foods – for this reason, you won’t see the usual crisps behind the bar, though you can happily munch your way through delicious olives and nuts.
Geetie, who had lived in a commune in the Midlands, says the idea for The Duke of Cambridge came about because she had grown “deeply disillusioned with the lack of sustainability in restaurants”. She clearly doesn’t do things by halves, refusing to be branded as “just an environmentalist” or “just a restaurateur”: she is both in equal measure, and certainly her employment of radical methods (as far as the restaurant business is concerned) proves her to be a shining example of both ethical activist and savvy businesswoman. One visit to The Duke of Cambridge makes it plain: the pub really goes that extra mile, proudly recycling and reusing building materials, furniture and kitchen waste while keeping a vigilant eye on energy use. In addition, it fosters links with local residents, training cooks at nearby schools as well as staff for a forthcoming community kitchen (Jamie Oliver would be proud – or jealous!)
And as if all that was not enough, Geetie insists on advocating certification policies, making the point that catering companies are legally exempt and able to regulate themselves, thus compromising the integrity of the organic movement. The Duke of Cambridge is certified organic despite not needing to be so. That kind of commitment to a better future is a rare thing indeed.
The Taste Test
So the eco-conscious ethos is undeniably admirable… but would the food live up to all the good intentions? Well, the dining experience certainly started well: the pub has a friendly, buzzy atmosphere and stylish agrarian-inspired décor. Happily, the pastoral goodness and human touch extended to the food.
I started with Alham Woods English mozzarella with mushroom, sundried tomato and walnut pesto; continued with a main course of potato, cauliflower, tomato, spinach and lentil curry (accompanied by a chilli gherkin salad), and ended with chocolate and almond cake with crème fraiche. My dining partner, who chose a starter of pan-fried scallops and cauliflower purée; a main of three-cheese soufflé in a white wine sauce and beetroot salad, and a lemon pot with crème fraiche and prunes for dessert, summed the experience up neatly when he said that the most impressive thing about the food was how perfectly it combined the wholesome and the refined – an achievement rarely seen in top restaurants, let alone a local organic pub. His stand-out flavours were the soufflé and beetroot. Mine were the mozzarella (creamy beyond belief!) and the garnishes – the tomatoes tasted as if they’d been plucked from the vine just moments before; the chillis and gherkins divulged a freshness that seemed to burst out into the mouth. It was as if these time-honoured and familiar ingredients were suddenly made new to us – and that shows genius at work.
If The Duke of Cambridge was conceived to show that a better future is possible without scrimping on pleasure or quality along the way, then Geetie Singh can give herself a pat on the back: mission well and truly accomplished.
What makes it organic?
Organic farming works in harmony with the land, without the use of chemicals, respecting the environment and its animals, developing fertile soil and nurturing insect and animal life to naturally deter crop pests. Crops are rotated to maintain healthy soil and animals are reared without the routine use of antibiotics and according to a high standard of animal welfare – as certified by the Soil Association.
The Duke Of Cambridge
30 St Peter's Street
Islington, London N1 8JT
020 7359 3066
www.dukeorganic.co.uk/
London’s first ever ‘officially organic’ pub...Tastebud = Gareth
The Duke of Cambridge scored major brownie points with me before I’d even crossed the threshold (though it’s only fair to say I didn’t try the brownies; I’m sure they’d have fared extremely well). The reason for such advance admiration? Well, The Duke of Cambridge is not quite your average pub. In fact, this relative newcomer to the Islington drinking-and-dining scene is the first and only certifiably organic pub in London. An astonishing fact, when you consider the sheer amount of air-time given to buzzwords like ‘organic’ these days; and – as someone interested in environmental issues and a supporter of various eco initiatives – enough to get me very excited indeed.
The pub’s modus operandi is to serve only sustainable, seasonal, locally produced food, and to uphold a ‘sustainable fishing’ policy. The menu focuses on predominantly British fare and incorporates Mediterranean influences – but that doesn’t mean your greens come complete with their own colossal carbon footprint: The Duke of Cambridge sources 80% of all its fresh ingredients from the home counties. Moreover, all their ingredients are certified organic by the Soil Association – and their provenance is traceable as a result. Menus change twice daily, according to what’s at peak freshness and therefore most flavoursome, and all the food is made on-site, including breads, pickles and ice-creams.
But here’s where they’re onto a real winner in my opinion: there are always two meat, two fish and two vegetarian main courses on the menu. Traditional restaurateurs take heed: this is the way of the future, so don’t remain stuck in the past! As a long-term vegetarian who has recently started eating fish again – largely due to the sheer lack of variety in vegetarian cooking when out and about – I’m thrilled to see this ‘equal opportunities’ attitude to menu design. Never again need I pay for a full Sunday roast while receiving just a parched plate of veg and (if I’m lucky) a Yorkshire pudding; and I don’t have to accept the seemingly obligatory (bland) mushroom risotto while my carnivorous companions take their pick from dozens of possible platters. Instead I can hop down to The Duke of Cambridge and choose something carefully tailored to my tastes. Just because I’m a pescatarian, doesn’t mean I’m not a dedicated foodie, and with the arrival of The Duke of Cambridge, I’m beginning to hope my tomato pasta days are over!
The Concept
Geetie Singh founded Sloeberry Trading in order to open and run The Duke of Cambridge. Having already gained extensive experience in the restaurant trade and wanting to do something about the appalling amount of wastefulness she’d witnessed, Geetie was determined to put her interest in social justice and her passion for nature to good use. Starting an environmentally friendly business seemed a great way to do so, and The Duke of Cambridge was the perfect way to support organic farming, sustainable living and healthy eating – but it was equally important to Geetie that her pub deliver top quality food to diners.
As a result, the chefs at the pub (bless ‘em) buy goods direct from small independent farms. They also ensure that no food is wasted and source as much Fair Trade produce as possible – tea, sugar, coffee and chocolate comes from small producers who are paid a fair and decent premium for their crops. The chefs also adhere to a strict fish-buying policy (Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall would be proud) and try to avoid packaged, processed foods – for this reason, you won’t see the usual crisps behind the bar, though you can happily munch your way through delicious olives and nuts.
Geetie, who had lived in a commune in the Midlands, says the idea for The Duke of Cambridge came about because she had grown “deeply disillusioned with the lack of sustainability in restaurants”. She clearly doesn’t do things by halves, refusing to be branded as “just an environmentalist” or “just a restaurateur”: she is both in equal measure, and certainly her employment of radical methods (as far as the restaurant business is concerned) proves her to be a shining example of both ethical activist and savvy businesswoman. One visit to The Duke of Cambridge makes it plain: the pub really goes that extra mile, proudly recycling and reusing building materials, furniture and kitchen waste while keeping a vigilant eye on energy use. In addition, it fosters links with local residents, training cooks at nearby schools as well as staff for a forthcoming community kitchen (Jamie Oliver would be proud – or jealous!)
And as if all that was not enough, Geetie insists on advocating certification policies, making the point that catering companies are legally exempt and able to regulate themselves, thus compromising the integrity of the organic movement. The Duke of Cambridge is certified organic despite not needing to be so. That kind of commitment to a better future is a rare thing indeed.
The Taste Test
So the eco-conscious ethos is undeniably admirable… but would the food live up to all the good intentions? Well, the dining experience certainly started well: the pub has a friendly, buzzy atmosphere and stylish agrarian-inspired décor. Happily, the pastoral goodness and human touch extended to the food.
I started with Alham Woods English mozzarella with mushroom, sundried tomato and walnut pesto; continued with a main course of potato, cauliflower, tomato, spinach and lentil curry (accompanied by a chilli gherkin salad), and ended with chocolate and almond cake with crème fraiche. My dining partner, who chose a starter of pan-fried scallops and cauliflower purée; a main of three-cheese soufflé in a white wine sauce and beetroot salad, and a lemon pot with crème fraiche and prunes for dessert, summed the experience up neatly when he said that the most impressive thing about the food was how perfectly it combined the wholesome and the refined – an achievement rarely seen in top restaurants, let alone a local organic pub. His stand-out flavours were the soufflé and beetroot. Mine were the mozzarella (creamy beyond belief!) and the garnishes – the tomatoes tasted as if they’d been plucked from the vine just moments before; the chillis and gherkins divulged a freshness that seemed to burst out into the mouth. It was as if these time-honoured and familiar ingredients were suddenly made new to us – and that shows genius at work.
If The Duke of Cambridge was conceived to show that a better future is possible without scrimping on pleasure or quality along the way, then Geetie Singh can give herself a pat on the back: mission well and truly accomplished.
What makes it organic?
Organic farming works in harmony with the land, without the use of chemicals, respecting the environment and its animals, developing fertile soil and nurturing insect and animal life to naturally deter crop pests. Crops are rotated to maintain healthy soil and animals are reared without the routine use of antibiotics and according to a high standard of animal welfare – as certified by the Soil Association.
The Duke Of Cambridge
30 St Peter's Street
Islington, London N1 8JT
020 7359 3066
www.dukeorganic.co.uk/
No comments:
Post a Comment