A Foodie Insider Shares His Favourite Dishes & London Hotspots
https://slman.com/life/food-drink/my-life-in-food-james-holdsworth
Have you always been a foodie?
I was always a big fan of eating. My dad taught me basics at home – how to make a roux, a white sauce, simple cooking techniques. Moving to London after school opened up a world of cuisines I hadn’t tried before. The real spark came when I moved into my own flat at 20. I started experimenting – it was trial and error, but I was cooking every night and planning meals in detail.
When did you take the next step?
During lockdown, I was furloughed and staying at my girlfriend’s parents’ countryside home. Everyone else was working, and we hadn’t been seeing each other that long, so I figured I couldn’t just lounge around all day. I started cooking for everyone instead. With brilliant farm shops nearby, I’d jump in the car and make the most of seasonal produce, experimenting with meals for the whole family each week. I’d always photographed my food but was shy about posting – I didn’t want to look like that millennial taking pics of dinner. But I shared recipes and videos on Stories, and it quickly became a habit. When I returned to London, I carried it on, cooking dishes I was proud to photograph or film.
And then supper clubs came into the picture?
My friend Liv, a chef, suggested we give it a go while she was between restaurants and moving to Paris. Supper clubs weren’t as common then, so it felt like the start of a wave. We ran a few events, and I learned not just new skills, but how to plan and organise properly. Tickets started selling, strangers came along, and it grew from there. At the time, I was in property finance – a steady job, but not fulfilling. I began filming recipes on Instagram, got a few opportunities, and eventually took a sabbatical. Just under a year later, we’re full throttle.
What’s in the diary right now?
This week I’m at the Camberwell Arms, creating a seasonal menu with a couple of brilliant cooks – it’s a great pub with amazing food. In November, I’ll be back with my friend Rosie for a charity supper club supporting mental health, and later that month I’ll be at Sandridge Barton vineyard in Devon, cooking with their team. I’m not formally trained, so experiences like these are invaluable – there’s nothing like learning from people who do it day in, day out.
Where do you enjoy eating in London?
I’m definitely a creature of habit, though I try to tick off new places when I can. Locally, I love the Lady Mildmay – it’s my pub and they do great food during the week. Albers in De Beauvoir is another favourite. It has that neighbourhood feel, a few tables outside when it’s sunny, and it’s just relaxed and intimate. Beyond that, the place I’ve probably been to most is St John – it’s food I love, done perfectly. I’m also a big fan of Cadet on Newington Green: a couple of glasses of wine, pâté en croûte, saucisson, a few nibbles – that’s my kind of eating. Jolene is in that same bracket. And when I worked in the City, I went to Sweetings all the time. I still love it – no frills, just proper old-school food done well.
If you had one perfect day to eat your way around London, where would you go?
For breakfast, I’d go to St John Bread & Wine in Spitalfields – the devilled kidneys on toast are one of my favourite things in the world, and the blood cake with a fried egg is outstanding.
Lunch is tricky, because I love a long one. I think I’d go for a proper pub lunch at The Cow in Notting Hill. Crab, oysters, a pint of prawns, plenty of Guinness – and a few friends around the table.
Dinner would be Brutto. I love Italian food, it influences so much of my cooking, and the atmosphere there is great – plus the negronis are fantastic.
For drinks, I’m more of a pub man, but I do like Bambi in London Fields. You can have a cocktail after dinner, then the records come on and suddenly it’s a dance floor – it’s brilliant fun. Next Door Records is another good one – I actually did a supper club with them a few years ago, and now they’ve opened a spot near me.
Are we more likely to find you at the supermarket or the farmer’s market?
I’d never say you can’t shop at supermarkets – you absolutely can – but you need to be checking labels and asking yourself, is this in season? You’ve got to know what’s in season before you start filling your basket. The classic example is asparagus. We have incredible asparagus here in the UK, but you’ll still find supermarkets stocking asparagus from Peru during the British season. People think, ‘Oh, it’s asparagus season, I’ll buy some,’ but if it’s travelled across the world, it completely defeats the point.
Seasonality matters then?
For me, seasonality is everything. If you eat with the seasons, your menu naturally changes every month. You won’t have asparagus all year, but when spring comes, you’ll be genuinely excited for it. The same with game when autumn arrives. And if you follow the seasons, you can still eat a balanced diet – there are always vegetables and greens available, just different ones.
What about meat and fish?
For meat and fish I put in a lot of effort. I go to a couple of excellent butchers and fishmongers. My friend Alex and his father run a company called Vincenzo – they usually supply restaurants but also deliver to homes. They know every single farmer they work with and can tell me exactly which region, which farm, everything is from.
Do you think it’s realistic for most people to shop that way?
I appreciate that not everyone can shop like this – it is a luxury – so I’d never tell people on social media they must buy from certain places. But if you can, meat and fish are where it really makes a difference. At the butcher's the other day, they told me about a piece they’d just broken down – the breed, where it came from, how they’d prepared it. That kind of knowledge and connection makes you more conscious about what you’re eating.
Do you think people in the UK are adventurous enough with their cooking?
I think too many people in this country eat the same five meals on repeat all year round. That sounds incredibly dull to me. Each year, I discover new ingredients I’ve never cooked with before, and it keeps things exciting.
What’s your ultimate comfort food?
Carbonara, without question. I make it all the time. I try not to repeat too many dishes throughout the year – as most of my cooking revolves around seasonality – but Roman pastas are an exception. The beauty of carbonara is that it’s made with guanciale, eggs and parmesan – things you can always have in the cupboard – so you can make it any time. It also has a nostalgia factor. My mum used to make us carbonara every Friday when I was a kid. It wasn’t what I’d call a carbonara now – it had cream, it was pancetta or even bacon rather than guanciale – but it stuck with me.
Talk to us about guilty pleasures…
A Bleecker burger – it never misses. I used to live near one of their dark kitchens, so it would arrive in ten minutes, still piping hot, which was dangerous. Another one is curry goat with rice and peas. If I’ve had a stressful day and I’m on my own, I’ll often order it – because the portion is enormous and I don’t want anyone to see me eat it all. Fried plantain, some proper scotch bonnet hot sauce on the side – that’s heaven.
And your death-row meal?
I think I’d start with a dozen escargot – I love them with a whole baguette, and loads of garlic and herb butter. Then a proper carbonara as my pasta course. For main, a big bistecca alla fiorentina – a Tuscan T-bone steak. I’m not really a dessert person, but I’d finish with madeleines from the French House – they’re not too sweet – with a glass of dessert wine.
What’s your go-to drink order?
Usually a beer, depending on where I am and my mood. If it’s a cocktail, it’d be a negroni or a Campari soda. I also love a martini – gin, sometimes dirty, sometimes just with a twist. Frank’s Bar under Maison François is a great spot for cocktails and the food’s brilliant too.
If you could cook for three people, who would they be?
Stephen Fry, because I’d love to hear him telling stories while I cook. Nigella, of course – I’ve always loved her relaxed style of cooking, and I like her line about being a cook not a chef, which I’ve sort of stolen for myself. And then, a bit different, but Loyle Carner. I met him briefly the other day at an Ottolenghi event and he was lovely – and he’s big into his food. I think he’d bring great energy to the table.
One cuisine for the rest of your life?
It would have to be Italian. Italy is so special because it’s held on to its regional cooking and identity. That can cause heated debates online when I cook something one region’s way and someone from another region disagrees, but that’s part of what I love about it. There’s still so much for me to discover, and I definitely plan to.
If you did open a restaurant, what would it be like?
It would be a pub. I love The Fox in the Cotswolds – when you walk in, it still feels like a proper pub, but the food and art are fantastic. I’d want to create something like that in London: a real pub atmosphere downstairs where you can just have a pint or some pub grub, then a smarter dining room upstairs with a weekly changing menu, a bit more refined, with Italian influences and always seasonal. If I won the lottery, I’d have a farm and source everything from there.
Finally, James, what’s your foodie hill to die on?
I’ve got two. First: seasonality. I bang on about it all the time, but I think it’s the key to better, more sustainable eating. Second: there’s no excuse for bad food. It doesn’t take much to make a dish good – you don’t need fancy training, just a little thought and care. Once you’ve done that a few times it becomes second nature. Even with cheap ingredients, you can make something delicious. I don’t think it’s all about money – I know people who earn plenty who still eat rubbish food.
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