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Telegraph
05-05-2025
- Telegraph
London's 10 greatest gardens
London may be a sprawling metropolis, but it's also a garden lover's paradise. With more than 3,000 parks and green spaces, the capital offers everything from manicured royal gardens to secret urban oases and plants with a view. Whether you're after a tranquil afternoon among roses or a chance to see rare orchids under glass, London's gardens deliver sensory delights and unexpected discoveries at every turn. If you're having a busy day of sightseeing, factor in a date with nature for that all-important reset. Before you go, it's worth checking opening hours – some gardens are seasonal or host events that may affect access. Here's our pick of the capital's finest green spaces. For further London inspiration, see our guides to the capital's best hotels, restaurants, nightlife, shopping and things to do. For family-focused places to stay, check out our guide to the best family-friendly hotels in London. Kew Gardens Arguably the crown jewel of British horticulture, the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew is a Unesco World Heritage Site boasting more than 50,000 living plants. Housing the world's most diverse collection of living plants, Kew's highlights include the soaring Palm House, the Japanese Gateway, and the recently restored Temperate House – the largest surviving Victorian glasshouse in the world. With 321 acres to explore, Kew is a deep dive into global plant diversity and breathtaking landscape design. The gardens also include the ornate Great Pagoda and Kew Palace – the former summer residence of King George III, which is open in the summer months. Insider tip: For a bird's-eye view of the gardens, walk along the 60ft-high Treetop Walkway. Stop by Petersham Nurseries in nearby Richmond for lunch with botanical flair. Contact: Price: Adults £22; free for children under four How to get there: Kew Gardens Station (District line or Overground); 10-minute walk. Parking available but limited Barbican Conservatory A brutalist surprise, the Barbican's hidden conservatory is the second-largest in London and feels like a futuristic jungle. It was built in 1984 at the request of the then-resident Royal Shakespeare Company to disguise the Barbican's fly tower. Nestled within the concrete and glass of the iconic arts complex, its tropical plants climb the concrete beams, while koi glide beneath steel walkways. You will find it on level three, where two floors of bridges, walkways and streams unfold before you. Plants hang suspended in mid-air, with towering Kentia palms and lush tree ferns. It's part plant haven, part architectural marvel – and a brilliant respite from the city bustle. Insider tip: Go on a Sunday afternoon and catch a matinee performance or explore the Barbican's art exhibitions after your visit. Chelsea Physic Garden Established in 1673 by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries, this is London's oldest botanic garden and a medicinal plant treasure trove. Spread across three and a half acres, this delightful English garden is home to one of Europe's oldest rock gardens, a herb garden rich with culinary and medicinal plants, botanical order beds, glasshouses, rare specimens and tender species – plus the largest outdoor olive tree in Britain. Tucked behind high brick walls along the Thames, it's home to more than 4,500 medicinal, edible and useful plants. Insider tip: Spring is prime time for rare alpine blooms. Grab a table at the garden café for herbal-infused cakes and teas. Eltham Palace Gardens Once a cherished medieval palace and the childhood home of Henry VIII, Eltham Palace was later transformed into a stunning art deco mansion by the eccentric millionaires Stephen and Virginia Courtauld. The grounds of Eltham Palace and Gardens feature 19 acres of original medieval gardens, as well as some unusual art deco elements and one of London's oldest working bridges over the moat. Water trickles down the stones and cascades into the beautiful rock garden. With formal rose gardens and herbaceous borders, it's a fascinating study in layered landscaping. Insider tip: Combine your visit with the palace interior for a time-travelling double bill. Step inside this stylish home, equipped with cutting-edge 1930s technology, and glimpse the Courtaulds' lavish way of life. Kyoto Garden, Holland Park This serene Japanese garden in the heart of West London was a gift from Kyoto to celebrate the Japan Festival in 1991. Tucked within the leafy expanse of Holland Park, the Kyoto Garden offers a serene retreat from London's bustle. This meticulously crafted green space blends traditional design with natural beauty. Cascading waterfalls, ornamental ponds filled with koi carp, and immaculately pruned shrubs create a landscape that invites quiet reflection. Stone lanterns and tiered walkways add authenticity, while peacocks roam freely across the manicured lawns. The Kyoto Garden remains a testament to cultural exchange and enduring craftsmanship. Insider tip: Visit early morning midweek to avoid crowds and enjoy the soft dappled light. Bring a book and settle under the ginkgo tree. Gardens at Buckingham Palace Usually hidden from public view, the 39-acre gardens at Buckingham Palace are a rare glimpse into the Royal family's private green retreat. With sweeping lawns, 156 plane trees, a three-and-a-half-acre lake and a spectacular herbaceous border, the gardens feel surprisingly secluded despite their central London location. During summer opening months, visitors can stroll specially designed trails past wildflower meadows, rose gardens and beehives producing royal honey. Insider tip: Book in advance for July to September, when full garden tours are available. Late afternoons tend to be quieter. Contact: Price: Adult tickets from £16.50 for garden-only access; the gardens are also available to visit as part of a full-tour ticket. How to get there: Green Park Station (Victoria, Jubilee, Piccadilly lines); five-minute walk. The Garden at 120 Perched atop one of the City's modern towers, The Garden at 120 offers a rare, free-to-enter green space with sweeping views across London. Set 15 storeys above Fenchurch Street, this elegantly landscaped rooftop is planted with wisteria, wildflowers and olive trees, creating a peaceful escape from this hectic part of town. Wooden decking, flowing water features and thoughtfully designed seating areas encourage visitors to linger. Unlike many city gardens, no booking is required, making it one of London's most accessible – and uplifting – sky-high retreats. Insider tip: Visit just before sunset for golden-hour views of the Gherkin and St Paul's. Nearby Fortnum & Mason's Royal Exchange café is ideal for a stylish post-visit coffee. St Dunstan in the East Once the proud work of Christopher Wren, this bomb-damaged church has evolved into one of London's most haunting and beautiful secret gardens. Ivy and fig trees weave through crumbling stonework, while soaring Gothic arches frame secluded patches of greenery. Destroyed during the Blitz, the ruins have been lovingly reclaimed by nature, creating a space that feels both timeless and quietly moving. Today, St Dunstan in the East is a serene retreat for City workers, photographers and visitors in search of stillness, just minutes from the Tower of London. Insider tip: Bring a sandwich and take a quiet lunch break as part of your tour of this historic part of London. Phoenix Garden A biophilic retreat away from the tourist madness of Covent Garden? Phoenix Garden is that. Tucked between Covent Garden and Soho's bustling streets, the Phoenix Garden is a rare pocket of tranquillity in the heart of London's West End. This community-run space was established in the 1980s and has evolved into a charming urban wildlife haven, with wildflower meadows, native planting and hidden benches perfect for a quiet pause. Bees, butterflies and even the occasional frog thrive among the greenery. Despite its central location, the garden remains delightfully under the radar – a perfect stop for weary shoppers, theatre-goers or anyone seeking a breath of fresh air. Insider tip: Visit in late spring when the wildflowers are at their best, and pick up lunch from nearby Seven Dials Market, packed with independent food stalls. The Hill Garden and Pergola, Hampstead Perched above Hampstead Heath, this semi-wild Edwardian garden remains one of London's most romantic hidden corners. Built in 1906 by philanthropist Lord Leverhulme for lavish summer parties, its once-pristine stone columns and walkways are now charmingly overgrown with vines. The faded grandeur only adds to its dreamy atmosphere, making it a favourite for quiet strolls and picnics with City views. Insider tip: Visit at golden hour for atmospheric photography and combine it with a walk on nearby Hampstead Heath. Natural History Museum Wildlife Garden The Natural History Museum is, of course, one of London's top – and consequently busiest – attractions, but this garden still feels under the radar. Hidden behind the museum's grand Victorian façade, the Wildlife Garden, established in 1995, is a living showcase of Britain's rich biodiversity, with woodland, meadow, pond and hedgerow habitats carefully recreated. More than 3,000 species have been recorded here, from dragonflies to hedgehogs, offering a rare glimpse of native nature in the middle of South Kensington. It's an inspiring counterpoint to the museum's grand indoor exhibitions – and a perfect spot for a peaceful, al fresco moment amid scientific discovery. Insider tip: Arrive early in the day on weekdays when the garden is at its quietest and the wildlife is most active. How we choose Every garden in this curated list has been tried and tested by our destination expert, to provide you with their insider perspective. We cover a range of budgets and styles, from church grounds to botanical gardens – to best suit every type of visitor. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest openings and provide up to date recommendations. About our expert Alison Taylor moved from Yorkshire to London 18 years ago and never looked back. She will mainly be found eating and drinking in East London, or grabbing dumplings in Chinatown and a taking wander through the reassuring madness of Soho.
Times
02-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Times
How a model became the UK's hippest flower grower
Alfie Nickerson is not one to be discouraged by early failure. As an enterprising child he recalls plucking daffodils and attempting to sell them to his dad, who always refused to buy them. Now, however, he runs Burnt Fen Flowers, which specialises in seasonal blooms loved by the likes of Loewe and Petersham Nurseries. His bunches of bombastic dahlias and exotically ruffled parrot tulips are social media catnip and Nickerson has garnered a cult following for Burnt Fen Flowers' deliciously styled Instagram snaps, which channel laid-back, bucolic bliss. The occasional model grew up in Shepherd's Bush, west London. After leaving school he worked as a jobbing gardener in the capital for six years, suppressing the call of the countryside until, eventually, 'I reached a
The Guardian
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘It was very difficult to hold on to': are Michelin stars a blessing - or a curse?
Time was, the ultimate honour for any ambitious chef was to gain a Michelin star or two. Better still, three. But these days, the world of fine dining is in a state of flux. Far from going to any lengths to schmooze critics or diners, restaurateurs are taking them on, from publicly berating customers who don't spend enough to ejecting anyone who even threatens to leave an unfavourable review. Nowhere is this gear change more noticeable than in attitudes towards the esteemed 'red book', the Michelin Guide. Last October, Giglio, a restaurant in the Italian town of Lucca, asked for its star to be removed from the guide. It had become a burden, according to co-owner, Benedetto Rullo. Many diners were deterred by the prospect of 'fussy' food and a formal atmosphere. 'One should be able to go to a fine restaurant in a T-shirt, flip-flops and shorts,' Rullo said. This year in France, the chef Marc Veyrat took the unprecedented step of banning Michelin inspectors from his eponymous new restaurant in the super-chic ski resort of Megève. It must be said that Veyrat has form with Michelin. In 2019, at his previous restaurant, he was outraged to have one of his three stars removed. The reason? Inspectors accused him of using cheddar in a soufflé. Imagine! Rather than taking it on the chin, Veyrat took Michelin to court. He lost the case and Michelin called him 'a narcissistic diva'. Given that Michelin stars are known to significantly boost a restaurateur's takings (by 20% for a single star, 40% for two and 100% for three, said the late Joël Robuchon, who won 31 of them), why would anyone want to keep the inspectors at bay? Particularly as Michelin's undercover reviewers pay the bill rather than expecting to eat for nothing, and Veyrat's current eight-course tasting menu (sample dish: meadowsweet emulsion on a lobster tartlet) costs a crunchy €450 (£385) per head. Veyrat said that, although the matter was very close to his heart, he was too busy to explain his reasoning. Instead, he sent us a photo of his chalkboard message to Michelin. It opens with the line: 'Shame on the gravediggers of French gastronomy.' One reason for chefs' antipathy towards the guide is the extreme pressure to live up to the accolade. These criticisms of Michelin have been rumbling for a long time: in 2012, the chef Skye Gyngell complained that the star she won at Petersham Nurseries in London had become a curse, and 'prayed' she would never be awarded another. Finally walking away from the restaurant, she said it had become too busy and there had been too many complaints from customers expecting a type of fine dining experience at odds with her more casual style. Running a restaurant at this level is stressful. Last year, the Belfast-based restaurateur Michael Deane was faced with a dilemma. A veteran of the city's dining scene, he gained his first Michelin star 30 years ago and not only held on to it but also opened several other establishments. Then his head chef at the one-star Eipic left to set up his own business. 'I was left on the back foot,' Deane says. 'Did I want to hire an egotistical high-end chef to come in on £50,000 to do three tables at lunch, two at dinner, and have to employ six waiters? Did I want to get back into the kitchen at that level? I didn't think so. I'm better at business than cooking. Or was it time to think about change? It was a very, very difficult decision.' In the end, he decided to renovate the space, merging it with an adjacent restaurant. 'I decided to do a menu that chefs didn't rate, and to stop using cheffy nonsense words like 'emulsion' and 'textures'. I brought the prices down to what people could afford.' The result was the 90-seater MrDeanes, serving sweet and sour chicken wings, burgers and fish and chips alongside oysters and brie fritters with truffle honey. He admits he misses the glamour of having a star. 'It was very, very difficult to hold on to it. Some people say it's just a stick to beat yourself with. But I enjoyed having it and for nearly 30 years I stood over that stove and Michelin was the holy grail. It's an international currency. If you go abroad and you tell someone you've got a Michelin star, they know about you and they know you've got a standard.' But in recent years, Michelin has struggled to stay relevant to a new generation of diners and influencers. It has introduced 'green stars' to honour sustainability, and expanded its geographical and culinary reach – which might explain why El Califa de León, a three-metre-square taco restaurant in Mexico City, ended up being awarded a star. These changes have not all been successful, according to Andy Hayler, a food blogger who has reviewed 1,000 restaurants in London and 2,000 worldwide. Until the pandemic, Hayler had eaten at every three-star Michelin restaurant in the world, a project he funded with his day job as an IT professional. 'Between 2016 and 2018, Michelin were forced to change their business model,' he says. 'No one was buying print guidebooks any more, so they started taking money from tourist boards in places like America, China and Korea.' In South Korea, tourist officials were reported to have offered Michelin £1.4m to produce a guide to Seoul. 'The problem is, there is a conflict of interest with that,' says Hayler. 'It's extremely unlikely that Michelin is going to take millions of dollars from a tourist board and then say: 'Oh, sorry – all your restaurants are crap, so no stars for you.' Michelin insist that the process of selecting restaurants and awarding stars has not been compromised, with separate teams responsible for sponsorships and ratings. But Hayler says that the standard of the newer three-star establishments was getting 'dodgier and dodgier' and eventually, with the advent of lockdown travel restrictions, he decided to abandon his mission. 'I wasn't prepared to jump on a plane and fly to Taipei or South Korea every time Michelin landed a new contract with a tourist board.' There are also problems with the quality of Michelin's online prose – much of which suggests artificial intelligence. One example, for a two-star Japanese establishment in Seoul, reads: 'A culmination of such painstaking effort, the fare at Mitou genuinely reflects a sense of earnestness, modesty and dedication harbored by the two chefs as eternal students of culinary art. It thus comes as no surprise that customers eagerly anticipate Mitou's new offerings every season.' Hayler takes issue with this, though. 'Oh no, the writing was that bad long before AI came around,' he says. 'Historically, the guides only included symbols, not text – like the Rosetta Stone but for restaurants. Then, when the first city guide, New York, appeared, they started to hire copywriters. People were hoping to read all these juicy insights from Michelin inspectors – but that isn't what they got.' Of course, there are reasons beyond economic pressure why Michelin is struggling to retain cultural capital. When the guide was launched in 1900 by the tyre company's founders, brothers André and Édouard Michelin, it was designed to help car owners plan their trips. Nowadays, its selling point is catering-industry expertise. Michelin's PR hub claims that its assessments are made based on five objective criteria: quality of the ingredients used, mastery of flavour and cooking techniques, the personality of the chef in his cuisine, value for money and consistency between visits. But now we have TripAdvisor, Google reviews and endless influencers peddling their opinions, does anyone care very much about opaque points systems and meticulous industry knowledge? Elizabeth Auerbach has been writing her blog Elizabeth on Food for 15 years. 'I do believe that if you are a chef, Michelin still carries a lot of weight. For most, the day they are awarded their first Michelin star is probably still one of the most important days of their life. But for diners, I'm not so sure. I mean, for someone my age – I'm 51 – we still value the whole fine dining experience with all the bells and whistles. But many younger people don't care about it because they can't afford it. It's getting increasingly expensive, too.' She mentions that the two-star Ikoyi, a West African-inspired restaurant in London, now charges £350 for its tasting menu, the kind of prices you only used to see at three-star restaurants. Although Auerbach is known as an expert in her field and now publishes a food guide to Amsterdam, she has never been approached to be an inspector. 'I couldn't do it, anyway. You have to eat two full meals a day, five days a week. That would be too much!' Karan Gokani, co-founder of Hoppers Sri Lankan restaurants in London and author of a bestselling cookbook, agrees that the concept of fine dining is out of step with how we live now. He fell in love with Michelin-star food when he came to the UK from India to study law. 'I used to be very enamoured of these chefs who do multi-course kitchen concepts and about 15 processes in every dish. But now it's got to the point where, as a diner, I just want a quick meal. It's not only the cost – sometimes you just want things to be on your terms. I want wholesome food at a pace that I can dictate. Maybe I want the starters and mains to turn up at the same time. Maybe I want to order a few dishes, and then I want a few more. A restaurant should be a dialogue. A lot of the Michelin-star places have turned a meal into one long monologue.' Gokani says that one of his biggest frustrations with the guide is its inconsistency. 'When you go out and give a star to a street-food vendor, it becomes very tricky. You're not comparing like with like. Even in fine dining, it's not consistent across territory. I used to live in Copenhagen and I know that the one-star restaurants there were often of equivalent standard to a two-star kitchen in London. The criteria are still cryptic. What gets you a star?' We asked Michelin to comment on this and other points, but got no response. Ironically, Gokani's Hoppers has had a Michelin Bib Gourmand star since 2017. 'We never chased a star, or expected one,' he says. 'I'm not just saying this because we're in it, but I do think that the best guide for the way we eat out now is one based on price.' The Bib awards started off by honouring menus under £30 but now have the more nebulous criteria of 'affordable dining'. And, for all his protests about Michelin, Deane has also been awarded a Bib. However, he, too, questions the affordability of fine dining in the current economic climate. 'If I had a Michelin star at the moment, would my old restaurant be packed out? I'm not so sure,' he says. 'We struggled a bit towards the end. I've got a mortgage. I've got to put petrol in the car. I've got the VAT. Having a Michelin star is not always top of mind. And you have to get real. These days, our biggest competitor is probably not Michelin Bibs or even any other restaurant. As their Dine In menus get better and better, it's Marks & Spencer.' Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
Telegraph
19-02-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Petersham Nurseries blames Brexit and the Budget as its restaurants close
The family behind Petersham Nurseries has blamed Brexit, Covid and the Budget as it announced it was closing its two Covent Garden restaurants for good. Floral Court restaurants, part of the Petersham Nurseries empire, said that La Goccia and The Petersham restaurants shut for the last time on Sunday following six years of operation. Management said they had 'struggled to reconcile revenues with fixed property costs and debts, business rates and recent increases in staff costs and the looming impact of the recent Budget'. Lara Boglione, the daughter of the company's founders who now runs Petersham Nurseries, took the decision to close the two restaurants after months exploring options 'in view of the significant cost challenges they have faced, in addition to legacy issues relating to the trading impact of Covid and Brexit.' The Telegraph reported last month that Petersham UK, which ran the two restaurants in Covent Garden, had declared in High Court filings that it planned to appoint administrators. This gave it breathing space while attempting to negotiate lower rents with landlord Shaftesbury Capital. The closures only relates to The Petersham and La Goccia, and not the wider Petersham Nurseries business, which includes a garden nursery, lifestyle shop and a Michelin Green-starred restaurant in Richmond. The Boglione family launched the Petersham brand in the early 2000s from their home Petersham House – a 17th-century property in Richmond. After taking over the neighbouring garden nursery in 2000, Italian entrepreneur Francesco and his wife, Gael, set about establishing Petersham Nurseries, which opened its doors in 2002. It has since become known as one of the UK's most luxurious garden centres, selling everything from £180 secateurs to £85 planters. The Bogliones – whose friends are also said to include Richard E Grant – still live at Petersham House, where they have an extensive private collection of art including pieces by Damien Hirst, Gary Hume and Antony Gormley. Lara Boglione, the couple's daughter, took over the day-to-day running of the business in 2011 and broadened out the family empire to also include a wine merchant called Petersham Cellars. She was also the driving force behind the family's decision to open their Covent Garden restaurants in 2018. Ms Boglione said: 'We are hugely proud of what we have achieved. We look forward to welcoming our loyal Covent Garden customers to our beautiful sister restaurant in Richmond. Nonetheless, faced with unsustainably high costs, is it time to move on and consider new locations. We look forward to reporting better news in due course.' News of their closure comes weeks before higher employer National Insurance contributions come into effect. Oxford Economics has predicted that the tax rise could cost 55,000 jobs. Andrew Goodwin, of Oxford Economics, said: 'Sectors with the greatest reliance on lower-paying roles, such as hospitality, art and recreation, and wholesale and retail, look highly vulnerable to job losses.' Jo Milner, of liquidators Buchler Phillips, which is overseeing the closures, said: 'This is a clearly disappointing for La Goccia and The Petersham, which, in other circumstances, could once again be a stable business, in line with others in the Petersham Nurseries group. 'It's a very difficult landscape: last year almost 3,500 hospitality businesses became insolvent against a background of tight consumer spending and growing staff costs as a result of the Budget.'
The Independent
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
The couples who run restaurants together (and somehow stay together)
Running a restaurant is no small feat. Running a restaurant with your life partner? That's a whole different level of madness. It's not just about nailing the perfect dish or managing a packed service – it's about doing it all while navigating the quirks, habits and occasional chaos of your significant other. There's no hiding a bad mood when you're stuck in the kitchen with no escape. We spoke to four hospitality power couples about the reality of mixing business with romance, the highs and lows of working together and how they keep the spark alive beyond the pass. 'We met when we were both working at Petersham Nurseries in Covent Garden,' says Aaron Potter, who co-founded Wildflowers with his partner, Laura Hart. 'Laura was the retail manager of the shop and I was the head chef of one of the restaurants.' Aaron had always dreamed of opening his own restaurant: 'It just felt natural to do it with Laura. Her creativity and eye for detail means we have been able to create a space that feels like us." For James Knappett and Sandia Chang of two Michelin -star Kitchen Table, their love story began with a bold move – quite literally, in the middle of a service. 'We met working together at Per Se restaurant in New York City. At that time, I was working as a back server and just arrived a year later on a 1.5-year training visa from England,' says Sandia. 'James was very vocal and with the accent, it was hard not to notice! He asked me out whilst I was clearing plates in the dish area, so that his head chef wouldn't see him flirting with girls during service.' Smooth? Maybe not. Effective? Clearly. Aushi and Eroshan Meewella, the husband-and-wife team behind Kolamba and Kolamba East, first crossed paths 24 years ago at a dinner in Little Italy. 'Eroshan was a friend of my sister's and I happened to be visiting from university,' Aushi recalls. 'We had worked together prior to Kolamba (as he worked in property and I am an interior designer) and the partnership seemed to work – so we thought, why not!' For Roisin Stimpson and Edmund Weil, the dream was there from the very start. 'We both always loved hosting, vintage design and old-school jazz music (Rosie is also a jazz singer),' they explain. 'Since we first got together at university in Dublin more than 20 years ago, we dreamed of a speakeasy/cabaret bar which would resurrect the old-school glamour of the Twenties and Thirties. It's a dream we were lucky enough to fulfil when we opened Nightjar in 2010.' It takes a particular kind of dynamic to work alongside a partner day in, day out, and still want to sit down for dinner together at the end of it. 'The best part about working with your partner is the trust we have in each other,' says Sandia. 'We know that we will always have each other's back in any challenging circumstances. We know that we will never sabotage each other and that we will always want the best for each other. We challenge each other but for the same mutual purpose of helping each other become better.' Aaron agrees, adding: 'There are many great things about working together – firstly that we actually get to see each other! It also means we both have each other for support. When one of us is having a tough day, the other one knows how to intervene or lift some of that pressure off.' That trust, and a clear sense of direction, is something Aaron and Laura also credit for their ability to work together. 'We're lucky that we haven't had many disagreements, largely because we share such a clear vision of what we want to achieve with the restaurant and tend to think similarly,' Aaron says. 'Of course, small differences in opinion crop up now and then, but we trust each other's instincts. We've also learnt when to table a discussion and revisit it later, rather than pressing the point to the stage of conflict.' For Roisin and Edmund, the biggest challenge is financial pressure. 'The most challenging thing is probably the fact that our financial fates are entwined, which rather puts the pressure on to make things work. If one of us fails, we both fail!' It's a sentiment echoed by Aushi, who acknowledges that their business is something that extends beyond working hours. 'Being an entrepreneur means you work 24/7 – even when on holiday, we never switch off as it's our business and our reputation. But we are trying to get better at it by hiring really capable team players who see themselves as vested in these businesses as we are.' 'In honesty, we kind of play it by ear,' says Roisin. 'One of the benefits of working together is you always have something interesting to talk about, but there are certainly date nights when one of us will pipe up with a business matter and have to be told to pipe down again!' Luckily, they make time for each other. 'Our bars are generally formed in the image of our perfect night out – great food, drinks and live music in a romantic setting. We also try to get away on a short break sans kids every year. Last year was the Orient Express, this year is Paris.' With hospitality being an all-consuming industry, finding time for each other outside of work isn't always easy. 'We really do try, but between children and work, it is always hard to find time,' says Sandia. 'We used to just take advantage of unexpected free time, but these rarely came along. Now we have made a new year's resolution to have lunch or coffee once a week, and a date night once a month.' Roisin and Edmund also make a conscious effort to carve out quality time, even if it's just 'a movie night, playing tennis (Rosie normally wins!), or visiting one of our venues.' For Aaron and Laura, it's the small things: 'Even just a walk down to the local pub or a dinner out. Now, we see each other more than we ever have, and we're able to nurture our relationship in a new way by supporting each other in the day-to-day running of the restaurant.' For some, working together has deepened their relationship in ways they didn't anticipate. 'Opening a restaurant is absolutely bonkers – it's incredibly stressful and pushes you to your limits. It demands a huge amount of trust in each other,' says Aaron. 'Now more than ever, we have a shared goal, and seeing your partner thrive in such a challenging environment is truly inspiring.' James reflects on how their professional partnership has evolved over time. 'I think we definitely have a stronger bond, like soldiers of war. I wouldn't say that it has deepened our relationship in a good way, but we have really learned to respect each other's boundaries better – knowing better when and how to speak to each other, and even more importantly knowing when to just not talk to each other.' Inevitably, tensions arise. Some couples put firm boundaries in place, while others accept that work and home life will always blend together. 'Many people say to completely separate work and personal life but I think it is impossible,' says Sandia. 'Heated arguments at work sometimes result in bad vibes at home, and a nice morning at home may result in a more positive outlook at work. Our life is work and our work is life. We live and breathe the same standards and ethos for both work and personal life.' James admits they've had to learn how to pick their battles. 'Now that we are almost 13 years into working together, we have learned how to pick fights. We have learned that some things are not worth arguing over. We have also learned how to better let go of the emotions at work when we leave work. It may not always be 100 per cent fault-proof but we are getting better. We now have an unwritten and unspoken rule that we do not discuss work-related issues during the weekends. It's a 99 per cent success rate.' When it comes to advice for other couples considering going into business together, the consensus is clear: communication and trust are everything. 'Keep an open dialogue, always support each other, and stay aligned with the shared vision you're working toward,' says Aaron. 'Don't forget to celebrate the small wins along the way – and most importantly, have fun.' Aushi agrees: 'Patience, trust and respect are key – you have to really trust your partner and respect them for the decisions they make, even though it may not be what you would have done.' For James, it's about remembering that even in the most stressful moments, you're on the same side. 'There are no written rules that apply to every single couple. If you feel like you need to go to sleep angry at each other from the day, or need some time to not speak to each other, that's also perfectly fine. But always remind yourselves that the two of you have each other's back, no matter what the argument is about.' Roisin adds, 'Although we don't see 100 per cent eye to eye all of the time, on the whole, doing business together is a positive for our personal relationship. Running a business – especially in the hospitality sector – involves lots of daily decision-making which can often feel high pressure. To have each other as a sounding board and to be able to make important decisions together has made running the business less pressurised and more enjoyable for both of us.' 'We've heard countless couples we know tell us they could never work together,' says Edmund. 'And yet after 12 years, it's hard for us to imagine doing it any other way. It requires clear communication, empathy and cooperation at all times, which can take a lot of effort, but we feel it's a dynamic that should underlie any healthy relationship – working together just gives you a lot of practice!' For these couples, love isn't just about candlelit dinners – it's about navigating a fully booked Saturday night, celebrating the small wins and knowing when to let your partner have the last word. If they can survive the heat of the kitchen, they can survive anything. Scallop crudo By: Aaron Potter, Wildflowers Note: It's important that the scallops you use for this are incredibly fresh, and if you're wary of eating raw shellfish, you can freeze the scallops and defrost them overnight in the fridge to ensure they are safe to eat. You can shuck your own scallops if you can source them live, however a local fishmonger will always prepare them for you. For this recipe, you will only need the white scallop meat, not the roe, as this part isn't pleasant to eat raw. Ingredients: 4 large hand dived scallops Extra virgin olive oil 1 lime 2 clementines 2 tbsp pomegranate seeds 1 red chilli Sugar Sea salt ¼ bunch coriander ¼ bunch basil Method: 1. Zest and juice the lime and mix with the same weight in sugar and olive oil. Stir to dissolve the sugar and season with sea salt. 2. Wash the basil and coriander and finely chop both, including the stalks from the coriander. 3. Using a blowtorch, or on top of your gas burner, scorch the chilli all over and rub off the skin, remove the seeds and finely dice. Add to the lime dressing. 4. Peel the clementine and cut each segment into 3 pieces, saving any juice and adding it to the dressing. 5. To serve, dice the scallops a similar size as the clementines and season with a little sea salt. Place the scallops in a small mixing bowl, add the clementines, the pomegranate seeds and a spoonful of each of the herbs. Pour over the dressing and stir gently to combine. Leave to sit for 2 or 3 minutes and adjust the seasoning with salt, lime juice or sugar if necessary. 6. Spoon into a shallow bowl or plate, ensuring the scallops are divided evenly between the two portions, and finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a fine zesting of clementine or lime zest. Spicy cumin lamb By: Sandia Chang, Kitchen Table 'This easy dish is always mine and James's go-to, and so comforting over a bowl of warm rice.' Serves: 4 Ingredients: 3 tbsp canola oil 2 tbsp ground cumin 1 ½ tsp crushed red pepper 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce 1 tbsp cornstarch 2 tsp toasted sesame oil 1 tsp sugar Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 ¼ pounds trimmed boneless lamb shoulder, thinly sliced 1 large white onion, cut into 1 ½-inch pieces ½ cup coriander leaves ¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth Steamed rice, to serve Method: 1. In a large bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the canola oil with the cumin, crushed red pepper, soy sauce, cornstarch, sesame oil, sugar and 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. 2. Add the lamb and onion and turn to coat. Let stand for at least 10 minutes, but best overnight. 3. Heat a large cast-iron skillet until very hot. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of canola oil and swirl to coat. 4. Add the lamb and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes. 5. Add the broth and cook, stirring and scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the skillet, until the broth has evaporated, about 2 minutes. 6. Stir in the coriander at the end off the heat. Serve with rice. Ceylon chicken curry rice By: Kolamba Ingredients: 2 tbsp vegetable oil ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds 8 curry leaves 2 medium, thinly sliced onions 6 cloves, finely chopped garlic Thumb-sized piece ginger, finely chopped 1 ½ tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp mild chilli powder 10g roasted curry powder (see ingredient/method below) 2 tbsp white wine vinegar 2 peeled and chopped tomatoes 6 pods, cracked cardamom 5 cracked cloves 1 stick cinnamon 1 stick, bruised lemongrass 5cm piece (optional) pandan leaf 8 skinless chicken thighs 350ml tin coconut milk 2 tsp lemon juice Salt, to season To serve: Cooked rice For the roasted curry powder: 4 pods, seeds extracted and shells discarded cardamom 1 tsp basmati rice 1 tsp coriander seeds 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp black peppercorns 1 tsp black mustard seeds 1 tsp fennel seeds 4 cloves Method: 1. To make the roasted curry powder, put all of the ingredients into a large frying pan and cook over a medium heat for a couple of minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Cool before grinding in a pestle and mortar. Keep any leftover powder in an airtight container (for up to one month). 2. Heat the oil and fry the fenugreek seeds and curry leaves until the leaves start to brown. 3. Add the onion, garlic and ginger, and fry gently for 10 minutes or until the onion is soft. 4. Add the ground turmeric, chilli powder, 10g of the roasted curry powder, a pinch of salt and the vinegar, and stir well. 5. Add the tomatoes, whole spices, lemongrass and pandan leaf, if using, then add the chicken 6. Stir to coat the chicken pieces in the spices, cover and cook for 10 minutes over a medium heat. Add the coconut milk, cover and cook on low for 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is tender. 7. The curry might look dry at first but liquid will be released from the chicken during the process. 8. Check seasoning, and add a squeeze of lemon juice (if you like) before serving with rice. Rio Verde By: Samelt Ali, bar director at Oriole Ingredients: 40ml Altos Plata tequila 10ml Rinquinquin a la peche (or Sauvignon Blanc as an alternative) 25g tamarillo juice (or fresh passion fruit pulp as an alternative) 12ml lemon juice 12ml sugar syrup 25ml watermelon juice A small pinch of Maldon salt Method: 1. Shake all the ingredients together and serve over ice in a rock glass. 2. Garnish with a fresh mint sprig and berries to serve.
