Ex-El Bulli chef pops up in London
Rob Roy Cameron, a chef who worked alongside culinary legend Ferran Adrià, brings a taste of Spain to London
Since chef Ferran Adrià took the decision in 2010 to close the doors of El Bulli - perhaps the world’s most famous restaurant - graduates of his kitchen have fanned out across the world.
Many of them have mounted new projects of their own, keeping Adrià’s avante-garde approach to cuisine alive, even as the great chef himself has largely avoided new projects of his own.
For the next two weeks, London will get a taste of one of his protégées’ work, as chef Rob Roy Cameron mounts a "pop-up" at Crispin restaurant in Spitalfields.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Cameron's menu is influenced by his time in Spain, and will celebrate the best of British produce, with dishes including squid in smoked broth with preserved strawberries, and cured sardines with pickled onion and fennel water.
Ahead of the pop-up, The Week Portfolio caught up with Cameron to find out what food fanatics should expect.
You have worked in some of the biggest restaurants in the world - including arguably the biggest of them all in El Bulli. What were the three most important things you took away from your time there?
The first thing it taught me was to think differently, change my approach and view of food. You don’t have to do things the way they have always been done, you can find your own way. There isn’t just one way of doing things.
The second is the importance of your team. El Bulli wouldn’t work without the huge number of people working both front of house and back. Even though there were so many people working there, everyone was looked after. The team was referred to as the El Bulli family.
The third is maybe the importance of organisation and efficiency. There were so many moving parts that restaurant that if it wasn’t organised and controlled in every detail it would have been a disaster.
How does working in the restaurant industry in the UK differ from Spain?
It differs in small details but in general it’s pretty similar. I think it takes a certain type of person who chooses to work in the restaurant industry and I think that is the same in any country.
What do you think is the most exciting food London has produced in recent years?
I think for me at the moment what Jeremy at Ikoyi is doing is exciting for London.
And what are you critical of?
I think my one criticism would be that the scene could be more innovative but I think that can only be pushed by a demand from the consumers. My menu at Crispin for this pop-up is innovative and I’m hoping that I will introduce guests to new flavours, textures and ingredients.
You said you had an epiphany when you spent a month travelling by motorbike around Africa and your home country of Botswana. What did you learn through that experience?
I wouldn’t say an epiphany, it just gave me time to think and put things in perspective. When you are submerged in an intense environment such as a fine dining kitchen for such a long time your perspective of things change, and you put importance on things that might not necessarily be that important. So taking a break every now and then helps to remove the blinkers.
What are you bringing to Crispin for your two-week pop-up?
An interesting menu. Challenging the guests’ expectations but still being delicious food.
How will eating out change over the next 20 years?
Twenty years is a long time to predict a change. I think the Deliveroo movement is going to have a huge effect on eating out. It could be that people saying at home.
And where would you like to be by then?
I’d like to have my restaurant established by then and have had a positive influence on the industry.
Rob Roy Cameron will host the guest chef takeover from 3 to 14 September, offering world-class food for only £33.50pp for six courses (or £59 for one of everything between two). For more, visit https://www.crispinlondon.com/
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
H.W. Brands' 6 favorite books that reflect on American history
H.W. Brands is the author of "America First"
By The Week US Published
-
'Musk could receive some attention from federal law enforcement'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Trigger warnings on screen spark dissent
Talking Point Are they a measure of sensitivity or just unnecessary posturing?
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
6 immersive experiences that bend reality
The Week Recommends Take a journey into the fantastic
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
Battersea Power Station: trip to the top
The Week Recommends Head high for a bird's-eye view of the award-winning redevelopment of this landmark building – and views over London
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
6 bustling outdoor markets ripe for exploration
The Week Recommends These lively markets offer shopping with a side of culture
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
Banksy's animal art: method to the mystery?
In the Spotlight Elusive artist's daily series in London sparks joy – and widespread speculation about its meaning
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
One Aldwych: where London's creative spirit takes centre stage
The Week Recommends This five-star Covent Garden hotel is the epitome of elegant independence
By Julia O'Driscoll, The Week UK Published
-
Francis Alÿs: Ricochets – a 'heart-stopping' exhibition at London's Barbican
The Week Recommends 'Mesmerising' films of children at play around the world from Kharkiv to Mosul
By The Week UK Published
-
Raffles London at The OWO review: a quintessentially British stay
The Week Recommends This heritage building has been given a twist as a luxury hotel in the nation's capital
By Leaf Arbuthnot, The Week UK Published
-
7 magnificent hotels to visit before the summer crowds descend
The Week Recommends Have beach time in the Dominican Republic or a spa day in Saint-Tropez
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published