10th Anniversary Special
THE DISH I MUST HAVE Steak & Malbec
Ruby McGregor-Smith CBE, Chief Executive, Mitie Group plc & Francesca Findlater, founder & CEO of Bounce Back Foundation.
Fran ⁓ "There’s a consistency of quality at Roast, and a purity to the food, a celebration of the ingredients. I like that they keep it simple but still do it so well, and the steak and the Ruca Malen Malbec is a great example. When you eat out a lot, you realise when things stand out and Roast’s attention to detail is always memorable." What was here before Roast? The portico was from the Royal Opera house in Covent Garden. It was bought for £1 by Borough market trustees. What we know today as The Floral Hall used to be a storage space until Roast took it over.
Ruby ⁓ "My husband was a vegetarian for 15 years. I managed it for three months! Not that I eat a lot of meat now but, when I do, I want it to be good and the steak at Roast is some of the best I’ve ever tasted. It's stunning. The sourcing and preparation are impeccable. When you're in this setting, a part of London that's a celebration of food, it's great that there's a restaurant that brings all of that together."
What are your Signature dishes? • Oysters with wild boar chipolatas
The Full Scottish
• Burford Brown scotch egg with haggis
“If I have breakfast meetings at Roast, I always order the Full Scottish. I love black pudding – well, any pork product really – but the nicely excessive scale of The Full Scottish is always a point of conversation. It’s so full on – it’s the whole farm on a plate – so If you don’t know the person you’re meeting, it’s an ice breaker…and it keeps you going until about 3:30 in the afternoon.”
Carlos Miranda, Chief Executive of strateg y consultancy I.G. Advisors
• Slow roasted free range pork belly with apple sauce • Apple Crumble with custard Do we source our produce from the market? Bread Ahead, Neal’s Yard Cheeses, our fruit and vegetables.
Image credit: Timeout
Films and TV
How long have you been open? Since 2005 – 10 years Is music played in the restaurant? Monday-Saturday 6.30pm - 10.00pm and Sunday 1.00pm - 7.30pm Who designed the building? Greig and Stephenson Where do you get your ‘Roast’ branded wine from? Chapel Down, Kent and Ruca Malen. Argentina What sort of events are hosted at the restaurant? Everything imaginable from book launches and dining events to charity events and we’re very popular for weddings. You can hire the whole building, half of the restaurant, or just the bar. Why a British restaurant after an Indian one? With The Cinnamon Club we upgraded the image of Indian food and with Roast we aimed to do the same with British food What was in this space before? Nothing – it was created to be used as a restaurant. Do you have a second Roast / why haven’t there been more Roasts? Watch this space. There will be!
The
KnicKerbocKer Glory
Maya Singh, daughter of Cinnamon Club executive chef Vivek Singh “It’s my favourite dessert anywhere (sorry Dad!). I always have it every time I come to Roast. It’s different every time (there’s a strongly held belief among chefs that no two Knickerbocker Glories should be identical) but it’s always good. The best bits are the fruit and the cream at the top, and the popping candy hidden inside it. And the jelly. And the chocolate flake."
In 2013, Danny Boyle followed up Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours with art-themed thriller Trance, starring James McAvoy, Rosario Dawson and Vincent Cassel. Part of the film was shot in Roast. In 2014, 20th Century Fox brought Jack Bauer out of television retirement and to London for the seventh series of 24, called 24: Live Another Day. Kiefer Sutherland reprised his role as the much put upon agent and, best of all, he got to run past Roast. In 2012, Bollywood director Yash Chopra filmed Jab Tak Hai Jaan in London. This sweeping tale of religion and romance starred Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif – and Roast, as several scenes were filmed around Borough Market.
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Deliciously British