The Dysart Petersham's head chef, Kenneth Culhane, has been made a member of Slow Food UK's renowned Chef Alliance, in recognition of his and the Dysart's owners' longstanding passion for using ‘Forgotten Food' ingredients. The Dysart Petersham is the only restaurant in the Borough with a chef who is a member of this prestigious alliance - other chefs in London include Michel Roux Jr. at Le Gavroche, Giorgio Locatelli at Locanda Locatelli, Angela Hartnett at Murano, and Theo Randall at The InterContinental. ‘Forgotten Foods' are part of Britain's regional food heritage and include Colwick Cheese, Morecambe Bay Shrimp, Middle White Pig and Kentish Cobnuts, all of which are threatened and now being protected.
Commenting on his new membership of the Slow Food Chef Alliance, Kenneth Culhane says: "Becoming part of the Slow Food Chef Alliance is important to us and a great honour. At The Dysart we have always believed in supporting small-scale producers, using unusual ingredients and promoting the use of sustainable, seasonal produce. It is amazing how often these forgotten and traditional items, as well as being delicious, bring little-remembered physical and mental health benefits. Just try finishing a meal with an infusion of borage flowers with organic honey and feel it make a difference. Slow Food celebrates taste, tradition and seasonality, all of which my colleagues and I personally endorse, so it seemed like a natural step and I am proud to belong to this important group.
"The selection of products of the highest quality is paramount to our values, so great care is taken to collaborate with farmers, fishermen and small producers who share our passions. We grow our own unusual herbs, vegetables and fruits, with many heritage varieties of pumpkins, courgettes and tomatoes. We also source our meat and dairy products from farmers who follow natural husbandry and provide their herds with natural, open air and unstressed lives - producing content animals," he adds. "Richmond and the surrounding areas are also abundant in wild ingredients."
There are over 100 Chef Alliance members of Slow Food UK and they include Simon Rogan, Raymond Blanc, Sat Bains, Phil Howard, Galton Blackiston and Shaun Hill. Slow Food is a global, grassroots movement, with thousands of members around the world, which links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment. It is a not-for-profit organisation seeking to promote a better way to eat. Slow Food is currently helping to preserve over 1500 products of which 72 are part of the UK Forgotten Foods project.
The Dysart Petersham will be championing Forgotten Foods throughout the year and will be participating in Slow Food Week, the first week of June, alongside other industry luminaries such as Richard Corrigan and Andy McFadden.
