top of page
Poise and subtlety when needed, but then no fear of going balls-out on the big flavours. There’s real art here, and startling originality too.
- Tom Parker Bowles, The DailyMail
Andrew Clarke is Britain's premier rock'n'roll chef, with an award-winning restaurant and vital charity campaign to his name. But it's been a long, hard road. Mark Blake hears a hair-raising tale of drugs, booze and 70-day matured beef.
- Outlaw Magazine
Their food — simple vegetables and sparkling fresh seafood, hearty grilled cuts of meat to share, punchy pickles and foraged herb garnishes — display all their influences. Monkfish glazed with molasses has become a signature dish, while rustic options such as a garlicky dip or an earthy tomato sauce hint at their personalities. (Clarke, in particular, looks thrash metal but cooks with incredible delicacy and finesse.)
- Lisa Markwell, The Sunday Times
Their food — simple vegetables and sparkling fresh seafood, hearty grilled cuts of meat to share, punchy pickles and foraged herb garnishes — display all their influences. Monkfish glazed with molasses has become a signature dish, while rustic options such as a garlicky dip or an earthy tomato sauce hint at their personalities. (Clarke, in particular, looks thrash metal but cooks with incredible delicacy and finesse.)
- Lisa Markwell, The Sunday Times
“I don't want this industry to be seen as something that causes mental health issues. It is hard work and it can cause stress but there's a growing number of people who want to combat that and make it a great place to work. We want to give everyone the tools they need to do so.”
- Andrew Clarke, Big Hospitality
“I don't want this industry to be seen as something that causes mental health issues. It is hard work and it can cause stress but there's a growing number of people who want to combat that and make it a great place to work. We want to give everyone the tools they need to do so.”
- Andrew Clarke, Big Hospitality
Clarke understands and appreciates the noisy, boisterous environment of a kitchen - likening it to the fact that you 'can't play a game of football quietly' - but is vehemently against what happens when this mutates into something far more sadistic: bullying.
- Jess Hardiman, LADbible
Clarke understands and appreciates the noisy, boisterous environment of a kitchen - likening it to the fact that you 'can't play a game of football quietly' - but is vehemently against what happens when this mutates into something far more sadistic: bullying.
- Jess Hardiman, LADbible
PRESS & REVIEWS
... Andrew Clarke, an amiable, tattooed Viking of a man whose creativity I’ve long perved over. His work, like that of a contemporary artist, is rooted in classicism and technique, over which he basically goes a bit tonto.
- Marina O'Laughlin, The Sunday Times
... Andrew Clarke, an amiable, tattooed Viking of a man whose creativity I’ve long perved over. His work, like that of a contemporary artist, is rooted in classicism and technique, over which he basically goes a bit tonto.
- Marina O'Laughlin, The Sunday Times
“I was cooking 100 hours a week. I was barely sleeping, barely eating.” He hesitates. “There’s also the culture of ‘if it doesn’t hurt, it’s not yours’.’’ He admits he needs stress, lives for it. Indeed, like so many of the cooks I talked to, he says that the job which did him so much damage is also the one he loves.
Jay Rayner, The Guardian
“I was cooking 100 hours a week. I was barely sleeping, barely eating.” He hesitates. “There’s also the culture of ‘if it doesn’t hurt, it’s not yours’.’’ He admits he needs stress, lives for it. Indeed, like so many of the cooks I talked to, he says that the job which did him so much damage is also the one he loves.
Jay Rayner, The Guardian
When you meet a successful person like Clarke, with his friendly optimism and huge talent, it’s easy to forget that there can be hidden vulnerabilities, but he is keen to assert that ‘even a big guy who looks like me’ (Clarke has long hair, a long plaited beard and tattoos decorating both of his arms) can feel the effects of mental illness.
- BRUMMELL
When you meet a successful person like Clarke, with his friendly optimism and huge talent, it’s easy to forget that there can be hidden vulnerabilities, but he is keen to assert that ‘even a big guy who looks like me’ (Clarke has long hair, a long plaited beard and tattoos decorating both of his arms) can feel the effects of mental illness.
- BRUMMELL
“We can't necessarily do anything about pay, we can't necessarily do anything about the hours, but we can do a lot about bullying.”
- Andrew Clarke, The Caterer
“There are so many things we can’t actually change in our industry: the pay’s not great, there are long hours, you’re probably going to cut or burn yourself. But we can look out for each other. We can give each other the armour to get through a tough job.”
- Andrew Clarke, Men's Health
“There are so many things we can’t actually change in our industry: the pay’s not great, there are long hours, you’re probably going to cut or burn yourself. But we can look out for each other. We can give each other the armour to get through a tough job.”
- Andrew Clarke, Men's Health
“There’s been a lot of negativity in the media in terms of pay, mental health and drugs – the industry will heal itself and we need as many people as possible to stand up and make sure it survives this shitty reputation it is getting.”
- Andrew Clarke, The Staff Canteen
bottom of page