Each week, our money team interviews the best leaders in the United Kingdom, hearing about their cheap food hacks, industry views and more.
Today, they speak to Roger Pizey, chief pastry chief in Fortnum and Mason…
A take -out dessert of supermarkets that I like is … The best Tesco meringue nests. I suppose that in themselves, they are not really a take-out dessert, but sometimes I whip something quickly at home, a spoiled eon tinker. If you add a few English raspberry punctures and a thick double cream bathtub to your shop, you can add a little bit of vanilla, break the meringue and crush the raspberries. The tour is played!
For a cheap meal, I like …Volare within green limits. It is a pizza led by two Spanish sisters inspired by the love and passion of their Neapolitan great grandfather, which opened its own pizzeria in Argentina in the 1920s. I would order the prima Vera, which costs £ 14.95, so you can’t really go wrong. Fior Di Latte Mozzarella, Wild Rocket and a little Bresaola on a tomato base – none of these white pizza nonsense!
There is nothing worse than bringing a nice bottle with you to a dinner … And then the hosts keep it for another opportunity.
It’s really difficult for the moment … There are many restaurants that will undergo – in particular with the increase in national insurance and the rise in the minimum wage, as well as the new trunk system (modification of the way the advice is managed). The cost of ingredients has also increased. The quality of the staff we have is not as good as before, and Brexit, we have lost a lot of talents. But I feel optimistic about the 17 years old and the young generation who seem to have a little zest and have a real interest in working hard, which is refreshing.
The most difficult moment of my career has been … When I started in Le Gavroche, it was a three -star Michelin restaurant. Albert Roux was still at the helm, and there is no doubt that it was a military operation. If you haven’t shaved, you’ve received a razor. If you were in dirty whites, you were sent home. It would be so busy at Christmas that you will sometimes have to sleep in the restaurant – it can certainly no longer happen.
The country that makes the best desserts is … Japan is definitely up there. We have taken giant steps in the United Kingdom, in particular with the rise of international influences in our cuisine, and we have always had a global perspective on food with so many cultures and various nationalities living in the United Kingdom. We have faced the French, who, I think, have been seated on their laurels recently, and now we outdo them!
Pic: Istock
The appetite of people for sugar changes … When I started, Frederic Bau had a great influence. He really changed the mentalities of pastry chiefs recently, recreating his classics – but with less fat and sugar. This is something that we cannot ignore, but the appetite of people for sugar changes – his philosophy was to create the same sensation, the textures and the flavors of the same mouth, but with 30% of sugar less.
The best place to eat outside the United Kingdom … A year in Spain, I did the Camino de Santiago Walk for 30 km and for any reason, the only thing I wanted to eat was a Chinese meal. When I finished the promenade, I went to get my Chinese meal and stumbled on all these incredible local restaurants and I was completely blown away. Eating hke and beans, a beautiful octopus, fresh seafood was glorious.
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A less common ingredient that I could not live is … Fresh vanilla Madagascan of Zazou emporium. These are the jewels of the crown of what we do in pastry. It’s just beautiful, you can put it in anything – you can even add it to your coffee. This gives everything that this elevator and the brilliance which is very subtle, but you cannot do without. Good quality and fresh stuff too – that’s where it is.
A fortnum and mason object, I think it’s worth splashing … is black garlic and miso paste from our new range on the third floor of the store. We have a beautiful new range of infused oils, sauces and nuts, which are full of flavor and depth of Umami, not to mention our new brilliant brand, which seems fairly clear. If I use it at home, I could deglaze my pan to cook a pork chop with wine and the dough to make a good sauce, or it goes incredibly well with vanilla ice cream.