Eating out has never felt so good
Fifteen London is a restaurant that uses the magic of food to give unemployed young people a chance at a better future. All profits go to the Jamie Oliver Foundation, a registered charity (#: 1094536). This week, Made in Shoreditch journalist Charlotte Lily Prior was granted an exclusive interview with one of Shoreditch’s (and London’s) finest chefs, Andrew Parkinson.
C: Who are you, and what do you do?
A: Andrew Parkinson – Executive Head Chef – Fifteen London
C: Well then – you must have had some training!
A: I trained at Perth College in Perthshire, Scotland whilst at the Gleneagles Hotel, and Stratford upon Avon College whilst at the Billesley Manor Hotel.
C: What is your signature dish?
A: Roasted scallops wrapped in pancetta with homemade brandade and slow-roasted tomato vinaigrette.
C: What is your favourite meal?
A: Orichietta with borlotti beans, cavolo nero and tuscan olive oil.
C: Any guilty pleasures / vices?
A: A sneaky Twix every now and again.
C: What’s been the most difficult dish you’ve had to cook?
A: Probably the complexity of the Sicilian fisherman’s stew … we always need to get this spot on for the customer to enjoy it until the last spoonful.
C: Which country boasts the best cuisine, in your opinion?
A: Has to be Italy.
C: What’s the strangest meal you’ve ever prepared?
A: Buried shark and lambs testicles – a delicacy that I was made to eat on my last visit to Reykjavik.
C: Cooked for anyone famous recently?
A: I cooked for the world leaders at No.10 Downing Street in 2009 (the G20 summit with Jamie and a team of Fifteen apprentices and graduates).
C: On a day off, who cooks for you?
A: Me – my wife ‘doesn’t like cooking’
C: Any local companies you know of that are regular guests at your restaurant?
A: Camelot Property Management.
C: And last but not least, why do you like working in Shoreditch?
A: It’s obviously a very hip and vibrant area that attracts people from all walks of life that visit the area for great restaurants and bars.
Fifteen London
15 Westland Place
London, N1 7LP
www.fifteen.net
