Minute on the Clock – Margot Henderson
Margot Henderson, wife of St John chef Fergus and founder of caterer Arnold & Henderson, is organising the second Soho Food Feast later this month. She speaks to Kerstin Kühn
What is the Soho Food Feast all about?
It's an event designed to raise money for the Soho Parish Primary School, which is a small school in the heart of Soho that needs the cash. Last year, we raised £30,000 which was used to buy new computers and fund after-school activities. This year, the school hopes to restock its library and develop its sport and healthy living initiatives.
Why did you set up the event?
My kids went to the Soho Parish Primary School and I wanted to do something to give back to the community. Soho is a great place where people come and have a lot of fun, but it's often forgotten that lots of people also live there.
Who is involved?
We've got all the top chefs in Soho involved including Jeremy Lee from Quo Vadis, Mark Hix from Hix Soho, Tom Oldroyd from Polpo, Gary Lee from the Ivy, Robin Hancock from the Wright Brothers, Vivek Singh from Cinnamon Soho, Byron Hamburgers, 10 Greek Street, Arbutus, Barrafina, Bocca di Lupo and the Nordic Bakery, while the French House is running the bar. Whole Foods is giving a percentage of their takings from the day to the school.
What will be happening?
All the chefs will be cooking signature dishes, which guests can taste, and there'll also be a dessert area, demonstrations and wine tastings. La Fromagerie will be doing a special cheese tasting.
How has Soho changed in the past 20 years?
Soho is having an incredible food moment right now. It's a bit sad that the chains seem to be taking over but Soho is a very dynamic and exciting place for restaurants. The only thing that's missing is a big food market.
You're bringing out a book in September - tell us more.
It's called You're All Invited - Margot's Recipes for Entertaining and is a collection of recipes for entertaining and family food.
