Behind every delicious mouthful is a story…

From designing our lunch menu of seasonal small plates to working hand in glove with our ever-changing line-up of international guest chefs, it’s safe to say Ollie Templeton knows his way around a kitchen.

Lucky that, as he’s also the creative brains behind our imaginative events menus…

Working with the very best ingredients available on these shores and drawing on his experiences collaborating with some of the most talented names in food, Ollie ensures that every dish we serve is brimming with big ideas and even bigger flavours.

And with knockout menus covering just about every eventuality – from intimate dinners to larger canapé parties – you can be sure that Ollie will be making the most of the surfeit of incredible produce pouring into the local farmer’s market at this, his favourite time of year.

The Canapé

Crispy Fried Daikon with Soy Cured Egg Yolk Mayo

The inspiration for this came from working with the amazing guys from Sushi Sho last summer. During their residency I learned about pickling daikon in shio koji (a live food culture), bringing a super funky taste to an already funky vegetable. Fried in panko breadcrumbs and served with a mayonnaise made from egg yolks cured in soy sauce, it makes for an absolutely banging snack.

The Bowl Food

Pickled Carrot, Crispy Duck, Pearl Barley, Mint, Sesame and Spring Onion

A little ode to an old mate! Max Pasetti was the first chef to join the Carousel team (after me…) and together we worked on absolutely everything from the day we opened until he eventually moved to Paris. He had a recipe for this incredible warm salad and it’s been with us ever since. The mint and spring onions bring a wicked zing to the crispy duck, and we’ve since added barley to Max’s original recipe.

The Main

Presa Ibérica Schnitzel

The idea came from Rimpei Yoshikawa, who joined us for a residency in March 2016. His original dish went against the grain, using a veal steak which was pink and juicy on the inside, rather than being cut thin and cooked through as we’re used to for schnitzel. We loved it so much that we put it on our lunch menu, changing up the veal for Presa Ibérica – a prized cut of pork from Spain, where I was lucky enough to grow up – and serving it in a sandwich. It was a massive hit, so when it came to writing these spring / summer menus I just had to incorporate it somehow.