"Taste of London is undoubtedly a useful showcase for the capital's restaurant industry and the British producers who continue to pay for stands there each year, but just how rewarding is it for punters and why do we keep paying?," asks Emma McAlpine.
Taste of London is undoubtedly a useful showcase for the capital's restaurant industry and the British producers who continue to pay for stands there each year, but just how rewarding is it for its visitors and why do we keep paying?
On the downside, there's a rather depressing corporate feel to the event, with British Airways branding and 'executive lounges' all over the place, plus lacklustre masterclasses in matching water (sponsors San Pellegrino are of course included here) to wine and food.
Secondly, it's bloody expensive. Just to get into the event will now cost you between £22 and £125 (if you want to get into the VIP secret garden area), and on top of that you have to pay between around £4 and £8 for each sample dish, so if you’re anything like as greedy as I am, you'll fail to walk away having spent less than £60. Yes, you may be getting Michelin-quality food at a fraction of the price you'd pay in the restaurant, but then you are also wolfing it down cold, off a cardboard plate, standing next to a bin.
That said, while you can argue that your money is better saved for a more civilised experience with starched napery and china plates, Taste of London still has plenty to offer the food lover. Highlights for me included: speaking to producers like chocolatier Paul A Young, whose passion for their produce is inspiring; seeing restaurateurs like Sam and Eddie Hart going about their trade like whirling dervishes; and having access to Q&As with top chefs like Noma's Rene Redzapi, asking us whether we've noticed all the wild camomile growing in the park? (they don't call him 'The Forager' for nothing!).
Taste wine ambassador Neil Phillips interviewing René Redzepi
And although food may not be served in the most ideal of dining conditions, some of it is very good. Skylon’s warm salmon with lemon verbena jelly, pickled cucumber and rye has a thoughtful combination of smoky and citrus flavours, justifying its place as runner-up in the 2011 Best in Taste Awards; while Fino’s roast suckling pig with salty, crispy crackling and melt-in-the-mouth meat, is an ideal festival dish. Dishes associated with street food like Gauthier’s gourmet hotdog and Club Gascon’s foie gras burger are perhaps most successful for this very reason: they're pefectly suited to being eaten outside, on the hop, by a bin if you will.
When the sun finally comes out and I find myself strolling around Regent's Park with an apple and cardamom cider sorbet in my hand, Taste of London feels like an incredibly pleasant experience. And perhaps that's why it's still so popular. Gourmet dining it ain't but it is a big celebration of the best in British cooking and produce and clearly, many of us are happy to pay over the odds for that.
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