I was in my twenties when I read a book called Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain. The late celebrity chef and author glamorised the brutal world of professional kitchens. He did it well enough that as a young man seeking adventure, I thought it sounded like a good gig. 

I eventually realised that it was actually reading and food that I had a passion for, and not the thirteen hour shifts.

You may be forgiven for thinking that the communications industry would be less stressful than catering. Whilst it is a space of creativity and fun, at crunch times the vibe in the studio before a deadline is similar to a kitchen before service. 
For this SCAB I decided to write an SCA inspired menu. We’ve done briefs for everything from crumpets to nachos. This menu is a reflection of both the work we’ve done which involves food, and the food that we bring into the kitchen and eat on our lunch breaks. 

I’ve elevated the flavours with some fine dining flourishes and grounded the dishes in the terroir of Brixton’s fabulous markets and ingredients. 

We will all fondly remember the week that we ate hundreds of crumpets. The tastiest research from a client yet.

Hummus pots can be found crammed into the smallest corners of the fridge. And our strategy mentor Uri Baruchin even helped a hummus brand make record sales in his native Israel.

Calamari is the temperamental app that manages our attendance. And not just a delicious cephalopod.  

French Onion Soup, in honour of the French connection we have at the school. Pete Cain teaches a module at Sup de Pub  in Paris. And of course, Juliette and Emma, the intrepid French duo who do this course in English. 

Chicken and rice, in one way or another will feature in someone’s week. Whether it is jerk chicken or shawarma from the street food vendors outside Pop. And we all looked on in envy as Nabeel tucked into his mum’s delicious homemade biryani.

We all have a soft spot for a cheeky Gregg’s pasty. But Dave and Travis are especially partial to a steak bake.

A big thank you to Marcia for keeping us stocked with commercial levels of Yorkshire Tea. 

Most of us have a sweet tooth and the sharing of chocolate is a welcome custom. Marc has a fondness for Freddos. But chocoholism is an issue, and has led some amongst us to pilfering unattended chocolate treats.

There is usually a non-dairy milk in the fridge. They work well in ice cream. And you will often find some kind person bring in biscuits to share. Bourbons, custard creams but Canadian Charlie’s maple biscuits were a winner.

And what about the vegans, veggies and fussy eaters? They can have pizza.

Pizza is the go-to, for end of week drinks and special occasions at the SCA. 

@Simplyp85