Meet the chef: James Knappett from Kitchen Table, Fitzrovia in London

A few years ago, booking a meal at Kitchen Table felt like that thing that was always just beyond my reach. I had it penned for my birthday dinner one year, only to find out that unluckily, it was already booked for a private dinner. “Next year then,” I thought, optimistically. Enter Covid-19.

I wouldn’t allow for my birthday meal to be thwarted once more, so when I found out that chef patron and co-founder James Knappett and his team had pivoted to providing ‘finish at home’ dishes for diners trapped in their homes, like I was, I jumped at the chance to book a delivery. I then found out that they were sold out on deliveries for my preferred date. Desperate, I sent a message on Instagram detailing my long quest to taste their food, and the food gods (and their kind social media manager) came through and said they’d make an exception and open up one more slot so that I could have a fabulous pandemic birthday. And that it was.

At first I was sceptical that my amateur skills in the kitchen wouldn’t be able to do justice to what Knappett and team had envisioned. But, as it turns out, even the most dodgy of plating techniques care of my husband were not enough to hide the exquisite flavours that came through those dishes.

kitchen table interior — Kitchen Table allows diners to have full interaction with the chef and his team. Image credit: Marcus Cobden

“That was a very challenging time,” admits Knappett. “Not only with cooking the numbers we did – we only do 20 covers at the restaurant – but also having to think about how a home cook can carry out dishes as similar as possible to what we serve at Kitchen Table. We did a lot of testing with friends and family, including with my sister who wasn’t the best cook, so we knew if the instructions were written well enough.”

Knappett is a real family man, you’ll see posts about his family on Instagram almost as much as his food. At Kitchen Table, he also works alongside his partner, sommelier and Champagne expert Sandia Chang. “Sandia and I met working together and have been together ever since, minus her short stint opening the Roganic pop-up. We come from the same upbringing in terms of our careers, and therefore we hold the same standards and have the same drive. Sandia definitely has more of a front-of-house personality, and sometimes her generosity is a little more than I am comfortable with from a business perspective,” he shares.

Here, I sit down and talk with Knappett about his time working at Noma, what he learned from Thomas Keller, and the ingredient he can’t live without.

A lot of Michelin-starred cooking is about finding the balance between art and science. Do you lean more heavily onto one or the other?

I don’t think I lean heavily on one side or the other. The art of taste is very important. In my cooking I believe it has to taste good first and foremost, but cooking the ingredients with full respect is based a lot on the science of cookery. We don’t manipulate an ingredient for the sake of looking good. We want the taste to highlight the full potential of the ingredient.

kitchen table beef — The menu showcases the best sourced British ingredients. Image credit: Marcus Cobden

Did cooking at renowned international kitchens change the way you thought about British cuisine and ingredients? If so, in what way?

I am always learning and being able to learn from some amazing chefs has taught me a lot of new techniques that I use now, but with British ingredients. For example, working at Noma, I was exposed to techniques using acidity to season dishes. And now I search for the same flavour profile, but with British ingredients.

You’ve worked with some impressive chefs over the years. Was there a piece of advice you received from one of them that you find yourself turning to even now?

There was a quote that Thomas Keller always referred to by Fernand Point: “As far as cuisine is concerned, one must read everything, see everything, hear everything, try everything, observe everything, in order to retain, in the end, just a little bit!”

What made you decide to take on your role at The George and how has it influenced the ideas you have at Kitchen Table?

My mother ran a pub growing up and I am a proud advocate of proper pub food. When the opportunity came for me to consult on the pub menu at The George and The Cadogan Arms, I jumped on it. It gives me a chance to cook the comfort food that I love. Kitchen Table and The George are quite separate in terms of how I think about dishes, but that’s what makes it fun for me, being able to operate in two different cooking styles.

kitchen table tomatoes — A daily changing tasting menu offers beautifully presented dishes. Image credit: Marcus Cobden

Which ingredient can’t you live without?

Yoghurt. I find it so versatile and it just adds complexity and brightness to dishes.

You have friends over for dinner. What’s on the menu?

Home cooking is always very simple for us. When friends come over, it is often for a Sunday roast – roast chicken is my favourite – with a side of Paxo stuffing and cauliflower cheese.

When not at your own restaurant, where can we find you drinking and dining?

Now that we have kids, dining out has changed quite a lot for us. We normally stick to very casual places with great food. Acme Fire Cult and The Plimsoll are our go-tos at the moment. And I like drinking beer, so you’ll most likely always find me in a pub.

What can we expect from Kitchen Table this year?

We are always pushing day-to-day to be better than yesterday. This year we’re striving to be better and more exciting in our food and service than in 2023. We are also very focused on sustainability and doing what we can in London for the better of the planet and our staff.