Happy Birthday Sophie!

Happy Birthday to our Leading Lady Sophie! Let’s delve into her world in our iconic birthday interview…

Alright, spill the beans! What’s the grand birthday bash plan?
It’s not always been a treat having my birthday close to Christmas, but sometimes it pays off, and this year it falls on a Friday and I’m having a big birthday/Christmas dinner/house party at home with friends. We also have a birthday tradition with The Avenue partners (Mum, Rich and I) to go out with our plus ones to a new restaurant – location and date tbc this year but it is always an eventful night with us 3 out together! Great excuse for ultra festive shenanigans  #DoubleWhammy!

Any London dining adventures lately that blew your taste buds away?
I think Shanga (aka Niv) said the same, but Evelyn’s Table was really good – I’ve kind of gone off tasting menus recently and rather a wine bar with sharing plates, but there were a few dishes that were really new and exciting to try and I actually really enjoyed a Negroni here – I need their recipe!

Also we tried TT Rooftop in the summer which was really good food.

London foodie bucket list time! Which restaurant is topping your must try list?
Tamil Prince – they only release bookings 28 days in advance and the good slots go within hours and, although I’m organised, clearly there are some ultra-keen beans out there who get in there quickly so I have yet to find a slot! I’m on it though and will report back! A table for The Avenue team!?

The Avenue is turning 20 this year! Can you share at least one standout memory with us?
We were asked this when we did the ‘It Runs In The Family‘ podcast over the summer, and one that always pops to mind is just after I started in 2016, I remember walking arm in arm with Mum and Rich back through Wandsworth Park when we were located in Putney. It was 1 am, and we had just finished tidying up after an evening class, talking about the future of our new family business and that we would have our kids working with us one day and probably all live in a commune. We aren’t quite in a commune, but I have a 2 and 4-year-old now, and I’m excited to get them joining us during their school holidays! A great listen and a lovely memory

If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be and what dish would you prepare to impress them?
Can I cheat and say, my grandparents? I know it may be a strange choice but I wasn’t old enough to know my grandfathers and my grannies were only around until my late teens so, so although I knew them a bit, I feel I am a very different person now, and now with kids of my own, I would have so many questions for them and the lives they lived in those times.

And what would I cook?! hmmm…probably something like Pulled Chicken Bao with all the extra flavourful fillings as I know they would not have eaten anything like that and it’s bloody delish. For pudding I would do a Peanut Butter & Caramel Tart, which is like Snickers (my favourite chocolate bar and ice cream) on crack! Next dinner at Sophie’s! ? Sounds SO good!

Time to dish out the kitchen drama! Share a cooking calamity that made you a better chef. We promise not to judge… too much!
When Shanga and I lived in Tel Aviv we used to make cheap food in bulk and I thought to give Gnocchi a go with leftovers to freeze – I don’t remember how I cooked the potatoes but obviously totally wrong because I needed to add SO much flour to stop it being so sticky and it was an inedible flour lump – straight to the bin! I have learnt my lesson to not go big first time around. I also just the other day made some pretty good gnocchi with some leftover mash. Still dying to do our Gnocchi Italian Cooking Class though and get it spot on. Or our Gnocchi Workshop?

Which three spices are your ride-or-die kitchen companions?
This is so difficult as I use lots of different spices (and herbs) as you can see from my spice drawer, which I use daily and love! I would say though that I use black pepper, cumin and coriander the most regularly so if you were being totally uncalled for and making me choose I would choose those and never talk to you again!

Alright, time to ‘fess up! What’s your guilty pleasure grub that you can’t resist, even if it’s not super gourmet?
An M&S pork pie, lol! When I was younger I would nip into the M&S petrol station on my way home from a night out and grab and demolish a pork pie or 2 or put it in the fridge for the morning after. I don’t eat them often but sometimes I get a craving and I’ve had a few other brands/gourmet types that I didn’t like so stick to the one I know. They have to be the small ones as it’s a higher pastry ratio – I love the fatty pastry! Well it’s not just any Pork Pie, It’s an M&S Pork Pie!

If you were to write your memoirs, what would you title the journey of your life?
Forking Delicious

Lastly With two decades of The Avenue down, where do you see it heading in the future?
This is a difficult one as I think this has been a question on our lips for a couple of years now. I always wanted to open a second location in North London (where I live) but I think what we have is good and we don’t want to filter out the quality so perhaps start doing more pop-ups/festivals/remote events etc – watch this space though as you never know!!!