Nika Jazaee’s Food Chain series continues with a look at how the food is prepared, and where it is stored
After the fish we bought at Billingsgate Market arrives at The Crystal Palace Market restaurant, it is unloaded into one of two enormous fridges that comprise the belly of the restaurant. It is from these fridges that the food is taken out to be prepared, ready for the table.
“If the preparation section doesn’t work properly, the restaurant cannot function,” says Stuart, the general manager.
All around me is activity: tomatoes are being chopped for the salsa sauce; fish is being cleaned and sliced into portions; 15 kg of apples are being scaled for the apple crumble dessert… everything that needs to happen before the restaurant can open. This link in the chain can occupy up to four kitchen porters and two head chefs, at full tilt.
And close by are the walk-in fridges, one of which we were lucky enough to be shown around by Dereck the head chef.