Alex Thurley-Ratcliff

About the Chef

A self-taught cook for 30+ years, Alex shifted careers in 2015 to work in the restaurant trade. He now works in a vegan restaurant and teams up with other chefs at vegan supper clubs and street food events. He is committed to fresh, local and sustainable produce wherever possible – favouring seasonal but inspirational ing…... A self-taught cook for 30+ years, Alex shifted careers in 2015 to work in the restaurant trade. He now works in a vegan restaurant and teams up with other chefs at vegan supper clubs and street food events. He is committed to fresh, local and sustainable produce wherever possible – favouring seasonal but inspirational ingredients. He’s innovative but respects the best of Anglo-French culinary traditions, looking for delighted customers first! He is specifically interested in relishes, jams and jellies, chutneys and fresh pickling, kim chee; or in building complex, rich flavours from everyday ingredients. He is equally happy making fresh, delicate soups or baking enticing desserts. Vegan ice cream is a constant challenge and his sea salt ice cream is a particularly fun take on a traditional beach theme - paired with pine-scented sugar "sand" and candied samphire. There isn't an area of cooking that doesn't interest him! Unusual salad vegetables, old-fashioned cooking methods, new combinations (pink horseradish jelly), raw food (maple syrup Danish breakfast bars, bolognese sauce with dehydrated mushroom "meatballs") or one of his favourite areas of the world, the Middle East, with exotic flavours of lemon, cardamom and almond combining in rich melt-in-the-mouth tagines, with satisfying warm flatbreads and crunchy green leaves. Read all Hide

Spoken Languages

English

Cuisine type

Vegan, Vegetarian, French, British, Italian, Moroccan