Jason Atherton: London has the world's best larder

Jason Atherton has named London the world’s leading food city.

Speaking ahead of the launch of the Evening Standard’s London Food Month, a month-long celebration of food taking place in June, he said: “I’m fortunate I get to travel the world and because I have restaurants in different countries I regularly cook in five different continents, but London is definitely leaing the way.”

He belives ingredients are key: “One of the great things which London has is produce. We are so lucky here to have easy access to incredible ingredients from Scotland, Wales, Cornwall and the south of England, as well as from our neighbours in Europe. We have the best larder of anywhere and it really puts us ahead of the game.”

The multi-Michelin-starred chef and restaurateur added: “London’s food scene has boomed over the past 25 years, going from a gastronomic wasteland to the world leader it is now.

“When I was training as a chef everybody wanted to work for one of just a handful of top French chefs. There were two-year waiting lists for jobs with Marco Pierre White or Pierre Koffmann. That would never be the case now becuase there are so many great chefs and restaurants out there.”