As the wildly popular social media platform celebrates its 10th year, we ask the Topjaw frontman what he loves – and hates – about eating out during the festive season.
Loves
Pies
I love pies. I scoff when people ask: “What is British cuisine?” First, we have the most diverse culinary scene on the planet, with great Asian and Mediterranean food everywhere. And, second, what even is British cuisine?! A pie is one of the greatest dishes ever created. Think a chicken, rabbit and tarragon pie, with good 50:50 butter:potato mash and really good gravy. I don’t want to eat that in July, sure, but on a chilly day, there is no better dish. That brings me on to one of my other great loves: game.
Game
We are in game season right now, and I love seeing the different spins on it. The Harwood Arms in west London does one of the best game dinners in town; so does Trullo in Islington. And Camille in Borough Market should be a pilgrimage for anyone with even a half-interest in food – they’re making game and, especially, offal super-accessible and genuinely delicious.
Candles
Candles are one of the most primitive things we have in a world of double-glazing, wifi and electric cars, but, just as there is no camera as good as the human eye, you will never make a light source that does what a candle can do. I just got back from filming in Paris, where candlelight is everything. For filming, it’s a nightmare, but for atmosphere and pleasantries nothing matches it.
Red wine
I drink red wine all year round, and often get a raised eyebrow from waiters and friends, but a crisp white just doesn’t do it for me; it’s a gateway drug for red. Come winter, I’m drinking full-bodied reds that are velvety and daring to be jammy, and just about everyone else is doing the same. I really enjoy that.
Blinis
My mum isn’t winning any cooking awards any time soon, but she makes her own little blinis, with salmon and maybe a little bit of caviar if we’re feeling extravagant, and it’s harder to get a better canapé than that. There are people who want to get all creative with canapés, but I say don’t mess with the classics.
Silly season
I love silly season. All the wheels come off, no one is exercising any kind of restraint, and everyone is up for everything, even if it’s a Monday. People fudge things – there are lots of lunches – and, of course, that can be a little dangerous and stressful, but I like how jolly everyone is. I love how often you see your friends, and that you have far longer and more meaningful dinners, because it gets dark earlier, so you start earlier. In winter, the weather doesn’t give people a better offer. If you’ve got a party or an event, people show up – and they show up at 7pm, because it’s dark and they want the night to start.
Pubs
Like dogs, pubs aren’t just for Christmas; they’re for all year round. But at this time of year they are probably the best thing the UK has to offer, and I love bouncing around them. At the risk of sounding like an alcoholic, no building will hug you like a pub.
Hates
Coat fuckery
So many restaurants, for obvious reasons, don’t have extensive cloakrooms, so you either have to sit with your coat on the back of your chair in a restaurant full of people and candles, getting all hot and sweaty, or you have to put it in a pile with everyone else’s and trust that nothing gets nicked.
Steamy windows
I don’t really hate them as such in restaurants – rather they give me the ick. They remind me of that scene in Titanic when Jack and Rose are getting off in a car. A crisp, frosty window is lovely, but a steamy window? Just no.
Dry January
Of all the months, January is the one you need to do the most drinking in. It is a heinous month, not least because it sucks for the pubs and the hospitality sector in general. I know the likes of Lucky Saint have a field day, but it sucks for everyone else. So, for the past few years, my friends and I have a Saturday Swim Club in January, when we all get together and do a big pub crawl.
Jesse Burgess is co-founder and host of Topjaw, a food and travel social media platform. Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars, presented by Burgess, is available on Apple TV now.
