This month, The Sea The Sea — Alex Hunter’s Haggerston restaurant helmed by chef Leandro Carreira — will launch a new series of culinary pop-ups dubbed “Untapped”, showcasing a rotating roster of burgeoning kitchen talent.
The new series will spotlight a diverse mix of cuisines, and aims to champion lesser-known talent from better-known kitchens. The cooks scheduled range from the head chefs of well-established restaurants including Ikoyi, Sessions Arts Club and Spring, to more seasoned kitchen residency stars like Michael Bagnall.
Opening the series is Rahel Stephanie, founder of Spoons, the plant-based Indonesian supper club. It follows Stephanie's successful residency at Early June in Paris. Her opening lunch at The Sea The Sea is already sold out.
Talking to the Standard, owner Alex Hunter said: “The environment for new restaurants is incredibly difficult right now and as such may present a barrier for new talent breaking through. With this series, we want to create an opportunity for emerging prospects to gain recognition without the usual risks, complications and costs.”
The Untapped series will continue weekly with Michael Bagnall, who is currently cooking at Pasero near Tottenham, Christian Faulkner, the head chef of the two-Michelin-starred Ikoyi, and beyond into the new year with Elliot Hashroudi, of 107 e5 and St John, and Thomas Lemercier of The Princess of Shoreditch. Each event is priced at £75 per person, with the majority of the ticket revenue going to the chefs directly.
The chefs will have the rare opportunity to make use of The Sea The Sea’s newer Haggerston restaurant space, which includes access to the best day boat fish and other produce suppliers, as well as the state-of-the-art kitchen equipment and nightclub-quality sound system used in the restaurant. The hope is that this new creative platform gives this talented glut of chefs the chance to flex their creative muscles.
Hunter continued: “It is my hope that the series will in future showcase talent from all around the UK and beyond, not just in the kitchen but in all areas of hospitality.
“We expect to discover new styles, techniques and genres born from this series: the CBGB of the restaurant world!”
