Jason Atherton on resolutions, Marmite and the future of British food

With 16 restaurants around the world, there’s no slowing this Jason Atherton. Fans will know him from Great British Menu, Jason Atherton’s Dubai Dishes or his four cookery books. After working with the likes of Ferran Adrià at El Bulli, Jason started his own restaurant business in 2010. He now runs a host of outlets in London with his wife, Irha, including Mary’s, Three Darlings, Sael and Row On 5.

Happy new year, chef! Are you one for setting New Year’s resolutions?
I try to do it all the time. I go to the gym five days a week. I try to be a good dad, I get up and I make my kids’ breakfast – I try to be as disciplined as I can. But I have vices: I overindulge when I eat; I love a glass of wine. Life’s about balance. I don’t go to the gym because I want to be that guy on Insta who takes his top off. I do it because it’s good for mental health.

Last year you opened five new restaurants, including two in London – Row On 5 and Sael, which celebrates the best of British. Why British food and why now?
I believe in London – it’s one of the world’s great cities. I wanted to open an affordable British restaurant celebrating everything that’s great about Britain. Because us Brits are really good at moaning. Politically, we’re going through an unprecedented time, and they don’t seem to be getting much right. There’s not a lot we can do about it but I can have an effect by opening a restaurant. People can lose themselves for a few hours eating British food at affordable prices, drinking British lager, celebrating British music, art and design – and just going, you know what? We’re really f***ing good as a country, right? Never mind all this bull**** about politics – as a country, we’re really f***ing good.

And what about that British icon, Marmite? How did it end up on your menu at Sael?
We needed a dish that was interesting, nostalgic and uses flavours people know. We want people to go: “What the f***, Marmite tart? That’s mental!” I love Marmite.

How has British cuisine evolved in your four decades as a chef?
We still have a reputation around the world for food that isn’t great, which is unfair. British food is some of the best you’ll eat anywhere. The more we shout about that and the more the government get behind it, the better. I find it incredible we don’t have a minister for food and tourism. It’s the third largest contributor to our GDP, yet we have nobody to stick up for us.

British suppliers are key to your menus. Do consumers demand more now in terms of sustainability?
With sustainable practices, the biggest problem we’re going to face in the next two or three generations is that it comes at a cost. So it’s down to governments to make it more affordable for us by supporting farmers.

Inheritance tax for farmers is a disgrace. Our dairy farms and cattle are some of the best in the world. Sheep and pig farming has come a long way. We have to support the infrastructure for farmers, not just for restaurants but to feed the people. Sustainability as a choice should be for everybody.

How has your working life evolved over the years?
It used to be six days a week, 18 hours a day, and that’s how it was in a two or three-Michelin-star restaurant. Today, there’s a better work-life balance. It’s still tough, but it’s nowhere near what it was – and I’m grateful for that.

Cook Jason Atherton’s Marmite tarts
“We needed a dish that was interesting, nostalgic and uses flavours people know. We want people to go: ‘Marmite tart? That’s mental!’”

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