You could almost hear the cries of dismay when it was announced that St John restaurant in London’s Smithfield, a Wallpaper* favourite and helmed by owner and previous guest editor Fergus Henderson, is closing for a well-deserved refit. Henderson, of course, is the English chef whose ‘nose-to-tail’ eating philosophy made chefs and diners everywhere realise that every part of an animal is equally worthy of respect.
The cries, though, have now been replaced with sighs of relief as Henderson has said that, in the meantime, the original London restaurant’s tables, chairs, tablecloths, et al would be relocating for a temporary residency at the legendary Fortnum & Mason department store on Piccadilly for three weeks, beginning 6 February 2024. Die-hard fans can also choose to frequent the restaurant’s other city outposts: Bread & Wine in Spitalfields, and St John Marylebone.
Inside St John at Fortnum & Mason: a ‘best of British’ pairing
Wallpaper* entertaining director Melina Keays admits to being initially perplexed at the unexpected pairing of St John, ‘so pared back’ and Fortnum’s, ‘adored for its Victorian opulence’. However, she says, ‘I realised that the idea of placing one local icon inside another is so entirely different in mood, it's thrilling, and such a London way of doing things. It’s also a marriage of the best of British – wonderful meat, organic cheese, freshly baked bread, pies and Eccles cakes, chutneys, preserves – both St John and Fortnum & Mason offer the stalwarts of Victorian cuisine.’
Henderson and St John co-founder Trevor Gulliver told us ahead of the temporary restaurant’s opening, ‘We were given carte blanche with the space – and we are busy blanche-ifying.’ And so Fortnum’s ground-floor restaurant has been painted cold white and fitted with a white-and-steel-clad bar, replicating the original restaurant, a former smokehouse within spitting distance of the capital’s Smithfield meat market.
Added Gulliver, ‘This was to be no “pop up” but the real thing, team, furniture, the brine bucket, wines, rhythms, rigour, us!’ He continued, ‘Every one of our Smithfield chefs is in the kitchen, every one of our front-of-house beacons of knowledge is at the door and on the floor. In short – you will be in St John.’
The St John at Fortnum's menu boasts many of Henderson’s most famous dishes, including roasted bone marrow and sublime Welsh rarebit. He is also taking advantage of the change in locale to be inspired to create new soon-to-be classics.
And, of course, Henderson will be serving his legendary ‘Fergroni’, the ultimate Negroni, the recipe he learned in a long-defunct little bar in Florence. How could you not raise a glass?
St John at Fortnum & Mason opened 6 February 2024, stjohnrestaurant.com
