A Jacket Well Worn: James Knappett & Sandia Chang

## Tell us a little bit about what you do, your backgrounds and the restaurant.

The restaurant was inspired by our love of food, wine and entertaining. We often found that when we had dinner parties at home, our guests were always in the kitchen, curious about what we were cooking, and just mingling with wine and drinks and enjoying the sounds and smells of the cooking.

So we wanted to open a restaurant that could bring all of our guests into our kitchen.

We were also inspired by the Japanese way of serving omakase in which the chef will only prepare what he or she gets in freshest and best-of that day.

The menu at Kitchen Table is based around British seasonality, something that really allows our British suppliers to supply the very best of what they have. Then we just make it shine.
Our tasting menu changes everyday based on this concept. Our wine list and beverage program also reflects our esteem for those small and passionate producers that respect their terroir. Every night we serve only 20 guests, and it's an experience that celebrates Britain.

__James__:

I grew up in Soham, Cambridgeshire. I didn't grow up in a very foodie family at all. I wanted to be a policeman growing up after watching movies like "Die Hard", but was never really good at studying or taking tests (which was what was required to be in the police force). Home economics at school always interested me so I decided to go to cooking college. After college I went on to work at Gordan Ramsey at Royal Hospital Road, Rick Stein's Restaurant in Padstow and Petrus with Marcus Wareing. I then took a few years to travel and worked at Per Se in New York with Thomas Keller where I met my wife Sandia, and then I went to work at Noma in Copenhagen. Because England always called for me, I eventually returned home after almost 5 years away. I came back and worked at Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley. Shortly after, an opportunity came up with the JKS Restaurant group to open our own venture, and in 2012 Sandia and I opened up Bubbledogs (Champagne and hot dogs) and Kitchen Table. We received our first Michelin star in 2014, a Michelin service award in 2018 and then our second Michelin star in 2019.

__Sandia__:

I have always loved hospitality. Whilst other girls in primary school wanted to be ballerinas or doctors, I always dreamt of being a waitress. I grew up in Saudi Arabia in a very international setting and eventually went on to boarding school in Los Angeles for high school. I attended California State University of Pomona and gained a bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management. After graduation, I went on to study culinary arts at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone before moving to New York City to pursue a career as a chef. I quickly realised that being a chef wasn't my calling, which eventually led me to Per Se by Thomas Keller. I started there as a commis waiter and worked my way up to captain. I learned so much of what I do now from there. It is also where I met James who was there on a training visa.

Together, we then moved to Copenhagen, where I worked at Noma as a waiter. There I was introduced to the amazing world of Grower Champagne, which was what Bubble dogs was based on.

After moving back to London, I opened Simon Rogan's first Roganic pop-up in 2010 where I met our current business partners, JKS Restaurants.

## Today we foraged for fig leaves to go into the desert. How important is foraging to the food you create at Kitchen Table?

__James:__ Foraging is one of my biggest passions. It is not only about utilising wild food but also embracing seasonal changes and being in nature with the food. I love the outdoors and I love British seasonal changes and as a chef, it is the most amazing experience when you follow the seasons with food.

## What do you look for when selecting clothes? What do you look for in clothing brands?

As chefs, we spend the majority of our lives in chef whites and uniform. On days off, I always look for comfort first and foremost. I am mostly with my children and dog on walks, visiting family in the country, foraging and cooking at home so practicality is very important. Not only do my clothes need to be comfortable, they needs to be practical with pockets for phones, children's tissues, dog treats, pen knives for foraging, and sometimes random sticks and leaves the children pick up along the way. They also need to also look smart so that when I go to social events, I can go wearing something comfortable and practical. As for brands, I always want to support artisanal designers and especially British brands.

## How long have you had your Lavenham jackets, what do you like about them?

__James:__

I have been wearing Lavenham for 5 years now. I am a country boy and I love that Lavenham has that British country look yet also a slick young city vibe as well. I can wear the same jacket to go foraging during the day and fit right into an evening chefs' networking event.

## Aside from Kitchen Table of course, where would you recommend for dinner in London?

__James:__
Bouchon Racine opened by some of the best in the industry serving fresh and seasonal French cooking that are generous and on point. Sandia approves the wine list.

__Sandia:__
A.Wong, a two Michelin star Chinese restaurant in Victoria. Andrew Wong and his wife create magic with familiar Chinese dishes and dim sum. Andrew is one of the most creative chefs in London at the moment.

You can find out more about Kitchen Table and the work of James and Sandia [here](https://kitchentablelondon.co.uk/ "Kitchen Table Link ").

Lavenham's *A Jacket Well Worn* series is a celebration of those special pieces that last a really long time, often accompanying us on life's most exciting journeys. In this series we catch up with Lavenham wearers and learn about their lives and work, capturing them in their well-loved Lavenham pieces.