2024 has a lot in store for eager diners, from a resurgence of British seafood, to umami-infused puddings, as hospitality re-emerges from its post-lockdown convalescence with renewed enthusiasm. But among the trends defining the restaurant scene this year, one is glaringly dominant. Today’s chefs are reaching into the culinary archives to capitalise on the power and comfort of nostalgia.
As Jeremy Lee (Chief Proprietor of the recently revamped Quo Vadis) reminds me, the restaurant industry is famously cyclical – so of course, this isn’t the first time that traditional cooking is regaining popularity. “I see a lot of what we did back when I was a young buck learning the trade, in places like Rochelle Canteen and St John – and now those places are legacy establishments.”
That said, there’s no denying that appetite for the homely and hearty has crescendoed recently, and restaurateurs are responding accordingly. A string of openings last year lay fertile ground for old-school food to bloom in 2024, by setting the tone for how and what we’ll eat out this year.
We’re seeing deeply familiar, belly-warming dishes come to the fore, or to the table I should say. Soups, a long time favourite for maximising flavour and minimising waste, are on the rise, like the traditional pea and ham hock soup at lauded new gastropub The Devonshire, one of the best new restaurants in London. Similarly, it doesn’t get much more classic than a solid pie oozing with rich stock, and as Dominic Hamdy, the restaurateur behind Bistro Freddie (another celebrated late 2023 opening) asserts, “it's going to be a big year for pies and celebratory sharing dishes.” The daily pie is a crowd-pleasing centrepiece at Quo Vadis, and Bistro Freddie currently boasts a chicken and tarragon variety. A jam-packed pie is also a star dish at the newly opened Donia.
In the UK there’s often an English or French accent on discussions around traditional food. However, what's nostalgic to you depends on what you grew up eating. For Florence ‘Mae’ Magnaloc, founder-chef at Donia, her viral lamb caldereta pie is a truly authentic representation of the blended comfort food she enjoyed growing up. “We’d have a Filipino stew like lamb caldereta going, which I’d add to my pie and mash and think, damn! Someone needs to do this!” Chef-founder duo Sunny Wu and Irene Hua, meanwhile, were driven by nostalgic yearning, to open Hainan House last Autumn, showcasing time-honoured Southern Chinese and Hainanese recipes and the cherished flavours of our childhood mealtimes.
The retro trend isn’t limited to savoury dishes – the proof is certainly in the pudding. Since opening last year, the most talked-about item on Tom Seller’s menu at Dovetale is the knickerbocker glory. Constructed tableside, the theatrical vintage-styled trolley emphasises childhood memories. Dovetale also serves Baked Alaska, another iconic retro dessert, which appears at the recently reinstituted Claridge’s Restaurant too. A double whammy in the nostalgia department – a neapolitan ice cream sandwich, was recently introduced at Manteca. Over at Catherine St, Jamie Oliver’s recent return to the capital, a new Sunday menu transports us back to primary school days with apple crumble. “Coal-roasted apples, tons of ice cream and bay leaf custard, and big enough for everyone to get involved,” Head of Pastry Emma Jackson describes her take on the vintage pudding. Being “so warm and cosy,” it’s in keeping with the Catherine St. ethos, a restaurant inspired by wonderfully familiar dishes.
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For Jackson, this return to retro foods is a natural swing of the pendulum, after years of celebrating molecular gastronomy. “Menus got really full on with a focus on things being different. So now people are going back to the roots of cooking,” she shares. “It’s more about flavour now, than all the ways you can reinvent an ingredient.” As Hamdy explains, “people don’t want to be challenged by food anymore.” Magnaloc shares a similar sentiment. “I’d seen so much ‘cutting edge’ when I was thinking about Donia. So I decided to make something simple, but bloody delicious.”
Simon Attridge, Culinary Director at Claridge's, highlights the important role of social context too. “It’s been a tough couple of years. So nostalgia is coming back because it drives happy memories of excitement, of a more relaxed, seemingly problem-free time.”
It’s great recreating cherished memories through the comfort of familiarity. It’s a view shared by Ben Bonson, Chef Director at Bébé Bob. “It’s wanting to recreate that joy of childhood eating. Your Mum’s roast chicken might be ‘the best’, but you can go out and have a well-sourced, well-seasoned rendition which hopefully evokes those memories.” Consumers are prioritising in-person connection, and hospitality luminary Jeremy King believes that at restaurants, such connection is fostered through simpler, quality food at good value.
Increased nutritional awareness is also relevant. “Everyone’s more conscious about highly processed foods,” says Hamdy. Even with an indulgent meal, “people want an honest plate without disguises.” Equally, the evolving dialogue on sustainability is encouraging chefs to revisit dishes from a time when cooking local and seasonal produce was the only option."
“Cooking seasonally and locally is key when frugality is the order of the day.” Lee points to the effect of increased costs. “And there’s such a wealth of heritage dishes, like braises and poaches, that can help achieve this.”
