Black erasure in the British food industry
Written by Melissa Thompson. Photo courtesy of Vittles.
A video celebrating the “quality and diversity of London’s restaurant industry”?
“Great”, I thought, as I clicked play on the Evening Standard’s ode to the capital’s food scene, hoping it would conjure up some memories of a world that right now seems like a distant dream.
Food writers, restaurateurs and critics took it in turn to each read a line, against a backdrop of their living rooms, studies or gardens. First the Standard’s restaurant critic Fay Maschler, then chef and author Yotam Ottolenghi, then food writer Anna Jones....
In hindsight I should have shut my eyes, and only listened to the talk of “plantain” (referred to as “grub that’s Sub-Saharan” - presumably a reference to West African-inspired Ikoyi), “beef patties” (representing the whole of Brixton) and “New York soul food” (who knows), rather than watch it..