Jackson Boxer's Perfect Day

Award-winning chef and restaurateur Jackson Boxer shares with U his 'Perfect Day'...

How do you start your day?

I understand that it's modish to bang on about how terribly early you wake up and begin your day of awesome productivity, and the truth is I am indeed often reluctantly clawed from sleep well before sunrise by one or another of my dependents, however you're asking about my perfect day, which starts with me being gently woken by a warm sun cast across my brow, and a cool breeze tickling my eyelashes, to find myself in a big bed, gloriously alone.

Leisurely lunch go to?

Lunch is quite my favourite meal. I'm always terribly hungry by late morning, and nothing signifies a day of luxurious indolence better than the prospect of a long lunch. If I'm meeting a friend, Lyles, if I'm with the children, Orient on Wardour Street.

Favourite way to pass the time in London?

Bustling about. I'm at an age where a lot of what actually happens in London has ceased to hold any interest for me, but I still really enjoy the energy of getting in amongst the throng. Darting through the crowded pavement of a teeming street still feels life affirming.

Favourite London landmarks, and why?

I love the parks, the last great common spaces, cherished and actually used by everyone. I like the street markets, especially Nine Elms on a Sunday. And I like the medieval wing of the National Gallery, which no one else seems to visit, and is peaceful, meditative. and full of staggeringly beautiful things.

Tipple of choice and favourite cocktail hangouts?

Quo Vadis or Bar Termini. Campari Soda, whatever the weather. I no longer drink though, so the answer is purely hypothetical.

Favourite dining destinations, and why?

London has lots of great places to eat. I haven't eaten badly anywhere in years, beyond reluctant forays of convenience to Pizza Express etc. My favourites are St JohnQuo VadisLyles40 Maltby StreetSpringRochelle Canteen. There are countless other wonderful restaurants, but these are my favourites.

Final stop for a nightcap, and why?

I now observe the rule that past a certain age, nothing interesting happens after midnight. I hit that age at 30. My parents, nearing their 60s, still live in defiance of it. I am in awe of them, but humbly accept my reality.

Rest hangover remedy?

Being hungover was one of the few parts of drinking that I really did well, and would say in my considerable experience the only real cure is cold champagne and vigorous exertion, followed by a double dose of Solpadeine and Fernet Branca.

Where next on your travels?

Craving being somewhere big and empty, preferably alone and on horseback. Failing that, back to Hebrides to get some serious weather into my soul at the edge of the world.

Jackson got his first job working for Margot Henderson as a pot wash at the age of 16. Quickly developing a taste for the rigours of kitchen life, he continued to pursue cooking jobs while completing a degree in English and founded Brunswick House at the age of 24. Also an Executive Chef at the (sadly closed) Chess Club, Mayfair, this year Jackson opened St Leonards with Andrew Clarke. This was a new style of kitchen for them, open, and based around a large log-fuelled hearth, married to an adjacent ice bar.

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