Chris Bulow

Pig enthusiast

Thom’s lyrical, poetic writing reflects his cooking style. Contemplative, calm, thoughtful, scholarly even in its scope, “Summer Lease” is possibly more menu driven than his first opus, but still retains a feeling that the words come to you via a friend, situated just behind you, as you cook, whispering why you should do something rather than merely guiding your knife strokes and pan flips. He eschews heat in the summer months, in favour of ageing and souring and salting. And as a fellow Kentish man and also a fine maker of garums, what’s not to like about this one?