On April 11 London Street Brasserie celebrates its 10th anniversary. After opening the doors a decade ago, it quickly established itself as one of Britain’s favourite eateries, winning Michelin recognition and many awards including Pride of Reading’s Restaurant of the Year. 31 tons of chips, 49,000 crème brulees and a few famous faces later chef/patron Paul Clerehugh shares some of the decade’s favourite moments

I’d fallen in love with the building that is now London Street Brasserie (LSB) several years before I eventually managed to acquire it.

‘The Building’ – 2-4 London Street was originally the Toll House on Duke Street Bridge, built in 1750 – you had to pay to get into Reading in those days.

Over the years, the building has been a pub, charity shop, butcher’s and hardware store. It’s last occupants before becoming Reading’s favourite eatery was Shergoulds Newsagents. I invited Mr and Mrs Shergould to our opening in April 2000.

We started works on the old building in 1998 – it was sinking into the river. Being Grade II listed, we had to carefully take the building apart brick by brick, underpin the foundations with enormous steel girders then put the place back together again using the original materials.

We opened on April 11, 2000 – time has flown by – barely believable it’s our 10th birthday!

At some point this summer we’ll serve our millionth guest. Their table will of course be on the house, in fact whoever is number 1,000,000 can eat gratis with me until I eventually hang up my apron, pop my clogs.

Drinking too much

Pre-London Street Brasserie, I had (and still) own the Crooked Billet at Stoke Row. I’d like to think it’s my cooking that put the Crooked Billet on the map – but to my perpetual bemusement it would appear the Billet is still more famous for cooking Kate Winslet’s bangers and mash wedding reception in 1998. (I offered Kate a 10 per cent discount for ‘second time around,’ she graciously declined the offer).

I started the Crooked Billet in 1989 – by around 1996 we had grown a team of staff, chefs and managers – who I couldn’t promote any further, give any more responsibility to or justify further salary increases. I didn’t want to lose these people –- so looked after another restaurant, to promote and keep my staff and that’s the reason LSB exists.

Besides by 1996, I’d cracked the Crooked Billet and needed some new stimulation. I was bored, drinking too much and in danger of turning into that stereotypical pub landlord – Jag, sovereign ring, purple nose and golf clubs. You know the type.

Many of the original LSB staff are still with me, including general manager James Alcock (pictured left). Mark Spiers was our chef in 2000 – he came from Gordon Ramsay Hospital Road, so it is really interesting for me to work with Mark (Ramsay was still very much cooking in 2000).

Veena Stannard is chef now, outstanding, and Robert Spencer is my right-hand man, who oversees LSB and the Crooked Billet kitchens. Rob – a Michelin-starred chef, previously head chef for John Burton-Race and also Gary Rhodes – has phenomenal experience and it is a revelation to work with.

Lots of wonderful people I’ve worked with have gone on to open or manage their own restaurants, which I find exciting and rewarding: Mya Lacarte, the Lamb, Luscombes, LSQ2, Wellington Arms to name a few.

218,400 Oysters

At some point this summer, we will serve our millionth guest. As you’ll appreciate we’ve cooked, peeled and chopped our way through a heck of a lot of food. 2,600 sheep, 320,000 bottles of wine, 31 tons of chips, 90,000 hot chocolate fondants, 11,000 lobsters, 49,000 crème brulees. 8½ tons of squid. 62,500 individual goat’s cheeses. 25,500 haddock, 55,000 free range chickens, 218,400 oysters and 24 tons of mashed potatoes.

Difficult to pigeonhole LSB’s food style – British/Mediterranean/comfort food. I’m trying to cook what Reading wants; the problem with chefs is they tend to cook what they like rather than what people actually want to eat.

Despite our “comfort food” cooking, Michelin were quick to include us in their revered guide, we’ve enjoyed Michelin acclaim now for eight years. People’s perception of Michelin restaurants is they’re expensive. LSB offers a daily changing two-course menu for £15, noon- 7pm, Monday to Sunday, which hopefully dispels the myth that not all Michelin restaurants are expensive.

In February 2004, readers of Observer Food Monthly voted London Street Brasserie one of Britain’s “Best Cheap Eats” (although I don’t personally think three courses off my a la carte is “cheap”, at circa £27).

Over the years, we’ve had some interesting famous faces through the door. Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber did Mothering Sunday with us, Katie Price, Dave Grohl, Boris Johnson, Paul and Jonathan Ross, Joanna Lumley, Keith Floyd, Robbie Williams, Melinda Messenger, Reading’s very own Kate Winslet, Sir John Madjeski and AWT.

I’ve tried to remember what we cooked for some of them and included the recipes.

Jonathan Ross - Salt Cod Fritters

Makes 16

• 500g salt cod
• 1 large potato (200g) unpeeled
• 2tbsp milk
• 60ml olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 30g self-raising flour
• 2 eggs, separated
• 1tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Oil, for deep-frying
• Malden salt and freshly ground black pepper

Soak the cod in cold water for 24 hours, changing the water at least three times. Boil the potato for 20 minutes, or until soft. When cool enough to handle, peel and mash with the milk and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.

Drain the cod, cut into pieces and place in a saucepan. Cover with cold water, bring to the boil over high heat, then simmer for 10 minutes, or until soft. Drain. When cool enough to handle, remove the skin from any bones. Mash with a fork until flaky.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan. Cook the onion over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until softened and browning. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.

Combine the potato, cod, onion mixture, flour, egg yolks and parsley and season with cracked black pepper. Whisk the egg whites until stiff then fold into mixture. Fill a large heavy-based saucepan one-third full with oil and heat to 180C.

Divide the mixture into 16 portions, roll each into a ball then flatten to a cake. Dust each with a little flour. Gently lower cakes into hot oil, fry in batches for 12 minutes until golden and piping hot. Drain and pat dry on kitchen paper. Serve immediately.

Robbie Williams - Sesame Seared Tuna with Oriental Pickled Vegetables

For the pickled vegetables:

• 1pt water
• ½pt white wine vinegar
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1 each of red chilli, garlic clove, star anise
• 2 bay leaves
• 200g each of carrot, mooli, cucumber

For the tuna:

• 500g tuna loin, trimmed
• 1tbsp tarragon mustard
• 1tsp wasabi powder
• 2tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Begin by peeling and shredding the vegetables on a mandolin to matchstick thickness of 5cm long. Otherwise cut them by hand into thin strips.

Next trim the tuna to form a cylindrical baton. Heat a large, non-stick frying pan and roll the tuna around the pan to sear on the outside – only cooking the first 2mm and leaving the centre raw.

Mix the tarragon mustard and wasabi powder together and brush over the tuna. Roll the tuna in the toasted sesame seeds and wrap in cling film twisting the ends, to encase tightly and refrigerate.

In a saucepan make the pickling liquor by bringing the water, vinegar and sugar to the boil, add the chilli, garlic, star anise and bay leaves and simmer for 10 minutes before straining. While this liquor is still hot, add carrot and mooli and allow to cool before adding the cucumber. Refrigerate all for 24 hours.

Next day, drain vegetables from the pickling liquor and dress with streaks of hoi sin sauce (as in picture). Finally present the carved medallions of tuna around the pickled vegetables. In the picture I’ve topped it all off with a couple of deep fried wontons.

Katie Price - Passion Fruit Cheesecake

For the base:

• 100g crushed digestive biscuits
• 70g crushed amaretto biscuits
• Pinch nutmeg
• Pinch cinnamon
• 85g melted butter

For the cake:

• 200g pulp and seeds from about 10 passion fruits
• 225g ricotta cheese
• 230ml double cream, whipped
• 1 lemon, grated zest and juiced
• Honey to taste (about 40g)
• 15g powdered gelatine
• 3 tbsp water

Begin by mixing together the base ingredients and load it all into an oiled flan ring placed on a flat baking sheet, firmly press down and refrigerate for half an hour.

Next, mix together the passion fruit pulp and seeds, ricotta, cream, lemon juice and zest and honey.

Dissolve the gelatine in the water over a low heat and pour it into the cheesecake mixture, stirring well. Pour the mixture into a flan ring, spreading it flat with a palette knife. Refrigerate the cheesecake for 2 hours until set.

To serve, loosen the cheesecake from the ring mould with a sharp knife and slide it on to a serving plate, slice up and enjoy.

Dave Grohl - Steak and Kidney Pudding

• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 225g lambs kidney, cortex removed and quartered
• 450g stewing steak, cut into 21/2cm chunks
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 onions, roughly chopped
• 2 celery sticks
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 pt Guinness
• 1 pt beef stock
• Salt and pepper
• For the pastry:
• 300g self raising flour
• 150g shredded suet
• 200ml water
• Salt
• Butter, for greasing

Heat the oil in a large casserole pan and fry the kidneys and steak until well coloured. Remove and fry the vegetables until brown, add tomato paste and bay.

Add the Guinness and stock and bring to the boil before returning the steak and kidney. Simmer for tow hours until tender, but not yet at the “melt in the mouth” stage. The meat will continue cooking during steaming process.

Adjust the seasoning and leave to cool. While the stew is stewing, make the pastry by mixing the suet, flour and slat in a large bowl before adding the water to make a firm dough.

Wrap in cling film and rest the dough for 30 minutes before rolling out to 7mm thick. Cut two rounds - a large one to fill a two pint pudding basin and a small one for the lid. When lining the pudding basin, leave a couple of centimetres of pastry overhanging.

Butter the basin well before lining and strain the gravy from the steak and kidney before packing and suet-lined basin with the stew. Add a little of the gravy and brush the overhanging pastry with water and fold the overhanging pastry around it.

Fold a crease into a sheet of greaseproof and tie it around the pudding basin. Put a plate in the bottom of a large saucepan, fill with boiling water and simmer the pudding - on the plate - for 2 hours. The water should come to 2cm below the top of the pudding and will need topping up occasionally. Serve with remaining gravy.

Keith Floyd - Venison with Haggis

Serves 4
1 tbsp juniper berries
4 shallots, finely chopped
Zest from one orange, finely grated or julienne
300ml port
4 tbsp redcurrant jelly
Olive oil
4 x 100g circles sliced from a small haggis
8 fresh figs
4 x 250g venison fillet steaks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
100g butter
200g washed baby spinach

Begin by crushing the juniper berries and sweat the shallots for three minutes or until soft.

Add the orange zest, crushed berries and port and simmer for 20 minutes until the lot is reduced by half.

Stir in the redcurrant jelly and reserve. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and seal the haggis on both sides.

Pop the haggis and figs in a preheated oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas mark 7 to roast.

Next, season the venison well and heat the butter in a large frying pan with a tablespoon of olive oil. Seal the venison on all sides before removing to the oven to roast for a further 10 minutes - it should still remain pink inside.

Next, remove the venison from the oven and allow it to rest for five minutes.

To serve, place a circle of haggis on each plate, divide the spinach into 4 portions and stack it on top of the haggis.

Carve the venison into 3 or 4 slices and fan over the spinach. Cut a small cross into the top of each fig and squeeze open. Place two figs on each plate and pour the sauce around.

Boris Johnson - Queen’s Diplomat Pudding

290ml milk
15g butter
140g caster sugar
55g fresh white breadcrumbs
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 eggs
8 glace cherries
50g sultanas
50g angelica
2 tbsp raspberry jam, warmed

Heat the milk and add the butter and 30g of the sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then add the breadcrumbs and lemon zest. Allow to cool.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. separate the eggs. Mix the egg yolks into the breadcrumbs mixture. Pour into a pie dish.

Cut the cherries in half; cut the angelica into 5mm dice. Add cherries, sultanas and angelica to the breadcrumb mixture and leave to stand for 30 minutes.

Place the pudding in a roasting pan half filled with hot water (a Bain Marie) and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until the custard mix is set.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Turn down the oven temperature to 150°C. Carefully spread the jam over the top of the custard. This is easier if you melt the jam first. Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Whisk in 2 teaspoon of the remaining sugar. Whisk again until very stiff and shiny and fold in all but half a teaspoon of the remaining sugar.

Pile the meringue on top of the custard and dust the top lightly with the reserved sugar. Bake in the oven until the meringue is set and golden straw-coloured - about 10 minutes. This delicious pudding is particularly heavenly served hot with cold whipped cream.

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