IMAGES: CRIS BARNETT; NINA K ALDRIDGE
FOOD
S IMON ROGAN L’ ENC LUME IN CARTME L , CUMB R I A
Weave your way along the narrow, limestone cottage-edged streets in Cartmel and you’ll reach L’Enclume. The humble architecture of the three-Michelin-star restaurant with rooms (enclume is French for anvil — the 800-year-old building used to be a smithy) provides a dramatic contrast to the exquisitely presented food that pays homage both to the nearby sea and to the Southern Lake District’s soſter rolling hills. “We’ve got the best of both worlds here,” says its founder, chef Simon Rogan. L’Enclume is Simon’s flagship restaurant, which
celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, along with gaining its coveted third star. He now has several other sites, including two in London and one in Hong Kong, where the common thread is sustainability and local sourcing. Indeed, L’Enclume and Roganic Hong Kong have both been awarded Michelin Green stars. So how did this Southampton boy end up
building a sustainable culinary empire from the small village of Cartmel in the Lake District? “I wanted my first restaurant to offer something a bit different. And I wanted to go back to my early days spent foraging in the New Forest. I was attracted as much by the building as its surroundings,” he explains. “The coast has always been a massive part of
my life. I’ve worked in London, Paris and other big cities, but I’ve always returned to the coast, or very near it. I’m hypnotised by the sea,” he says. And the coast — or rather its plants — played
a key role in building his success, says Simon. “Before we established our farming operation, wild food was a big part of L’Enclume. We’re only a mile from Humphrey Head, where we picked dulse, samphire, sea purslane and so on,” he says. Word soon spread of the magic being created with these ingredients and the accolades followed. Today, 75% of the produce for Rogan’s UK
restaurants comes from his sustainable farm just up the road. Add to that a dedicated kitchen busily preserving, fermenting, pickling and drying those
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nationalgeographic.com/travel
ingredients, and he says they’ve almost achieved their goal of being entirely self-sufficient. “A lot of the ingenuity and ideas at L’Enclume start with the farm, and that’s where we focus our energy and imagination,” says Simon. For example, they’ve discovered techniques
that utilise every part of a plant. “We don’t want to waste a thing,” he says. One day the team tried fermenting zaino courgettes. “The resulting liquid is very reminiscent of lemon juice. Of course, we don’t use lemons in our cookery as we can’t grow them here, but any chef will tell you that lemon is a vital component in a kitchen — you need acidity to heighten flavours. But once fermented, these courgettes produce something very like lemon juice — it’s quite incredible. Now we ferment gallons of the stuff,” he enthuses. So, what next for Simon? “I’ve achieved pretty
much everything I’ve ever wanted to since opening, so now it’s about spreading the gospel according to L’Enclume,” he replies, with a grin. Roganic Hong Kong is a case in point. Generally,
pretty much everything is imported to Hong Kong, with ingredients travelling lengthy food miles. But not at his restaurant, which opened in 2019. Simon and his team set up a network of organic farmers in the verdant New Territories and was rewarded with Hong Kong’s first Michelin Green star. Inspired by his actions, other chefs there have followed. “When we first arrived in Hong Kong, there was
zero recycling — everything went in the bin. Then when we returned aſter Covid we couldn’t believe the changes. Those organic farms had doubled in size and lots of chefs have been coming to see what our green star is all about, which is very satisfying to see,” he says. A pop-up in Sydney in July and another in
Singapore in September, plus an East Asia opening planned for later in the year, will further spread the word. Add to that another UK restaurant in the works and Simon’s not just on a roll, he’s on a crusade.
lenclume.co.uk
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Dining room at L’Enclume; broad bean, pike roe amd elderflower; chef Simon Rogan; turbot, sea herbs and shrimp sauce
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