Absence Speaks Louder Than Words: A Conversation with Clare Finney & Guests

What happens when a Thai restaurant doesn’t serve rice, or a Mexican chef stops using avocados? What does it mean when Scottish chefs say no to salmon?

This conversation, led by award-winning food writer Clare Finney, explores how chefs are taking iconic ingredients off the menu – not out of defiance, but out of deep reflection on provenance, sustainability, and cultural responsibility. When the ‘classics’ disappear, what replaces them – and what do these choices reveal about our values as cooks and eaters?

Joining Clare will be:

• Jeremy Lee (MBE), Chef Proprietor of Quo Vadis
• Adriana Cavita, Chef-Owner of Cavita restaurant
• Santiago Lastra, Co-owner of KOL restaurant

Ticket includes welcome drink, 3 canapes and a night of scintillating conversation.

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MORE ABOUT THE PANELLISTS:

Jeremy Lee (MBE)

Jeremy Lee became Chef Proprietor of Quo Vadis in Soho in early 2012, having previously manned the stoves of Blueprint Café in the Design Museum. This singular cook has worked with such distinguished restaurateurs as Simon Hopkinson and Alastair Little, who all played a considerable part in the great resurgence of modern British cooking.

Originally from Dundee, Jeremy came from a family where home cooking of a high order was a daily affair. Having been brought up thus, Jeremy applies this to the menus at Quo Vadis, where the cooking is bright, fresh and quintessentially British in a manner most modern.

His menus reflect the seasons and are full of his favourite things, using produce expertly sourced from his enviable list of suppliers. His first cookbook, Cooking: Simply and Well for One or Many, was published in September 2022 to critical acclaim. The following year, Jeremy was awarded an MBE for services to the Food Industry.

Adriana Cavita

Mexican-born Adriana grew up in Mexico City and often visited her grandparents in a small village called San Felipe Ixtacuixtla, where fresh corn, tomatoes and avocados are staples of the region. Brought into this world of food from a young age, Adriana was inspired to enter the industry by her grandma who owned a street food business selling Antojitos Mexicanos.

Her first role in cookery came at the age of 17 as an apprentice at Nicos in Mexico City. Here, she honed her skills on the bakery section before moving on to her first full-time paid job at Pujol - currently ranked at #13 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants - at just 19. She also worked alongside Ferran Adria at El Bulli and later with Eduardo Garcia at Lalo! These restaurants are famed for their ongoing revolutionary approach to Mexican cooking.

Adriana moved to the UK and her debut restaurant Cavita opened in May 2022 to a host of outstanding reviews. Her first cookbook Cocina Mexicana: Fresh, vibrant recipes for authentic Mexican food was released in 2023.

Santiago Lastra

Mexican-born chef Santiago Lastra’s passion for gastronomy has always been viewed through a global lens. His path through professional kitchens has led him from his home country to France, Spain, Turkey, Britain, Italy and Denmark, working for some of the greatest culinary innovators of the age. After many years of research and development, he opened KOL in London in 2020 with his contemporary, creative and sustainable interpretations, showcasing the diversity of Mexican cuisine and food culture. KOL was awarded its first Michelin star in 2022 and holds the No.49 position in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

Clare Finney

Clare is an award-winning journalist, author and cheese-lover, born and based in London – though she spent much of her childhood in her grandparent’s seaside hotel, watching her grandmother cooking. It was this that partly inspired her debut book, The Female Chef, which celebrates those women rewriting the rules of what it means to a successful chef in the UK. The Female Chef was awarded Fortnum and Mason’s Debut Food Book award in 2022. Her second book, Hungry Heart, explores how food shapes our loves, lives and relationships, and was named the Times Book of the Year 2023. Clare’s journalism appears in the UK’s leading publications including the Guardian, The Times, the iPaper, the Telegraph, delicious. magazine and the Standard. Since March 2025, she has also been a regular columnist for the online food writing platform, Scribehound. She writes about sustainability, food and relationships, food and feminism, trends in food culture, and as often as she is permitted, cheese.

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About Fortnum & Mason's Food & Drink Studio:

Opened in April 2023, Fortnum's Food & Drink Studio is a space dedicated to the search for extraordinary food and drink experiences.

Enjoy unmissable masterclasses and intimate dining experiences hosted by some of the world's best chefs. Live demonstrations led by major names in food and drink. Illuminating conversations with makers and creatives who share our passion for all things delicious. The chance to grab an apron and grow your own culinary skills with a little help from the experts.

For a full list of upcoming events visit: https://www.fortnumandmason.com/events