There's nothing we like more at La Gaffe than working with other small businesses. Not only do we know just how tough it is, having to compete with large chains and their big budgets, but we're also aware of how high rents and property prices in already costly parts of London, like Hampstead, are making it harder and harder for independent establishments to stay afloat. Here at La Gaffe, we go out of our way to work with local businesses, by endeavouring to purchase as much as we can from other merchants in Hampstead. Whether it's flowers for our entrance or food and drink for our diners, the more we can spend in our neighbourhood, the happier we are.
In terms of our meat, we're glad to say we buy exclusively from the Hampstead Butcher & Providore, in Rosslyn Hill, NW3. We're constantly impressed with the quality of their produce and the exemplary service they provide.
No surprise then when Phillip Matthews, owner of the Hampstead Butcher and Providore and our owner, Lorenzo Stella, came up with the idea of a joint event, which they'd been musing over for ages. The idea was to give Phillip and his staff the opportunity to show off their wonderful produce and for Lorenzo, our chef and our waiters to then cook and serve the same! And so the two of them put together the idea of a co-promotion, in the form of an evening where Hampstead Butcher could showcase their meat (and butchery skills!) and La Gaffe could highlight one of our most popular dishes (and one we receive endlessly compliments about). This, in fact, is the rack of lamb, which we marinate in a Dijon mustard, herb and garlic sauce and serve with seasonal vegetables.
The evening, we're pleased to report, was well-received and ultimately sold out! On November 29th, Hampstead Butcher sent their head butcher, Jason, up to Heath Street, where he set up a table at the front of the restaurant and invited attendees to pull up a chair. He then spent the best part of an hour talking to diners about how to work with the lamb from scratch - how to cut it, trim it, and prepare it for the oven. His skill and attention to detail didn't go unnoticed either, with plenty of attendees asking questions (of course, he answered them all with skill and ease!)
Afterwards, all of the cuts he prepared were sent to our kitchen and then cooked by our talented chef, Alfredo. Now how much fresher can you get than that?! Watch this space for our next butchery class, which we plan to throw some time in January 2019, this time featuring another cut of meat from the Hampstead Butcher, to then be prepared by our talented chef for you to enjoy! The Hampstead Butcher, 56 Rosslyn Hill, London NW3 1ND. https://hampsteadbutcher.com/