In London’s upmarket Primrose Hill, a Michelin-starred chef is employing people on the edge of homelessness as chefs, wait staff and cocktail makers. It’s been three weeks since the restaurant , Home Kitchen, opened its doors and Mimi Mohamed is pretty sure she knows the lemon tart recipe by heart. But just in case, a small notebook where she has carefully written out the ingredients is propped up at the back of the steel counter: 18 lemons; 420g of butter; 900g of sugar; 24 eggs.
The recipe is by Adam Simmonds, a celebrated Michelin star-winning chef. Novices like Mohamed are not usually found in his kitchens, but this new, upscale dining venture is not usual. Almost every member of the 19-person team has been homeless.
“The crew downstairs in the kitchen, they make so many mistakes, but that’s okay,” Simmonds said with a laugh. “We accept that and we learn from it.” He is sitting upstairs in the front dining room.
A large window overlooks the main commercial street in Primrose Hill, a neighbourhood in north London that oozes British charm..