Where Chef Margot Henderson and Family Dine

New Zealander Margot Henderson, chef of London’s beloved Rochelle Canteen lets Lucky Peach magazine in on the south London spot, Canton Arms where she and her family unwind.

“[Canton Arms] serves the sort of things you would want to cook at home for yourself but don’t always have the time to undertake – gentle, beautiful food.

“My favourite thing is to go and get a big Le Creuset of whatever special they’re serving. They make a lot of braised things – whole chickens, a shoulder of lamb for fiveish.

“I like to take the whole family here – some restaurants are really good at focusing on the family. At home, you can still bring out your phone. But there’s something about going to a restaurant: you’ve got to wait for the food to come, so you’re all there, together.”

Henderson’s first restaurant job in Wellington in the 1980s was at Java, which was run by Geraldine York, a former nurse, and chef Ayliffe Maddever.

Original article by Margot Henderson, Lucky Peach, Winter 2015.