Pub in the Park Festival brings top chefs, food and music to West London this weekend

Interview with Michel Roux Jr who joins a top line up of chefs and gastropubs aiming to celebrate what makes the Great British pub so special.

Transcript

00:00London's pub scene is under serious pressure. According to data from Altus Group, 133 pubs

00:08closed across the capital last year. Rising costs, changes in how people socialise and recruitment

00:14challenges have all been blamed, with industry groups warning that local institutions are

00:20disappearing faster than they can be saved. Now that's where events like Pub in the Park hope to

00:26make a difference. Created by chef Tom Kerridge, the London Festival runs this weekend from the 30th

00:33of May to the 1st of June in Chiswick. It features top gastropubs including acclaimed names alongside

00:41live music, street food and chef demos. While organisers say it's a celebration of great food

00:47and drink, they also hope to highlight the essential role pubs continue to play in London life. And

00:54earlier I caught up with Michelle Rood Jr. who's appearing at the event this weekend.

00:59Yes, you know, for me a pub is not just a place to go and have a drink or, you know,

01:06very often a bite to eat as well. It's the social hub and it's the very fabric of, I think, of British

01:13culture. And we've got to fight tooth and nail to keep them going. There was a time when the British

01:19pub had a fairly dismal reputation for its food. That's changed dramatically.

01:24Yeah, I think gastropubs have certainly become a force to reckon with. And I think it's the fact that

01:31there are so many more qualified British chefs. And, you know, now there is such a great culture,

01:39food culture in this country. And that has trickled down all the way down to the great British pub,

01:46where you can get a sandwich that's been made properly with fresh bread and some good butter.

01:52And it's freshly made as opposed to curled up and dried and, you know, or bought in food that's

02:00frozen and just chucked in the fryer. You're involved in pub in the park this year. How does the festival

02:06reflect the best of what modern British cuisine can be? Oh, my word. Yes, definitely. And the thing is

02:13about celebrating pubs in pub or the park is the fact that it's accessible. And again, I go back to

02:21the fact that it's a social hub. This is not just pub in the park. It's a party in the park. It's where

02:27people are coming together, enjoying being together, sharing maybe a little bit of food, a couple of

02:35glasses of beer or wine or non-alcoholic, because that's another big thing now. There's some fabulous

02:41non-alcoholic drinks around that pubs are serving. I mean, long, long gone of the day where you'd go

02:47into a pub and ask for a, you know, a lemonade or something non-alcoholic, and they would they would

02:52grimace at you. Quite on the contrary. So, you know, and it's going to be a wonderful weekend. So it's

02:59going to be an absolutely fun time. Do you think events like pub in the park can help rebuild some

03:05of that momentum and help British pubs that are struggling? I hope so. You know, it's a celebration

03:11of what of, you know, of something that's so quintessentially British. And that is the pub.

03:16I mean, I have my French family and I've got lots, lots of them. But when they do come over to England,

03:24England, you know, there's two things on their hit list, fish and chips and pub. They're foreigners

03:31from all over the world. They come to England to celebrate British culture, and the pub is part of

03:37that. Finally, you've had an extraordinary career from Michelin star kitchens to more relaxed pub

03:43settings. What continues to drive your love of food? And what do you hope your impact has been on the

03:49the way Britain eats? Oh, well, it's not just my impact. You know, it's my father and uncle that

03:55I think started the culinary revolution in this country back in the 60s. But, you know,

04:01I think nothing gives me more pride to see somebody I've trained achieve their dreams and to be, you know,

04:09better than me. If they can be better than me, then, you know, I'm happier than anybody. And,

04:15you know, it's, it's so special to see this emerging British talent.

04:22Well, thank you for your time today. All the best for the weekend and have a fantastic side. Cheers.

04:43You