For this month’s Long Lunch at The Park, the series in which we celebrate the joy of a long lunch, we were delighted to be joined by AIR MAIL Deputy Editor Ashley Baker and her guest, Beata Heuman, the interior designer and author.
Ashley Baker is a writer, editor, Substack-er, podcaster, and longtime New Yorker who is now living in London. In addition to being Deputy Editor, she also co-hosts AIR MAIL’s weekly podcast, Morning Meeting and she has recently launched her own Substack column.
WHAT ARE THE KEY ELEMENTS FOR A SUCCESSFUL LONG LUNCH?
A slow work day, great food, mid-level lighting, a sneaky cocktail, and above all, excellent company.
WHAT DO YOU VALUE MOST IN A LUNCH COMPANION?
While dinner tends to be done in groups and with spouses, lunch is usually a one-on-one affair, so it’s an ideal opportunity to connect on a deeper level. I’m fortunate to see my lunch date, the great interior designer Beata Heuman, all the time, but we’re usually with our families and a big group of friends. That’s all well and good, but our lunch at The Park was so wonderful because we were able to dig into the issues that are really shaping our lives—careers, families, current projects, future aspirations, that sort of thing. I especially love lunching with someone like Beata who comes from a different professional world and has so much expertise and thinking to share. It’s those sorts of interactions that make life so much fun, and long lunches enable all of that good stuff to happen.
WHAT DID YOU EAT/DRINK TODAY?
Shrimp cocktail, branzino, French fries, and a glass of Chablis. It was an unusually warm and sunny day in London, so my order skewed South-of-France. Beata had the branzino as well, but she started with vitello tonnato and wisely kicked things off with a dirty martini. And we finished with an ice cream sundae—total heaven.
WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE – RESTAURANT OR OTHER – YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED?
“Champagne off a swan’s back.” This is my husband’s version of “water off a duck’s back,” and he issues it whenever I am tempted to get all hot and bothered about things that don’t really matter.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT?
I’m a deputy editor at Air Mail and a co-host of our weekly podcast, Morning Meeting, so I’m commissioning and writing all sorts of stories. I’ve also launched a Substack called Out of My Element, which is a hopefully humorous take on the American-in-London theme. And we are renovating a listed home, which is a bit intense given all the restrictions and requirements, but an awful lot of fun. I’m learning so much about the Georgians!