For our second Long Lunch at The Park, we were delighted to be joined by award-winning television producer and executive, Kenton Allen and his guest, television presenter and farmer, Jeremy Clarkson.
Allen is the CEO of Big Talk, one of the UK’s leading film and television production companies, winner of Best Independent Production Company at the 2017 Broadcast Awards. Kenton is a multi-award-winning producer who holds the record for most individual awards for Situation Comedy in the history of BAFTA. In recognition of his outstanding contribution to television, Kenton was awarded the Fellowship award by the Royal Television Society in 2019. He recently wrote an essay for The Spectator entitled “Long live the long lunch!”
WHAT ARE THE KEY ELEMENTS FOR A SUCCESSFUL LONG LUNCH?
My constant companion in all matters lunch-based is Keith Waterhouse’s culinary bible, The Theory and Practice of Lunch. “Lunch is a mid-day meal taken at leisure, ideally by two people. Three’s a crowd, four always split like a double amoeba into two pairs, six is a meeting, eight is a conference. A little light business may be touched upon but the occasion is firmly social, and as long as you linger in the restaurant you are having an affair. The affair is lunch.”
WHAT DO YOU VALUE MOST IN A LUNCH COMPANION?
The perfect lunch companion is punctual, witty, wise, a great talker and even better listener, someone with a twinkle in their eye and awesome gossip. Jeremy Clarkson ticks all these boxes every time.
WHAT DID YOU EAT/DRINK TODAY?
My default lunch at The Park goes like this: a martini – Belvedere vodka, straight up, bone dry with a twist. Absolutely no bread, which is a fool’s errand. Then the Park’s perfect shrimp cocktail: this is not a prawn cocktail, and god forbid anyone who suggests to Jeremy that it should be. Then a second martini (martinis are like breasts: 2 are perfect, 3 is too many). Main course would be the veal chop with a side of steamed spinach. Double espresso. The bill.
WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE – RESTAURANT OR OTHER – YOU HAVE RECEIVED?
The best advice I’ve ever received about restaurants comes from a chap who knows a bit about these things, Mr Nick Jones. His advice is: Find somewhere you really like and go there a lot. Get to know the staff, let them get to know you, be loyal to them and they will be loyal to you and it will quickly become a home from home.
The best advice I’ve ever heard comes courtesy of John Lennon who famously said “It will be ok in the end. And if it’s not ok, then it’s not the end.”
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT?
I’m currently working on series two of BBC1 drama LUDWIG starring David Mitchell, which was an enormous hit and led to a very good celebratory lunch at Soho Mews House recently. We’ve also just wrapped on a new Mitchell and Webb Sketch show for C4, which sees the chaps returning to sketch comedy for the first time in 15 years with an insanely talented supporting cast of young writers and performers. I’m having lunch with David at the new Josephine Marylebone to discuss plans for launching the show. We’ve also just wrapped on a new Dawn French and Mark Heap comedy for BBC1 called Can You Keep A Secret, so naturally I’m going down to Cornwall to have lunch with Dawn at the North Street Kitchen in Fowey to catch-up post shoot and eat Ethan Friskney-Bryers’ incredible seafood. But my main work is getting match fit for my 60th Birthday Party which, unsurprisingly, will take the form of a ’60 at 60’ Long Lazy Lunch at the new Soho Farmhouse Ibiza. Un almuerzo para morirse!