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Allegra McEvedy
“A caterer with a conscience.”
The Independent
Allegra McEvedy has been a chef for 18 years, working her way through college, London restaurants and cooking abroad before coming home to set up a new thought in quality restaurants: that good food is something that should be available to all, and that there’s more ways than Michelin stars for a chef to make a difference.
Allegra has worked at uber-famous restaurants such as The Belvedere, The Groucho Club and The River Café, and she got her first Head Chef position at Tom Conran’s The Cow, in Notting Hill, at the age of 24.
In 2003, Allegra co-founded Leon, the award-winning, healthy, fast-food restaurant group, which currently has eight London restaurants. Leon’s ethical credentials were recognised in the RSPCA’s 2007 Good Business Awards, in which it took top spot in the Restaurant Chain category. She has also released a cookbook by the same name which sold 20,000 copies in the first 3 months.
Allegra is a spokesperson for the Fairtrade Foundation and runs a ‘Cooks for Schools’ programme at her local school. She is the Resident Chef of the Guardian’s G2 magazine, to which she is also a regular feature contributor, as well as doing monthly live cook-a-longs for the Observer.
In June 2008 Allegra was awarded the MBE for services to the hospitality industry.
Now you know who she is, get cooking her gorgeous Go Green Curry recipe.
What does Allegra have to say about P&P?
“I’m delighted to have come up with this recipe for People & Planet, a group who work tirelessly to improve many areas of the world we’ve inherited. Their attitude is admirable, their actions and support they give students vital and I have a particular fondness for their banner-making - one of which was created in our house! If I hadn’t been so naughty at school and made it to being a student I’m sure I would have been an active P&Per, as I share many of their values.
“I have particular connection with their support of the Fairtrade Foundation, for whom I am a spokesperson, and the idea that my simple Green Curry recipe can help fundraising makes me very happy.
“You’ll need good, fresh veggies - a visit to your local Thai shop will inspire you with their aromatic ingredients (the shrimp paste is one of the pongiest things ever, but to the people of South East Asia it plays a vital part in the final balance of flavours).
“One of the things we’re all supposed to be doing is eating less meat, and this curry definitely does not need the chicken, but equally, having been a chef for 18 years now, I know some folk (mostly men!) are put off if there’s no meat in sight, and I wanted this recipe to appeal to all. It’s a particularly fresh version of the classic we all know and love.
“Thank you P&P for asking me to play!”
Allegra McEvedy MBE
