Gentleman’s Relish is toast after its maker axes the pungent anchovy spread
Fans of traditional British cuisine were heartbroken by news that Gentleman’s Relish was being discontinued by its manufacturer.But Jeremy King, who last month reopened Simpson’s in the Strand, has instructed his chef to create a version of the pungent anchovy-based condiment almost identical to the real thing for the 198-year-old London restaurant.King, who has run famed establishments including the Ivy, the Wolseley and Le Caprice, told the Guardian: “We actually make our own, due to the difficulty in obtaining, so are able to continue to serve it.”Simpson’s, which offers traditional fare including spotted dick and roast beef carved on a silver trolley, serves the relish on toast for £6.50.
A favourite condiment of the James Bond writer, Ian Fleming, it was created by John Osborn, an English grocer living in Paris.His mixture of anchovy fillets, rusk, butter and a secret selection of herbs and spices was launched in 1828, the same year Simpson’s opened.King, 71, said: “My chef found and adapted a classic Victorian recipe for patum peperium, which is its proper name.It is similar to mass-produced versions, but dare I say, I prefer it.”Osborn came up with the name patum peperium, mock-Latin for pepper pâté.
King said it was already a favourite on the menu at Simpson’s, which closed down during the pandemic, and some customers ordered it “with tears in their eyes”.He said he would like to be able to sell it as a takeaway product but “sadly we can’t as that would require all sorts of health and safety packaging and labelling”.Fortnum & Mason will also continue to produce and sell a version of the relish.Priced at a punchy £14.95, the condiment is packaged in an attractive Tiffany blue pot and, according to the London grocer, contains “a whole armada of anchovy, to which we have added dill, garlic and fragrant Sarawak pepper”.
Reacting to the news, the celebrity cook Nigella Lawson, who once named the relish as one of the 10 foods she could not live without, said: “I love Gentleman’s Relish on generously buttered toast.I think of it as the savoury version of cinnamon toast, and it is just as comforting, particularly if served on white sliced.”She added that she would now be making do with a homemade version: “As long as I have access to anchovies and butter, I am happy.”AB World Foods, the company that made the spread, said in a statement: “While we recognise that this Victorian relish has a niche and loyal following, it sadly does not have wider commercial appeal and, despite our best efforts, retailer distribution has dwindled.“With Gentleman’s Relish no longer commercially viable and unable to secure a buyer for the brand, we regrettably stopped production earlier this year.
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