Case Study: Chriskitch
Scarlett Johansson and a three book deal is all in a day’s work for the proprietor of a deli-café supreme
03.09.15
Tucked amongst the leafy avenues around Muswell Hill you'll find the immensely popular deli-cafe Chriskitch. Owner and founder Chris(tian) Honor hails from Australia and has been cooking for nearly three decades. Having quit school at 14 to join an apprenticeship scheme, he went on to chef all around the world - Australia, Indonesia, Dubai, Egypt and the UK. This included tenures at the Oberoi Hotel in the shadow of the pyramids in Egypt, the Dorchester Hotel, Tower Bridge Hotel, and Gordon Ramsey's former Aubergine restaurant in Chelsea.
Honor's cooking style reflects his nomadic lifestyle showcasing a fine blend of world flavours, textures and detail. “I travelled the world cooking but something had to give” he explained having decided to set up Chriskitch in 2013 so he could spend more time with family and friends. “Turning your back on everything you had worked to be is a really hard decision to make” he said. In many ways, his life mirrors that of the 2014 film Chef, not least when Honor dined with one of the film’s stars Scarlet Johansson. Unlike Chef’s protagonist however, he is a happily married man and the meeting with Johansson had been set up by his agent.
Chriskitch prides itself on producing ‘food made with love and care’ to be ‘enjoyed in surroundings that are both relaxed and friendly’. And this laid back approach, with an emphasis on freshness and quality, strikes just the right balance with the establishment serving around 200 customers a day, weather depending. Busy by anyone’s standards, this is all the more impressive given the venues relatively modest size which includes an indoor seating area and garden – a wonderful place to spend a summer’s afternoon and surprisingly cosy in the winter thanks to large supply of fleece blankets.
Whilst investigating potential suppliers for Chriskitch back in 2013, Chris went to the Lunch Show where he met Chris Filmer, Planglow’s dedicated account manager for the South of England. “We’d looked at a few options”, he explained, “But I ended up calling Chris because he understood me and ultimately we chose the products we did because of our confidence in him. It’s good to have someone who knows me and I know him on the end of the phone - he's got to know our business as well as anyone that works for me”.
Chriskitch uses the salad boxes, bloomer sandwich packs and windowed snack bags from our Gastro range, along with platter boxes and salad packaging from our Natural collection. “These work well because they’re sleek with minimal branding and have the right ethos for our business - they have that organic feel too which has helped to strengthen our brand and position”, said Honor.
Clearly enjoying a more relaxed pace of life, Honor continues to channel his expertise into a number of projects. This includes cookery demos at London Borough Market and much in demand catering services for private events which has seen him cook for some very high profile guests – including former Prime Minister Tony Blair and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbot. The Chriskitch café is no stranger to the stars either with Sacha Baron Cohen and Isla Fisher amongst the regular patrons.
What’s more, Honor has even launched his own cookery book Big Flavours from a Small Kitchen. “I’ve been signed for a three-book deal across 19 countries. This includes America which is almost unheard of for chefs based outside the States,” he said. Showcasing beautifully photographed recipes with a global feel, it will be on many a Christmas list come December. Honor is also in discussions regarding his own TV show too - so it's safe to say you’ll be getting to know the Chriskitch style of cooking whether you make it to Muswell Hill or not.
