Creative Conversations: Plum Guide Meets Gabriel Waterhouse

In this week's Creative Conversation, Gabriel Waterhouse, head chef of eponymous The Water House Project tells us all about its journey from supper club to restaurant, the inspiration he finds within the markets of Marrakech and why East London embodies the meaning of style.

The menu changes completely on a monthly basis, so all the ingredients are hyper seasonal. Menu development plays a big part, as the way the tasting menu is formatted allows us to streamline the dishes and focus on one specific flavour per dish as opposed to presenting lots of ideas on one plate. We tend to veer away from the classics as they can be too familiar and instead, we like to discover different flavour combinations that make you think about what you’re actually eating.

I went to a boarding school and there were no means for cooking independently, everything was done for you to a certain extent. Before a poorly planned gap year, I spent some of the time learning how to cook.

The supper club was born out of my flat in Bethnal Green, where I would host two nights a week on top of a full-time job at Galvin La Chapelle. I found myself in a position where I was working pretty much all the time and I could take the supper club full time. From there it was like a snowball effect, we began moving from one place to the next, saving money in each venue to open The Water House Project each time in a bigger way.

The restaurant is informed by my upbringing in Northumberland which is wild and raw, it’s given me a respect for simplicity and an appreciation for a space that can be both beautiful and functional. I like functional spaces, without clutter and just the bare minimum so everything is used for a definitive purpose. I think that objects are more beautiful when they are used than when they are just sitting there. The space at The Water House Project is functional and easy to maintain, the focus is on the food and the experience.

I have weirdly not travelled a lot for the sole purpose of food, as much as I would love to, I just haven’t had the opportunity. I visit Kenya pretty regularly as that’s where my in-laws live and there are aspects of the cooking that I pick up on and enjoy. Marrakech really stood out as an inspiring place for food, there is a lot of joy and bustle in the plazas at night and an intensity that I find beautiful. London is also great for food, each borough is made up of different cultures and food influences, you can learn about food by just looking at the area around you.

I’m not very sentimental when it comes to physical objects. It took me a while to look around my house and find one specific object that I’m attached to. When you’re younger the attachment is a lot stronger, but as you grow older you become a lot more selective. One thing that came to mind as particularly precious is a painting by my brother; portrait artist, Joshua Waterhouse - he’s painted Trish, my wife and I think it’s beautiful.

I’d say it’s mostly to do with the people that you share your house with, unless you’re with people you care about it could be anywhere. I like to live somewhere quiet, and I think that stems from my upbringing.

Kenya, which is where my in-laws live. I feel kind of at home there now in a nice way. There’s still excitement surrounding it as it’s a very different home environment from my own.

East London or Hackney is a good representation of me and the restaurant as well. I think that East London has a great style to it, it’s unpretentious. People sometimes find East London intimidating, but I like how anonymous it is. Everyone's just doing their thing... it’s relaxed and natural.

The location is important. My family has spent a few holidays in Scotland – we all take it in turns to play ‘Come Dine With Me’. So, holidays with family are usually centred around the food and the kitchen. Trish has a good tip, she always brings a candle with her, whenever we go away or stay somewhere new, it sets the mood straight away wherever you are... Amazing that a little touch of light can change the whole atmosphere.

To find out more about Gabriel and his restaurant, take a look at The Water House Project's website, or follow them on Instagram.