MAGAZINE

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Sat in the barbers just a day before this magazine was sent on its merry way to the printers, the young lad challenged with smartening up my appearance asked me if I’ve ever heard of a London restaurant called Blacklock.

Lawrence, who can’t be much older than 21, knows what I do for a living, so is often keen on chatting to me about restaurants he has been to over the past month or so. I tell him I have indeed heard of Blacklock and admire Gordon Ker’s chop-orientated brand a great deal. After listing everything he tried from the menu (the 10-hour ash-roasted sweet potato was “f**king lit mate”), Lawrence goes on to say he ended up there because the first place he tried was full, so he searched some influencers on Instagram to seek out other recommendations. Blacklock popped up, so off he went to Canary Wharf. 

I didn’t ask which specific account had shown him the way to this magnificent meat feast, but it was a beautiful bit of timing, given the recent debate over the significance of influencers, triggered by a quote from Gordon Ramsay in his most recent Netflix documentary. The acclaimed chef essentially said influencers are now more impactful on a restaurant’s success than national critics, which sparked much conversation throughout the industry. 

I don’t want to pigeonhole Lawrence, but I’m guessing he’s not picking up the Guardian on a Saturday morning or subscribing to The Times online. As a Gen Z’er who lives outside the capital, he relies on social media to discover where he should eat when making those treat trips into London. A quick flick through his influencers of choice, and he goes where he is told. 

This contemplation comes up in my chat with Dom Hamdy, founder of HAM Restaurants and lead interviewee in this edition (page 16). Given his sites are often frequented and documented by the self-dubbed “foodies” of the social-sphere, I was keen to get his take on the matter. Enjoy the issue. 

Tristan O’Hana
Editorial director