CELEBRATING TEN YEARS OF CAROUSEL

This October, Carousel will celebrate ten years at the forefront of the guest chef movement, marking the milestone with a week-long birthday party. From 15th - 19th October, old friends such as Olia Hercules and Chuck’s NYC will return to Carousel’s Fitzrovia home for one night only, alongside specials in No. 23 and £5 Marianito’s in the Wine Bar.

Since launching in 2014, Carousel has played host to over 350 world renowned chef residencies from over 100 cities and 50 countries, back-to-back, for five days every week. Founders and brothers, Ed and Ollie Templeton, have provided a platform for up and coming chefs who have gone on to open their own critically acclaimed restaurants, including Ravinder Bhogal, Chetan Sharma, Adriana Cavita, Santiago Lastra and Jeremy Chan, alongside titans of the food and drink world such as Niklas Ekstedt, Rishi Naleendra and Alex Dilling, who have all made Carousel their home away from home for a week or two.


IN THE GUEST CHEF KITCHEN

15TH - 19TH OCTOBER | KITCHEN PARTY

Offering a snapshot of the last decade, the guest chef residency kitchen will host a week-long kitchen party with some of the Templetons’ favourite chefs from over the years, with a different friend collaborating with Ollie and the team every night.

First up on Tuesday 15th is the return of smashburger supernova, Chuck George. Adored in Milan, Paris and Rome for its strictly ‘no modifications’ approach and crispier than crisp edges, Chuck’s NYC is back at Carousel for one night only.

Wednesday 16th will see Sokunthear Vong weaving in his Cambodian heritage with dishes like ‘KFC Sweetbread’ on his 10th birthday menu. Once Carousel’s junior sous, Sok is busy opening his own place in Paris, where he has earnt a cult following at Aux Deux Amis and a string of sell-out pop-ups.

On Friday 18th, Carousel is harking back to the original pop-up which was launched with a secret location. This time, guests will be treated to a special surprise guest chef to be revealed closer to the time.

Finishing with a Ukrainian feast on Saturday 19th, Olia Hercules will be returning nine years after her first appearance, showcasing the best of her homeland in all its “authentic, modern, fun and crazy” glory. Slava Ukraini!


Carousel continuously pushes boundaries, bringing dining experiences to London that you won’t find anywhere else in the city. From recent scene disruptors, Punk Royale (Stockholm) and Ho Lee Fook (Hong Kong); to underrepresented narratives and cuisines like Adejoké Bakare’s West African Chishuru (London) and the traditional Oaxacan cooking of Thalía Barrios García of Levadura de Olla (Mexico); through to the all female teams of NYC royalty, King, and two-Michelin-star Bangkok gamechanger, Baan Tepa.

Reflecting on the past decade of London’s culinary culture, Ed Templeton comments "When we started out ten years ago we could never have imagined that we’d be here on Charlotte Street, a decade later, cooking alongside some of the most exciting chefs in the world every single week. We’ve met such a dizzying variety of people along the way. The fun ones, the intense ones, the crazy ones, the friends for life. It’s that mash up of nationalities and cuisines, of rising stars and established names, that keeps things fresh and the ideas flowing both ways. It’s a massive privilege to be able to do this as a job”.

The next ten years show no signs of slowing down. Upcoming chef residencies across the autumn include:

CARMELITA MOLINO Y COCINA | TIJUANA | 29TH OCTOBER – 2ND NOVEMBER

Tijuana’s Carmelita Molino y Cocina will be in the kitchen from 29th October – 2nd November. Leading the charge of the vibrant culinary scene is José (‘Joe’) Figueroa and his award-winning Carmelita Molino y Cocina. José’s menu celebrates the bounty of Baja with a modern twist, featuring dishes like Cornish tuna warayaki with salsa tatemada and tostadas; Cockle ceviche with aioli; and his generous Baja seafood platter with Scallop with ginger scallion sauce and preserved lemon.

POPL | COPENHAGEN | 5TH - 9TH NOVEMBER

Offering comfort food during uncertain times, POPL began life as a simple burger joint launched by Noma during the pandemic. Since then, it’s evolved into a diverse and innovative restaurant with a focus on seasonality, quality and an elevated dining experience. Using techniques like fermentation, pickling and smoking, POPL’s in-house R&D team explores Danish ingredients in new ways, to create the distinctive flavours that have become its hallmark. Today, the restaurant is beloved by neighbourhood regulars and visitors from all over who come to enjoy their refined yet approachable dining experience.

MAKAN | MEXICO CITY | 19TH - 23RD NOVEMBER

Makan is the CDMX smash hit from Mario Malváez and Maryann Yong. The talented duo met in Singapore, where they bonded over a mutual love of hand-pulled noodles. They also worked together in Thailand for Bangkok culinary royalty, Gaggan Anand (#5 in Asia’s 50Best). The menu at Makan - literally ‘to eat’ in Singaporean - reflects these travels, along with influences from Malaysia, Indonesia and Hong Kong. By day, they serve hand-made noodles and exceptional Chinese-style roasted meats. By night, they offer a short seasonal menu of satays, larbs, laksas and showstoppers like their now famous chilli crab, that are all about simplicity and the quality of Mario and Maryann’s chosen ingredients.


BEYOND THE GUEST CHEFS… FROM N0.23 TO THE WINE BAR

New kid on the block, No.23, Carousel’s next door mezcalería and tostada bar, will be showcasing Carousel’s in-house chef talent with a Cornish Bluefin Tuna Tostada special available throughout the week. A whole tuna, caught off the coast of Cornwall and butchered in-house, will be made into a Bluefin tartare, to be topped with charred strawberry salsa, pickled green strawberries and avocado.

Meanwhile, Carousel's own neighbourhood Wine Bar - “a serious contender for London’s best small plates” [The Infatuation} - will be serving £5 Marianitos all week long. The Basque Country’s answer to a Negroni, the cocktail is made with Carousel’s house 10-year vermouth, gin and Campari, and garnished with a salty olive. Head to the restaurant for seasonal snacks and small plates and minimal intervention wine and toast to 10 years with a £5 drink… or two.

For further press information on Carousel please contact: Harriet Richards at Gemma Bell and Company via harriet@gemmabellandcompany.com