The Artisan
The real expertise of highly skilled chef Andrew Jones lies not in his pristine presentation, but in his approach to, and his appreciation of, the raw materials of his trade. He has the ability to take a simple, honest ingredient, and present it at its best, as opposed to dressing it up as something else. As stimulating as his dishes are visually, the main strength of this no-nonsense artisan is the integrity with which he honours his top quality ingredients.
For example, if he presents you with an asparagus dish, then By God, you will taste the asparagus. There is nothing dull about his more straightforward raw offerings and nothing confusing about his more complex dishes. This is real craftsmanship.
The Artist
The art at work here is in Andrew’s attitude, approach and aspiration. He recognizes that the ingredients themselves can be perceived as works of art. For him, they are not merely the starting point. They are his inspiration. This is art without artifice.
Simple vs. complex
(Separate, Individual, Complimentary)
On the plate, Andrew’s ingredients compliment each other while maintaining their own identity. Visually, the first impression is that the dishes are highly complex. But on closer inspection the fabric of the dish is there to see and therefore understand. There is a transparency to Andrew’s work, which comes from his understandable confidence.