A true Italiophile, with a passion for Mediterranean cuisine, Theo is the owner and operator of his self titled restaurant, Theo Randall.
Having left the River Café in March 2006, Theo spent a summer travelling the gastronomic footpaths of Italy and France sourcing each country's best suppliers in preparation for the opening of Theo Randall.
Theo Randall first visited Italy when he was six. Each year his parents would drive to Italy: one year going to Venice and Verona; the next travelling along the Ligurian coast or visiting the Cinque Terra, stopping off at restaurants, visiting small markets and filling up the car with artisanal delicacies to take home.
Such trips continue to inspire him today. A true Italiophile, Theo frequently returns to Italy seeking fresh inspiration, as well as reviving relationships with his existing suppliers. His extensive travels around Italy are evident in Theo’s menus.
His menu at Theo Randall this spring draws inspiration from south of Rome where the first shoots of the spring – peas, broad beans, chicory and asparagus – combine to create vignoles and puntarelles in celebration of the end of winter. Later this summer his menu will be governed by the fresh flavours of Liguria and Puglia with tomato dishes and pestos, whole roast fish, fish stews, pecorino and robiola cheeses.
Theo is fastidious in his use of only the best seasonal ingredients (his kitchen at the River Café was described as exercising 'the toughest quality control department outside a German Car manufactory' and his list of suppliers reads like a who's who of the food industries finest, with only the most superior and dedicated earning a place between its covers.
As you would expect fish is line-caught, and his veal is from the much prized Limousin calves. Meat comes from the likes of Richard Vaughan, and Tim Wilson at the Ginger Pig, who are renowned for their award winning meat and interest in the revival of rare breeds.
Theo's insistence on excellence extends even as far as the olive oil. With summer droughts lowering yields and pushing prices up, Theo has astutely managed to persuade expert winemaker Alberto Antonini to exclusively supply him with his own single estate olive oil from his estate in Poggiotondo to guarantee a steady source of liquid gold in the kitchens of his new restaurant.
A passionate home cook as well as a professional one, Theo loves nothing better than coming home to cook for his family and friends. Whilst Theo's kitchen at home is a chef's dream, his favourite place to cook is outside over a char-grill or in the wood fired oven at the end of the garden
As happy to leave a bowl of minestrone cooking over a gentle heat for hours as he is to leave a leg of pork roasting overnight in the residual heat of the oven, Theo clearly believes that good things come to those who wait. This may be one man whose time has come.
Theo Randall first visited Italy when he was six. Each year his parents would drive to Italy: one year going to Venice and Verona; the next travelling along the Ligurian coast or visiting the Cinque Terra, stopping off at restaurants, visiting small markets and filling up the car with artisanal delicacies to take home.
Such trips continue to inspire him today. A true Italiophile, Theo frequently returns to Italy seeking fresh inspiration, as well as reviving relationships with his existing suppliers. His extensive travels around Italy are evident in Theo’s menus.
His menu at Theo Randall this spring draws inspiration from south of Rome where the first shoots of the spring – peas, broad beans, chicory and asparagus – combine to create vignoles and puntarelles in celebration of the end of winter. Later this summer his menu will be governed by the fresh flavours of Liguria and Puglia with tomato dishes and pestos, whole roast fish, fish stews, pecorino and robiola cheeses.
Theo is fastidious in his use of only the best seasonal ingredients (his kitchen at the River Café was described as exercising 'the toughest quality control department outside a German Car manufactory' and his list of suppliers reads like a who's who of the food industries finest, with only the most superior and dedicated earning a place between its covers.
As you would expect fish is line-caught, and his veal is from the much prized Limousin calves. Meat comes from the likes of Richard Vaughan, and Tim Wilson at the Ginger Pig, who are renowned for their award winning meat and interest in the revival of rare breeds.
Theo's insistence on excellence extends even as far as the olive oil. With summer droughts lowering yields and pushing prices up, Theo has astutely managed to persuade expert winemaker Alberto Antonini to exclusively supply him with his own single estate olive oil from his estate in Poggiotondo to guarantee a steady source of liquid gold in the kitchens of his new restaurant.
A passionate home cook as well as a professional one, Theo loves nothing better than coming home to cook for his family and friends. Whilst Theo's kitchen at home is a chef's dream, his favourite place to cook is outside over a char-grill or in the wood fired oven at the end of the garden
As happy to leave a bowl of minestrone cooking over a gentle heat for hours as he is to leave a leg of pork roasting overnight in the residual heat of the oven, Theo clearly believes that good things come to those who wait. This may be one man whose time has come.
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