Ex-TV presenter George Lamb is one of the co-founders of Wildfarmed, a company that exists to provide a viable alternative to the current, industrial food system. They grow regenerative wheat and provide flour to an ever-growing list of discerning bakers and restaurants. We are pleased to be using their pizza flour for all our wood-fired pizzas and George will be preparing a signature ‘Weekend in Rome’ pizza for us all to try as part of our Dough Diaries. The key ingredients for this truly Italian pizza are Fior di Latte, Anchovies, Gezzina courgettes and Zucchini flowers.
George dropped in at The Orange and met up with our Chef Director, Ben Tish, testing and tasting his fantastic ‘Roman pizza’. We also asked him a few questions on all things food, pizza and Wildfarmed.
What are your earliest memories of food?
Sitting under the Ronald McDonald mannequin at North End Road McDonald’s picking the gherkins off my hamburger.
Did you enjoy baking as a child?
I made a Victoria sponge when I was 9 or 10, that my mum still talks about. I’m 44 now…must of been REALLY good, eh?
Who’s the cook in your house?
My instinctive answer is me, but the truth is i haven’t been feeling inspired recently and have fallen out of practice. I’ve just bought a bunch of new pots so I’m hoping they’ll coax me back into the kitchen.
How did you first find out about regenerative farming methods?
I met Andy (my business partner) in a nightclub in Ibiza 10 years ago. I was looking for meaning/a change/redemption and he told me that he’d sold the rights to his songs (he had a band called Groove Armada) to buy a farm. I went down to Gascony, to visit the farm later that year, saw how incredibly important the work he was doing was and so began a 10-year dive down the, seemingly bottomless, Regen rabbit hole.
How does it work?
Wildfarmed grows food in a nature-friendly way that’s better for you and the planet.
Why did you decide to launch your product?
Our mission since we started has been to transform landscapes at scale, at pace. Building a recognisable brand which can become a shorthand for ‘better’ is key to us delivering on our promise.
Was it hard to convince chefs and restaurants to use your flour at first?
Swapping your key ingredient in a scientific process like baking has a significant impact on your process, so understandably a lot of bakers weren’t falling over themselves to switch at first. However the proof, in our case, is quite literally in the pudding and gradually more and more bakers have started to work with our flour, taste the end product and understand our mission.
Do you think sustainability is important to the consumer today?
Taste one, ethics two, and sustainability three.
What products are on your wish list to create next?
If its got grains in it we’re open to suggestions.
What’s your favourite sandwich?
They used to do a hot smoked salmon with celeriac remoulade on focaccia at All Press that was bananas!!!
Why do you think the British love pubs so much?
They’re built into our DNA. My nan had a pub in Essex when I was a kid and I used love hanging out there. People laughing and joking. Tasty food. Winner stays on the pool table. Bottles of Appletise and prawn cocktail crisps. Happy days.
What’s the secret ingredient to a great pub?
All of the above plus a fire in the winter and a river or a stream if you’re lucky.
What do you think makes a good pizza?
Really good ingredients and love.
What was the inspiration behind your guest pizza, “A Weekend in Rome”?
Went to Rome with my girlfriend in search of the best pizza. Found it. Brought it back so you could eat it too.
Finally: pineapple on pizza, yay or nay?
Absolutely not
Ben and all our chefs are so impressed by the flavour profile of Wildfarmed flour that their flour is now used across all our Cubitt House pubs, not just for pizza but for everything – all our cakes, bakes and pastry.
Book your table below and come and try our George Lamb ‘Roman’ pizza at The Orange.
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