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@frontlinechef

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Scottish bbq Chef ex pittcue, smokehouse, temper (when it was good) now @symplicity_foods, @littleearthpizza , plays tennis. #GreenParty member.

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Not another nut roast...

The veggie option shouldn’t feel like an afterthought.

Cooking and hosting a roast is enough work as it is. Making a nut roast takes time. And the ultra-processed meat alternative doesn’t cut the mustard.

Fermentation is our trick for making vegetables really sing without adding loads of fat, oil, salt or additives.

Our Cranberry & Sage Roast doesn’t imitate meat. It’s not a nut roast. It’s just a really good roast!

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WHAT FERMENTATION DOES TO A ROAST

@frontlinechef talks through the process behind our Cranberry, Sage & Seeds Roast, and how slow fermentation gives it that savouriness and umami.

Turns out patience tastes pretty good. Grab yours from @Waitrose and see for yourself.

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Hot take: this might be better than your nan’s shepherd’s pie.

symplicity. mince, plenty of cumin and a sweet potato topping with exactly the kind of crispy edges we’ve been waiting all summer for.

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FERMENTATION FIX EPISODE 4

next out of the fridge, @cultjar 👀

founded by former London restaurateur Peter Prescott, Cultjar makes its ferments in Somerset drawing inspiration from flavours around the world.

from kimchi to giardiniera, these guys know their way around a jar. for this one, @frontlinechef pairs their Vegan Kimchi with symplicity. burgers, turning the kimchi into crispy pancakes to sandwich the burger between.

KIMCHI PANCAKE “BURGERS” WITH SYMPLICITY. BURGER & GOCHUJANG MAYO

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
100ml Sylt Pickling Liquid
150g Cultjar Vegan Kimchi, roughly chopped, juices reserved
100g plain flour
30g cornflour
1 egg (or a flax egg for a vegan version)
120ml cold water, plus a splash of reserved kimchi juice
2 spring onions, finely sliced
neutral oil, for frying
4 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp gochujang
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
2 symplicity. burgers
a few lettuce leaves
sesame seeds, to finish

METHOD

1. put the sliced cucumber in a small bowl or jar and pour over the Sylt Pickling Liquid. leave to pickle for at least 15 minutes.

2. mix the mayonnaise, gochujang, rice vinegar and sesame oil together for the gochujang mayo. set aside.

3. make the pancake batter: whisk together the flour, cornflour, egg, water and a splash of reserved kimchi juice until smooth. fold through the chopped kimchi and spring onions.
4. heat a thin layer of oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. ladle in a quarter of the batter and spread thin, about 12cm across. cook for 2–3 minutes until golden and crisp underneath, flip, and cook for a further 2 minutes. repeat to make 4 pancakes, keeping them warm.

5. meanwhile, heat a little oil in a separate pan over medium-high heat and cook the symplicity. burgers for 3–4 minutes per side until browned and cooked through.
6. build each burger: gochujang mayo on a pancake, lettuce, a burger patty, drained pickled cucumbers and more gochujang mayo, then top with a second pancake.
7. scatter with sesame seeds and serve immediately while the pancakes are still crisp.

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FERMENTATION FIX EPISODE 3

@tibatempeh lovers, you’re up 👀

Introducing the Sichuan Mince Lasagne from @frontlinechef, pairing Tiba Tempeh with the symplicity. burger, Sichuan pepper, cumin and plenty of spice.

@tibatempeh began after its founders travelled to Java to learn the craft from a tempeh master. Fast forward to today and they’re making their own using organic soybeans and a slow fermentation process.

SICHUAN MINCE LASAGNE

INGREDIENTS

400g Tiba Tempeh, sliced lengthways into thin sheets, about 3–4mm thick

100g Tiba Tempeh, finely crumbled, for the topping

3 garlic cloves

Thumb-sized piece ginger

2 tbsp neutral oil, divided

600g symplicity. burger, roughly chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and ground

1 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground

1–2 tbsp red pepper powder (chilli powder or gochugaru), to taste

100ml beer (a light lager works well)

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tsp sugar

150g grated cheddar (or vegan cheese)

2 spring onions, sliced, to finish

Salt, to season

📍Check the pinned comment for the method

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NEW PRODUCT ALERT 👀

Meet our new Cranberry & Sage Roast! Just in time for cosy season.

It’s rich, indulgent and packed with sweet cranberries, fragrant sage and crunchy seeds, with all that lovely depth coming from @frontlinechef’s slow-fermented vegetables.

It’s not trying to be meat. And it’s definitely not another nut roast.

Give it plenty of gravy, obviously.

In @waitrose stores nationwide from today. We can’t wait to hear what you think!

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FERMENTATION FIX EPISODE 2

thought kombucha was just for sipping? think again 👀

next up is @equinoxkombucha, who have been brewing their kombucha in Yorkshire since 2012 using organic green tea, raw cane sugar and their own SCOBY to create that distinctive flavour.

@frontlinechef is taking it out of the glass and into the kitchen with a Japanese soba noodle dish. Think Equinox Kombucha dipping sauce and symplicity. burger meatballs...

CHILLED SOBA NOODLES WITH GINGER & SPRING ONION SYMPLICITY. MEATBALLS AND KOMBUCHA DIPPING SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

200g soba noodles
2 symplicity. burgers, crumbled
1 tbsp finely grated ginger
3 spring onions, very finely sliced, plus extra to serve
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp neutral oil, for frying

for the dipping sauce: 200ml Equinox Kombucha (original or ginger)
60ml soy sauce
1 tbsp mirin
1 tsp grated ginger
1 garlic clove, grated
1 tsp dashi powder or a 5cm piece of kombu (optional)
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1 sheet nori, shredded
wasabi, to serve (optional)
ice cubes, for serving

METHOD

1. make the dipping sauce first: combine the kombucha, soy sauce, mirin, ginger, garlic and dashi powder or kombu in a small saucepan. bring to a gentle simmer for 3–4 minutes to let the flavours meld, then remove from the heat and chill in the fridge (or set the pan over a bowl of ice) until cold.

2. in a bowl, combine the crumbled symplicity. burger with the grated ginger, sliced spring onion and sesame oil. mix well and shape into 12 small meatballs, about the size of a walnut.

3. heat the neutral oil in a frying pan over medium heat. fry the meatballs, turning occasionally, for 8–10 minutes until browned all over and cooked through.

4. meanwhile, cook the soba noodles according to the pack instructions, usually 4–5 minutes. drain and immediately rinse under cold running water, rubbing the noodles gently to remove excess starch, until completely cool. drain well.

5. divide the chilled noodles between two plates or shallow bowls, ideally over a bed of ice to keep them cold. pour the chilled dipping sauce into two small bowls alongside.

See pinned comment for step 6…

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FERMENTATION FIX EPISODE 1

@tofoo lovers... this one’s for you.

for our first recipe, @frontlinechef is getting stuck into Tofoo, made using a traditional tofu-making process and a very versatile starting point for some seriously good cooking. he’s pairing it with and symplicity. ‘Nduja for a mapo-style tofu with plenty of depth and flavour.

MAPO-STYLE TOFOO WITH TEMPEH ‘MINCE’ & SYMPLICITY. ‘NDUJA’

INGREDIENTS

2 x 280g Tofoo naked tofu blocks, drained and cut into 2cm cubes
tbsp salt, for the blanching water
2 tbsp neutral oil (vegetable or groundnut)
200g tiba tempeh, finely crumbled or grated (a food processor makes quick work of this)
150g symplicity. vegetable ‘Nduja
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
thumb-sized piece ginger, finely chopped
3 spring onions, sliced, whites and greens kept separate
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp chinese black vinegar (or rice vinegar)
1 tsp caster sugar
250ml vegetable stock
1 tsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp water (slurry)
1 tsp sichuan peppercorns, toasted and ground (optional)
steamed rice, to serve

METHOD

1. bring a large pan of water to the boil with the salt. add the tofu cubes and blanch gently for 2–3 minutes. this firms them up and takes off the raw, beany edge without crisping them. drain carefully and set aside.

2. heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. add the crumbled tempeh and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4–5 minutes until browned and starting to crisp at the edges.

3. reduce the heat to medium, add the symplicity. ‘Nduja, and cook, stirring, for 2–3 minutes until it loosens into a rich red oil and coats the tempeh.

4. stir in the garlic, ginger and spring onion whites, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

5. add the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and stock. bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes.

6. gently fold in the blanched tofu, taking care not to break up the cubes, and simmer for 3–4 minutes to let it absorb the sauce.

7. stir in the cornflour slurry and simmer for 1 minute more until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon.

8. scatter with spring onion greens and ground sichuan pepper if using. serve immediately over steamed rice

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WHY ARE WE SO OBSESSED WITH FERMENTATION?

@frontlinechef talks us through it.

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CHORIZO’ TACOS 🌮

we had to drop everything and see what chef @chefandrewclarke, from the team behind @acmefirecult, was up to with our “chorizo” mince.

turns out, very good things.

symplicity. “chorizo” mince, made from fermented vegetables
vegan stracciatella
refried chickpeas
pickled corno peppers

made considerably better by Andrew and his team @acmetaco.

also learnt from Andrew that pink pickled onions on tacos are actually more California than Mexico. so that’s us told.

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Meet the chefs firing up The Big BBQ Cookout with Napoleon at CarFest 2026! 🔥

Your hosts, Sam & Shauna are back for their fifth year at CarFest with their trademark fire-cooked flair.

They bring together some of the best chefs in the country from Michelin-starred masters and television favourites to barbecue heroes and champions of global cuisine - this year’s incredible lineup is ready to bring the heat.

Expect sizzling demonstrations, bold flavours, expert tips and plenty of festival fun - with even more chefs still to be announced!

Who are you most excited to see? Let us know below 👇
🎟️ Discover more and book your CarFest tickets through the link in our bio.

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These pics are from a decade ago at @biggrillfestival. A lot has changed. More kids, divorces, people moved, job changes, and I can no longer jump like this. But The Big Grill has and always will be one of the premiere live fire events on the calendar. Nice work @andynoonan and crew! That last pic is a Dirty Brisket. Beef sourced from @meatpeter. Cooked on orange wood directly in coals surrounding our homemade oven. It was @charcoal_matt’s idea.

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