Great British Food - Christmas 2025

In the kitchen with NIKLAS EKSTEDT The renowned chef, TV star and pioneer of fire cooking pulls up a chair in his festive kitchen INTERVIEW: HOLLY SHACKLETON What kind of cook are you – tidy and efficient or messy and creative... or something in between? When I’m at the restaurant, I’m focused, methodical, and efficient – there’s no room for chaos in a professional kitchen. But when I’m at home or experimenting with new ideas, I like to try things that might not work. I think creativity often starts with a bit of mess. What's your kitchen like at home? It’s quite simple. Not overly designed or filled with gadgets. I like natural materials like wood or stone, and I’ll always make sure I have good knives, a cast iron pan, and a proper fire source to hand. I don’t really like using lots of different machines to create a dish. For me, I’ve always loved the idea that fire, salt and time can take you very far and create delicious food. What might people be surprised to know about you in terms of your cooking and eating habits? While some of the dishes I love creating in the restaurants are more complex, I actually eat quite plainly when I’mnot working – you'll often catchme tucking into a piece of rye crispbread with butter, maybe some hard cheese. What food and drink are you loving right now? At this time of year, I lean into root vegetables, fermented things, smoked fish and hearty stews. I particularly love celeriac, which is fantastic slow cooked with cream and thyme, or with roasted carrots with sea buckthorn. For drinks, I’m into mulled cider. What's your favourite thing about cooking and eating during the festive period? There’s something magical about how food brings people together during the darker winter months, especially in Sweden. The pace of life slows down, the scents of clove and cinnamon are everywhere, and people take the time to sit, eat, and talk together. What would be your ultimate Christmas feast? I’d go traditional Nordic with small twists. On the table would be a glazed ham, slow cooked withmustard. Gravadlax with a sweet mustard sauce, Jansson’s Temptation (a traditional Swedish casserole made with potatoes, onion and pickled sprats), alongside some sort of game dish, like venison or roasted duck with lingonberries. For dessert, I’d opt for warm saffron buns, spiced apple compote, and of course a shot of aquavit – a traditional Scandinavian sprit. Set the scene - would you be cooking, who would be there, and what would the vibe be like... Would music be playing, and if so, what would it be? Yes, I’d be cooking, but not alone. My sons would be helping – probably one peeling potatoes, the other helping me with cooking bits up. The table would probably be a little too laden with food, but the festive period is for feasting after all! We’d also probably have some hip-hop from the 90s, or old-school soul – something nostalgic. “My Christmas table is a little too laden with food, but the festive period is for feasting after all!” greatbr i t i shfoodawards.com 178 LAST WORDS | NIKLAS EKSTEDT