As a chef, there are few opportunities that rival the thrill of opening a new restaurant. And when that restaurant is in one of the world’s culinary capitals, the excitement is even more palpable. Such was the case for me in 2019 when I was sent to New York City as the head chef in charge of opening the first pop-up abroad for the restaurant I worked for, Farmacy.
Farmacy is one of London’s most renowned vegan restaurants, known for its delicious and innovative plant-based cuisine. As a chef at Farmacy for three years, I had been part of the team that helped build the restaurant’s reputation for excellence. But taking on the challenge of opening a new location in a new city was an entirely different level of excitement.
The pop-up was set to take place in the trendy Soho neighborhood of Manhattan, which is known for its thriving food scene. The space we were given was a beautiful old building with exposed brick walls and plenty of character. We spent weeks planning the menu, ordering ingredients, and testing recipes. We wanted to make sure that the New York Farmacy experience was every bit as special as the one in London.
One of the biggest challenges we faced was sourcing ingredients. In London, we had a network of suppliers that we had built relationships with over the years. In New York, we had to start from scratch. We spent countless hours scouring farmers’ markets and specialty stores to find the best quality produce, grains, and spices.
But despite the challenges, the pop-up was a huge success. We were fully booked every night, and the feedback from customers was overwhelmingly positive. It was incredibly rewarding to see people enjoying the food that we had worked so hard to create.
Looking back, I feel incredibly grateful for the experience. Not only did it give me the opportunity to showcase Farmacy’s cuisine in a new city, but it also allowed me to push myself as a chef and to learn from new challenges. And while the pandemic has since put a pause on the plans to open a permanent location in New York, I remain hopeful that they will one day be able to bring Farmacy’s vegan cuisine to even more people around the world.
