Queen of Cups: ‘A local pub, with some sumac sprinkled on top’
We spoke to Ayesha Kalaji, chef and owner of new restaurant ‘Queen of Cups’ in Glastonbury, who has been using our vegetables, fruit and herbs for some of their delicious Middle Eastern inspired dishes.
Tell us a bit about your background and how you got into food
I always grew up with a passion for food; eating it, cooking it, being around it - but it never really crossed my mind as a viable career. During my degree in Middle Eastern studies, I found myself drawn to the anthropology of Middle Eastern food, and in turn spent hours pouring over 10th century cook books. It was during that period that I knew that I had to do something with food so after graduating I went to ‘Leiths School of Food & Wine’, and I can say, quite honestly, that it was one of the best years of my life. My first lecture was 3 hours on eggs, and that cemented it for me, I knew that I had to cook.
After receiving my diploma in classic French cookery, I went on to cook in multiple Middle Eastern restaurants across London, with a stint in North Wales doing Michelin starred dining. My food is a culmination of all my experiences, it encapsulates my love of seasonal British produce, with my Arab heritage, as well as influences from many of the incredible chefs I've been fortunate enough to work with over the years.
How did you end up opening ‘Queen of Cups’ in Glastonbury?
Ending up in Glastonbury was absolute serendipity in all honesty. Two years ago, my best friend moved to Glastonbury to open up a bed and breakfast. We had said for years that we wanted to work together but this was always a loose idea. Then during the pandemic I found myself slowly falling out of love with London and missing the countryside, so when my friend called me to say she had seen a pub come on the market in Glastonbury, I was certainly curious. We had our first viewing in December 2020, and fell in love with the place immediately - it is a strange, magical, intense, beautiful little town. I had always wanted my own place, but didn't know how to make that dream a reality, then this opportunity fell in my lap, and I couldn't resist!
Paired with the incredible local produce, the friendly people and beautiful setting, I can't imagine being anywhere else!
How would you describe the food at ‘Queen of Cups’?
I would describe the Queen of Cups as my baby! I'm very proud of what we have achieved, and it is absolutely down to our phenomenal team. When you come to Queen of Cups, you can expect warmth and conviviality, we want our customers to feel like they're being welcomed into our living room for a private dinner. My business partner describes the food at Queen of Cups as Ottolenghi meets classic French, meets the West Country, and I would say that is an apt description! But we are more than just food, we’re also passionate members of CAMRA, and love to highlight local beers, ales, ciders and wines. At heart we are still a local pub, with some sumac sprinkled on top!
What are your favourite discoveries in Somerset
I only moved here in April, and have spent pretty much every day in the restaurant, so I have not explored as much of the area as I would like to… yet! But in my few trips I've thoroughly enjoyed visiting ‘The Sheppey’ in Godney for their lovely staff and food, ‘The Bishop’s Eye’ in Wells for their fantastic smoked fish and wine list, ‘Mowbarton Estate’ for their delicious and educational wine tours, and ‘The Heart of the Tribe’ gallery in Glastonbury who feature local artists, and kindly lent us the art for our restaurant.
Aside from that, there are a couple of old boozers in Glastonbury that I'm rather fond of, such as ‘The Arthur’ and ‘The King William’. We're very lucky to have such lovely, friendly neighbours!
What are your current favourite recipes or meals?
My favourite recipe at present is a Chinese crispy chili oil, but reinvented with Middle Eastern spices, I can quite happily slather it on anything and everything.
I'm currently in the middle of updating my menu for the changing seasons, and I must admit, I'm very fond of my lebanese spiced butter poached hake, with miso yoghurt, lemon verbena oil and preserved lemons. But when I'm not poaching things in butter, the key to my heart is a post service cheese toasty! I use Abu Noor pita bread stuffed with Barbers 1883 vintage cheddar, amba sauce, date molasses, and Cultjar kimchi!
