“It’s only polite really if you knock an animal on the head to eat it all: tripe, heart, feet, ears, head, tail. It’s all good stuff.”
So says Fergus Henderson, famed chef of St John restaurant in London. He’s sitting in front of me this greyish Sydney morning in the lobby bar of his hotel. Henderson is much more than just an advocate of nose to tail eating. Peel back another layer and he’s one of the most fascinating people to interview. It’s 11am and true to his known love of a tipple, he has just ordered a Campari and White Wine. He checks his watch and smiles “It’s a respectable hour”. The 46 year old Londoner is dressed in a navy blue jacket with his trademark tortoisehell Harry Potter style glasses. He’s unfailingly polite, accommodating, modest and willing to talk about anything and everything from offal, death threats, pornography, squirrels, his Parkinson’s diagnosis and Anthony Bourdain.
NQN: How are you finding Australia? This isn’t your first time.
Fergus Henderson: Lovely, no I’ve been more to Melbourne for the food festival but Sydney is very lovely.
NQN: Have you been dining out much?
Fergus Henderson: Maybe a little too much. It’s fantastic, really amazing dining. I’ve eaten at Sean’s Panorama and Quay and Kylie Kwong so I’ve been eating very well.
NQN: What do you think of the food here?
Fergus Henderson: Fantastic. Everyone seems very serious about food here.
NQN: Is it more serious than London?
Fergus Henderson: It’s different, sort of the focused nature of food here. It’s good.
NQN: Which meal did you particularly enjoy?
Fergus Henderson: Sean’s Panorama is marvellous. Quay was fantastic as well but that was an entirely different kettle of fish.
NQN: You’re known for serving offal at your restaurant St John….
Fergus Henderson: I am! It wasn’t ever a conscious decision to go down that route. It was more common sense to eat the whole beast. It’s only polite really if you knock an animal on the head to eat it all: tripe, heart, feet, ears, head, tail. It’s all good stuff. It’s not a sort of blood lust and it’s not ooh let’s find the goriest thing we can get.
NQN: Do some of your diners order the goriest thing?
Fergus Henderson: We’re in the financial district and I see boys coming in and say “Who’s going to have the scariest thing on the menu?” but that’s not the point. It’s all there because it’s delicious, it’s not there because it’s scary. We do fish and regular things although it’s not as eye catching as spleen.
NQN: I’ve never seen spleen on a menu…
Fergus Henderson: It’s a lovely organ. It’s very liverish in taste and it swells so it’s romantic.
NQN: Which animal’s spleen do you serve?
Fergus Henderson: Pig’s spleen.
NQN: What started this offal love?
Fergus Henderson: Mum was from Lancashire and is a very good cook so tripe was always featured. I’ve always been drawn to the extremities, I don’t know why.
NQN: Even as a child?
Fergus Henderson: I had a very early relationship with a trotter yes. It never seemed weird to me.
NQN: I suppose it depends on what you are served as a child…
Fergus Henderson: There’s this sense that London is due to change and there are foodies now – sorry I hate that word – but I think you’ll find that kitchen and home cooking at home hasn’t changed that much. There are people, blogs and television and there’s this… strange parallel with pornography. You watch videos or read magazines and get all hot and bothered and nothing has happened and all you’ve done is look at someone else doing it so I feel that’s the same thing with television. They feel like they’ve taken on some knowledge or appreciation but they haven’t changed. Why not? It makes good telly.
NQN: Who do you like to watch on television?
Fergus Henderson: I don’t have a telly. I’ve forgotten why I don’t have telly now. I think we had one and Margot (his wife who is traveling with him in Australia) kicked it at some point and that was done for it.
NQN: So what parts of an animal do you like to eat?
Fergus Henderson: Well it rather depends on your mood. When you wake up you might think carrots or fish. It’s how you are feeling in the morning. I love a trotter. Also um tripe and onions, but it rather depends on one’s feeling.
NQN: Is there a part to eat that you feel is underrated?
Fergus Henderson: I feel tripe is maligned. The word tripe can strike fear in one’s stomach. It’s like offal.
NQN: I think offal sounds like “awful” and you probably get a lot of puns…
Fergus Henderson: The good thing on the pun front is there are less puns than when we first opened. It used to be like “Oh you are ‘offal’ but we like you” or “oh you’re ‘offaly’ nice”. The puns got less. The pun Richter scale.
NQN: There’s not really a big offal culture here in Sydney-it’s rarely on menus. Have you noticed that?
Fergus Henderson: Not really because the chefs have been like “Cooorr”. The thing on Saturday (Nose to Tail BBQ) I was really impressed by the people’s blood sausages and trotter gear. It’s fascinating how interested people are here.
NQN: Have you tried any Australian animal offal like Kangaroo?
Fergus Henderson: I haven’t no (interested)… I don’t see why not, they’re kangaroos so they must have offal. No-one’s offered it to me.
NQN: Are you interested in trying it?
Fergus Henderson: It’s always interesting to try. It’s like venison offal that’s sweet and delicious and kangaroos are quite strong creatures aren’t they. I doubt I’ll get to try it before my departure.
NQN: Kangaroo is the only thing we eat, we don’t eat koala.
Fergus Henderson: It could eat well…who knows? We cook squirrel.
NQN: Sadly I missed out on trying squirrel at your restaurant. I hear there was a big kerfuffle over that.
Fergus Henderson: We had it for years and suddenly it was on the Radio 4 news program which everyone listens to in the mornings and there was an outcry but they’re culled every year so there are lots of dead squirrels. They’re like wild rabbits but more oily. Good eating.
NQN: And you got death threats?
Fergus Henderson: I did! I got this letter with really quite strong language so I thought I ought to send it to the police and I got this phone call from Sergeant so and so and I said “Well I have been cooking squirrel” and he said (affects gruff voice) “SQUIRREL SIR!?” and I thought the police were going to come and beat me up..
NQN: Was it from the Friends of Squirrel Society?
Fergus Henderson: There were only 1 or 2 of those. I’m not sure who it was. They didn’t give me an address to reply to.
NQN: What made you try to cook squirrel?
Fergus Henderson: My mum lives in the country now and her local butcher said “I have a bit of game that might interest your son” and was I interested in trying them. It’s not like I went out hunting for strange beasts, it was a natural progression.
NQN: Did you already have a recipe in mind?
Fergus Henderson: I thought a poetic way of cooking it would be to braise it with dried ceps or wild mushroom, a trotter, recreating the forest floor and then we wilted watercress for the treetops, recreating the woods they came from.
NQN: That’s a fitting end to a squirrel, that’s a tribute to a squirrel really…
Fergus Henderson: Exactly!
NQN: What do you eat on your downtime?
Fergus Henderson: I’m no longer in the kitchen so much but I’m there every morning doing the menu. I have lunch every morning at one of my restaurants to keep an eye on them that way so that’s very much restaurant food and in the evening, bizarrely, we tend to eat Italian food. The only decent shop in the area is a lovely Italian shop . We don’t do any pasta or risotto in the restaurant.
NQN: Your prefer lunch I hear…
Fergus Henderson: I love lunch. I think that by lunchtime everything is in perfect condition. And at the first aperitif of the day a lovely sort of chemical reaction starts and keeps you going. Lunch has got potential-lunch has possibilities. I don’t mean have a long boozy lunch every day. Whereas supper is a punctuation mark to the day before bed.
NQN: So you look forward to lunch every day?
Fergus Henderson: I do I do! Probably a bit too much *pats stomach*. Nothing wrong with a tummy.
NQN: But it’s a happy tummy. It’s quality of life not quantity.
Fergus Henderson: Indeed indeed! That’s the great thing, the diversity in tastes and texture of offal. Some of those are close to poo so that’s a taste but then there’s sweetbread which is a lovely nutty yum yum thing. I love kidneys, the whole taste and the squeak when you bite into them and then the give…very good.
NQN: Are there any parts of the animal you won’t eat?
Fergus Henderson: I’m mostly not crazy about lung. That’s spongey. There is a soup they make in Germany that has heart and lung in it and the lung floats to the top and the heart sinks to the bottom. We use it in faggots (meatballs). Genitalia doesn’t really grab me …much.
NQN: Do people order that?
Fergus Henderson: No no. I just have to leave that alone.
NQN: You’re not too fond of killing eels?
Fergus Henderson: Gosh you’re well informed. Eels… Ever killed an eel? (I answer no) It’s hard to contain them as they’re really strong so you really feel the strength of it and it wriggles and you cut off its head and nothing changes, it still wriggles. And the heads over here going *makes eel gulping face* and then it’s still wriggling. Someone said that it was like taking the stocking off a lady when you skin the eel. It’s nothing like taking the stocking off a lady, the thing’s still wriggling. So its always an emotional morning if there’s an eel but they’re good, delicious and fantastic. It’s very rich and yum.
NQN: Your menu is British and your wines are French.
Fergus Henderson: The wine list is certainly French but well I love France and its history and we (the English) used to own Bordeaux. If there’s a wine list and you’re going down it and you think you’re warming up to where you want to be and then you’re in Chile or Australia and it doesn’t allow for you to go further. I love burgundy, that’s probably my main reason.
NQN: You haven’t had any formal training as a chef.
Fergus Henderson: Nope I trained for 7 years as an architect.
NQN: How does a boy that trained as an architect become a chef?
Fergus Henderson: Sort of fate. All of my architecture has to do with food. There were moments. At lunchtime all architects go out and get a sandwich and a Coke and sit there at their drawing boards and I thought Architecture is a creative profession and you need creative output.
NQN: Especially as you love lunch...
Fergus Henderson: Yes I used to go have lunch for the whole office. I’m not sure if I was very popular as I’m not sure what time I came back from lunch but that was when I got an inkling that architecture wasn’t quite right for me. I started cooking and taking over a restaurant with two chums on Sundays and cooking lunch for 20 people. Somehow I got trapped in kitchens, very happily. I love the whole process to the restaurant, getting ready every day, the menu, ordering, the smell of everything fresh. There’s nothing better. It’s very odd.
NQN: Well it’s good!
Fergus Henderson: Yes, I made the mistake of telling my bank manager that I love my job and I thought ‘Hmm perhaps I shouldn’t have said that’ as it sort of changed our relationship after that. Perhaps he didn’t enjoy running his branch of HSBC on Baker Street.
NQN: You were awarded your first Michelin star this year. How did that feel?
Fergus Henderson: Yes! That was a surprise, we’re not your usual Michelin kind of restaurant. I hadn’t done anything or changed it (the restaurant).
NQN: It wasn’t something that you actively worked towards or was it more a pleasant surprise?
Fergus Henderson: No no it’s weird why suddenly 14 years later they awarded us a Michelin star but I’m delighted and it made the chefs rather happy.
NQN: Has it changed your restaurant.
Fergus Henderson: No no it hasn’t changed. Nope. I carry on as normal.
NQN: Your restaurant St John has buzz to it. How did you achieve buzz in a restaurant in your opinion?
Fergus Henderson: No idea. Do what you ought to do and I don’t know about things like music in restaurant, overuse of brass and marble and dodgy art.
NQN: Funnily you’re embraced by the art community…
Fergus Henderson: Well maybe that’s because there’s no art on the walls *laughs*. I don’t know how you create buzz.
NQN: Because you’re not trying to create it?
Fergus Henderson: Yes! Maybe just leave it be and buzz will come.
NQN: What do you think of food bloggers
Fergus Henderson: Well (long pause). I don’t have a computer. I’m glad that you’re blogging but I’m a very luddite person around computers.
NQN: You must get bloggers coming in and taking photos, does that seem strange to you?
Fergus Henderson: No nope. It’s all very fine… blog away…
NQN: You were diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.
Fergus Henderson: I was, I am, I have yes.
NQN: How did that feel?
Fergus Henderson: It was a bit boring, I went and had a good lunch after I heard – the usual solution to things and then carried on and decided not to let it get me down or beat me but I got quite twitchy. My arms were flying around so I appointed a head chef in the kitchen and stepped down as it was getting dangerous in the kitchen but then I had this amazing operation.
NQN: The Deep brain stimulation?
Fergus Henderson: Yes I have this thing going down *shows me the back of his head* which connects to the battery. Would you like to feel my battery? *gestures to his upper chest*
NQN: You can definitely feel it!
Fergus Henderson: And that sends signals. It’s performed wonders.
NQN: Anthony Bourdain had a meal at your restaurant of marrow bones which ended with him gatecrashing into your kitchen and bowing to you and he has said that it’s his Death Row meal. So I’d love to know, what’s your last meal?
Fergus Henderson: Aha! Anthony a lovely chap he’s amazing really one man kind of machine that spreads the word. What would my last meal be? Sea urchins – raw, cut them open and eat them. Yum. And I would have to have some goat’s milk cheese or some sheep’s milk cheese and some Burgundy and chocolate ice cream and Eau de Vie, cigarettes and drunken dances and lots of Wilson Pickett.
So tell me Dear Reader, would you try squirrel and how do you feel about eating offal?
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56 Comments | Add your own
He sounds like a wopnderful gentleman, but unfortunately he hasnt convinced me to try offal- I think it is one of those foods you need to have grown up on, otherwise once your an adult it is such a psychological hurdle to jump over.
What a fabulous interview!!!! I had never even heard of Fergus before, but he sounds like fantastic company. I would try squirrel or offal if it ever came my way – it doesn’t bother me. However, I think I am with Fergus on the bits I wouldn’t eat …
Great interview! Being Chinese, I’m all for tripe, trotters and whatnot. Offal isn’t always awful!
Great interview babe!
I love offal. Seriously I do. Offal cooked simply is the best. Offal congee… delicious. And Yes, I had squirrel before too! It tasted a little tougher than chicken. Must be cooked properly or it is too dry ( Iguess with any other meats).
I love this guy and will is on my list of places to visit.
Great interview! He’s such a charming man. I’m not sure if I’m an offal convert just yet but I’m quite fond of the trotter. Pig’s tail — not so much.
This is a brilliant interview NQN. You never disappoint with ur interviews =) You get all the coups dont you!
I’ve tried heart and liver, i generally prefer “meaty’ over gristley or rubbery, say like tripe or tendon. I would definitely try squirrel as i love most game. Great blog BTW!
All the bits in between are the best bits. especially as no one will fight you for them
I think as a Chinese growing up we are much more exposed to eating random animal parts than most. It’s great! I love how when I order pig ears or intestines I get the whole dish to myself heh heh
Great interview. I’m guilty of disliking offal and shooting grey squirels.
A tip for eels: nail them to a tree or a plank and the skin comes off much easier.
Fantastic interview! I have had good and bad offal, but I’m always willing to try something new! Crazy that he got death threats over the squirrels, I’d try eating them!
Oh those offals. They would be something to try, but they’re rather intimidating…
What a fab post! Such a great attitude to food and life. Thanks. Yes I would eat squirrel (but, don’t tell the greenies).
I believe there should be more offal in our regular diet. There is a kind of respect to nature when you don’t throw away part an animal that is perfectly edible (to some people) and nutritious. I am not bothered by eating these neglected parts of the animals, so long as it is prepared in an appropriately delicious way.
I’d never heard of Fergus so I at first I was just reading a few chunks of the interview. Next thing I’m sitting here reading the whole thing
I find it amusing that he uses the word “yum” a lot too xD He sounds like a fun person to interview.
I have no idea what cooked squirrel would look like. I think it would depend on it’s presentation as to whether I’d try it. As to offal, I’ve had tripe and liver. Edible, but not something I really like…
Squirrel and eel yes, offal, only if the smell was not there in the slightest.
Great interveiw
Yes to squirrel – we live out in the country and people hunt them here. Not all offal is created equal – some I like, some I don’t. Great interview – I really enjoyed it
I’m a big baby, just had my first rabbit a year ago, but Atlanta has a new restaurant that serves nose to tail and one day, I’ll take the plunge.
GREAT interview. Your blog continues to be the most exciting blog on the net.
Being Asian I would say ‘yes’ to offal but, like Mr Fergus Henderson, I don’t like lung or pancreas due to its spongy texture.
And there’s that word again – ‘faggots’! Excellent stuff.
Thanks for the blog and charming interview
I’d definately taste the squirrel. Offal by the kg is a damn sight cheaper than regular cuts and a hellava lot more flavoursome, particularly in stews or even a few crispy slivers to a stirfry. Past 9 months I’ve been skint so I count my blessings that I live near a continental butcher who can procure it.
Wonderful! Being Austrian I love offal. Here is a recipe for a ‘Viennese Salon Beuschel’
http://www.ichkoche.at/Old-style-viennese-Salon-Beuschel-with-bread-dumplings/rezepte/rezepte_von_a_bis_z/index/html/110639
I dare you
Much love M
What a wonderful interview, you really do a great interview Lorraine!
Squirrel, no. I don’t think I could but I suppose given the right surroundings/sauce/smell I *might*.
How fabulous that our hottie Mr Bourdain would bow down and distinguish someone with his pick as death-row meal?! Sounds odd, but I think that’s a great honour, isn’t it!?
Fabulous interview, looks like it was so much fun! And I love that quote you’ve got at the beginning. My favorite part of the interview was his tribute recipe to squirrel…very clever!
What an excellent interview! He seems like a very happy chap..
Being an asian we do tend to get feed alot of weird things; I’ve had ox tongue (very nice), pig ears, gizzards, hearts, tripe… However I wouldn’t do genitals and maybe brains (that’s just weird coming from a medical scientist).
Oh, haggis is beautiful! So yes, I’ll have a crack of squirrel.
good read!
not too hot on squirrels, but i used to have pigs hearts as a kid, and other bits like chicken intestine bbqd. also used to have a blood stew as a kid.
at school we used to get fed, big rings of blood (like huge blood sausages cut into circles), fried, served with lingonberry jam.
lately i have gone back to my offal eating, with lambs curries and sweet breads.
That was one of your best ever posts. Getting an interview with the great man (the only downplayed chef of note in Britain) and getting him to speak about issues that are dear to his heart. Plus all your brilliant background research. Thank you; blog on!
Being of Scottish ancestry, I am fond of some offal, the Scots eat the whole beast – from the inside out. Or as Matt Preston said to me the other day, “Everything except the oink!”
How funny, I literally just finished watching that episode of Bourdain’s show! I hadn’t known of Henderson until that, and well now here he is! It always happens that way, doesn’t it?
Anyway, wonderful interview, thank you.
And as for offal, I’m more and more curious about it. In large part because of Bourdain’s show. Plus I’m in Argentina now, where brains, trotters and tripe are all in the main displays of the most mainstream grocery stores. I was actually searching for pig’s feet recipes earlier tonight…
AH! You get to meet SUCH cool people! I seriously think foodies are the most damn-awesome people on earth!
Koreans eat offal, too. Blood sasusages in pig intestines. I’m not sure I like it that much, though…haha!
I’m the 1 that orders the Brains in garlic butter, Tripe and onions, pig trotters or the chickens feet or tripe when at Yum Cha but I cannot do the liver!! silly me – love most offal. Fergus Henderson is really interesting – great interview Lorraine … thanks
Not a fan of offal at all and why eat it when there are so many better cuts of meat around ,also it has to be ‘disguised’ in order to be palatable as opposed to a fine cut of meat?? I’m sure the offal can be used/recyled in other ways, so we don’t have to feel guilty about killing a beast. The food chain is what it is and we are at the top of it!
You’ve managed once again to score a really great person to interview. Amazing! And you did it really well. Congratulations! And, by the way, I love tripe!
What a great interview well done. Offal is great we use it more up this end of the World but then I suppose we do not have the abundance of exotic ingredients and choice you have. You should try making a jar of his pigs trotter gear ( in his cook books ) fantastic stuff for stews casseroles sauces etc. Joe O’Flynn – Ireland
I will definitely not trying squirrel as I saw these are cute but helpless creature.
I love tripe cooked with Kalasan spices (the one you ate in Ayam 99, Ayam Kalasan). I love to cook chicken liver with Cap Chay (stir fried vegetables with lots of sauces) or cook the chicken liver with Petai and chilli sauce (that smelly green seeds). Also, have you try the pig bladder cooked in soup? It had to be cleaned properly to get rid the smell
These are what Indonesian-Chinese usually eat, rich of offals with chinese or Indonsian spices.
never thought about the spleen as a romantic organ…
interesting fellow, this fergus. thanks for a neat read!
Great interview – loved watching bourdain at his place. Offal needs to become more mainstream here in Aus! Matt Kemp has it at The Burlington and uses it well
Ha ha ha what an entertaining interview! My mum’s Chinese so I grew up “accidentally” eating a lot of stuff that I probably wouldn’t try now. I’m sure I’ve had liver and trotters and I think intestines but I’m not sure
Fabulous interview! He seems like such a kind man, rather jolly too. I’ve not been to St John restaurant but I have been to Bread and Wine and the food really is gorgeous!
I ate sweetbreads last year in Babbo in NYC and they were the most amazing texture and taste. Apparently they are Mario Batali’s fave dish so that had a lot to do with it. I am not that adventurous so I have to go step by step…
Fun interview! I’d try anything at least once
He seems like a very very lovely person and I think now I know what Harry Potter looks like when he grows up.
With squirrel… hmmm maybe I’ll pass on that one.
Fabulous interview! LOVE it!
Wow very interesting read! I really hope to visit his restaurant someday hee hee and boooo I missed out on the nose-to-tail
Fantastic interview…he sounds like a fun person.
I’d had sweetbread before…I wasn’t keen on it at all…and when I was told what it actually was, I felt sick!! LOL But it does help that I didn’t like it before I knew what it was…so now I know what it tastes like, and I’ll never have it again! LOL
And squirrel, no, I’ve not tried it, but I don’t think I’d want to (if someone asked me “Do you want to eat some squirrel?”)…let’s just say that I wouldn’t eat it if I knew what it was beforehand
He hasn’t convinced me to eat offal, don’t think I’d like to find squirrel on my plate – I can hardly bring myself to eat a cute wittle bunny wabbit.
GREAT Interview, I really enjoyed reading this.
Lea Ann
Offal is great stuff. I agree with him: I’ve always liked sweetbreads and liver, although I can’t seem to really enjoy tripe. My mother loves it, though, a la mode de Caen. Then there’s black pudding, haggis (or stuffed derma, if you’ve got Eastern European Jewish ancestry), trotters, ox tongue, head cheese or scrapple . . . so many good things!
As for squirrel, the grey squirrel was introduced into England as a food source,just the rabbit was, so why not eat it? There are so many of them, and they’re just pests.
Hi sandra-Fair enough
Ahh oh well! I don’t mind certain types of offal, but some I’ve tried and just don’t like 
Hi Cakelaw-Thankyou so much!
He was such a pleasure to meet. Haha yes genitalia isn’t hugely appealing!
Hi The Asian Pear-Thankyou!
Haha I love trotters etc but tripe isn’t so nice…
Hi penny-Thanks hun!
Oh you have, you are so lucky, I really wanted to try it. Fantastic! 
Hi Syrie-Thankyou! Yes a trotter is a good place to start
You knwo I’ve never been offered a pig’s tail!
Hi Brianna-Aww thankyou so much!
Hi C Willie-I know what you mean, I guess I prefer meaty over gristly too
Thankyou very much!
Hi nomnomz-Hehe true!
That’s what happens when I eat chicken’s feet 
Hi Ed-Thankyou! Haha you are terrible
Oh dear, I don’t know if that makes it sound more gruesome or not 
Hi Steph-Thanks so much
Yes me too! I know, I guess some people get rather passionate about them!
Hi The Duo Dishes-Hehe but some of them are rather good!
Hi Caro-Thanks so much! I agree, he has a great attitude
Haha I won’t! 
Hi Theresa-Yes that is true, I wonder if it’s just thrown out or whether it gets used up? Yes that’s the key, it needs to be prepared properly!
Hi Alice-Hehe he’s a fascinating man isn’t he! It’s rather cute isn’t it
I love his little tribute to a squirrel!
Hi Tara-Yes the smell is what puts me off it sometimes! Thankyou!
Hi Donalyn-Ahhh cool! Yes I definitely prefer some offal-like sweetbreads crumbed and fried are divine! Thankyou so much!
Hi Angela-Oh really!
Absolutely, I’d love to know what you think. Aww shucks thankyou so much! 
Hi ms délicieuse-I’ve never tried lung but I consider myself warned
Haha!
Hi Ludoviolet-You’re welcome!
Yes I really should explore cooking with it more, I can eat it but I don’t know how to cook it!
Hi Big M-Cool, thanks! Haha perhaps you’ll cook it for me?
x
Hi Liss-Thankyou! He was the perfect guy to interview
Isn’t it just! I thought it was just lovely and Bourdain couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy 
Hi Faith-Thanks so much! It was a lot of fun
Yes it’s s fitting isn’t it!
Hi Phuoc-Thankyou! Hehe I like brains but only in moderation (very high in cholesterol). Cool!
Hi grace-Thanks! Blood stew sounds interesting! Wow, sounds like some fascinating stuff!
Hi marryam-Aww thankyou!
He was truly an amazing person to meet and thankyou for your kind words! 
Hi Carol-Interesting Haha really! No nose?
Hi Brittany -What a coincidence! Yes it certainly does!
Thankyou 
Sounds like you’re definitely in the right place for it!
Hi sophia-I do I suppose!
They are for sure 
Hmmm that sounds like an acquired taste! 
Hi Chris-Liver is quite strong isn’t it! For me I don’t like kidneys. Thankyou so much!
Hi Matilda-Well it depends on how it’s cooked really doesn’t it? Haha ok well I don’t think I’m going to convince you!
Hi Trissa-Thankyou so much!
You are too kind! Do you? I can’t eat tripe 
Hi Joe-Thanks so much
Yes that sounds amazing actually! I was rather fascinated by it!
Hi Lilia-Oh well these ones are already culled. No I haven’t been that adventurous with offal so no pig’s bladder for me (the smell is usually my objection to offal).
Hi grace-Yes neither had I but I can see it. You’re more than welcome!
Hi Rob-Thanks so much!
Yes it’s not really seen much on menus is it?
Hi shaz-Why thankyou!
Ahh so you’re not into the idea now?
Hi Su-Lin-He was absolutely lovely! Ahh I’d love to go to either really!
Hi Orla-Yes I love sweetbreads! I think they’re quite mild and lovely really
Hi 5 Star Foodie-Thankyou! Great to hear
Hi Trisha-He was so lovely
Haha yes actually I can see what you mean! Fair enough 
Hi Blond Duck-Thanks so much!
Hi FFichiban-Thankyou
Oh yes me too 
Waaahhhh
Hi Liv-Thanks, he really was !
Oh no, really? I remember it from Ferris Bueller’s Day off 
Ahh ok! That’s how I tried eel!
Hi Lea Ann-That’s ok-perhaps it’s not for everyone. Thankyou so much!
Hi BreadintheBone-So many people like tripe but it has never appealed to me. I suppose it’s like kangaroo here!
haha squirrel yes!! i worked at st john for a couple of years a long time ago and squirrel was one of the many wonderful things i cooked with fergus (as he mentions spleen is also fantastic) he really is one of the most amazing genuine people, i now work at victor churchill in woollhara and was very happy when he popped in to say hello 12 yrs after i left st john, wonderful man wonderful restaurant . i still have all my old menus will scan a couple to show you
My uncle hunted squirrels in the woods behind our house when i was a child. My mom fried it like chicken. It was quite tasty. Had to watch out for the buckshot though.
I really like to cook pig spleen. Beautiful organ..smooth and rich in color. Saute´a little garlic in butter then add the spleen and cook until it is just cooked through. It have a very nice texture and a mild liver flavor.
Hi jamie-He really des seem like an amazingly genuine person which made it all the more fun to interview him. Oh that’s fabulous!
Absolutely, would love to see them! 
Hi leekfixer-Ahh interesting, like chicken you say!
Now I’m so intrigued by spleen! 
I know i’m a little late to the party but i wanted to tell you i really enjoyed reading this interview. Quite an interesting guy. Thanks for sharing.
And yes, i eat offal and i would pretty much try anything once.
Thank you for this wonderful interview! I’m putting together a research portfolio on Fergus Henderson and the dialogue here has helped me better understand this interesting man.
I really enjoyed reading the interview, thank you!
Brandon
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[...] picture of Fergus here is from notquitenigella.com where you can read an actual interview with Fergus instead of this offal [...]
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[...] He also champions the unrecognised in the industry as well as bringing chefs like the wonderful Fergus Henderson into the [...]
[...] bigs, tapas and cured meats with desserts on the blackboard. Chef Jamie Thomas formerly from Fergus Henderson‘s St John restaurant is behind the glass on this quiet Monday lunchtime.Mushroom and manchego [...]
[...] means the same thing as intern. As a stagiaire you can work at Noma with Rene Redzepi, or at St. John with Fergus Henderson and Trevor Gulliver, spend a weekend in the kitchen at a Momofuku, a week at [...]
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