Our latest edition of ‘Meet the Foodie’, sees us interview David Ellis (@dvd_ellis), Online Features Writer for the Evening Standard’s Going out section – their guide to the hottest events in Lon
don, including bars and restaurants.
If you’re not familiar with the feature, ‘Meet the Foodie’ is a monthly Q&A with top food and drink journalists, which was set-up in connection with our Northern office’s specialism in food and drink PR. To date, we’ve interviewed a range of fantastic journalists including:
- Sheena Horton (Eat In) here
- Fae Gilfillan (Veggie) here
- Karen Barnes (Delicious) here) and
- Lucy Blackwell (Bella, That’s Life, Take a Break) here
- Jenny Tregoning (Stylist ) here
- Corrie Heale (Heat ) here
- Laura Rowe (olive) here
- Emily Leary (A Mummy Too) here
David, who works as a writer across the Evening Standard and their Going out section, started freelancing for national papers, The Telegraph and Independent before a role at the Standard came up (a matter of fortunate timing he says). As a lover of cooking, mixing cocktails and dining out, David wonders why, when the job came up, he hadn’t actively pursued it before, having regularly come into the office boring colleagues with details of the meal he’d come up with the night before.
Read on to find out more about David’s typical working day at the ES, why champagne is the staple of his diet and why God would be one of the chosen attendees to his dinner party …..
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1. How did you get into your role at ES?
I’d been freelancing for the Telegraph and Indy before I made a switch and got involved in television with London Live, on the production side. Things changed there and this role came up at the Standard – a matter of fortunate timing, and always making myself available. The role was rather different when I joined, but luckily our online editors are terrific, and there was room to try new things: what worked, we’ve kept.
2. Did you always know you wanted to work in a food-based role? What would you be doing if you weren’t doing this?
I always wanted to write, and found that food and drink suited me perfectly: I adore cooking, mixing cocktails, and dining out. When the job came up I wondered why I hadn’t actively pursued it before: I’d long been coming into work and boring colleagues with details of the meal I’d come up with the night before, and long been scowling at drinks columns, disagreeing with most of them.
3. Please sum up your paper in one sentence
London, with all its fascinating facets on show.
4. Can you give us a bit of an insight into your ‘typical’ working day?
A quick scroll of the news when I wake up, then in work at nine. There will be emails waiting: usually a few about the ‘first ever’ pop-up to launch something that’s been done hundreds of times before. Then we take what’s in the paper and pop it online. We’re not big on meetings as a team, so there’s little of that, fortunately: we just get on with whatever we’re working on. Priority is given to big ‘evergreen’ features, but it’s ideal to get a news story out, too. Then we’ll write up restaurants and bars, until about six or half past, and then it’s probably time to head into town to eat, drink, or go to the theatre or opera. No notes during, some after.
5. What do you most like hearing from PR’s about?
News stories of interesting things, new bars and restaurants, interview opportunities.
6. What is the most exciting thing about your job – and the most uninteresting?
I like history in places and get a rather shallow kick at experiencing something that was here before all of us and will stay put once we’re all gone. I also do a few interviews, and enjoy them tremendously. The most uninteresting is the constant influx of utter rot that piles into the inbox: worse still, the releases that don’t have the important details at the top.
7. What would you say the perks of the job are?
The addition of champagne as a staple of my diet. It’s work, but what a fun way to do it.
8. What are your favourite hobbies outside of work?
Writing – not journalism – painting, playing music. I sound like a school child to say so, but I do adore reading, too. But you’re probably most likely to find me eating with friends, red wine in hand: a little like work, but so different too.
9. What’s your favourite restaurant?
The Wolseley or La Chapelle. I also like Le Garrick, which serves the most mediocre food but nevertheless is a wonderful cave of a place, and the staff are marvellous, and everyone has a good time.
10. You’re throwing a dinner party and anyone dead or alive can attend – who are the first 3 people on your guest list? And what 3 courses would you cook?
Robin Williams, Louis Armstrong, and God. If God didn’t show up, well, then at least I’d know I was right. And if he did arrive, I’d be wrong, but at least he presumably could bring a few more guests to the party. Can God turn water into wine, too, like his son? That would really keep costs down. Pigeon to start, venison for main, cherries and ice cream for pudding. Lots of champagne and cocktails, then red wine, then brandy, and then we’d go out.
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