Deadwood for A Day's March: Kit, the chef

A Day’s March and Deadwood share a common goal – dressing those who shape culture, each in its own way. To mark our collaboration, we spent a day with five creatives in London and Stockholm, exploring their cities, their perspectives on creativity, and how they wear the new collection. First up: Kit Paterson, chef, working in London.

Kit is a cook. Starting from a young age and taking inspiration from any and all plates put in front of him, having lived & cooked in Paris and Madrid, as well as working in Italian London restaurant Manteca – his style has developed into somewhat modern european. He currently works at Dove in Notting Hill. Kit is the co-founder of the events company 'The Candid Club', creating evenings combining dinner parties with fashion runways, and more. We followed him around on a day off, where he explored the Soho food market and grabbed a cup of English Breakfast Tea, because why not?

A Day's March: How did cooking come into your life? Kit: Originally it was my Mum's influence, she's a lifelong brilliant cook & published author. I'd say my love for procrastinating at university further led to my love for food and particularly giving someone a plate that I am confident they're going to love. Do you have to dig deep to find your creative nature or do you feel it's natural to you? – Like many things in life, it's both - and the timing is never right. Often I find myself digging deep, hunched over a notebook desperately failing to combine different flavours or the perfect script to a video project. And then at 2am that same night I'll effortlessly come up with a perfectly balanced menu when all I want to be doing is sleeping.

Is your cooking based on the way you see the world? – Absolutely, one has to take inspiration from their surroundings. Only after watching the world and trying to figure out the method to the madness, do things fall into place in our own heads. What was your first gig? – My first proper job was right-place-right-time. I met a food journalist who is now a good friend, whom I told of my ambitions to go into a proper kitchen (at the time I was working a desk job). He had just written an article about Manteca, in Shoreditch. He put me in touch with the Head Chef, who gave me a chance after a trial shift. I quit suits and desks the very next day! Are there any trade secrets you can share with someone who is about to enter your field? – Not so much secrets, as those are learnt on the job. But I suppose if you want to throw yourself into a kitchen, I'd advise you to always ask questions. Why is that ingredient added at that stage? What's the benefit of cooking that a certain way? etc. Then again, definitely don't ask too many questions, and DEFINITELY try not to ask the same questions twice.

What’s the most unexpected lesson you’ve learned while navigating your career? – The good days often arrive straight after you've been through the terrible ones. What is a work of art or creation that has changed your perspective? – An odd answer but Andrés Reisinger's NFT artwork. I went to an NFT exhibition a couple of years back not expecting much and it completely changed my view on modernisation. Do you believe your current self is who you are meant to be? – Big question. Yes is the answer, but I'm definitely still learning about myself. And long may that continue! LAUNCH INFO: The collection launches on March 14 on Kungsgatan 3 in Stockholm, 24 Berwick Street in London and online at adaysmarch.com. Subscribe to our newsletter for early access on March 11.

Entdecken

A Day's March with Elsa Fischer Coming soon: Deadwood for A Day's March