How weight loss drugs could squeeze UK restaurants, Cynthia Shanmugalingam on coconut milk, Merlin Labron-Johnson on the taste of happiness, and our tips for the week ahead View in browser | Mini mealsHow weight loss drugs could squeeze UK restaurants, Cynthia Shanmugalingam on coconut milk, Merlin Labron-Johnson on the taste of happiness, and our tips for the week ahead |
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Joanna Taylor • Friday 15 August 2025 |
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As a professional glutton, it's difficult not to think about weight and body image – especially when the number of new restaurant openings can be measured against the fit of my jeans, or a cocktail trend decides to display itself on my face. Boo hoo, I know. But still, when weight loss drugs arrived here in the UK, I questioned whether I could, or should, try them. For a multitude of reasons, the answer then, and now, has been a resounding no.
Nevertheless, I have been confronted with an increasing number of friends and colleagues no longer wishing to "split a bottle", or ordering starters in place of mains, as a result of taking drugs such as Ozempic or Mounjaro. After many strangely navigated lunches and dinners, I began to notice that this doesn't just result in shrinking waistlines, but slimmer bills. And so, I found myself wondering: what happens to the places we flock to for celebration, sustenance and connection when, for many, their offering is no longer desirable?
Last week, Heston Blumenthal told Times Radio that the food industry should be concerned. Not all chefs and restaurateurs I approached for my feature in this Sunday's Observer Food Monthly were willing to be so candid – the subject stirs unease and kicks up difficult questions around class and shame. Yet those who agreed to go on the record told me they believe the impact of weight loss drugs could be significant and that many restaurants will have to adapt in order to survive.
Elsewhere in this Sunday's issue, read the first extract from Ruby Tandoh's eagerly awaited new book; Richard Benson talks to farmers across the UK about the steep challenges they face; Kojey Radical tells us about cucumber twizzling; and we have recipes perfect for late summer from Georgia Levy, Nigel Slater and pasta expert Mateo Zielonka.
In the meantime, scroll down for Cynthia Shanmugalingam's celebration of coconut milk and an interview with Osip chef-owner Merlin Labron-Johnson, along with top eating and drinking tips from OFM writers.
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Cynthia Shanmugalingam's secret ingredient: coconut milk |
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We use coconut milk a lot in Sri Lankan cookery. Coconuts grow so plentifully there and the milk goes into all kinds of things. We had someone come into the restaurant with a coconut allergy a while ago and we all thought, oh dear, maybe this is not the right restaurant for you, because in this cuisine it's woven into everything. It's used in some of the breads we make in Sri Lanka, such as hoppers. You mix rice flour and coconut milk and leave it to ferment, then grind it into a paste and make these delicious, crispy, bowl-shaped pancakes. The coconut adds sweetness and texture. We use it to emulsify and make creamy lots of different curries. It's used in desserts as well. One of my favourites is called wattalapan, a kind of caramel custard with egg, coconut milk, jaggery, cardamom and nutmeg. One of the most simple ways to use it is in dal. To make it distinctively Sri Lankan, we often add pandan leaf and lemongrass, with turmeric and other spices, and then coconut milk. There's no butter: the dal has this lightness and fragrance from the coconut milk which is really delicious.
I really like Biona's tinned coconut milk – it's organic and the coconuts come from Sri Lanka. I also like the powdered stuff – just add hot water. It's a pretty good product and handy if you don't need to use a whole tin. Interview by Killian Fox. |
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Solina, Bath Andy Lynes If you're a fan of Padella and Notto, you will love Solina. Set in a grand, high-ceilinged Grade II listed building overlooking Pulteney Bridge and the weir in Bath's city centre, Solina serves daily-made egg and semolina pasta at affordable prices; main courses start at £8 for a bowl of spaghetti with olive oil, garlic, chilli and pangrattato. The restaurant combines locally sourced meat, dairy and vegetables with imported Italian produce, including tomatoes and olive oil, to make dishes such as the best-selling slow-cooked beef shin ragu with reginette pasta. On a sunny summer lunchtime, the light but flavour-packed ravioli with Westcombe ricotta, courgette and lemon butter sauce that we watched being expertly handmade in a soundproof booth in the spacious dining room was a no-brainer. A simpler bowl of bucatini with cacio e pepe was equally delicious. You could just pop in for a generously sized plate of pasta, but then you'd be missing out on treats like truffled wild mushroom arancini with pesto mayonnaise and some very good whipped cod's roe with chicory and music bread. The no-reservations policy means you might have to queue, but you can beat the crowds by dining before 6pm or between 2pm and 6pm on the weekend.
Solina, The Empire, Grand parade, Bath, Somerset, BA2 4DF
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What does happiness taste like? |
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…with Merlin Labron-Johnson. Interview by Killian Fox
What's one restaurant you've not eaten at that you really should have by now? I would love to try Plates in east London. I'm interested in the chef Kirk [Haworth]. He has a classical training, working in Michelin-starred restaurants, but is now cooking vegan food with no gluten or refined sugars, and with a lot of consideration for health and energy. I had his food at a pop-up and it was really brilliant. Now it seems like he's got all the means to take things to the next level. People rave about it. What is the one dish you've cooked the most throughout your life? One of my favourite things to make for people when they come over is a really good Lancashire hot pot. I like the different stages and the layering. It's very therapeutic, very satisfying and obviously delicious. What should restaurants stop doing? Putting caviar on everything for no reason. What do you like to cook at 3am? I always have cooked rice knocking around, so a quick rice dish with eggs and a vegetable and some sort of chilli condiment. That's a good late night meal. What can't you eat, even to be polite? Andouillette [a French sausage made with pork intestines]. I have politely eaten it before, but I won't do it again. It's more the smell than the taste. I don't mind tripe, but andouillette is a step too far for me. What is the greatest of all cheeses? It's got to be an aged comté. It's your birthday. What cake are you requesting? A good Black Forest gateaux. Someone made me one last year and it was great. It feels appropriately festive as well. What does happiness taste like? Tomatoes are such an incredible thing. When you get a good one, you're transported. We grow our own tomatoes for the restaurant and this year, because we've had such great weather, the tomatoes are up there with the best we've ever grown. Last night, I had steak with a tomato salad, and I haven't stopped thinking about how good those tomatoes were. Also, my grandparents live in France and they often have really good tomatoes on toast for breakfast with garlic, salt and olive oil. Merlin Labron-Johnson is chef-owner of Osip and The Old Pharmacy in Bruton, Somerset |
Lamiri harissa Holly O'Neill
Last Christmas, I tucked a jar of Lamiri harissa (£6.99, lamiriharissa.com) in my sister's stocking. Recently, I asked her if there was anything I could bring her. "Four jars of Lamiri," she immediately texted back. Bouncing dots in the chat… "Five jars" … "Will that be enough?!?!?!" I ordered six, so I could try one, too. How good could this harissa be? Turns out, very, with a concentrated smoky heat. Most often, we start by spooning some into a small bowl or cup and stirring in a little just-boiled water and olive oil to loosen it (don't worry, it won't dilute that rich chilli flavour). Then, it gets tossed with vegetables before roasting, brushed over roast chicken, stirred through yoghurt to make a dip or dressing. Most of my food dreaming time is now spent wondering how use it next. I think, smeared over barbecued corn… |
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Vignoble Guillaume Flûte Enchantée NV Andy Lynes
Sommelier Matthew Garratt at Duchy restaurant in London loves this fantastic value sparkling wine from the Franche-Comté (£21.75, available from The Oxford Wine Company). "The fruit profile is slightly riper than you find in many champagnes and cremants – think white peach rather than crisp apple," he says. "The two years minimum it spends on lees means it has a rich and luxurious character, it feels opulent without too much sugar and there's plenty of complexity too. We serve it at 6-8 degrees to let the fruit show, and if you can give it 20 mins after popping the cork, it opens up wonderfully." |
In case you missed it... Courgette and miso skewers for a brilliant barbecue For your weekend barbecue needs, here's a knockout veg recipe from Helen Graham to offset all those burgers and sausages: addictive courgette skewers with preserved lemon, miso, sumac and agave. Plus, more things on sticks from Ben Tish, Georgina Hayden and Lerato Umah-Shaylor.
Click here to read more → |
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