Chef Margot Henderson on Home, Food & Caring for Fergus
6/18/20261 hr 5 min
Margot Henderson is one of Britain's most influential chefs, and a pioneer of “nose-to-tail” cooking. She's spent her career finding value in what others might disregard – a philosophy that extends far beyond the kitchen.
Alongside her husband, Fergus Henderson, she's helped redefine the way we eat, with an approach that's simple, honest and rooted in ingredients rather than technique.
While Fergus founded St. JOHN, Margot helped shape a generation of cooks through Rochelle Canteen, Arnold & Henderson and, more recently, The Three Horseshoes in Somerset.
In this conversation, recorded in her home in Stockwell, Margot describes her childhood in New Zealand, where her mother introduced her to a world of French restaurants and a lifelong appetite for adventurous eating.
We talk about the pull of London in the 1980s, the influence of The Face magazine, and the whirlwind romance that led to a lifelong partnership with Fergus.
Margot also reflects on marriage, loyalty and care, as she discusses Fergus's Parkinson's diagnosis and the realities of growing older together.
This episode of Homing was recorded inside Margot’s home in Stockwell.
Join us over on Patreon to watch the full house tour.
00:00 Introduction
01:08 Growing Up in Wellington
02:28 Family Dynamics
04:12 Early Food Influences
05:28 A Health-Nut Mother
08:18 Discovering Restaurants
10:29 Parents' Separation
13:04 Childhood Challenges
15:10 The Punk Rock Scene
17:39 Moving to London
21:12 First Cooking Jobs
22:26 First Head Chef Role
25:40 Working at The Eagle
27:01 Meeting Fergus
29:35 Fergus's Food Philosophy
32:35 The Opening of St. JOHN
34:49 Balancing Work and Motherhood
36:57 Finding a Home in Stockwell
41:13 The Joy of Entertaining
43:16 Living with Art
45:54 Restaurant Philosophies
47:34 Rochelle Canteen and The Three Horseshoes
50:58 Caring for Fergus
53:26 Fergus's Health Journey
57:09 Loyalty and Marriage
1:01:02 Getting Through Tough Times
1:02:20 Defining Home
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Contact: Email us at hello@mattgibberd.com
Matt Gibberd’s book, A Modern Way to Live, is available here: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/320176/a-modern-way-to-live-by-gibberd-matt/9780241480496
Music by @simeonwalkermusic
Identity & design by @lena.winkler.creative.office
Produced by @podshoponline
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsMargot Henderson· Guest0:00
[gentle music] Whatever your home's like, it is that sanctuary, isn't it? You walk through your door, ah, at home. It's always lovely when it's all tidy and fresh, and, and I like the foliage, all that sort of thing. I think that brings in a lot of gentleness to the home too. Some people thought our food was ugly, but we thought it was so beautiful. And to let the ingredients speak for themselves. We're a team.
Matt Gibberd· Host0:31
Yeah.
Margot Henderson· Guest0:31
And he feels that. But that's the great thing about marriage, I think, or partnership, whatever. The longer you stay, that unifying, that coming together, it strengthens.
Matt Gibberd· Host0:40
How have you got through those down points then, would you think?
Margot Henderson· Guest0:43
Drinking.
Matt Gibberd· Host0:44
[laughs] Hello, welcome to a new episode of Homing. Today's guest is the chef Margot Henderson. Alongside her husband, Fergus Henderson, she's helped redefine the way we eat with an approach that's simple, honest, and rooted in ingredients rather than technique. While Fergus founded St. John, Margot built an acclaimed career of her own through Rochelle Canteen, Arnold & Henderson, and more recently The Three Horseshoes in Somerset. They were both awarded OBEs in 2021. In this conversation, Margot takes me back to her childhood in New Zealand, where her mother