Welcome to our new Food for Thought series.

Over the coming months, we’ll be profiling some of the tastiest, most exciting restaurants and foodies across Cambridgeshire, East Anglia and beyond…

First up are Kate Holden & Greg Proud, the brains behind Provenance Kitchen and their new (-ish) restaurant, Brix & Mortar.

We asked them how 2021 was treating them, what delights they were cooking up, and what music they were listening to – read on for their gorgeous slow-cooked lamb recipe!

How has lockdown affected you guys? What are your plans for 2021?

We were devastated when we had to close the restaurant doors on the 23rd March 2020; our reservations book was looking very healthy and cancelling them out was heartbreaking.

We took stock, planned and reopened during May – offering a takeaway and delivery service, Provenance Brix + Order. This was really popular and kept us going until we were allowed to reopen Provenance Brix + Mortar in Whittlesford (just a few minutes off the M11 near Duxford) on the 4th July 2020.

We’re very lucky to have masses of parking, outside space and a courtyard – and the restaurant is really spacious and airy, with bi-folding doors down the entire side of it. So the summer through to October was really good for us. We would usually be out with our Airstream and horse box trailers at weddings, events and parties during the summer – but all of these were postponed, and some completely cancelled, so instead we used them on-site as a bar in the gardens.

During this most recent lockdown, we have been busy developing the plans for our Orchard and Barn. You’ll see announcements about this on our social media soon!

What have you been cooking at home during lockdown?

Lots of one pot wonders like roasted halibut with chickpeas, fennel, onions, paprika, chilli and olive oil all thrown in a roasting pan with whole tomatoes.

Cook a shoulder of lamb overnight with lots of tomatoes, garlic, rosemary, couscous, yogurt and homemade flatbread.

Cacio e pepe for lunch, spaghetti, lots of butter, Parmesan and black pepper, very filling!

Top 5 ingredients to work with at the moment?

The king of the sea, Turbot – simply grilled whole over charcoal, or roasted in the oven with seaweed butter and squeeze of lemon.

Celeriac – a very versatile root vegetable with a beautiful, earthy flavour. Can be simply roasted with thyme, butter and garlic or cooked down in milk, bay leaf and white onions – and blended with a little white bread, to thicken and create a silky textured warming soup. Add a sprinkle of toasted pumpkin seeds tossed in spice mix like Ras el hanout.

Any products from our local suppliers, Calixta at Flourish farm, Hildersham. They’re ultra seasonal, bio-diverse and sustainable – but more importantly, packed full of flavour and interest.

Dried Seaweed like dulse and kelp to add umami and minimality to a dish. You can use this dried or make seaweed butter to cook meat/fish, and it goes particularly well with lamb.

Ras el hanout – a middle eastern dried mix of cumin, coriander, ground ginger, turmeric, chilli and cardamom. Gives slow cooked meat or veggie dishes warmth and spice

Your favourite festival food? Aside from your own!

Moro feasting table and the lobster rolls at Wilderness festival, also the Japanese street food, Karage chicken and kimchi mayo from Kurobuta.

Any chefs or foodie accounts that you’re following in particular at the moment?

Jackson Boxer of Orrasay & Brunswick house, Timber yard and Tomas Parry of Brat and also Climpson’s Arch Hackney are always very inspirational.

Who is your chosen artist to provide the soundtrack to a dinner party?

Summer Madness by Kool & The Gang on a long hazy summer’s evening, cooking beautiful ingredients over the fire pit for friends.

Finally, your top track to get the party started in the kitchen!

In our restaurant kitchen, Greg loves a bit of Billy Joel - We Didn't Start The Fire, although the rest of the team are also susceptible to a bit of Billy Ocean, Jimmy Hendrix and Whitney!

Provenance Kitchen’s Slow Cooked Lamb Flatbread

INGREDIENTS

1 x small lamb shoulder 1-1.5kg.

2 x litre lamb stock or chicken stock.

2 x small white onions chopped.

2 x cloves of garlic smashed.

2 x sprigs of rosemary

500g chopped tomatoes

1 x teaspoon of Ras al hangout spice

1 x teaspoon red harissa

A splash of olive oil

METHOD

Preheat oven to 250c.

Season the lamb all over with salt and black pepper and rub in the Ras al hanout and olive oil.

Place the lamb into a small roasting tray on top of the chopped onions, garlic and rosemary in the pre-heated oven for 15-20mins or until well coloured.

Lower temperature to 90’c remove lamb and pour over lamb stock, chopped tomatoes and harissa, cover with a lid or tin foil. Cook in the oven for 12hrs.

Serve with homemade flatbread or tortilla flatbread wrap, herb yogurt and pomegranate seeds.