Having the chance to shoot with Rafters was a very important point in my career. It was the first time documenting a kitchen like theirs. Nervous and a bit intimidated despite my not-so-shy personality, the chief sent me the brief, introduced me to Alistair and Tom (I used to call Alistair “chef” too), and we drove to Sheffield. Rafters felt like entering Diagon Alley. Not what you expected from the outside, despite all the wonders I had heard before. Going up the stairs, I found a quiet Tom, Chef Tom Lawson, the wonder kid. I guess he was nervous too (I don’t know), but he broke the silence with a little joke about his rhubarb. Then Alistair arrived, bringing with him the energy of a guy with years of experience in hospitality. Yes, the accent was another thing, but eventually, we passed that barrier too. We shot at their amazing hotel, a chocolate factory, surrounded by 45,000 bees, made silver cutlery, forged some knives, met the crazy butcher, and distilled some gin. Tom made pizza for us at his house, and Alistair made brownies with his kids. What a ride, what a fucking ride. That’s just the food. The rest is written on the pages of this fantastic book – a pivotal story for the legends of Rafters.
- Food Documentary Photography — Pivot (2023)
- Client — Rafters