We sat down with Chef Oliver Butterworth to chat about his start in the culinary industry, the inspiration behind his favourite dish on EPIC's menu, and more! Chef Oliver also explains the thought process that went into crafting a fully vegan and vegetarian menu for his concept at EPIC: Harvest.
© EPIC
Tell us a bit about you, Oliver.
"I'll be one of the chefs here at EPIC. I will be running the Harvest menu, with focus on vegetarian and vegan; 90% vegan, but have a little bit of those elements that are vegetarian also."
How did your culinary journey begin and why did you partner with EPIC?
"I got into cooking because I love to eat, I love to travel, I love to cook for my friends and family, so it was the next logical step, come to EPIC, work with a ton of great chefs, make a ton of really good, fresh food, and cook for some really great people."
Describe your favourite dish on the menu, Oliver.
"The inspiration behind my Caramelized Onion Tahini Labneh dish is just to have a very simple, yet elegant vegetarian dish on the menu that hits all those notes of sweet and savoury, inspired by the different chefs and people I've worked with."
What was the inspiration behind your vegetarian and vegan menu concept: Harvest?
"The reason I chose to do a vegetarian and vegan menu was to recreate some classics that everyone loves, but to let some ingredients speak for themselves and stand on their own. Emphasis on fresh ingredients, seasonal ingredients. So come on down, try it out, I hope you enjoy!"