FROM ART TO ARTISAN
Why CREATIVITY is at our heart
Most restaurants begin with a recipe. Popina began as an art project.
Art is where our story began. In 1999, while studying Fine Art at Goldsmiths, founder Isidora Popovic created a series of conceptual food bites exploring colour, texture, flavour and presentation. Food became another artistic medium – one that people could experience with every sense. Food brought those ideas together naturally.
Food became another canvas. One that could be experienced through colour, texture, flavour and conversation. A handful of ingredients can be transformed into something surprising. Colour matters. Texture matters, and the smallest of details matter. When everything comes together, the result can leave a lasting impression.
One of the creative challenges we love the most is the art of making something simple- exceptional. Making something simple is often the hardest to do. Foccsuing on exceptional quality, and fewer ingredients leaves nowhere to hide on the plate.
Twenty-five years later, the medium may have changed, but the creative process hasn’t.
“Choosing ingredients feels very similar to choosing colours and materials for a piece of art. Each one brings something different, and the excitement comes from seeing how they work together.” – Isidora Popovic, Founder
Market Inspiration
Markets reward curiosity. A walk through the market is one of the few shopping trips where the list is only ever a guide. We arrive with ideas and an open mind, ready to embrace whatever the season has to offer. Sometimes it’s an ingredient we’d never considered before, other times it’s simply seeing something familiar through someone else’s eyes. Those moments change things. Before we’ve even left the market, conversations have turned into ideas and tomorrow’s menu has already started evolving. ‘Taste this” is something we hear a lot at the market. It’s amazing how those two little words light up so many creative sparks’.
The secret ingredient
The creative process doesn’t always start in our kitchen. It begins with the growers, millers, cheesemakers, bakers and producers who dedicate their lives to exceptional ingredients. Producer lnowldge often inspires what happens in our kitchen. It is one of the benefits of the face to face interactions at markets.
Their knowledge becomes part of ours. A cheesemaker might explain how a particular batch has matured, an olive oil producer could introduce a new pressing, or a fermenter might share a technique we’ve never tried before. Those conversations often completely change how we use an ingredient.
Creativity is a team sport
Ideas are often collaborative. The best ideas are often a team effort. They grow through curiosity, conversation and collaboration. Sometimes it’s a conversation around the tasting spoon, or a mixing glass and a familiar dish can head in a new direction. Sometimes it’s a completely fresh perspective from someone new to the team, and other times it’s sparked by a member of the team sharing an idea from the restaurant floor. Dishes and recipes evolve with customer feedback.
25 years on, and still curious
Popina has grown into an award-winning bakery, cookbook, restaurant and a familiar face across London’s markets, but the way we work hasn’t really changed. Curiosity started Popina over twenty-five years ago, and it still shapes every plate we serve.
