Five minutes with...

The husband and wife duo behind Peckham favourite Kudu

Peckham’s grown up since Hannah Twiggs last lived there. She chats to Amy Corbin and Patrick Williams, the founders of the Kudu Collective, about firing up the braai in south east’s coolest neighbourhood

Thursday 07 July 2022 12:23 BST
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‘We have learnt to work together,’ say Patrick and Amy
‘We have learnt to work together,’ say Patrick and Amy (Supplied)

It takes a certain kind of drive to open four restaurants in as many years, but for Amy Corbin and Patrick Williams, the husband and wife duo behind the Kudu “Collective” in Peckham as the group is known, each opening gave the next one purpose.

“We thought ‘why not!’ and decided to take on another challenge,” they tell The Independent. With four restaurants and counting, something tells me their efforts have paid off.

I catch five minutes with the busy couple to discuss the signature dishes every newcomer should try, why they picked Peckham for their empire, and the pros and cons of going into business with your significant other.

There’s Kudu, Smokey Kudu, Curious Kudu and Kudu Grill… can you talk us through the nuances between them and inspirations behind them?

Kudu was our first site. We?wanted a small?neighbourhood?restaurant near to where we lived that served really good food to showcase Patrick’s South?African roots and we opened that in 2018. After that, we realised what was missing was a spot to have a pre- or post-dinner drink, so in January 2020 ?we launched?Smokey Kudu,?our cocktail bar. It’s only a two minute walk from Kudu and it’s where we serve our?favourite?South African inspired drinks and sharing platters!?Curious Kudu came about in 2020 when we found out the previous?tenants were leaving and they asked us if we wanted to take over their lease. We thought “why?not!” and decided to take?on another challenge. During lockdown we changed the concept of the?site?a little and decided to use it as a private dining room – Kudu can only accommodate tables up to six. We also?use the space as an art gallery during the day. Finally, during the second lockdown,?we found the perfect site for our grill?concept and along came?Kudu Grill, our South African-inspired Braai restaurant.

What are some signature dishes newcomers to the restaurants and the cuisine should try?

At Kudu it’s our Kudu bread with melted seafood or bacon butter and the onglet with?hispi cabbage, enoki mushrooms, and truffled potato mousse.?At Kudu Grill, the dry-aged T-bone with beer-pickled onion and treacle bordelaise and the whole black bream with the butter roti.

There are only a handful of South African restaurants in London, and Kudu is perhaps one of the most well-known. What are some myths you think people believe about the cuisine?

South?Africans are?the hardest people to?please. I think people sometimes think of South?African food as large?portions and very meat-heavy, but we have a very different approach to South African cuisine. I think Patrick’s food can be defined as modern European with South?African?influences.

Kudu Grill, which opened during the second lockdown, is the latest in the collection
Kudu Grill, which opened during the second lockdown, is the latest in the collection (Supplied)

Kudu Grill is known for its open fire cooking. What advice would you give to someone giving that a try at home?

The best?advice for braaiing at home is?to use good?quality?wood and good?quality?cuts from a local butcher.

When you opened your first restaurant, Peckham wasn’t especially known for its dining scene – I used to live there long before Kudu! Why did you choose it to start your empire? And has it paid off?

We wanted to open a?neighbourhood restaurant and we always loved the vibe in Peckham. We liked how it was still mostly?independent?businesses and filled with locals who really supported the places around them. I guess it’s paid off for us. We love running our restaurants in Peckham, being a part of a thriving community and being able to walk from one site to the other is definitely a plus!

Patrick – how did your childhood growing up in South Africa influence the menu? Are there any dishes you serve now that you were particularly fond of back home?

The two main influences on my cooking in the early days were from my dad, who would always have a?braai?on the weekends and?cook?for us, and my mum, who knew her way around every spice imaginable. I grew up in Durban, which had a?big Indian community, so we used to go together to the market to buy the spices she needed for her recipes.

Braai is South Africa’s answer to the British barbecue, and is the main theme at Kudu Grill
Braai is South Africa’s answer to the British barbecue, and is the main theme at Kudu Grill (Supplied)

You’ve had a string of positive and high profile reviews and have received a Michelin Bib Gourmand, all within just a few years of opening. How does that feel??

We’re incredibly grateful and love knowing that people enjoy our food. It makes all the hard work everyone’s put into the restaurants worthwhile. We never take it for granted, though, you have to keep?driving?forward and always count your?blessings.

You both have backgrounds in hospitality but handle different parts of the business and have different strengths: what are the pros and cons of working together as a couple? Do you balance each other out? I’m not sure I could work so closely with my other half!

It?took some time to adjust to our new work/life balance when we opened Kudu. At the start we were actually living above the restaurant so that?definitely?added some extra?tension and stress. Some days we wouldn’t even leave the building! I think we’ve both grown to know and?appreciate?each other’s?strengths and?different?roles in the business. We?have?learnt to work together as a great team and as husband and wife.

How do you balance keeping it authentically South African and sourcing from local, British producers??

Because South?Africa is a melting pot of cultures, the food?scene is?quite diverse and that makes it really adaptable to using?different?produce. The UK has some of the best in?toward?and we work with some great British suppliers.

And for something a little lighter: you can only use five ingredients, but they can be from any part of the world. What are they and what are you making?

Patrick’s dad’s chicken curry: rice, chicken, cream, garam masala and tinned apples. Unforgettable!

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