Dominic Teague is a chef with an real commitment to seasonal, sustainable cuisine.

As Head Chef at Indigo restaurant within One Aldwych, London, he has carved a distinctive path by championing British produce and forging close relationships with farmers.

Over the years, Teague has developed a refined yet approachable style that puts ingredients front and centre, whether it’s Wye Valley asparagus or hand-dived scallops from Orkney.

A passionate advocate for provenance, the chef regularly takes his team on foraging trips along the UK coast to deepen their connection with nature and the raw materials they cook with.

Here, he shares his food memories, the ethos behind his menus, and why respecting the journey of each ingredient is central to everything he does.

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When did you first fall in love with cooking?

Right from an early age, I used to love making the crumble mix on a Sunday for my dad’s home-grown rhubarb and apple crumble. Then as a teen, whilst washing up in a pub, I loved the camaraderie, warmth and energy in a kitchen.

How would you describe your culinary style?

Letting the ingredients be the star, elegant yet relaxed.

What is your culinary vision for the menu at Indigo?

To create a buzzing restaurant, that focuses on seasonal, sustainable, quality ingredient-led dishes, served in a comfortable, relaxed and informal setting.

Do you have a favourite dish on the menu?

At the moment Devonshire chicken breast, stuffed morels, caramelised onion and wild garlic (often picked in my garden). This dish encapsulates everything we are about.

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned during your career?

That it’s a long journey, not a race, and there will be plenty of bumps along the way. It’s how you bounce back from bad days that makes you better.

What are the biggest challenges faced by the hospitality sector at the moment, and how are you tackling them?

We of course have the ongoing skills shortage, but the single biggest challenge we face is successive government’s lack of support and understanding for the hospitality industry. I find it staggering considering how many people we employ, and how much revenue we generate. If you go to France or Italy all the little towns and villages have plenty of small independent restaurants, because culturally and economically it’s encouraged. Here, we seem to be doing everything possible to make small independent businesses struggle.

Which chefs have inspired you during your career?

Watching the Roux brothers on TV and reading their books from an early age, and for changing the culinary scene in the UK. Paul Gayler, my first chef in London for his support, knowledge, advice and passion for food. Phil Howard for his belief in sticking to his style of cooking and creating such beautiful dishes over such a period of time.

What is your approach to sustainability in your cooking? 

It really is at the forefront for what we do and has been for quite some time. I was lucky enough to have a dad who grew a lot of his own produce, so I think that helped me subconsciously develop an understanding for nature and the seasons at a young age. When you then add having to minimise wastage and utilise all the veg or animal for financial reasons, it naturally goes hand in hand. Any new dish is always started by looking at the seasonality and sustainability of an ingredient and sourcing it as locally as possible to support our brilliant British suppliers – from fellow B Corp brand Sipsmith who based in Chiswick to Chocolarder chocolate makers in Cornwall. This approach has played a part in the hotel recently becoming the first five-star property in London to achieve B Corp status and we are proud to work with a number of fellow B Corp suppliers.

Which new sustainability initiatives are working well for you at the moment?

We have plenty of initiatives that work well – using honey and herbs from our hive on the roof, through to using by-products to create soups and salads for our staff restaurant, to having menus that can be changed on short notice to allow flexibility with stock rotation and offerings to reduce wastage. We have also recently introduced new snack items for the tasting menu, utilising only by-products from vegetables, we have just started using a new local supplier that has developed a way to grow salads and herbs using 80% less water, 94% less land and 100% less pesticide than normal growing practises, and we are just about to switch to a fellow B Corp certified cleaning chemical supplier that has a whole range of products that are sustainable and support fair trade.

What would you like your next project to be?

I’m working on a selection of fruit and vegetable-flavoured patisserie items in collaboration with an incredible sustainability-led jeweller and an interactive weekend brunch inspired by our beautiful new ceiling installation in our Lobby Bar.

What is your favourite dish, and who cooks it? 

Cheese and pickle sandwich, left in the fridge, made by my wife for when I’m home late.