For a chef whose restaurant, Osip, is rooted in the Somerset harvest, Merlin Labron-Johnson keeps an enviable itinerary. When we catch up, he has just returned from a French road trip, and is head to Athens and Tokyo next. It’s often work that takes him abroad, but he makes time for a few extra days for himself, following friends’ recommendations and stopping at an unassuming bar for a cold beer along the way.
It is a familiar rhythm for the Devon-born chef, whose early career took him through kitchens in Switzerland, France and Belgium before he earned London’s Portland its first Michelin star at the age of 24. In 2019, he opened Osip in Bruton, establishing the connection between farm and kitchen that we profiled on our Work in Process video series. His latest project, Pharmacy Field Kitchen, takes that approach outdoors. Developed with Zsuzsanna Toth and Marc Ackland, joint head chefs at his sister restaurant The Pharmacy, it brings together farm dinners and private events, with opportunities for guests to pick some of the produce they will eat.
Labron-Johnson’s travels also feed into his life back in Somerset, from the dishes he cooks at home – Japanese rice, dhal and biryani – to a particularly good pair of scissors he picked up in Japan. For this edition of ‘In Transit’, the chef discusses travelling light, the things he likes to bring back, and why he feels at home in Japan.
How Merlin Labron-Johnson travels
Wallpaper*: What’s your earliest travel memory – and can you remember what you ate?
Merlin Labron-Johnson: All my earliest travel memories are in France, as that’s the only place I went [overseas] until I was 16. I remember the smell of supermarkets, pungent cheeses, freshly baked bread from the boulangerie and peach iced tea.
W*: What role does travel play in your life?
MLJ: I am fortunate to travel a lot through my work, and it is this constant exploration that keeps me inspired and stimulated. It has also given me a renewed appreciation of where I live, which is rural Somerset. I like the juxtaposition of the two worlds. I don’t do many conventional holidays, though; it’s almost always work with a few extra days tagged on.
W*: What attracts you to a destination?
MLB: Well, the food is obviously a very important factor. If I suspect the food isn’t good, then I’m less inclined to visit, but it is also the people, the architecture, the colours, the climate and the thrill of the unknown.
W*: What’s the most unnecessary thing you always bring ‘just in case’ – and the most essential?
MLB: I travel light, bringing as little as possible. I’ll always have my laptop and phone, of course. Comfortable clothes. A notebook. A wash bag. That’s about it. However, I have started to make a habit of bringing small gifts to offer to friends, hosts and colleagues. Especially if I’m going to Japan!
W*: Who’s the most interesting person you’ve met on a trip?
MLB: My guide from my last trip to the Himalayas: Pujan. A wonderful host, with many diverse talents and the most extraordinary knowledge. We keep in touch.
W*: What’s the best thing you’ve ever brought back from a trip?
MLB: Kitchen tools from Japan, which I use every day. Beautiful handmade urushi chopsticks, good scissors and a mottled steel side ladle.
W*: Do you tend to capture moments when you travel?
MLJ: I capture a lot. I take hundreds of photos and videos. I like to share my discoveries and, of course, keep a record of where I’ve been and what I’ve done.
W*: Which place in the world feels most like you?
MLJ: So far, Japan is the place that has resonated with me the most. Everything makes me happy and seems to suit my tastes.
W*: Which place has changed your approach to cooking or hospitality?
MLJ: Japan, Mexico and India.
W*: Is there a meal from your travels that you still return to in your own cooking?
MLJ: Well-cooked Japanese rice, dhal and biryani.
W*: When you arrive somewhere new, where do you go first to get a feel for how people eat?
MLJ: I’ll usually take a recommendation from a friend or a knowledgeable local. It could be a bar, bistro, tavern or roadside café; it really depends on the country!
According to Merlin...
Window or aisle? ‘Window.’
Early flight or last flight of the day? ‘I think I prefer an evening flight, so as to wake up the following day in a new location feeling refreshed.’
Overpack or underpack? ‘Underpack. I like to travel light.’
Plan everything or arrive and figure it out? ‘A mixture of both: plan some things, leave room for spontaneity.’
Go-to travel snack? ‘Onigiri.’
Who’s always on your playlist? ‘Leonard Cohen.’
Last place you travelled to – and where next? ‘France, for a road trip. Next stop Athens, and then directly on to Tokyo.’
Your ideal row on a long-haul flight – who’s sitting with you? ‘Ideally nobody. I would appreciate the peace and quiet and the extra room!’
