On the 29th of April, chef and restaurateur Henry Harris of Bouchon Racine joins Charlie Hibbert, Chef Director of the Ox Barn, for a special Thyme restaurant takeover celebrating Henry’s generous, classical French cooking.
Henry has spent more than four decades shaping British food culture, from the much-loved Racine in Knightsbridge to the recently opened Bouchon Racine, which has received universal critical acclaim. Together in the Ox Barn restaurant, Henry and Charlie will serve a set menu featuring many of Henry’s best-loved dishes.
Henry will be in conversation with food writer Molly Tait-Hyland from 5-6pm, discussing his food and career. He will also be signing copies of his new book, The Racine Effect, on the night. Talk tickets can be purchased when reserving your table, books can be pre-ordered at this point, too.
Talk timings:
4:45pm: Guest Arrival
5pm: talk begins
6pm: Talk Finishes
Ox Barn Restaurant Takeover timings:
tables are available from 6pm
join us for a drink beforehand, please arrive 30 minutes ahead of your table
If you are joining us for the talk, we would recommend booking your table between 6.15pm and 7pm
Ticket Prices:
£70 ticket includes a four course set menu
Add a Preorder book for £30
Attend the talk at 5pm for £20
please note: Dietaries will be catered for if specified on booking. Tickets not booked together will not be seated together.
Thyme will offer a 20% discount on room bookings following the event, quoting HARRIS20.
Henry Harris
Acclaimed chef, restaurateur, and food writer, Henry Harris has worked for more than 40 years in food and hospitality. Henry began his career waiting tables in his father’s restaurant, before becoming an apprentice at Hilaire under Simon Hopkinson. He followed Simon as his number two when he opened Bibendum and then went on to open Harvey Nichols’ Fifth Floor Restaurant.
Henry opened his first restaurant Racine in Knightsbridge as chef patron in 2002. He sold what had become a beloved institution in 2015. Henry has written for The Times, The Telegraph, The Guardian, The Observer and Noble Rot, to name a few. He has also worked as a consultant chef for restaurants and groups including Soho House and The Groucho Club. In 2022 he opened Bouchon Racine with his business partner Dave Strauss to universal critical acclaim. The Racine Effect is his second cookbook.
Charlie Hibbert
Charlie Hibbert grew up in a family of people who love to cook and entertain. The kitchen quickly became his favourite place to be, and he started working at the Swan at Southrop when he was 13-years-old as a kitchen porter.
Charlie went on to train at Ballymaloe Cookery School in Ireland, before honing his skills under the guidance of renowned chef Jeremy Lee MBE at Quo Vadis in London. His mother, Caryn Hibbert, founded Thyme in 2007 and in 2018, Charlie returned to the Cotswolds to open the Ox Barn - to wide acclaim. He later took over the kitchen operations of the Swan also. His recipes have since been featured in publications including The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, and House & Garden.
The Racine Effect by Henry Harris
A LOVE LETTER TO FRENCH COOKING AND THE RESTAURANT THAT DEFINED A GENERATION OF BRITISH DINING.
The bistro boom of recent years has seen food lovers rediscovering the honest pleasures of French classics. Bouchon Racine is the hottest ticket in town, and at the heart of its success lies the talent and quiet influence of one man: Henry Harris.
In The Racine Effect, his first book in twenty years, Henry brings together more than 120 recipes that distil a lifetime spent perfecting the nostalgic, comforting cooking of France’s neighbourhood restaurants. From Bayonne ham with celeriac rémoulade to lamb chops with anchovy toasts, and his most requested recipe ever, crème caramel, this is a masterclass in generosity, simplicity and balance.
Over a decade since the legendary Racine in Knightsbridge closed its doors, Henry’s Bouchon Racine in Farringdon is inspiring a new generation of chefs and diners. Including recipes from Bouchon Racine and his home, Henry shares the lessons of a life in kitchens both grand and humble: stories from working under and alongside Simon Hopkinson at Hilaire and Bibendum, his time as founding chef of Harvey Nichols’ Fifth Floor Restaurant, and the journey that made Racine one of London’s most beloved dining rooms.
Written with warmth and profound knowledge, evocatively photographed, and rich with culinary wisdom, The Racine Effect is not only a cookbook — it’s a tribute to the enduring allure of great French food.
HENRY will be signing copies of her book on the night.
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