Too Many Lemons: The Low Waste Supper Club Launch
I’ll never forget the night of my very first supper club -Too Many Lemons. It finally came to life on the 28th of November 2024 after months of dreaming, planning, testing recipes, and some sweat when I finally released tickets for sale. I was excited, nervous, and completely determined to make it special.
One of the things I most enjoyed on the lead up was coming up with a logo and branding!
The idea behind Too Many Lemons has always been simple: to show that low-waste cooking can be delicious, inventive, and joyful. Every dish on the menu was vegetarian and designed to make the most out of each ingredient - no stems, skins, or scraps left behind. It was a celebration of creativity in the kitchen, of finding flavour in unexpected places, and of learning to see “waste” as opportunity.
I hosted the evening at Piptree, my favourite little coffee shop in Putney - conveniently right at the end of my road. It’s such a cosy, familiar space, and it turned out to be the perfect setting for the first Too Many Lemons. Seeing it transform from my morning coffee spot into a candlelit dining room full of chatter and clinking glasses was honestly magic.
I was incredibly lucky to have Tala, who I met on my course at Leith’s Cookery School, join me in the kitchen. She helped with so much of the prep (and agreeing that making 200 raviolis by hand the night before was a terrible decision). On the night itself, a few lovely friends stepped in as waitstaff - true heroes - making sure everyone was fed, poured, and happy.
We had 30 guests, sold out completely, and even had a waitlist, which blew my mind. Most of the people who came were friends, and friends of friends, which made it feel like such a warm, supportive crowd. Everyone was there to celebrate, to eat, to connect - and that energy filled the room.
What really surprised me was how much there was to think about beyond the food. Plates, seating arrangements, candles, music, lighting - every tiny detail mattered. It wasn’t just about cooking; it was about creating an atmosphere. I wanted people to walk in and instantly feel that they were part of something special - something thoughtful, a little imperfect, but full of heart.
Of course, there were a hundred things I’d do differently next time - timing tweaks, plating adjustments, smoother service flow - but that’s part of the fun, and I knew my first pancake would never be my best.
A few amazing small brands helped bring the evening together: ChicP Hummus, who share the same love for minimising food waste, and Dash Water, who make drinks from “wonky” fruit and veg that would otherwise go to waste. I was also able to use produce from OddBox (from which I added a surprise extra dish of padrón peppers because they sent me so many at the last minute!) as well as TooGoodToGo, a great platform for saving items nearing their sell by date. They all perfectly captured the low-waste ethos of the night.
Thank you to ChicP for providing the hummus. The Beetroot & Horseradish was my favourite!
One of my favourite touches was using the aquafaba - the liquid from tinned chickpeas that’s so often poured down the drain - to make a rich, silky chocolate mousse. It felt like the perfect sweet ending to a meal built around resourcefulness and creativity.
Aquafaba chocolate mousse topped with Tony’s Chocolonely marshmallow pearls saved by TooGoodToGo.
Looking back, I’m proud - tired, yes, but proud - of what we created that night. Too Many Lemons started as an idea about food waste, but it’s really about connection: between people, ingredients, and the stories that bring them together.
Here’s to many more lemon-filled nights ahead. 🍋✨