Burns Night Hosted by Chef James Cochran and Candice Carty-Williams

Chef James Cochran to host Burns Night alongside award-winning author, Candice Carty-Williams at 12:51, Islington

On Saturday 25^th January, Chef James Cochran will be celebrating his own twist on Burns Night at his restaurant, 12:51 in Islington. Diners will enjoy an especially curated five-course tasting menu drawing on James’ own Scottish roots. On the evening, special guest, Sunday Times bestselling author, and fellow South London resident, Candice Carty-Williams will be reading her version of the address to the haggis.

On arrival, guests will be met with a welcome Balvenie cocktail, a blend of sweet vermouth, Campari bitters and whisky, to toast to the evening ahead.  In lieu of traditional bagpipes, James will select a number of musical pieces from “Illmatic” by Nas  to “I’ve got 5 on it” by Luniz he feels embodies the spirit and vigour of the lauded poet, Robert Burns in a modern and fresh way. 

No Burn’s Night would be complete without the famous recitation of Burn’s Address to the Haggis and at 12:51, award-winning author Candice Carty-Williams will be reciting her version of the poem to guests and the Scottish delicacy, presented by James. Guests will be invited to toast with a Scotch before going on to enjoy James’ menu.

Diners will be taken on a tour of the Highlands, with an added touch of spice with dishes including: Treacle cured salmon with smoked cod’s roe garnished with apple, radish, mustard, cress on rye; Cullen skink, a rich soup of smoked haddock, potatoes and onions; Highland venison tartar, rolled oats, confit egg yolk and Douglas fir cream; Slow poached chicken in whiskey butter, haggis, swede and the king of Scottish desserts, Cranachan, made with raspberries, Scottish oats, double cream and whisky. 

James says ‘Being half Scottish, roots in the Caribbean and my heart firmly in London, I wanted to create a Burns Night that played with all these elements and ultimately, celebrated the love of good food, drink and friends to enjoy it. This is exactly what Robert Burns tried to do and why Burns Night became such a tradition in the first place. Yeah, his poetry might seem a little unapproachable to some not familiar with it – but at the heart of it, that’s what he was getting at. That’s why I wanted to invite Candice, to get to what he was saying from someone who is a voice of our generation and is wicked funny too! We can’t wait to welcome you to celebrate the great Robert Burns and raise a toast to living and life.’

About James Cochran and 12:51 

James grew up surrounded by a love of food through the flavours and traditions of his father’s Scottish cooking as well as his mother’s traditional West Indian dishes. He started his career as a chef at Wheelers Oyster Bar in Whitstable where he first developed his love of fresh seafood. Upon moving to London, James honed his talents as a chef in several prestigious Michelin-starred restaurants including The Ledbury and The Harwood Arms. During this time, he established his own refined yet experimental cooking style before launching his first restaurant, 12:51, in September 2018. Located on Upper Street in Islington, the playful menu at 12:51 focuses on high-quality ingredients, largely sourced from James’ home county of Kent. The stylish 48-cover restaurant is split over two floors and an intimate street terrace. Both floors have minimal, studio-like interiors, dotted with quirky features from the original Victorian building. Named after his favourite song by The Strokes, the music at 12:51 also reflects James’ personality through a specially curated playlist of classic funk, soul and hip hop to take diners from day to night. In 2018, he represented London & South East region in BBC2’s Great British Menu with his mushroom starter, ‘Cep-tional’ and was awarded ‘Chef of the Year’ by Eater London.