From fussy child to food critic

Jimi Famurewa in conversation with Gurdeep Loyal
Henley town hall
Saturday, October 11

“IT’S like Blind Date!” exclaimed Jimi, as he and Gurdeep perched on their high-up stools on the stage.

Gurdeep Loyal gave a lively and warm introduction to food critic Jimi Famurewa. “You missed my swimming badge and grade of recorder!” added Jimi. It was a fun start to Jimi’s engaging talk about his new memoir, Picky, a book borne out of being a fussy eater.

As a boy, Jimi’s vegetables came from burger lettuce. He grew up around a rich Nigerian food culture and describes his mum as an incredible cook. But he wanted potato smiles. Now, however, he loves Nigerian food.

A Nineties kid in Plumstead, South-East London, Jimi had a happy childhood on bikes and skateboards. His influences were Nigerian with Britishness muddled in. During a visit to Lagos, he was confronted by a pop-up abattoir at his grandmother’s house — a cow was about to be slaughtered for a party.

As a young graduate, Jimi’s first job was at Maxim magazine. Lads’ mags were a way into the industry at the time, although the journalists were often under pressure to be “laddy” themselves.

His food writing career began when the critic Grace Dent left the Evening Standard’s ES magazine and Jimi was asked to fill in. He described writing his first review as a Tetris moment, with a block falling into place.

When he first wrote Picky, people asked, “It’s really honest — are you sure?” For Jimi, it was the only way. He found writing the book cathartic, even though he felt revealing as much as he did was un-Nigerian and un-British behaviour.

Now a parent himself, Jimi’s children are also picky eaters. His youngest has stopped eating noodles, which were a “load-bearing wall”.

Jimi and Gurdeep kept the audience entertained with their double-act energy and wit during a light-hearted and sometimes poignant talk. Asked about his favourite meal, Jimi picked spicy tomato and pepper sauce with corned beef. It’s a Sunday meal eaten after church. Freedom!

Laura Basden