In just two years, socialite Camilla Fayed has made her first vegan restaurant a celebrity haunt that sells fashionable plant-based food to London’s elite.
Now the daughter of former Harrods boss Mohamed Al-Fayed, 33, is showing her fans the contents of her own fridge to reveal how her love of plant-based eating inspired her to open Farmacy, in trendy Notting Hill.
From en-vogue fermented kimchi to a mysterious bottle of ‘Philosopher’s Sauce,’ similar to an Asian fish sauce, the snaps of Fayed’s fridge and pantry, which have been published in her new cookbook: Farmacy Kitchen, show it packed full of the most stylish and luxurious plant-based ingredients.
Camilla Fayed’s fridge and pantry is a treasure trove of healthy foods, featuring (left to right): mung beans, kimchi, sprouting beans, Philosopher’s sauce which is a homemade version of Asian fish sauce; salad leaves, beans, sauerkraut, Farmacy’s seed mix, nut milk, a homemade green sauce, cashew yoghurt, butter beans and walnuts
There is no junk food in sight, with only super-healthy items such as pinto beans, cashew yoghurt and nut milks on show, to reflect what is on the menu at Farmacy.
In her cookbook, mother-of-two Camilla, whose brother Dodi died in the crash with Princess Diana in 1997, explains that the restaurant only uses organic ingredients, sourced from local independent suppliers where possible.
Farmacy used to be what is known as a ‘veggan’ restaurant as it was vegan except for the use of eggs, but now it uses vegan flaxseed or chia seed ‘eggs’ as a replacement.
Camilla, who formerly headed up the fashion label Issa, which designed the Duchess of Cambridge’s engagement dress, shares her and Farmacy’s philosophy to food in her new book.
Mum-of-two Camilla Fayed is the daughter of Egyptian-born Mohamed Al Fayed – the former owner of Harrods and Fulham FC but she has dropped the ‘Al’ from her name
The Farmacy Kitchen cookbook not only contains recipe of how to make staple Farmacy menu items at home, but also a philosophy behind the restaurant’s ethos and plant-based vibe (pictured: The Farmacy Burger, a millet, black bean & mushroom burger served with garlic aioli, goji ketchup, avocado, pickles, tomato & potato chips served in a sourdough vegan bun)
She writes in the introduction: ‘At Farmacy we avoid processed ingredients and choose organic whenever possible to avoid ingesting the chemicals and pesticides used in non-organic food production.
‘We try not to use tinned food or food that is clearly ‘dead’, instead opting for fresh and living food that is well sourced. Our recipes avoid using ingredients that can be high in genetically modified organisms (GMOs) such as corn, soy, potatoes and wheat.’
She adds: ‘When we eat with awareness, the food tastes better somehow, we feel we are nourished in a deeper way, and our bodies digest more completely when we bring awareness to the process of eating.
‘It is true that often this way of eating and living is considered a luxury, but the more people who make such conscious choices then the less fringe or ‘way out’ they will be.’
Farmacy has become a favourite of vegan-eating celebrities such as Made In Chelsea’s Lucy Watson and Millie Mackintosh, and model Lily Cole.
There are treats included in the Farmacy Kitchen cookbook, despite the restaurant’s focus on healthy food, such as this Chocolate and Almond Nice Cream, which is dairy-free
The restaurant trade is a change of career for Camilla, as she took over Brazilian designer Daniella Helayel’s label Issa in 2011
Camilla also explains why she favours a vegan diet.
She writes: ‘Plant-based eating is wholesome, highly nutritious, ethical and sustainable.
‘There are a range of health benefits to be gained from this type of eating; studies show that it can help in the prevention of some major illnesses and offers a more compassionate approach to the care of animals and the environment.’
Camilla decided to move into the restaurant business in 2016 as she felt London was behind New York and LA in providing the kind of health food she and her friends like to eat.
The menu is bursting with the trendiest health foods of the moment and many of her dishes are gluten-free or raw, like a macro bowl full of quinoa and avocado and a ‘clean curry’ made from aubergine, pumpkin and broccoli.
Desserts are similarly guilt-free, with ‘super healthy’ jars full of granola, yoghurt and fruit listed.
The restaurant’s motto from Hippocrates is fitting: ‘Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food’.
Camilla says she learnt a lot of her business nous from her father.
The second daughter of her father’s second marriage to Finnish model Heini Wathén spent a lot of time in what she calls ‘the shop’ – Harrods – as a child.
Farmacy Kitchen Cookbook by Camilla Fayed is published by Octopus Books, £25.