Cabbages, Camping Stoves and Big Feastival: A conversation with Chef Proprietor / Founder Simon Rogan, L'Enclume
Simon Rogan is heading to Big Feastival 2026, bringing a taste of Our Farm to the Cotswolds for a live appearance at The Big Kitchen and a signing of Rogan: The Cookbook.
Ahead of the festival, The Knife caught up with the L’Enclume chef to talk festival food, his 900kg cabbage harvest, supporting former protégé Tom Barnes and what he’ll be eating – and drinking – once he’s off the clock.
You've got a busy day lined up for the Sunday at the festival. Tell us more about your book you'll be signing, and what can we expect from your appearance at The Big Kitchen?
I’m going to be signing copies of Rogan: The Cookbook, which is my first and only recipe book to date. It talks about my journey to opening L’Enclume, setting up Our Farm, my approach to cooking and my love for locally grown, seasonal produce.
On the stage, I’ll be cooking a stuffed cabbage, because it’s officially the Year of the Cabbage. We’ve just harvested over 900kg on Our Farm, so it feels pretty fitting.
If you had to create one dish that summed up Big Feastival – something fun, summery and designed to be eaten in a field – what would you make?
I would make Alex’s Blue Monday cheese into thick rarebit sauce and grill that on top of some toasted sesame malt loaf with pickled walnut puree. I’d finish it with some grated truffle and drizzle of burnt onion oil.
You’re surrounded by a pretty impressive food lineup this year. Which fellow chef would you most like to sneak away and watch cook, and why?
That’s such a difficult question, but I’d go and support Tom Barnes. He’s my former executive chef in The Lakes and I miss working together at the pass now he’s gone on to open Skof in Manchester.
What do you think people want and expect from festival food these days?
I think the standards have been raised significantly. Not so long ago, you’d be happy with some soggy chips but now there’s so much choice and a lot of quality, so expectations are high. I think people want variety, particularly if they're staying for a few days.
If you could raid Our Farm before heading to Big Feastival and bring just three ingredients with you, what would make the cut?
There are so many, so that is pretty difficult, but it depends if I’m going to cook them on stage or cook them on my camping stove. If it’s the former – cabbage, which we have masses of. I’d probably also choose the lovely young onions we have at the moment to go with it, and the last of the summer savoury, which partners with cabbage beautifully.
If it’s for me and my wife Penny to snack on – tomatoes as they’d keep without a fridge and are great on their own, cucumbers for a G&T, and maybe some preserved berries to make our morning porridge a bit more exciting.
Finally, you’ve finished your Big Feastival duties and you’re officially off the clock. Where are we most likely to find Simon Rogan: hunting down something to eat, watching a band, having a drink, or quietly escaping the crowds?
A mixture of all of the above, I think. I love music but there are also some great names in the chef lineup, so it’s going to be tricky to decide each day.
