The Laughing Heart’s Charlie Mellor Talks Innovation, Chinese Dumplings, and The Dish He’d Walk Miles For
To-Go Takes is Resy’s regular feature wherein we quiz the folks behind some of our favourite restaurants about all things related to takeaway and delivery.
In this edition, we speak to Charlie Mellor, the founder and owner behind The Laughing Heart and its adjoining bar, The Cave at The Laughing Heart — an outstanding institution to drink wine from small producers and a superb neighbourhood bistro to boot. The former is open for takeaway and delivery (including an outstanding Easter menu), while the Cave’s impressive wine list is available for collection. Below, he shares some of his favourite takeaway tips, tricks, cocktails, and regular stops.
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Restaurant: The Laughing Heart
Name + Title: Charlie Mellor, Founder and Owner
The Laughing Heart is legendary for its Cave, and for working with small scale farmers. What have you personally been drinking during lockdown?
Big Night, the delivery company you founded last year, was one of 2020’s unequivocal success stories in what was by all accounts an extremely challenging year. For those who are unfamiliar, what is it, how does it work, and what’s next for the company?
Big Night is a marketplace that delivers the best of London restaurants to people’s homes. We work with the best-in-class within our industry, everything from high end, Michelin places to the incredible neighbourhood spots famous amongst those of us who work in this business. We work with brands we love. We are supporting restaurants through this difficult time by providing the most versatile marketplace and a host of delivery options; from click and collect, local delivery with our fleet or nationwide via courier. Every restaurant has a unique set of needs. I know that because I have a restaurant myself. Big Night embraces those unique requirements, offers advice on the best way to move forward, then facilities it. We are also engaging with broader culture, developing incredible content to keep people interested. When the madness subsides we have all sorts of exciting plans. Big Night is the only cool company in the space. This new side of the business has a big future. We can help bring restaurants to people’s homes with dignity and style.
Do you have a favourite recommendation to spruce up your takeaway?
Get some plates warm at home. Set the table, put on some tunes, light a candle. Give yourself an experience – you deserve it.
The restaurant is known for its creative, well-travelled approach to food, and you’re currently delivering Chinese dumplings like har gau and xiaolongbao across East London. How has it been going, and what was the impetus behind it?
What single restaurant dish would you walk miles for? And which restaurant are you visiting first when lockdown eventually gets relaxed?
I would walk miles for them…. but I don’t have to. As soon as possible I’ll be strolling down the road for a plate of anchovies at Brawn.
