The Portas Review

Shop! Mary Portas at Leon

I get a bit scratchy when I’m hungry. If I’m working with a new film crew I’ll generally wheedle out the most reliable of the production runners and ensure they’ve always got a bag of healthy snacks for when my energy starts to dip. I’m currently finishing off a series for Channel 4 in which I attempt to kick-start the fortunes of British textile manufacturing by getting a team back on to the knicker machines in a Manchester factory. Needless to say, it’s not all plain sailing. All the travelling and filming means meals are generally on the hoof and out of a supermarket carrier bag. As anyone who has ever worked with me will tell you, I really can’t stand lunch to be a sandwich. My boardroom lunch from hell is one of those with a clingfilmed platter of sarnies at the centre of the table. Britain has seen a sandwich revolution in recent years – our fast-food chains are pretty good. Everyone knows I’m a fan of Pret A Manger (their coffee is the best in London). But of all the lunch chains, one seems intent on doing things differently. Leon, founded in 2004 (with recipes created by one of its three founders, Allegra McEvedy), now has 11 restaurants across central London. When I’m filming in the capital, some of the crew members will plan ahead so that there’s a Leon within arm’s reach. Leon is based on a simple idea – that food should taste good as well as do you good.

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