Grid Iron and Gladiators

Where to take an elite athlete who transforms into a Greek god? No, not the editor of BBQ, but Alex ‘Apollo’ Gray. RUPERT BATES chose Cinder in North London

A sign of a great flame-kissed lunch is a stained notebook, as you juggle the demands of eating and writing. There was still a hint of charred squid and burnt leeks as I flicked through the pages later – literal tasting notes.

I was at Cinder in London’s St John’s Wood and made a note – there is a theme here – that should rain stop play at neighbouring Lord’s I knew now where I would head. Actually, the cricket could be a blitz of boundaries in blazing sunshine for all I care, and I’d still find a few hours to duck out for lunch at Cinder and the grilling of head chef/owner Jake Finn and his team.
Cricket was one sport I didn’t cover with Alex Gray, as we moved effortlessly and epically through the house focaccia, beetroot with herb ricotta and chilli nut crunch, leeks, squid and grilled chicken thighs.

There was rugby union – Gray played in the English Premiership, for England U20 and England Sevens; NFL with Gray an English trailblazer when he headed to the Atlanta Falcons in the Peach State of Georgia, and gladiatorial combat – not in the amphitheatres of Rome, but the Utilita Arena in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, for I was in the presence of Apollo.

Any Roman emperor or Greek god worth his black lime salt (over triple cooked potatoes) would give the thumbs up to Cinder. Note – there he goes again – to self: if you are going to share plates, don’t choose someone who is 6ft 6in and has played two of the most ferocious sports on the planet. To be fair, I was doing most of the eating while Gray, 35, talked – and what an extraordinary journey ‘the kid from County Durham’ has been on.

“Life is all about experiences, and if the goal is experience, you cannot make the wrong choice,” says Gray.

His philosophy and drive, brain informing the brawn, make for intriguing listening. It is no surprise to realise he is super competitive, but while he will spin in a phone box from Alex Gray to Gladiator Apollo once the BBC cameras are running and the crowd is roaring, he is clearly wise beyond his years.

“If not me, who? If not now, when? That’s something I live by. Once you’ve found the recipe, you need to work out how to marinate the meat.”
That might have been a prompt to allow him to stop talking and eat, but you can sense food means so much more to Gray than simply satisfying an elite athlete’s need to fuel.

It is quite the sporting tale. Born in Bishop Auckland, Gray played Premiership rugby, primarily as a back-row forward, for Newcastle, London Irish and Bath, winning international honours for England at U20 level, where he was captain, and England Sevens.

So far, so straightforward, but in between the rugby, disillusioned after injury cruelly ruled him out of the 2016 Rio Olympics for the Team GB Sevens squad, Gray decided to give NFL a shot through the international player pathway and, after impressing at a Florida training camp, was drafted by the Falcons as a tight end on a practice squad deal.

The longest of days, the toughest of environments, studying playbooks and tactics and that was before donning the pads and helmet in merciless heat. But the letters NFL were soon joined by BBQ, as he fell in love with low and slow cooking over woodfire. “There were big guys to feed, and I loved the training camp barbecues – the ribs and the briskets.”

One Christmas, Atlanta Falcons quarter-back Matt Ryan, grateful for his defensive protection, bought the entire squad a barbecue each – think Secret Santa, but a bigger budget – which sadly Gray’s Atlanta apartment had no space for, but the bug had been caught.

Back from the Deep South, it was briefly back to rugby with Bath on the wing, and then the world of recruitment – Clark Kent craving a different suit. A remake of Gladiators, which he’d watched as a child, came on the radar and Apollo landed – ‘reflection of perfection,’ ‘made of solid steel and sex appeal,’ ‘too fast to be last, too strong to be wrong.’ You get the picture.

“Of course, Apollo is a performance, a persona. But you also want to inspire the next generation and put fire in someone’s heart.”

Despite the bash and the beef, Gray is seldom happier than in contemplation beside the ocean. There’d be music, and there’d probably be fresh seafood on the grill.

Another gladiator is Dynamite, AKA Emily Steel, an elite CrossFit athlete and weightlifter – and Country Music singer, with Gray joining her to produce their first original song together, a duet called You Found Me. He’s certainly found himself and one can only be fascinated by what comes next, well, after the fresh doughnuts and BBQ banoffee sauce anyway.

Cinder in north-west London was born five years ago out of Jake Finn’s love of cooking over fire.

His culinary career started as a teenager working for David Wolanski at Café Soho, who bought Finn his first set of knives as payment, before going on to work at The Ritz – “an amazing learning experience for any chef.”

Fast forward to 2020 and Finn was on the cusp of his first restaurant site when Covid struck, and he handed back all the money he had raised for the venture.

Time to cook at home and deliver the highest quality food across London during the pandemic, before lockdown lifted and a location was found at Belsize Park, just enough for a few covers and a Josper oven at the time, with the St John’s Wood restaurant following, elevating Finn to the top branches of the fire tree. Never mind Apollo, Spiderman (Andrew Garfield) is a big fan too.

“The fire has a life of its own – and is the most primitive, but pleasurable, form of cooking. You must learn to manipulate, to nurture. The char, the smoke, flavours both subtle and bold.”

Finn’s description of how he cooks burnt leeks, charred carrots and hispi cabbage, reflects a man at one with the flames, with vegetables central to many of his dishes, but “never doing too much to the ingredient.”

Even the drinks pay homage to fire, with the Cinder Margherita – chilli, lime and tequila – containing jalapeños charred over hot coals, before being peeled and blended into the cocktail. I also discovered Jake’s Ginger Brew – a frosted mug, sweet and sour, with ginger, gin and ice-cold lager. Trust me, it works.

For Finn’s Death Row meal, it would have to be shellfish, gently enveloped by smoke – be it scallops, lobster, tiger prawns, or squid. Actually, it’s your last feed, so you can eat the entire ocean. “With lots of veg please, from Cinder’s rooftop kitchen garden.”

Is it too greedy to have lunch in St John’s Wood, followed by dinner in Belsize Park? If it’s good enough for gods and superheroes, it’s good enough for me.