A taste of freedom

David Morris’s day job as senior policy advisor to Boris Johnson is highly political. But, as for many people whose childhood was spent in institutions, eating and cooking also have political overtones, as he tells Ian Macrae

For people raised in the tender arms of the kinds of residential institution to which many of us were committed, the phrase “glutton for punishment” takes on a whole new meaning.

Tales abound of, if not force-feeding, then what David Morris calls “culinary repression”.

“In terms of my impairment there was an assumption made that I’d turn into some sort of fat blob and actually needed to go on a diet. So I was put on this special table, separate from the rest of the school, called the diet table, and fed boiled fish and Hermesetas, which just wasn’t appropriate for someone like me for whom eating’s really important.”

When not being denied the food he craved, he was made to eat that which he couldn’t stand.

“If you didn’t eat it you’d be forced to eat it cold. I absolutely recall at age seven or eight being sat down to a plate of cold processed peas from lunchtime and having to devour them individually with water. Processed peas are one food which I still cannot touch.

Once free of the institution, gastronomic liberation came in an unlikely form.

“My first recollection in connection with food in a positive way was when I was 18, finding the ability to cook food – I think it was a Vesta curry – in the guise of independent living.”

Since then, Morris’s repertoire, tastes and love of food have all expanded. Needless to say, processed peas have not made it on to his list of things with which he likes to experiment.

“I came from a background which was very white, working class. Fish and chips, meat and two veg. But I remember things like fried mashed potato, cold meat and pickles. And that’s all been slotted into my culinary pallet, very traditional, working class food that I’ve taken and worked with.”

While the taste of Kentucky Fried Chicken, enjoyed covertly in the institution, can still bring “that yearning for that box and that grease”, he now prepares and prefers food from the spicy end of the spectrum. But, as well as taste, inclusiveness and accessibility is central to his approach to catering.

“That’s key to my experiences. I’ve developed a range of patés and worked with mashed potato. I make things like cottage pie. And fish. I recently cooked a fish dish with pesto.”
Recently working with another disabled chef, Morris took on the running of the food zone at London’s Liberty disability arts festival, which he called The Blue Madonna Bistro.

“We used ‘liberty’ as a concept, working with a range of disabled people to prepare, create and serve the food. It was an amazing day. The tent was crowded and we just about broke even. But it was hard, and at one stage we had to put up a notice which said: ‘This restaurant is run by hopeless cripples and we need a rest!’”

As for the future, Morris is in early discussions with organisers of other events, with a view to reprising the Blue Madonna concept. But he won’t be giving up the day job just yet.