The Review - RESTAURANTS Published: 14 February 2008
Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills
Sound venues for secret dinners
Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills takes a break from his hectic schedule to join Sara Newman for some ‘griddled perfection’ at
the Camden Brasserie
RADIO 1’s late afternoon DJ Scott Mills looked tanned and well- rested as he perched sideways on one of Camden Brasserie’s leather upholstered chairs.
He has been keeping fit since he moved to Kentish Town 18 months ago, running twice a week with his personal trainer, Mark, around Regent’s Park and along the canal.
From March 10 he will be presenting Upstaged on BBC3, a game show that “gets people of talent to do their thing in a glass box for six hours”. Viewers vote online for who goes in or out of the box and who will ultimately win a £10,000 prize.
Scott chose the Argentinean-owned Camden Brasserie, which moved from Camden High Street last year to its new location in Jamestown Road.
“I’d have lots of secret work dinners here and make some new deals, or not,” he quipped, tucking into his “griddled to perfection” salmon fillet with dill mustard mayonnaise (£14.95).
The manageress Joanna Plombon said many of the specials have become part of the menu in the past few months, including the oxtail ragout with tarragon and parmesan risotto, the goats cheese and beetroot starter and the wholesome tuna steak.
Given the big bowl of shared chips that comes with every main, the wild rocket salad (£3.25), although generous and fresh, was probably unnecessary – especially since soy sauce and sesame oil-seasoned tuna steak was served with spinach sautéed in lemon and olive oil (£13.95).
Scott has also lived in Bristol and Manchester but since moving to the capital about a decade ago he has mainly lived in south London.
He said: “I love the vibrancy of Camden. It’s a bit gritty and I enjoy that really. It’s a bit like Sesame Street. It has a villagey feel.”
Chiswick, on the other hand, he likens to Baby Gap for its hoards of well-dressed mothers and toddlers.
“I didn’t want to live in a box anymore,” he said. “You get more for your money in Kentish Town.”
Growing up in Southampton, Scott was brought up on a diet of freezer food and claims he hasn’t cooked a meal in years. He needn’t bother since his flatmate of six years, Fraser, is more than happy to provide all the meals in the household while Scott does the washing-up.
Happy to cater to the requirement’s of Scott’s various diets, which excludes steak and burgers, Fraser is currently giving Scott with low- carbohydrate meals.
Scott said: “It just works. It’s like having a best mate there all the time. Fraser’s girlfriend comes round and we just chill.”
Scott himself is single but he’s an unlikely candidate for loneliness, travelling across the country to visit friends or to DJ at student venues every weekend.
His evening didn’t end with our dinner as colleague Chris Moyles, who Scott defended when his use of the word “gay” to mean rubbish was attacked in the national press, was holding a “private tossing” pancake party in Belsize Park.
But most of all Scott longs to be in his house watching “trashy” reality TV like Celebrity Wife Swap – or, so it seems, being on it. • Camden Brasserie, 99 Jamestown Road, NW1. 020 7482 2114
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