Fausto Eppinger is one of Limpsfield’s newest residents, having moved into the heart of the village. The South American born head chef from “nowhere and everywhere” is a master of barbecue cooking over wood fire and a specialist in Middle Eastern cuisine.
You will already know his style of cuisine because over the last few months, he has been admirably holding the fort as the temporary resident chef at The Bull Inn, producing an amazing menu with The Bull favourites with a Middle Eastern twist. He’s also the latest recruit to The Limpsfield Cookery School‘s stable of professional chefs.
“It was great to engage with the community and share my style of food with the locals. I got a lot of great feedback and would love to come back for a guest appearance some time soon!”
Now having handed over The Bull’s reins to the new permanent chef, Fausto will be concentrating on his recently launched home delivery service, Farfy’s…
Where are you from originally? I was born to an Argentinian mother and German father in a small town in Patagonia. I also spent a lot of my childhood in Chile, before moving to the UK. I definitely feel like from nowhere and from everywhere at the same time.
What brought you to the UK and how long have you lived over here?
I moved here with my family in 2002, when I was 15, so I’ve actually lived in the UK for over half of my life now.
When did you start cooking professionally and what made you get into this industry?
Cooking and sharing food with family was a big part of my upbringing, so when I went to university in Bristol I became the resident chef in our student flat and worked as a cook to make extra money. I ended up falling in love with kitchen work and eventually moved to London to grow as a chef.
I can see the natural link to BBQ, but how did you get into Middle Eastern cuisine?
Coming from a multicultural background, and being a bit of a history nerd, I was always fascinated by the silk roads, connecting Europe to the Far East rich in spices.
Living and working in the culinary melting pot of London allowed me to familiarise myself with the spices and flavours of the middle east. Then I had a chance to become head chef for Berber & Q in East London and I leapt at it. They combine BBQ with North African and Middle Eastern cuisine, so it was a match made in heaven.
Fausto’s Mexican Medley class at The Limpsfield Cookery School
How on Earth has a London based Argentinian chef found his way to Limpsfield of all places?!
My partner and I had to relocate due to her starting a new role at work. We were struggling to find anywhere nice and had to keep widening our search.
As soon as we started looking in Limpsfield, we were both convinced this was the place for us. It has a wonderful small community feel and near the countryside, but still very well connected. Also, the fact that the local pub is owned by the local community really resonated with us.
What do you like about our little corner of the world?
All the easily accessible woodland has been a blessing in the age of Covid. Walks around the wooded hills on a sunny afternoon are truly glorious.
Farfy’s Home Delivery has just launched, offering a weekly menu of global flavours with locally sourced ingredients, delivered to Limpsfield for around £20. Check out Fausto’s Instagram feed for his weekly offering!
Find out about Fausto’s classes on the Limpsfield Cookery School website, and follow his new business on Instagram, @farfyshomedelivery. Email farfyshomedelivery@gmail.com.
Limpsfield, Surrey 