Chef Rosie Kellett’s Communal London Home

Images by Marie-Lisette Cropp / Cropp Studios

2025 has been a big year for food writer, chef, and supper club host Rosie Kellett. Just before the launch of her first cookbook, In For Dinner, Rosie and her seven housemates were unexpectedly evicted from their Hackney Wick warehouse. Just a few short weeks later, and in the company of four friends, we meet Rosie at her character-filled North London terrace – a bright & airy space that already feels like home. This week on the Journal, we uncover the joys of communal living (and dining) and simply couldn’t leave without Rosie’s recipe for savoury scones, perfect alongside a warming mug of tea. 

Rosie's bed is made with our 100% Linen Sheet Set in White & Quilted Bedcover in Mist

“For the last five years we lived communally in a disused carpet warehouse in Hackney Wick, which was a very large, unusual and industrial space. For most of that time we were a group of seven, from a wide variety of backgrounds and nationalities, we had a mix of German, Italian, Danish, Filipino, Chinese, Kiwi, Malaysian and British housemates, which made for a very delicious kitchen. The warehouse space we had was great in so many ways, the biggest benefit was the sheer amount of space we had to play with. 

“There was a large main space which became the venue for our seasonal Supper Clubs, where we would host 64 guests over two nights for a three course Italian dinner. The kitchen itself could easily seat 15 people around the table and most of us had a studio space in the building as well, where we could work from. The downsides were that the roof consistently leaked whenever it rained, it was a very busy and noisy building with 9 studio holders using it as their workplace, and there was no central heating system. The building had a tin roof, so in the summer months it was essentially an oven and in the winter it was sometimes colder inside than it was outside. 

“Ultimately I am so grateful we got to live there for as long as we did, but now that we have moved, I’m also grateful to be out of there. Three weeks ago we received an eviction notice and we are now living in a very normal terraced house in North London. It was beyond stressful to have to look for a new home and a new supper club venue simultaneously, but somehow we did it and we’re all feeling far safer and settled in our new home.”

Our 100% Linen Tablecloth in Natural & Napkins in Off-White, set the scene for Rosie's delicious Comte, Spring Onion & Sesame scones (recipe below) 

“My bedroom in our new house is by far the nicest I have ever had in London. We’re really lucky that the house has wooden floors throughout, and so while I usually put a cosy rug in my bedroom, I’ve opted to keep the floorboards bare here. The colour of the wood pairs really well with my wardrobe and chest of drawers. I’ve kept the room pretty simple with a fresh coat of white paint, some white linen curtains that my sister made for me and a few key pieces of art that I can’t live without. I have two big sash windows that look out onto our street so the room feels really light and airy. In the evening I get a little slither of golden hour light that falls onto my favourite painting, by my Grandad David, which hangs on my wall. 

I have two big sash windows that look out onto our street so the room feels really light and airy.

“The only downside to my room currently is the lack of space for a desk, and as I lost my studio space in the warehouse, I now don’t have a dedicated workspace for my writing which can feel a little ungrounded at times. The benefit of this is that I don’t stay up into the small hours working in my bedroom and it’s a real sanctuary and place of rest for me, which is so important as a self employed person with few boundaries on my time.” 

“I have a sunrise alarm that gets gradually brighter before it goes off and that’s been a real lifeline for me in the dark British winter months. I usually get up pretty early around 6:30 am and make sure to move my body first thing. Starting the day with exercise is pretty crucial for my mental health and the general success of the day, even if that looks like a gentle walk with my morning coffee, I need to get the bod moving before the brain can kick into gear. 

“My bedtime routine is far more involved. In an ideal world, I like to get into bed with a cup of sleepy time tea (the Pukka one is my favourite) and read for at least half an hour, then I’ll do my skincare routine, rigorously brush and floss my teeth, then tape my mouth closed and try to get nine golden hours of sleep. I will say that this is in a dream world and I often don’t manage it. I grind my teeth ferociously at night and have done since I was a small child. It wreaked havoc on my jaw, giving me terrible TMJ and a jaw that clicks 24/7, but using mouth tape at night has really helped with it. It’s a good way of ensuring you breathe through your nose at night which is good on lots of levels but particularly if you are a grinder or a snorer!”

“When I think about my career in food, I really only consider it having started properly two years ago, as that was when I committed myself to it full time and with my full energy. But to tell the whole story, I moved to London at the age of 20 as an aspiring actor and writer. I spent the next ten years working in theatre, film and tv, to varying levels of financial success. For the majority of that time I was working two or three other part time jobs to pay my rent and keep my head above water. Most of those jobs ended up being in and around the food and hospitality world. I worked as a baker for Meringue Girls for eight years, I spent a year working as Claire Ptak’s PA, during which time I project-managed the Royal wedding cake for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. I did bits of food styling, event cheffing and everything in between, but I never thought of it as my career. 

“Then in 2023 I got my first job working as a chef in a kitchen at e5 Bakehouse where I made breakfast, brunch and lunch. A few months before my 30th birthday, in Spring of 2023, I had a big existential crisis around my career, my happiness and how I was spending my life. I was deeply unhappy, unfulfilled and in need of change. I asked myself what it was that made my heart sing and got me out of bed in the morning, and unsurprisingly, the answer was food - it had always been food. So in April 2023 I decided to change careers, go full speed ahead into food and try to make a better life for myself, all with the ultimate goal of being a little happier and a little more fulfilled. I was still working full time as a chef at e5 Bakehouse, but in my free time I was developing, filming and sharing recipes to my very small following on Instagram, that was mostly family and friends. 

I asked myself what it was that made my heart sing and got me out of bed in the morning, and unsurprisingly, the answer was food - it had always been food.

“After a few months of sharing three recipes a week, I had one video that went viral and my following went from 1,000 followers on a Monday to 100,000 on the Friday. It was a wild time. After that I launched my Substack newsletter, The Late Plate, and shortly afterwards signed my book deal for my first cookbook, In for Dinner, which is jam packed full of 101 delicious and affordable recipes that we cook in the warehouse day in and day out. It feels so surreal to be publishing my first cookbook just two years after I decided to change careers and I feel so lucky to be able to call this my job.” 

Rosie reads atop a set of our 100% Linen Pillowslips in White

"Not to be dramatic, but I think [coming together at mealtimes] is the single most important thing we do each day, besides basic caretaking needs. I can’t overstate how important connecting over a meal is for me, how transformative it has been for my general well being and how much I miss it when I am travelling alone. There are obviously days where we all feel a little more introverted and antisocial, in our house we call it caving, and when we don’t feel like having a social meal time we go to our rooms to cave and that is ok. But generally speaking, it’s the highlight of my day to sit down together, share a meal and update each other on how our respective days have gone. For me it’s very reminiscent of my childhood as we always ate together as a family in the evening and would go around the table sharing stories from our days. My London housemates are my chosen family and it feels only right to do this with them too."

I can’t overstate how important connecting over a meal is for me, how transformative it has been for my general well being and how much I miss it when I am travelling alone.

"Since we’re in Spring and it’s just been my birthday, I will tell you what I served for my birthday celebration lunch on Easter Sunday. I had 12 people coming round for lunch but a teeny tiny kitchen that can only seat 6, and so I put together a table of food consisting of big platters for everyone to help themselves to."

On the menu was a selection of recipes all from my book In for Dinner:

• Citrus Mackerel Spaghetti with Pangrattato
• Summer Holiday Bean Salad 
• Crispy Chickpea Caesar Salad
• Pesto Pasta 
• Salted Chocolate Miso Cake 
• Raspberry Sponge 

"This menu offered options for all the dietary requirements of my guests (we had a vegan and gluten free friend coming) but it also felt really achievable to pull together in a few hours. I baked the cakes ahead of time the day before and in the morning made everything else. The whole meal served 12 people, with some leftovers and came to only £5.42 per head for the ingredients, whilst feeling super abundant, delicious and chic. This literally encapsulates the message of my book, it is possible to eat delicious food on a budget and you don’t have to compromise on flavour, beauty or abundance."

“[When it comes to interior decoration in a communal space] we all pitch in for sure, but I would say my housemate Virginia is particularly passionate about interior design and has taken the lead on shaping the smaller spaces of our house to feel functional yet beautiful. I always have the strongest feelings about the kitchen and have always brought the most crockery, cutlery, linen and equipment to the table, so that’s naturally been a bit more led by me. My housemate Wojciech has taken the lead on sprucing up our little yard which is really exciting. We can’t wait for warm summer evenings eating outside.” 

“I feel incredibly lucky to have such a light filled living room and dining area in our new house. The warehouse was an incredibly dingy space, with very few windows and I often found the lack of light quite depressing. Our new dining area has a translucent roof which means it’s always bright and airy and has great light for photographing food, which I spend most of my time doing!”

"Now I am in a new area and it’s been so exciting to explore and find local haunts for delicious things, so far these are my top recommendations:

• Fink's for great coffee and baked goods (their Borek is insane) 
• Giacco’s for a glass of wine and something delicious to eat
• BookBar for a great book shop with the option to tie on a little drink 
• Western’s Laundry for a special dinner or lunch
• Jolene for another special dinner or lunch (best bread in LDN for my money) 
• The Plimsoll for a great pint of Guinness and the best burger in London
• The Newington Green Greengrocer for the best fruit and veg 
• The Mildmay Club for a moody game of pool
• Clissold Park to see the deer and picnic in the sun 

“There is nothing I am looking forward to more than my book In for Dinner being out and about in the world in May 2025. It’s been so much time in the making, my very best friends and family members brought it to life with me and it feels like the culmination of so much magic.”

Comte, Spring Onion & Sesame Scones

 Extracted from In For Dinner by Rosie Kellett, published by Square Peg.

In east London there is a bakery group called Pophams that does a spring onion, Marmite and cheese swirl pastry that is, put simply, life-changing. I don't have the time or the patience to make croissant dough at home, or the budget to buy one of those pastries as often as I’d like to. So I decided to take those flavours and put them into a scone. The Pophams pastry uses Schlossberger cheese - here I have used Comte, but your favourite strong hard cheese will work. My serving suggestion for these, to get the full experience, is to eat them while they are still warm, cut in half and slathered in salted butter and a healthy amount of Marmite. It’s always worth making the full batch and freezing any that you don’t want to bake immediately­ they cook very well from frozen and it’s such a treat to have them ready to bake in the freezer, for those days when you don't have time to make the full recipe from scratch.

Ingredients (Makes 12 scones) 

• 400g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

• 1 tbsp caster sugar

• 2½ tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 

• 1tsp sea salt

• ½ tsp black pepper

• 180g unsalted butter, chilled and cubed

• a small bunch of spring onions,thinly sliced

• 200g natural yoghurt

• 1 egg, plus another beaten to use as egg wash

• 200g Comte, cubed (or your favourite sharp hard cheese, such as a mature Cheddar)

• 50g white sesame seeds

Method

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, caster sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, sea salt, black pepper and the cubed butter, and mix on a slow speed with the paddle attachment. You can easily rub the butter in by hand in a large mixing bowl if you don;t have a stand mixer - it will just require a little more time and energy.

2. Once the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs, add the spring onions, yoghurt and egg. Mix again until the dough has just come together.

3. Add the cubed Comte and mix for the briefest of moments until combined.

4. Turn the dough out on to a floured work surface and pat into a rough rectangle.

5. Roll the dough with a rolling pin into a long rectangle, then fold into thirds like a letter and roll out again. Repeat this step once more.

6. Line a 20cm x 30cm baking tray with cling film and press the dough into the tin, until you have a flat rectangle that fills the tray. Wrap tightly in cling film and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes.

7. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4 and line a baking tray with baking paper.

8. Take the dough out of the freezer and turn it out on to a board. With a sharp knife, cut it into 12 equal rectangular pieces. At this stage, you can store any scones you don’t want to bake, in a sealed container in the freezer.

9. Brush each scone with a little egg wash and roll in the sesame seeds.

10. Place on the prepared tray and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp on the base. If baking from frozen, add 7 minutes to the cooking time.

Order Rosie's cookbook, In for Dinner here. 

Follow her instagram, @rosiekelett

Follow her Substack, The Late Plate