WIN a VIP lunch at Soupe du Jour !
The weather here at The Barn has been glorious the past couple of afternoons, sunny and warm enough for t-shirts even! But this early in the UK Spring, the evenings are still chilly and after a day out playing in the garden it’s fab to come in to a bowl of steaming hot soup.
I LOVE soup. It’s so satisfying and warming and – with my NOOM Ambassador head on for a moment – a healthy soup packed with veggies is great for your waistline too!
If you live in London you might have spotted Soupe du Jour – a brand new London eatery based on traditional soup recipes from around the world – in Soho and the City. Think ‘Grandma’s best soup’ with a thoroughly modern twist!
The founders; Charles (the French part of Soupe du Jour) and Daniel (the German part, pictured below) have been friends for a long time. They studied in Europe together before living and working in London for the last four years. Aside from London, they also share a passion for food, whether that’s eating out at restaurants or cooking at home and it was this love of good, healthy and delicious food – plus their search for the perfect lunch-time soup – that led them to create Soupe du Jour.
From just £4.50 you can choose from eight mouth-watering soups every day, each with garnishes, inlays and toppings – all served up with a slice of handmade German bread to make a full meal. Most of the soups are gluten and dairy-free – with natural sweeteners like honey used wherever possible – and all the vegetables and ingredients are locally sourced and the meat used is produced under the highest animal welfare standards. Ethical soup is here to stay!
There are currently two Soupe du Jour outlets in London – the first has been open for six months in London’s Soho area, while the second outlet just opened at CITY, 38 Houndsditch, near the busy Liverpool Street Station. I used to work just down the road from here back in the day – I SO wish Soupe du Jour had been there then, it would have easily been my go-to lunch stop!
Here I interview one of the Soupe du Jour founders, Daniel Auner, to find out a bit more about what makes him tick…
#1 What led you to set up your own business?
I had a very clear idea of the product that we want to sell and believed in the demand for exactly this product – this demand was not satisfied so we decided to go for it!
#2 What’s a typical day for you?
There is no such thing – every day is different! I get up at 6.30am and take my dog for a walk. After going through emails from 7.30am to 8.30am I make my way to one of our shops to meet the team and prepare delivery orders. Most of the time, I help with the deliveries over lunch time before spending the afternoon in meetings or do the necessary such as going through excel sheets speaking to our accountant. If there is time I am thinking about new ideas. The typical day ends between 10pm and 11pm. Twice a week I drive at midnight to the fruit and vegetable market.
#3 What apps can’t you live without?
WhatsApp.
#4 Who inspires you?
Hans Stier, a very close friend and CEO of Bonaverde.
#5 What advice do you have for budding entrepreneurs?
If you decide to go for it – then really go for it and never stop.
#6 Finally, complete this sentence – joy for me is…
Spending a day with friends having a good time or on the couch with my girlfriend.
Daniel works with Michelin Star-trained chef Jona Eckerlein who has created a myriad of mouth-watering recipes for Soup du Jour that take traditional soups to the next level and offer a truly healthy lunch option. Delicious and nutritious… yes please!
Fancy trying out one of the fabulous Soup du Jour soups at home? Here’s an exclusive recipe from Jona for Carrot Ginger Soup to tempt your taste buds!
Giveaway
I’m delighted that Daniel and the team at Soupe du Jour have offered one of my lucky UK readers a VIP visit to Soupe du Jour with free soup for you and a friend! For a chance of winning this exclusive prize just enter using the Rafflecopter widget below and good luck!
Linking up with ThePrizeFinder, Loquax
Broccoli and cheese
My favourite soup is homemade cream & mushroom soup!
Mushroom
Broccoli cheese soup.
chicken soup with lots of vegetables and tiny pasta
tomato and red pepper
Minestrone
curried parsnip
Leek and Potato!
Carrot and coriander
I love a really rich, homemade style, tomato soup.
Carrot and lentil
Carrot and Coriander
Mushroom soup
Chicken soup is my fave
Chicken soup