Beyond the Taco: Mexican Food Here and Now

Chloe-Rose Crabtree is a chef and historian who looks at the relationship between food and identity. She is also the head baker at Bake Street in London and co-founder of the food research publication Sourced Journeys. @honeypiebaking

Santiago Lastra’s passion for gastronomy has always been viewed through a global lens. The Mexican-born chef's path through professional kitchens has led him from his home country to France, Spain, Turkey, Britain, Italy and Denmark. After many years of research and development, he opened KOL in London in 2020 with his contemporary, creative and sustainable interpretations, showcasing the diversity of Mexican cuisine and food culture. KOL was awarded its first Michelin star in 2022 and holds the No.17 position in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. @santiagolas

Cook, writer, presenter and winner of MasterChef, Thomasina Miers, OBE, has made cheese and run market stalls in Ireland, cheffed with Skye Gyngell at Petersham Nurseries and in 2007, after living in Mexico for a year, she co-founded Wahaca, winner of numerous awards for its food and sustainability credentials. In 2016 the whole restaurant group went carbon neutral. Passionate about food, soil and the environment, Tommi helped set up Chefs in Schools in 2017, for which she is a trustee, a charity whose premise is to put trained chefs into school kitchens to transform how children on low incomes eat and think about food, focusing on whole ingredients and a diet rich in vegetables. Tommi has a regular column in the Guardian’s Feast magazine and has written 8 cookbooks, including Meat Free Mexican and Home Cook. @thomasinamiers

Born in Mexico City, Andrea Montes Renaud is an art historian and journalist. She is the co-founder of Masafina, the first UK start-up to use regeneratively grown ingredients to create unique Mexican products locally. Since its foundation in 2022, Masafina has been committed to innovation, crafting entirely additive-free products that celebrate the purity of natural ingredients. By combining sustainable methods with ancient techniques, the start-up bridges tradition and modernity, aiming not only to preserve the authentic flavours of Mexico but also to promote sustainable practices that honour the land and its producers. @masafina.masafina

Karla Zazueta is a self-taught chef, Mexican cookery teacher and food writer. She has been teaching her Mexican heritage, recipes and techniques through cooking classes at her Mexican Food Memories cooking school. She also hosts monthly Mexican supper clubs at her family house. Her recipes have been featured in The Guardian, BBC Food, NatGeo Food Magazine and other important publications. In 2024 Karla’s first cookbook, Norteña, was published where she shares the story of her family recipes and northern Mexico. @mexicanfoodmemories

The British Library Food Season returns for its seventh year, bringing together some of the most influential names in food, drink, hospitality, literature and science, for a series of events that highlight the stories, the politics and the people behind how and why we eat. Discover more Food Season events. 

There are a range of concessions available. These include discounts for British Library Members, half-price tickets for students and under 26s, free entry for carers as well as a number of other concessions.

Please note that this event takes place at Pavilion Theatre on the piazza of the British Library, London.

Please arrive no later than 15 minutes before the start time of this event.  If you have specific access requirements please email customer@bl.uk