It’s often said that too many cooks spoil the broth, and if there was ever a man who knows something about too many cooks, it’s Gregg Wallace. In between hosting MasterChef and running his produce company, Secrett’s Direct, Gregg Wallace has managed to find time to open up his own restaurant and cafe, albeit alongside three other directors. Despite the vast amount of input, though, and the cloud of a TV reputation hanging expectantly heavy over its head – cue the influx of jokes that ‘opening a cafe doesn’t get any tougher than this’ – Wallace and Co is cute, quirky and pretty damn good.

The Venue
Even if the thought of MasterChef has you scrambling for the remote, Wallace and Co will draw you in. From boxes of shiny red apples in the window to the tiers of colourfully frosted cupcakes just inside the door, everything says cosy local cafe without a hint of slick TV production. In fact, if the name Wallace doesn’t ring any bells you’d be none the wiser. There’s a good looking outside area with wooden benches that will be nice and warm when the sun’s out, but in the meantime the front half of venue is dedicated to a takeaway counter, pastry table and high tables and chairs ideal for grabbing a coffee. Whilst the counter, full of various salads, is nothing to sneeze at, it’s the centre table that dominates the space, piled high with cakes, pastries, cupcakes of all shapes and sizes. A sprinkle of icing sugar here, a glossy fruit tart there – it’s enough to make you drool.

A little bit further on is the restaurant area, where you can book tables in advance – and, judging by the crowds even early on during the week, you might need to come the weekend. Chairs are simple and wooden and tabletops are finished with various colours that complement the cool green walls. There’s a pretty mezzanine area towards the rear with skylights and large windows that, despite the fact that the trees just outside are bare, feels sunny and bright. A lot of thought has obviously gone into the cute, quirky touches everywhere, like the park fencing used as a barrier and old tea trays and cake stands on the walls instead of artwork, but it all looks effortless.

The Atmosphere
There’s a real sense of local community here and diners are pretty much who you’d expect to see at a local cafe in Putney. Although just a few minutes’ walk away from East Putney tube, Wallace and Co is slightly too far to travel to if you live or work anywhere besides southwest London. With a mix of young couples, families with babies, groups of friends towing suitcases and lone diners with just a novel for company, in general the crowd seems happy and chatty. The young staff are friendly and never too far away should you need them.

The Food
The menu is long and varied, with options for breakfast, an all day menu with salads, boards, soups, tarts, pies and puddings, a handful of dinner options and a kids’ menu, too. Chef Tim Payne comes from the acclaimed Paradise By Way Of Kensal Green, most of the produce is from Secrett’s Surrey farm and much of the meat comes courtesy of farmers in the chef’s home county of Lancashire. Prices from the all day menu are reasonable and, though dinner is slightly more, £15 for a good quality rib-eye steak with chips is justified, especially as portions lean towards the generous side.

There are about ten salad options and a plate of any three is good value at £6. Whilst the green leaf winter salad (£3.50 on its own) is fresh and simple, imam bayaldi (£4.75) is more complicated, with warming, spicy flavours. Beets with baby watercress and goat’s curd (£4.75) is a great display of how well beetroot and goat’s cheese works together – crisp, sharp and vinegary, the slices of white and red beetroot are a perfect match for the creamy cheese. A plate of mackerel escabeche (£4.75) is also good, the fish tangy and slightly oily, served cold with a citrusy marinade.

A selection of charcuterie (£7.50) from Trealy Farm in Monmouthshire, served on a thick wooden board, is better suited for sharing as a starter than a main, although it goes well with the green leaf winter salad. The three rows of thinly sliced meat are presented with a little pile of cornichons and served with English mustard, although you don’t need the latter as the meat, particularly the peppery salami, is more than flavourful enough on its own – you’d be hard pressed to guess it wasn’t Italian if you weren’t paying attention to the menu. Another board option, the Scotch egg (£3.00) would be a good alternative to olives to snack on before your food arrives. From its crusty breadcrumbed outside to the savoury meat and perfectly cooked egg with its glossy yolk, it is, quite simply, delicious.

A chicken, leek and mushroom pie is brimming with everything as advertised; the mushrooms, in particular, stand out as they’re big chunks of Portobello and not the thin slivers you usually get. The only small niggle is that the pastry is only over the top of the pie and doesn’t line the bowl it’s served in – but then again, even if the pastry was there, you’d be too full to eat it – especially if you get the cabbage and mash to accompany it for an extra pound.

Puddings are around £5 and showcase the same seasonality as the main menu, with pears and rhubarb in a few of the dishes. The poached pear is light and not too sugary, with a cinnamony aftertaste, whilst the rhubarb crumble (served with a little jug of vanilla-flecked custard) is a good blend of sweet and sour, with a satisfyingly crunchy topping. If the pudding options don’t do it for you, there’s always the array of pastries and cakes at the front. Although at the moment they’re the same price to eat in as to takeaway, they won’t cost you more than £3.50.

The Drink
A glass jug filled with tap water appears almost as soon as you sit down, which is always appreciated. Hot drinks are between £1.25 and £2 and a trio of fresh juices (£3) includes a sharp grapefruit and pear, complete with bits of pulp floating on top. The carrot, apple, pear and beetroot smoothie (£4) is frothy and light, and, judging by the chunk of beetroot in the bottom of the glass, freshly made. Other juices and soft drinks are £2 to £2.50 and include Fentimans. Beers (Meantime Pilsner, Adnams and Aspall cider) are £3 to £3.50 and aperitifs include the traditional Italian prosecco and pear juice (£5).

The wine list, supplied by Swig in Chiswick, is interesting and varied. Although it would be nice to see a British producer on the list, countries range from the typical France to the slightly more unusual Bulgaria. Prices range from £13.95 to £38.50, which is more than reasonable, and every white and red option comes by the small and large glass, starting at £2.65 for either an Elki Pedro Ximinez from Chile or a Spanish Manon Tempranillo Cabernet Terra de Castilla. One prosecco (£3.95 a glass, £22.50 a bottle), one Champagne (£6.50, £35) and one dessert wine (£6.95, £17.95) complete the list.

The Last Word
With its varied menu and cosy, comfortable interior, this is pretty much everything you could want in a local cafe. MasterChef or no MasterChef, Wallace and Co is a winner. Or, as Gregg would say… you’d happily stick your face in it.

venue information venue map view london review user reviews (7) image gallery (3)