/ 23 April 2025

Alexandra Dudley’s Working Lunch

We’ve all been there – stuck for weekday lunch inspiration the moment Monday morning arrives. In this monthly column, SheerLuxe contributor Alexandra Dudley serves up fresh, easy ideas – whether you work from home, like to take a lunchbox into the office or are hoping to head out for a meal. For this spring edition, she’s sharing a simple chickpea salad – and giving us the lowdown on a great place to eat and sleep in Notting Hill…

Alexandra Dudley

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STAYING IN

Chickpea & Charred Pepper Chopped Salad With Coriander Dressing

Chopped salads are having a moment and this chickpea-based one has a zingy creamy dressing. The key is to chop everything as evenly as possible. I like to cut the spinach leaves too, as this makes it easier to eat and avoids dressing flying everywhere.

Serves

Ingredients

4 romano peppers

500g of chickpeas

1 cucumber

150g of cherry tomatoes

1 avocado

2-4 tbsp of capers, rinsed & drained

25g bunch of mint leaves, finely chopped

Olive oil

Salt

For the dressing

50g of coriander

25g of mint leaves

Juice of 1 lemon

3 tbsp of yogurt

2 tbsp of olive oil

1 garlic clove

Salt

Method

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Slice the romano peppers into long strips, discarding the seeds and core. Rub in olive oil and sea salt on a roasting tray, and cook for 20-25 minutes until soft and charred in places.

Step 2

Rinse and drain the chickpeas. Slice the cucumber in half lengthways, and use a teaspoon to scrape out the watery centre, then chop into roughly 1cm cubes.

Step 3

Halve the cherry tomatoes and chop the avocado into roughly 1cm cubes.

Step 4

Arrange the chickpeas, charred peppers, cucumber, avocado, capers and chopped mint into bowls.

Step 5

Combine the dressing ingredients in a high-speed blender (I use a Nutribullet) then pour over the salads and toss before enjoying.

GOING OUT

The Princess Royal, Notting Hill

My husband and I did our first overnight stay with our four-month-old daughter a few weeks ago at the Princess Royal in Notting Hill. It’s a neighbourhood pub with brilliant food where they also have four bedrooms. We ate supper at the bar (within range of the baby monitor) but the real party was happening in their conservatory, which has lofty high ceilings and glass doors that spill out onto their outdoor terrace. It was buzzing with locals enjoying spritzes, plates of oysters and steak tartare – I’ve bookmarked it for the next time I’m looking for a spot for a working lunch. Good al fresco dining can be hard to find in London – as a general rule Paris does it better – but this had all the vibrancy of Le Marais just a stone’s throw from Notting Hill Gate. If you’re looking for a real treat or something more romantic, the rooms upstairs are lovely, and come with plush king-sized beds and fluffy towel dressing gowns.

Visit CUBITTHOUSE.CO.UK

For more from Alexandra, follow @ALEXANDRADUDLEY & visit ALEXANDRADUDLEY.COM