The line between art and food is a fine one. Both are sensory, emotive and experiential; both are fundamentally creative endeavours. But for Jonny Gent, painter and founder of Sessions Arts Club and Boath House, two new stars in the British hospitality firmament, the line is finer than most, as Matt Gibberd discovers in the latest episode of Homing In.

“Today I’m chatting to the swashbuckling artist and restaurateur Jonny Gent.

“We recorded this episode during a busy lunch service at Sessions Arts Club, Jonny’s inspirational restaurant in Clerkenwell. 

“It’s fair to say that he’d emboldened himself with a few martinis beforehand and what ensued was a conversation that very much represents the man himself: unstructured, poetic and generous. 

“Jonny’s a brilliant painter, and his artworks range from the sexualised and salacious to tenderly painted still-lifes that are a tribute to his late mother. 

“After getting himself through art school, he met a casting director who wrote him a cheque for every painting he’d made.

“What followed was a journey that took him to more than 20 countries around the world, establishing art studios in everything from a cabin in Scotland to a tobacco factory in France. 

“Now approaching his late 40s, he’s finally starting to put down some roots. As well as having a permanent home in London, Jonny spends a lot of time in the Scottish Highlands, where he’s opened a retreat for creatives called Boath House. Like Sessions Arts Club, it explores the confluence of art, food and music.  

“Jonny says of his childhood, “I felt totally alone in what I found beautiful.” 

“He begins by telling me about the Slow & Easy, the pub he grew up in, and the lasting impact of 500 strangers coming into your home every day. 

“I hope you enjoy it!”

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