In the third episode of On the Pass, The Morning Advertiser (MA) heads to Glastonbury to meet Ayesha Kalaji, chef-owner of Queen of Cups and Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs Chef of the Year.
Kalaji opened Queen of Cups in 2021 after leaving London during the pandemic, taking on a former pub whose retiring owner wanted the site to become someone’s first independent business.
The venue now combines the offer of a gastropub, restaurant and live music venue, with a menu rooted in modern Middle Eastern flavours, French techniques and hyper-local Somerset produce.
Watch episode three:
Clear identity
Kalaji says the pub had evolved as a deeply personal reflection of her upbringing and career.
She says: “The food is quite nostalgic and personal. I would never say anything we do is particularly authentically Middle Eastern because I grew up in Anglesey, not the heart of the Middle East.
“It is my homage to my heritage and the food seen through my lens.”
That approach can be seen in dishes including laverbread falafel, which combines an intrinsically Arab dish with an ingredient closely associated with Wales, as well as a set menu beginning with her grandmother’s pickles.
Kalaji says that Queen of Cups had benefited from establishing a clear identity rather than attempting to appeal to every customer.
Community focus
However, she stressed that the pub’s relationship with Glastonbury’s community had been central to its survival, particularly outside the town’s busiest tourist periods.
The business works with nearby farmers, butchers, drinks producers and artists, while continuing a weekly blues night that has taken place at the building for more than 15 years.
Kalaji said: “We try to make it so the people who grow the vegetables can also afford to eat here.
“The locals are what keep me going in winter.”
The chef also explained how close supplier relationships had helped drive creativity, with local growers producing Syrian Aleppo chillies and wild za’atar for the kitchen, while a nearby cheesemaker is developing a Palestinian-style cheese for the menu.
The episode concludes with Kalaji discussing what winning Estrella Damm Chef of the Year meant to her, the pressures of national recognition and her ambition to one day publish a Queen of Cups cookbook.
Watch the full episode above, or on YouTube here.
Missed the previous eps?
The next episode of On the Pass will feature chef Liam Dillon at the Two Pigs in Barton-under-Needwood, Staffordshire.
The seasonal neighbourhood pub opened under Dillon’s stewardship in 2025 and is a sister venue to the Boat in Lichfield, with a menu focused on modern pub classics, local produce and ingredients grown at the Boat’s micro-farm.
- To take part in an episode of On the Pass please contact MA news editor Phoebe Fraser, here
