Toklas Annual Citrus Dinner, 24 February 2026
On 24 February, the London restaurant Toklas hosted a new edition of its now traditional Todolí Citrus Dinner, a gastronomic evening entirely dedicated to the citrus fruits cultivated at Todolí Citrus Fundació.
The restaurant takes its name from Alice B. Toklas, partner of the writer Gertrude Stein, with whom she shared a famous cultural salon in 1920s Paris attended by some of the most prominent figures of the artistic avant-garde, including Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse and Ernest Hemingway. Toklas, an avid cook, was also known for the carefully prepared menus she created for these gatherings, where conversation, art and gastronomy met around the table.
Since opening in 2021, Toklas has shown a particular interest in citrus, frequently incorporating it into its culinary proposal. Each year, the restaurant hosts a dinner dedicated to the varieties grown at Todolí Citrus Fundació, an event that has attracted many figures from London’s art world and has become a celebration of seasonality, culinary creativity and the close collaboration between the foundation and the London restaurant.
The day began in the morning with a presentation and citrus tasting organised by Shrub, our distributors in the United Kingdom, hosted at the Toklas restaurant itself. The event was aimed at hospitality professionals — chefs, bakers and other members of the food sector — who had the opportunity to discover first-hand some of the citrus varieties cultivated at Todolí Citrus Fundació.
This year’s Citrus Dinner brought together around 150 guests, reflecting the growing interest in this annual event. The evening began with a short talk by Vicente Todolí, founder and president of Todolí Citrus Fundació, who shared insights into the work carried out by the foundation in the conservation and study of citrus. The collection currently includes more than 500 varieties from around the world, making it probably the largest private collection of citrus planted in the ground in the world.
The menu was designed by Chris Shaw, head chef at Toklas, together with his team, who created a vibrant and diverse culinary proposal in which citrus fruits were the true protagonists. From appetisers to desserts, each dish highlighted different varieties and preparations, demonstrating the extraordinary versatility, fragrance and complexity of these fruits.
Among the dishes served were raw scallop with finger lime and sudachi, puntarelle and pomelo salad with bottarga, and brill en papillote with spatafora lemon, leek, potato and ginger. The menu concluded with sweet creations such as blood orange sorbet served in its own shell and a delicate bergamot meringue pie, before finishing with a tasting of fresh citrus fruits.
The dinner offered guests a true sensory journey through the foundation’s unique citrus collection.
Through initiatives such as this, Todolí Citrus Fundació continues to promote its mission of preserving citrus biodiversity and sharing the cultural, agricultural and gastronomic value of citrus fruits with increasingly diverse audiences.
