Canteen celebrates the best of British food

He said: "This is our fourth restaurant, all in London, and we chose Canary Wharf because it's a really busy area. We're trying different localities and this one certainly fits our plan.

"All our ingredients are sourced directly from the suppliers, cutting out the middleman, and we pass on the saving to customers. We try and use suppliers within easy reach of London, our fish comes from Brighton for example, so that everything we use is as fresh as possible.

"In fact, the only things that come from further afield are things that come from a specified place, such as Arbroath smokies."

Canteen trialled its dishes for several days before opening to paying customers last Thursday. Cass, 39, was pleased with the response from diners sampling the all-day breakfasts, pies and roast dinners.

He said: "We've had good feedback and the first day's lunch service was really busy, full inside and out. It was very encouraging and hopefully it will continue.

"British food is really underrated and I'm pleased people seem to be taking it seriously now, compared to a few years ago. We like to feel we've been part of that.

"Our signature dish is probably our pies, which are freshly baked in our kitchens every day. In fact, all our food is cooked on the premises, which means we can totally control the quality."

There are items such as offal on the menu, which is changed three times a year to reflect Canteens ethos of seasonality, which have fallen out of fashion in recent years.

Cass said: "My personal favourites are devilled kidneys and although offal isn't to everyone's taste it's good to see people getting interested in it again."

Canteen also stocks a variety of British beers, ciders and perries designed to compliment the food being served. There are even British cocktails on offer.

Cass said: "We had a lot of fun choosing them and I think the customers will enjoy them too."

canteen.co.uk