VISIT THE BEAUTIFUL GARDENS AT HIGHGROVE AND LUNCH AT WHATLEY MANOR
Hospitality charity, Hospitality Action, will host a spring tour of the gardens at Highgrove on Tuesday 30th April to raise much-needed funds to help support those in need across the hospitality industry.
Prior to the tour guests will enjoy a Champagne reception followed by a fabulous three-course lunch at nearby Whatley Manor.
The tour of Highgrove will take place in the prime of springtime and will reveal a variety of new shrubs and trees planted in the late autumn and winter, which are now starting to bloom. Guests will also have the chance to purchase a wide variety of specially selected products at the Highgrove shop. The tour will be rounded off by returning to the hotel for a tea and cake reception.
Last year, the event raised just over £14,000 and is returning in 2013 by popular demand. Penny Moore, CEO of Hospitality Action says: “This will be our fifth year at Highgrove and each time we visit the garden has something more to offer. It really is a wonderful outing and a chance to explore one of the most inventive gardens of the 21st century. We are delighted to offer our supporters the chance to attend.”
Tickets are priced at £100 per person and include the tour of Highgrove, lunch and tea at Whatley Manor and transfers. To book, contact Giuliana on 020 3004 5504 or at fundraising@hospitalityaction.org.uk The charity are indebted to Whatley Manor and Wenlock Spring for supporting this event.
The Chefs’ Forum celebrates its 1st Birthday!
A year after its launch, The Chefs’ Forum returns to Berwick Lodge on the 28th January 2013 for a ‘celebration of game meat’ to mark an extremely successful first year.
Top chefs from Bristol and surrounds will attend a clay pigeon shoot where Chris Wicks (Chef/Owner Bells Diner and Executive Chef Berwick Lodge) will showcase the plethora of delicious ways that game can be incorporated into restaurant menus. He will showcase wood pigeon, partridge, pheasant, venison saddle and venison liver in delicious canapés.
VRQ level 2 and BTEC students from City of Bristol College will aid Chris’ brigade of chefs in preparing and serving the canapés at the event. It is these students (Chefs and Front of House) who will be placed in apprenticeships with the attendees over the coming months. This will be a great chance for them to demonstrate their impressive skill sets.
BASC and Country Sports South West will be organising a clay shoot for the Ivy League of south west chefs to raise awareness of the versatility of game with the aim of encouraging more chefs to include it on their menus.
Annette Cole, Senior Manager of Country Sports South West, said:
“Country Sports South West aims to offer a fun clay shooting experience for the Bristol chefs, to showcase the connection between the sport of game shooting and game meat and hopefully increase the use of game meat in the chefs repertoire. Some of the chefs will also be testing their skills against one another in an exciting pheasant cook off to demonstrate the versatility of the meat.
The Chefs’ Forum launched in January 2012 and has since expanded to include highly accredited chefs, catering colleges and top suppliers on a South West regional level.
Catherine Farinha, Founder Committee Member of The Chefs’ Forum and event organiser stated:
It is wonderful that we are revisiting our stunning launch venue to commemorate an extremely successful first year. We have forged valuable links between the catering colleges and top chefs in our outstanding local restaurant scene. Communication between the two entities is now effortless and this will lead to the next generation of top chefs learning from the very best in the business.
HOSPITALITY ACTION TURNS THE TABLES ON INDUSTRY LEADERS
Hospitality Action will be kicking off 2013 in style. The industry charity is hosting an exclusive fundraising event where key figures in the hospitality industry will go ‘Back to the Floor’ for one night only. Taking place on 25 January at Pennyhill Park, Surrey, guests will have the unique opportunity to choose a table host for the night from a list of some of the UK’s leading hoteliers.
The industry leaders will be swapping sides of the table and serving guests a four course meal, wine and Champagne. The ‘waiters’ for the evening will include: Danny Pecorelli of the Exclusive Hotels group, Sue Williams of Cliveden House, Philip Newman-Hall of Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Andrew McKenzie of The Vineyard at Stockcross, Jonathan Raggett of Red Carnation Hotels and acting sommeliers including Simon Numphud of AA Hotel Services. Peter Hancock of Pride of Britain Hotels will act as compere for the evening.
Attendees will also have the chance to bid on some very exclusive prizes in the charity auction and network with a whole host of recognisable faces from the hospitality industry.
Reservations are already being taken for this not-to-be-missed event. To secure your booking please contact the Hospitality Action fundraising team on 0203 004 5503 or email: fundraising@hospitalityaction.org.uk. Individual tickets are being sold at £125 each, or £1,200 for a table of ten.
Reduced room rates for the evening will be available both at Pennyhill Park and the Royal Berkshire Hotel. For further information please call 0203 004 5503 to obtain a discount code.
To find out more about Hospitality Action and how the charity makes a difference to the lives Hospitality industry workers, please visit the charity’s website: www.hospitalityaction.org.uk
A Star-Filled Christmas
A star-filled Christmas
On Tuesday 27th November Phil Howard, star of BBC 2’s Great British Menu, Angela Hartnett MBE from Murano and Mark Kempson of Kitchen W8 will host a unique fundraising dinner on behalf of Hospitality Action. Guests will enjoy a Champagne reception followed by a spectacular three course meal, prepared by this top trio of chefs who boast a total of four Michelin stars between them. Taking place within Brasserie Joël at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, guests will also have the opportunity to bid on highly-prized raffle and auction prizes, just in time for Christmas.
Tickets are £95 per person or £900 for a table of ten and very limited.
For further information or to book your place please visit the Hospitality Action website.
Alternatively please email: fundraising@hospitalityaction.org.uk or telephone: 020 3004 5504
City College Plymouth catering students set to ‘wow’ local care home residents!
City College Plymouth Marks Colleges Week 2012 by Hosting Residents from a Local Care Home for Lunch
City College Plymouth is holding a special lunch for residents of Thorn Park Care Home in the College’s training restaurant, PL1, on Monday 12 November as part of Colleges Week 2012, which runs from 11-18 November.
The aim of the lunch is to showcase the opportunities offered by the College and raise awareness of what the College can do, such as providing the necessary skills to access a wide range of careers.
A total of 20 residents and their carers from the care home will enjoy a selection of main courses and desserts, which will be prepared and served by the College’s hospitality and catering students in PL1 the College’s in-house training restaurant.
Helen Marshall, Head of Hospitality and Catering at the College, said: “We are delighted to welcome members of the local community to our restaurant. As well as enjoying the excellent food, prepared and served by our students, customers provide the essential ingredient of real life experience which enables our students to practise their skills. It is lovely to see them interact with older members of the community and really improves their confidence and interpersonal skills. Colleges Week is all about connecting with the local community and showing how the College can improve the employability of its students. This lunch will certainly achieve that.”
Colleges Week, now in its fifth year, is a national initiative that seeks to raise awareness of the vital role Colleges play in improving people’s chances of getting into work and helping businesses to grow. Working to a central theme of employability and work-readiness, activities will be held up and down the country to encourage people to ‘get into College’ and find out what it can do for them.
For more information please visit www.cityplym.ac.uk or www.collegesweek2012.org.
Forum Member Chefs run the main stage at food festival
The Bristol Home & Food Festival proved to be a smash hit with 4000 visitors through the UWE Exhibition Centre doors over the weekend! TV chef Martin Blunos, presenter Sherrie Eugene-Hart and Michelin Chef Josh Eggleton of The Pony and Trap were just some of the great culinary acts head-lining show.
City of Bristol College student chef, Steven Bray, also got to assist chef trainer Adrian Kirikmaa with his demos (pictured)!
The event was so successful that organiser Nigel Stevens of Nationwide Exhibitions can’t wait to repeat the event on a much larger scale in 2013!
Forum sponsor 102 Cookery School provided the kitchen on Main Stage and the chefs had a great time demonstrating to a captivated foodie audience!
Nigel Stevens commented:
The event was really well-received by visitors and stall holders alike. It was great to receive so much positive feedback which has clinched my decision to repeat the show again on a larger scale next year.
Visitors enjoyed live cookery demonstrations forum member chefs Martin Blunos (Hogarths), James Graham (Allium), Toby Gritten (The Pumphouse and Bird in Hand), Josh Eggleton (Michelin-starred Pony & Trap) The Team from The Star and Dove, Vince Castellano, Adrian Kirikmaa (CoB College), Romy Gill (Romy’s Kitchen) and Abie Pixley (Creole Brasserie).
TV presenter Sherrie Eugene-Hart and her husband Pat publicly demonstrated carib-asian cuisine together for the first time which went down a storm – The demo served as a pre-cursor to a new TV series they will film at home. The husband/wife dynamic was extremely entertaining!
Award-winning chef Toby Gritten said:
The event was a lot of fun and Bristol needs a show of this calibre to showcase its impressive local food scene – I’m definitely up for doing it again next year!
In addition, local producers held an array of contemporary food and drink master classes in the demonstration theatre. These included cake-making by Absolutely Cakes, coffee by Brian Wogan, bread by Joe’s Bakery and butchery by Buxton’s Butchers to name a few!
Clinton Mc’Leary and El Zampa of Harveys Cellars (home of Harveys Bristol Cream) gave a fabulous sherry cocktail master class!
Exhibitors ranged from home decoration to drinks producers and the latest in home appliances and entertainment systems. There were also eco-friendly solutions for water and energy!
Next year’s show will be bigger and better than ever and guests can look forward to a vast array of wine producers added to the show.
To take part in next year’s show please email: catherine@redcherry.uk.com.
The Chefs’ Forum Autumn Lunch at The Bath Priory
The Chefs’ Forum is holding an Autumn lunch on 22nd October 2012 at The Bath Priory to celebrate a fantastic first year. Michelin starred and other top member chefs will each cook a course to showcase the best cooking the South West has to offer.
All profit from the event will be donated to Hospitality Action.
There is a fantastic line up of chefs:
Martin Blunos (TV Chef & Hogarths), Josh Eggleton (The Pony & Trap, Chew Magna), Sam Moody (The Bath Priory), Simon Hulstone (The Elephant, Torquay), Russell Brown (Sienna, Dorset)and John Hooker (Lewtranchard Manor).
Hatch Mansfield will narrate the wine flight and Champagne Taittinger will be served with at least two of the courses!
To buy your ticket, please book directly with The Bath Priory. For more details please call Catherine Farinha on 07585 700030.
Charity dinner in aid of Devon school
Catering students at The King’s School, Ottery St Mary; in conjunction with The Salty Monk of Sidford, Sidmouth are to host a charity dinner.
After attending the students restaurant night at the school Mr Andy Witheridge and his wife Annette offered Mrs Capon and her students his hotel for one night only. Andy and his wife were very impressed with the quality of food and the professionalism shown by such young students (14/15 year olds) and felt they deserved the opportunity to develop their skills and work in a “professional kitchen environment”. The menu has come completely from the students, and the majority of it from their own menus set, by them, for the Restaurant night in school.
Since the idea was muted the concept has grown and they are now pleased to be able to add top chef Peter Gorton to their guest list. Peter is very excited by the whole idea of youngsters getting involved with a working restaurant and being able to show off their skills.
Others have also become very excited by the whole venture and we would like to thank the following suppliers for getting behind us and providing products for us to use on the night. Christopher Piper Wines of Ottery St Mary, who are kindly donating wines for the evening, Forest Produce of Broadhembury who will also be donating the majority of the ingredients for the evening and Channel Fisheries of Brixham who will be donating the fish. We are very grateful to these companies, it is always fantastic when outside agencies offer support to such a venture. As well as this support the staff, at The Salty Monk have asked to be involved on the night and will be on hand for expert advice and guidance for free – thank you.
Mrs Capon, the teacher behind the initial “Restaurant for one night only” concept says “it is an opportunity to raise a positive profile for food in schools. So often the public are led to believe that food teaching in schools is of a poor quality and even the government seem to value it less and less. It is important for people to see that a good job is being done in some schools and the good that food can bring to students, and their future is recognised. We are very proud of our students and what they produce and this is a fantastic opportunity for us.”
The students will be raising money for two local charities The Devon Free Wheelers and The Baton. Money will also go to the school Catering department, and the partner school in Ethiopia. The students menu will consist of seven courses and will all be home made from the canapés on arrival to the petit fours with coffee.
Tickets are available at a cost of £40 a head to include wines. To reserve your space and experience a night to remember “come dine with Kings” please call Andy and Annette at The Salty Monk who will be pleased to take your booking and send out your special tickets. 01395 513174
Our Menu
Canapes and drinks on arrival
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Muse course of tomato soup and fresh bread rolls
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Cheese tartlets on a bed of leaves
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Pan fried pigeon breast with caramelised red onions and baby leaf salad
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Herb crusted Pollock on a fish cake with seasonal vegetables
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Home made mushroom and olive ravioli with red pepper sauce
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Poached pears with baby meringues
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Crème Brule with winter compote and shortbread
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Cheese and home made biscuits
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Home made petit fours and coffee
Inaugural Bristol Bites Food Quiz
Inaugural Bristol Bites Food Quiz at The Star & Dove: Monday, September 10th
Think you know your stuff when it comes to the world of food and drink? Want to put your wits against other foodie teams from around Bristol? If so, join us on the evening of Monday, September 10th for the first ever Bristol Bites Food Quiz at The Star & Dove in Totterdown.
Having been taken over in mid-2011 by chefs Tim Denny, Leigh Pascoe and Matt Duggan, The Star & Dove has been making waves with its menu based on old English dishes and a highly successful evening as part of the Eat Drink Bristol Fashion event recently hosted by The Pony & Trap and The Story in tipis on Queen Square.
The quiz – the first public Bristol Bites event to take place – will start at 8pm on September 10th, at a cost of £1.50 per person. Teams (up to a maximum of four people) will be challenged by five different food and drink-themed rounds, including anagrams, an identification round and more. One of the rounds will see The Star and Dove preparing an appetiser, the ingredients of which will need to be guessed by participants for extra points.
The three top teams will be awarded vouchers to spend on food at The Star and Dove within a week of the quiz: £20 for the winning team, £10 for second place and £5 for the third placed team.
Says Emily Knight of Bristol Bites, “I’m thrilled to be hosting our first ever food quiz at The Star and Dove – it’s a great venue with amazing food and we’re looking forward to some friendly competition on the night!”
Tim Denny of The Star and Dove adds, “What a truly tremendous idea this is. A food and drink quiz in Bristol is to my mind very long overdue. Emily has a great layout to the quiz and we are predicting great things.”
The quiz takes place at The Star & Dove from 8pm on Monday, September 10th – and will be on the first Monday of the month from then on. Pre-booking is advisable – to register your team, call the venue on 0117 933 2892.
Charity Polo Day in aid of Hospitality Action
Hospitality Action is delighted to offer you the chance to attend our third annual Charity Polo Day:
Sunday 9th September.
The 2012 event is kindly sponsored by Beacon Purchasing and will take place at the Beaufort Polo Club in Gloucestershire. Featuring the food of the following award-winning chefs:
- Martin Burge, Whatley Manor
- Hywel Jones, Lucknam Park
- Michael Croft, Calcot Manor
- Sam Moody, Bath Priory
The day includes a Champagne reception, polo demonstration, the final of the Solitaire Salver, an outstanding lunch including wine and a delicious afternoon cream tea to be enjoyed after the polo match. Suitable for friends, family and clients this truly spectacular day is one not to be missed.
For more information click here
