An eight-day event celebrating British cuisine and featuring the country’s top chefs is to be held at one of the North East’s luxury venues.
Rockliffe Hall is set to host its first ever Festival of Food in February 2019, celebrating the finest British cuisine.
The five-star luxury resort in Hurworth, near Darlington, County Durham, will welcome some of the country’s best professional chefs during the eight-day festival which starts on Saturday, February 2.
An Artisan Food Fair will kick off proceedings on the first weekend before a series of special lunches, dinners and food and wine events take place throughout the week, culminating in a Black Tie Gala Dinner on Saturday, February 9. Chefs including Michelin-starred Andrew Pern (The Star Inn, Harome, The Star Inn The City, The Star Inn The Harbour and Mr P’s Curious Tavern), TV chef and cookbook author Mark Greenaway, James Mackenzie (Pipe and Glass Inn, South Dalton) and renowned Jersey-based chef Mark Jordan, will all be cooking at exclusive dining events during the week.
Rockliffe Hall’s executive chefs, Richard Allen, Aaron Craig and Paul O’Hara will also be hosting various dinners and events while the resort’s head gardener, Phil Mennell, will host a lunch and tour of the kitchen gardens. Head sommelier, Daniel Jonberger, will pass on his wine wisdom at a wine and food pairing masterclass and there’ll be a Taste of the North East Celebration Banquet with guest chefs from The Bay Horse, Hurworth, Nova Seafood Grill, Chadwicks Inn Maltby and The Crathorne Arms.
Over the eight-day event, money will be raised for Hospitality Action with big prize raffles at some of the evening dinners. The charity offers vital assistance to those working, or who have worked within hospitality in the UK and who find themselves in crisis.
Eamonn Elliott, chief executive at Rockliffe Hall, says: “We have so many exceptional chefs in the North East# and want to celebrate this fact. We’ve lined up lots of top names in the food industry from our region, and further afield, and can’t wait to showcase their talent at this exciting event.
“It will be a great opportunity to celebrate everything that is fabulous about food, from the ingredients, to the suppliers, the chefs, and of course the diners. There’s so much happening during the eight days that there’s sure to be an event to suit everyone. It really will be any foodie’s idea of heaven and an event not to be missed.”
ROCKLIFFE HALL’S FESTIVAL OF FOOD – KEY EVENTS
WORLD’S BEST SUNDAY DINNER WITH ANDREW PERN – SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 3
*ALREADY SOLD OUT*
Yorkshire-based chef-patron Andrew Pern, recent winner of the World’s Best Sunday Dinner in the Lonely Planet Guide, brings a Michelin-starred Sunday lunch-themed menu to the Clubhouse.
GUEST CHEF MARK GREENAWAY – MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4
TV regular and winner of the Gourmand Book Awards’ Best Chef Cookbook in the World, Mark Greenaway, brings a taste of his multi-award-winning Restaurant Mark Greenaway to Rockliffe Hall’s Brasserie. Buy tickets here.
GARDENERS’ LUNCH WITH PHIL MENNELL, HEAD GARDENER – TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5
Phil will present a talk in the Looking Glass House before a tour of Rockliffe’s kitchen gardens and potting sheds, followed by a two course lunch in the 4 AA Rosette Orangery, created from the gardens by executive chef, Richard Allen. Don’t miss out – get your tickets now.
WINE & FOOD PAIRING MASTERCLASS – TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5.
Rockliffe Hall’s Head sommelier, Daniel Jonberger, guides you through how to pair food with wine. You’ll enjoy five different nibbles, each presented with two different glasses of wine, so Daniel can explain which matches well, and which doesn’t. Get your tickets here.
GUEST CHEF MARK JORDAN IN THE ORANGERY – WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6
Richard Allen welcomes celebrated chef Mark Jordan (Mark Jordan At The Beach), and forager Kazz (Wild Food Adventures), both from the island of Jersey, to the Orangery for a unique food and wine experience. Buy tickets here.
TASTE OF THE NORTH EAST – THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7
A very special banquet to celebrate the finest North East produce with chefs Andy Simms from The Bay Horse, Hurworth, Ronald Robson from Nova Seafood Grill, Steven Lawford from Chadwicks Inn Maltby and David Henry from the Crathorne Arms. Get them before they’re gone – buy your tickets here.
GUEST CHEF JAMES MACKENZIE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8
We welcome James Mackenzie, chefpatron of the Michelin-starred Pipe and Glass Inn, winner of Michelin’s Pub of the Year, for an exquisite dining experience in the Clubhouse. Buy your tickets here.
COME DINE WITH US BLACK TIE GALA DINNER – SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9
Rockliffe Hall’s three executive chefs Richard Allen, Aaron Craig and Paul O’Hara will each create a special dish for this glittering black-tie gala dinner to conclude the Festival of Food celebrations. Tickets are selling fast – get yours now.
Prices start from £35 for lunchtime events and £45 for evening events. A Festival Pass will also be available from £400 which gives access to all evening events, with accommodation options available. www.rockliffehall.com
