Great British Menu chefs of 2018 will deliver a series of cooking demos at a new food fair – held on February 2 and 3, 2019, from 10am to 4pm.
Dave Coulson, Danny Parker and Daniel Fletcher – who all featured on the hit BBC show in August – will be showcasing their talent at the Artisan Food Fair, part of Rockliffe Hall’s Festival of Food.
The trio will be joined live on stage by the region’s top food producers, using their ingredients to cook dishes. “I love getting in front of the public and showcasing what we do. I’m very privileged to be part of what’s going to be a great event,” said Dave, chef patron at Peace & Loaf, in Jesmond, Newcastle.
“As chefs, we cook our own sauces and make things from scratch so it’ll be interesting for us to see what we can do with the smaller, artisan producers.
“I’ve always said producers are the real rock stars – the ones who supply our restaurants, the fish and meat we get delivered.
“The North East’s food scene has completely changed over the last 10 years, and it’s amazing to be part of that. We’ve seen a huge uprise in artisan producers, too, and it’ll be interesting to see what they have to offer.”
While the Great British Menu chefs will host live demos on Sunday, February 3rd, Rockliffe Hall’s chefs – Richard Allen, Paul O’Hara and Aaron Craig will take to the stage on Saturday, February 2nd. Richard Allen, executive chef of The Orangery restaurant at Rockliffe Hall, said: “Not only will this be a chance for us to showcase the finest produce available across the north of England but it will also provide the chefs with an opportunity to work with some of the producers too, I can’t wait.”
They will be joined by producers such as Andrew Calder – who along with his wife Anne-Marie run piccalilli company Calder’s Kitchen – and Lizzy Hodcroft, founder of The Sweet Beet. Lizzy, whose range of condiments are based around her Texas upbringing, worked as a pastry chef in prestigious North East kitchens, including Terry Laybourne’s 21 Hospitality Group and the former Louis restaurant in Jesmond.
She said: “You get plenty of markets out there and chef demos – but to combine them is pretty innovative. It allows for a small business to connect and collaborate and it’s an interesting new way for people to eat our products, and for us as producers to be inspired.”
Andrew said: “This is a really exciting opportunity to showcase our products in a very different way – with a chef ’s spin on how people can use them at home. Not just any chefs, the region’s top chefs!”
Event sponsors, G&G Goodfellows – who supply tableware to the UK’s top chefs such as Gordon Ramsay – will be showing visitors how to ‘bring home the restaurant’ look with their new brand Goodfellows at Home. Valda Goodfellow, co-owner of Goodfellows at Home, said: “We are so excited to be the main sponsor for this inaugural event. I think it is a really big deal to have all these amazing chefs involved in one event. We have never had anything like this before in the area and naturally we had to support it.
“Most of the chefs involved are customers of ours and we wanted to show our appreciation to them in sponsoring this fantastic event.”
Valda, along with co-founder and husband, Paul, will be showcasing the hottest tableware trends, which visitors will be able to purchase, including their signature ‘sexy plates’ as well as a range of glassware.
Valda added: “I think the Artisan Food Fair will really demonstrate what great local producers we have in our region and we are supporting that with our Goodfellows at Home brand for those serious home cooks who want to buy tableware that the chefs use.
“We have chosen this event as our very first showcase for the Goodfellows at Home collection because it is in our very own area.”
As well as the live chef and producer demos, artisan producers will be selling their delicious ranges in the Rockliffe Suite. From award-winning chocolate and chutneys to The Clucking Pig Company – which recently scooped Best Game Farmers’ Market Stall, including Street Food’ at the national Eat Game Awards for its gourmet Scotch eggs – visitors can expect to find a whole host of palate pleasers.
Guests will also be able to take their taste buds on a tour of the Caribbean, Greece and Germany with curried dishes from Trinidad and Tobago, bratwurst and gyros just some of the tasty hot street food available to tuck into.
At Gin School, guests can enjoy a GINspirational journey of gin and learn how to drink the quintessential British spirit. From artisan gins, to flavour profiles and how to pair and garnish your gin, the GINstuctors with help guests become a gin-ius when it comes to knowing all about the spirit.
For the whisky enthusiast, Whisky School will feature the world’s first blend of English and Scottish Malt Whisky: Steel Bonnets, recently launched by The Lakes Distillery. Plus, and interactive talk and tastings on this complex spirit.
And for those who love Pirates’ plonk, Rum School will tell the tale of the rise of this craft spirit – and feature tastings, too.
Eamonn Elliott, chief executive at Rockliffe Hall, says: “The North East and Yorkshire regions have an abundance of high-quality producers, the artisan food fair will provide a great way to celebrate them here at Rockliffe Hall.
“There will be so much happening over the weekend, it’s an event not to be missed and will provide a great start to our inaugural Festival of Food.”
CHEF SCHEDULE & SPIRIT SCHOOLS
CHEFS AND PRODUCERS:
The Rockliffe Chefs, Saturday, February 2
11am – Paul O’Hara and Simon Raine, of Weardale Cheese
12.30pm – Richard Allen and Lizzy Hodcroft, from The Sweet Beet
2.00pm – Aaron Craig and Nick Fairly, of Fairley’s Fine Condiments
3.00pm – Cooking with Durham Gin.
CHEFS AND PRODUCERS:
The Great British Menu Chefs, Sunday, February 3
11am – Daniel Fletcher
12.30pm – Danny Parker
2.00pm – David Coulson
3.00pm – Dave, Danny and Dan: Great
British Menu Highlights.
GIN SCHOOL
Saturday, February 2 & Sunday, February 3 at 12 noon
A journey of gin, understanding flavour notes and how to perfectly pair and garnish your G&T. £25, 5 G&Ts included.
WHISKY SCHOOL
Saturday, February 2 & Sunday, February 3 at 1.45pm
Discover the art of this complex spirit. £35, 6 whisky tastings
RUM SCHOOL
Saturday, February 2 & Sunday, February 3 at 3.15pm
The rise of rum. Is Pirates’ plonk the next craft spirit? Rum School explores this versatile spirit. £25, 5 rums included.
The Artisan Food Fair is complimentary to attend. To book your place at Gin School, Whisky School or Rum School please call Rockliffe Hall on 01325 729999 or email vip.event@rockliffehall.com
