The Chef’s Tasting Menu at artisan is now available all month long, celebrating an ingredient, type of cooking or time of year
Mixing art with food comes easy to Andrew Wilkinson, head chef of artisan and a former North East Chef of the Year winner.
He heads up the kitchen of this modern restaurant that takes inspiration from its location, in The Biscuit Factory – which is part of Newcastle’s Cultural Quarter – and serves British-inspired dishes using the finest regional and seasonal ingredients.
The first Wednesday of every month marks the launch of a new Chef’s Tasting Menu and on that night diners can enjoy canapés and arrival drinks in the gallery and browse the exhibitions before dining in the restaurant with a themed tasting menu.
“When creating our tasting menus, I look at what’s in season and how I can make the best use of that produce to really show off their flavours,” says Wilkinson.
After the launch night, the Chef’s Tasting Menu is then available to book for the rest of the month and is available alongside the regular à la carte menu. Each tasting menu has a theme so diners can expect “classic ingredients such as tomatoes, gooseberries and even poached eggs but, of course, all cooked and presented with an artisan twist” from August’s themed menu of From the Sea to the Greenhouse.
Wilkinson enjoys the challenge that comes from creating the monthly tasting menus. “I cook from the heart, not for the critics, and try to showcase seasonal flavours and ingredients that go together beautifully. I strongly believe in the quality of our local produce here in the North East and really enjoy crafting dishes for our tasting menu that allow these ingredients to take centre stage.”
The themes for the Chef’s Tasting Menus for the rest of the year have been announced and can be found online.
The tasting menu typically consists of seven or eight courses including a chef’s amuse-bouche, coffee and treats at the end. It’s priced from £45 per person with an optional wine pairing for £25 per person. A vegetarian tasting menu is also available. www.artisannewcastle.com | 0191 260 5411
Main Image © Sean Elliott Photography
