Foodie News Round up December 2014
1. A new venture for Kerridge
Tom Kerridge opened his second venue, The Coach, early this month. Flinging open the doors of the country pub on West Street in Marlow, Kerridge promised laid-back tapas-style food in relaxed surroundings. Nick Bearshaw has taken the reins as head chef, and he and Kerridge have been working on the tapas-style menu. Dishes here are served when they are ready rather than in the traditional course-by-course manner, encouraging diners to enjoy a mix of flavours and different dishes. Kerridge wanted to The Coach to be casual affair with a no booking policy, meaning hungry punters are invited to turn up for anything from a slice of homemade cake and a cup of tea to an evening meal. As well as pub classics, there’s a heavy focus on rotisserie, and the kitchen is decked out with plancha grills and a bratt pan. Dishes such as crispy pig’s head and whole rotisserie quail range in price from £6 to £5.
Kerridge’s original restaurant, the Michelin-starred and rosette-adorned The Hand & Flowers celebrated its tenth year this year.
2. So long Sienna
As one Michelin-starred establishment celebrates ten years, another is closing its doors nearly 12 years to the day after it first opened. The owners of Dorset’s only Michelin starred restaurant, Sienna, will not be renewing the restaurant’s lease in the new year, after they have decided to move on to pastures new.
Russell and Elena Brown have successfully run the restaurant for 12 years, landing a Michelin star in 2010. The accolade-laden restaurant in Dorchester will run its final service on Saturday 25 April 2015 and for every bill in April the couple are donating £5 to the charity, Hospitality Action. Russell Brown has always had close connections with the charity and has been hugely supportive of catering colleges, often giving demonstrations to budding young chefs at Weymouth College. It might be the end of Sienna, as we know it, but it’s certainly not the last we’ll see of this talented couple as they hope to diversify into consultancy and cookery teaching.
3. The Fat Duck flies the nest
Heston’s Fat Duck will be temporarily closing and relocating to the other side of the world for six months. Celebrity chef and face of Waitrose, Heston Blumenthal, announced that his Bray restaurant (which famously serves snail porridge) will be moving to Oz for the first half of 2015. In the run up to Christmas and in anticipation of its temporary closure, The Fat Duck has been open for extended lunch time hours throughout December.
Come January, Blumenthal will be taking both the restaurant and its current menu to Melbourne, while extensive renovations begin on the Grade II listed restaurant in Bray. The relocation has taken two years to plan and is the first overseas venture for the Michelin-starred chef. Blumenthal is clear that the Australian Fat Duck is not a pop-up restaurant but one he hopes to eventually bring an Anglo-Australian menu to. On The Fat Duck’s return to the UK, the Melbourne restaurant will be renamed.
4. North Shields pub raking in awards
It has been a stellar year for Masterchef finalist John Calton, who has gathered a number of accolades since opening his first solo restaurant The Staith House. The Staith House, which sits on the harbour of North Shields, has been listed in the Michelin and Harden’s Guides since opening just a year ago and has since scooped silver at the North East Tourism Awards and has been shortlisted for the Top 50 Gastropub Awards for 2015. Not bad for a first year.
5. Damsons in Distress
Raisthorpe Manor this month planted the first damson orchard since the 1960s. Damsons went into severe decline after the World War II and have been slowly dying out; a sad state of affairs for this very British fruit. Thankfully the owners of a Yorkshire estate have rallied around the dear damson and have created a revolution: Damsons Are Forever. They have also brewed the first damson Port – a tipple that landed a hatric of Taste Gold Awards.
6. Ale at Christmas
Ale is apparently on track to take the place of wine on the Christmas table this year. As our love for craft ales has increased over the last couple of years, could it be that we now prefer it to a glass of port on Christmas Day? Some experts have discovered the popularity of premium ale is growing ten times faster than that of wine, spirits and lager. It’s good news for brewers and, Old Speckled Hen are certainly making the most of the news, opening a Christmas pop-up pub. Old Speckled Haven is located off Oxford Street and is currently tempting discerning drinkers to try ale as part of the traditional Christmas festivities. The pop-up will be offering free pints in return for a bit of social media love.
7. Six exclusive training places with Frederick Forster
Leith’s Cookery School is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2015 and, to commemorate the event, has announced its collaboration with Boundary, Restaurant & Rooftop in order to launch an exclusive training course for diploma students. Drawing on both establishments’ love of classic technique combined with a contemporary flair. Students have been vying for one of the six coveted places to learn under the guidance of Boundary’s head chef, Frederick Forster – a formidable chef who has worked years at Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons, Le Gavroche and the Ritz. The first stage will commence on 7 January and that will be followed by two more heats, completing by designing the menu for Boundary alongside Forster.
Christmas dinner dining
Check out one of the biggest Christmas Fairs going on this month
