As part of this event we created
the Members Dinner held in the stunning Manresa Hall, Parkstead House. The
brief to Chartwells was clear; this evening was the culmination of the event
and so we needed to go out with a bang! After months of preparation by
Chartwells Chefs Academy under the auspices of Chartwells Executive Chef,
Andrew Walker we created a concept “first to the future an eclectic journey of
trending foods” and gave our guests “an
experience of a lifetime!”
The mouth-watering menu is below:
Pink grapefruit and champagne espuma
A forager’s plate
Potted Morecambe bay shrimps
with a north sea fish broth
Smoked new season lamb with a
carrot gastric
Chucky egg and soliders
Flaming tonka bean crème
brulee
Classic British heritage
cheese
Iced petit fours
To create such an evening
we needed a host, a ringmaster, someone who would in fact create an evening like
no other and Chef Andrew Walker was our man. Having 26 years experience and a
strong leader in developing the food experience that is at the forefront of
trends seen in the hospitality sector, Andrew is now using his menus across ou r University partners in student dining rooms
and in fine dining.
Assisting with this event were a
group of chefs who have trained and worked in the UK’s leading restaurants.
These include Le Manoir aux Quatre Saisons, The Fat Duck, La Gavroche and the
Summer House. This mix has seen them work with stars of the restaurant world
such as Heston Blumenthal, Joel Robuchon and Raymond Blanc.
Their skill and
expertise combined to deliver an evening of exciting flavour sensations and the
latest trends in the culinary world. The dinner was billed as First to the
Future and was a showcase for both the University and Chartwells.
The chefs came from the following
Universities: Tom Barker – Bournemouth University, Tony Murphy - University of
East London, Luca Nervi – University of Sussex, Yousseff Kaidi – Oxford Brookes
University, Doug Carter – Univers ity of
Roehampton, James Hart – Group Executive Chef Midlands Universities and Paul
Smith – Chartwells Development Chef. The evening was delivered by our hospitality manager Lindsay Reeves.
At the end of the
evening as the Chefs carried in the petit fours, served on toques made of ice,
they received a standing ovation. Completely justified; the food was truly
delicious and we thoroughly enjoyed the chucky egg dessert!
