Lisa Higginson
Summer was in the air when Harvey Nichols hosted a feast of food and games. Champagne cocktails and sizzling sausages were enjoyed alongside games of hoopla and guess the number of sweets in the jar during a Summer Fete held in the Second Floor Foodmarket on Wednesday.
The celebration of summertime also showcased a selection of bespoke producers who supply the Foodmarket. We sampled some tasty dips that had been created using organic dried herbs from The Organic Blending Company, which stocks a range of spice jars, herb sprinkles and marinades, and had a taste of some delicious biscuits from the Miniature Bakery.
Delicious fruit pastes from Maggie Beer (quince, spiced pear, cabernet and fig and fennel) were also on offer and tasted great with the carefully selected Lancashire and blue cheeses. We also sampled a sweet-tasting Vino Cotto with fresh strawberries, which was a real taste of summer. The condiment is made with grape must and is similar, but less acidic, to balsamic.
An array of jams, chutneys, traditional biscuits and chocolates were also presented by Daylesford Organic; the apple chutney and the butternut squash chutney were both exceptional.
A summer fete wouldnât be complete without a barbecue and the Harvey Nichols traditional pork sausages went down a treat with fried onions, American mustard and HN barbecue sauce. A peach Bellini made with Funkin Purees cocktail mixers proved the perfect tipple to enjoy in the sunshine as was a quirky glass of champagne that had been poured over a fragrant hibiscus flower.
As well as being a superb way to spend a summerâs evening, the event also raised £85 for Cash for Kids.
Harvey Nichols, 21 Cathedral Street, Exchange Square, Manchester, M1 1AD
W: www.harveynichols.com