Neil Sowerby A 14-course gourmet dinner with matching wines that lasted till two in the morning was an epic launch for the Chroma Knives Charity Supper Club.
In what is hope to become a quarterly fund-raising fixture, Action Against Hunger benefited from this gathering of foodie movers and shakers from Manchester and London at the home of Chroma Knives boss Franco Sotgiu outside Bolton.
Star attraction was glamorous TV cook Gizzi Erskine, of Cook Yourself Thin fame, accompanied by Irish food lover Niamh Shields, who The Times named as one of the worldâs 10 best bloggers for her eatlikeagirl.com.
Cooking for them on this sumptuous occasion were ex-Fat Duck husband and wife duo Laurence Tottingham and Mary-Ellen McTague, who brought their serving team from Aumbry in Prestwich, current MFDF Restaurant of the Year.
Dishes ranged from Aumbry signature dish Bury Black Pudding Scotch Egg to an astonishing Slow Cooked Cumbrian Boer Goat, Pearl Barley, Cauliflower and Smoked Shallot via Poached Place with Oyster Pudding and Fennel and Braised Ringley Wild Boar, Cuttlefish and Black Peas. Stand-out in an inventive hat-trick of puddings was Grapefruit Posset, with Celery Granita and Grapefuit Sherbert.
Among the impressed punters was a man no stranger to culinary innovation, Aiden Byrne, the youngest British chef ever to win a Michelin star, once of the Dorchester now at The Church Green, Lymm. Host Franco is keen to bring the concept of âsupper clubsâ to Manchester, after the trend started in New York and spread to London, where guests head to a home dinner party with top chefs brought in to the kitchen to cook a special menu.
His own foodie credentials were emphasised by the presence on the menu of pork from his own pigs. Supper club guest were introduced to the current batch at the bottom of his garden!
In-demand Gizzi, with several new TV projects on the go including one mooted as Masterchef meet The Apprentice, was rushing back from her brush with the Aumbry Scotch egg to judge â what else â a Scotch egg contest with 44 competitors.
Weâll keep you in touch about plans for the next Chroma Charity Supper Club. Chroma Knives and their various allied brands are essential kit for top chefs. Visit: http://www.chromaknives.co.uk.
