Taste of London: Celebrating eating in the capital
Thursday, 15 May 2008 10:38
Taste of London: Tasting the world in Regents Park this June
With the start of summer approaching, preparations are well under way for one of the most exciting outdoor food events in Britain.
For four days in late June Regent's Park – June 19th to 22nd - is taken over by some of the most exciting chefs in the country, demonstrating their skills and cooking miniature versions of their most popular restaurant dishes.
The flagship of the popular
Taste series of food festivals, Taste of London will bring together some of the greatest food the capital has to offer, letting you browse and graze your way through as many little plates of fine cuisine as you think physically possible. Prices for these mini dishes are no more than £5.
Why not start with
Joel Robuchon's langoustine en papillote with a langoustine fritter or
Cocoon's slices of Wagyu beef with champagne teriyaki? Second course options include the Robuchon foie gras burger,
Le Gavroche's creamed lobster soup, and
Tom Aikens' seven-hour braised shoulder of lamb.
The dessert highlights so far include a coffee parfait from
Launceston Place and
Kai's champagne slush with apple and chrysanthemum tea jelly.
And this is all before menus have been released by Rowley Leigh's thrilling
Le Café Anglais, Giorgio Locatelli's
Refettorio or Ramsay stalwart Stuart Gillies
Stuart Gillies. Watch
this space for more information...
Once you've eaten your fill - which, for the real enthusiasts, I'd recommend as a mini set of three plates at the beginning, a wander to let it settle, followed by another plate or two later on – the chefs will dazzle and entertain you in the Taste Theatre and the Taste Kitchen.
The ticketing is split into afternoon and evening sessions, making a bit of forward planning essential. For enthusiasts of French classical cooking the main attraction will be Michel Roux Jr from Le Gavroche on the Friday afternoon, while lovers of modern, refined Indian cuisine will find no better advocate than Atul Kochhar of
Benares on the Saturday afternoon.
Saturday night's Taste Theatre features both the Mexican and Spanish-inspired cookery of Thomasina Miers – seen so wonderfully both at her restaurant
Wahaca and her recent TV show on the food of Spain – followed by the polished skills of
Petrus' Marcus Wareing. Timings for the
Taste Kitchen are still to be confirmed.
Wine tastings and a Laurent-Perrier champagne masterclass are also available, although the latter is limited to those who buy the £95 connoisseur tickets, which include a Fortnum & Mason gift bag and £20 of 'crowns', the event's on-site currency.
Standard entry is £21 for adults and £10 for children, while a £35 premium ticket includes £20 of crowns to spend on all the splendid little dishes on offer. Extra crowns can also be bought during the event.
Click here to meet some of the Chefs at Taste of London
Chris Wilson