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THE CHURCH RESTAURANT
WINNER OF THE
'NORTHAMPTONSHIRE JUBILEE BREAKFAST'
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE FOOD AND DRINKS AWARDS 2012/13
The winning menu:
- Earl Grey-infused tea loaf served with apricot reserve sourced from The Picked Village in Bulwick
- A 'Queen of Tarts' - made from Sauls of Spratton sausages with apple and asparagus served with a hash brown using mushrooms from Moreton Pinkey near Brackley.
- Both dishes were accompanied by 'An English Rose' mixed fresh from blended strawberries from Dovecote Farm near Kettering, 'Champs D'Amour' sparkling wine from Brixworth and topped with crystallised petals of the Queen Elizabeth rose.
It might have rained on the Queens parade but the weather certainly did not dampen the spirits of us here at The Church Restaurant.
During the recent Jubilee festivities The Church Restaurant was crowned winner for our locally sourced breakfast in the ‘Northamptonshire Jubilee Breakfast’ category in the Carlsberg UK Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards 2012/13! The criteria for each entry was to create a two course Jubilee themed breakfast with an accompanying drink to celebrate her majesty's sixty years on the throne. The chosen finalists were then taken to The Manor Restaurant in Corby for an intense hour-long cook off!
Designing the menu was an intricate and researched process with two primary areas of focus. The Royal theme was always at the forefront of decision making, keeping it fun and in the spirit of the Jubilee was very important to the Chefs. They also wanted to ensure the produce of the dishes, such as the sausages, all came locally from Northamptonshire in order to help support our local suppliers and community.
Representing The Church at the finals was Chef Jesse Richards and Gemma Martin. When the talented team of two arrived at the competition they were surprised to find that despite everyone wanting to win the prestigious award it was very light hearted and more of a celebration of our Queen and Northamptonshire's fine food and culinary skills.
Jesse and Gemma had to prepare, cook and serve the menu they created in front of a panel of critical judges but managed to remain calm and confident under pressure. They started with an Earl Grey-infused tea loaf with they served with apricot preserve sourced from The Pickled Village in Bulwick. After this, the next course was a delicious ‘Queen of Tarts’, which combined Sauls of Spratton sausages with apple and asparagus, served with a hash brown using mushrooms from Moreton Pinkney near Brackley. Both dishes were accompanied by a drink which the Chefs specially created for the competition. This drink was aptly named ‘An English Rose’ and contained fresh blended strawberries from Dovecote Farm at Newton near Kettering, Champs D’Amour sparkling wine from Brixworth vintners Fleurfields topped with crystallized petals of the Queen Elizabeth rose..
When the judges announced The Church had won Jesse, Gemma and the rest of the Church team were ecstatic. With all the effort the Chefs put in preparing the menu and their ability on the day we are very proud to hang the award up in the restaurant!
Congratulations to Jesse Richards, Gemma Martin and The Church Restaurant!
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