A celebration of summer food and drink will be on offer from The School of Artisan Food at this year’s RHS Chatsworth with seasonal ice creams, barbecues, wood-fired pizzas and foraged foods on the menu of talks, tastings and demonstrations.
The award winning school based on the Welbeck Estate in the heart of Sherwood Forest close to Nottingham and Sheffield has been invited by the RHS to once again put together the foodie programme for the Artisan Kitchen Theatre following the success of the inaugural event last year.
Throughout the five days, there will be a full programme of demonstrations and talks with all the ingredients for a perfect summer from making pesto from foraged wild edibles to a butcher’s guide to a barbecue.
Outdoor food tastings will be on offer including wood-fired pizza; bbq food; instant ice cream and Pakistani street food from food writer Sumayya Usmani. There will also be free workshops in the outdoor classroom for children and adults to drop in and find out how to make delicious instant ice cream with a few simple ingredients and without the need for a freezer.
Opening the programme at 11.45am will be the celebrated food historian Ivan Day giving a fascinating insight into historical dining at Welbeck and Chatsworth. Joining him at lunchtime on Friday and Saturday will be Chatsworth’s former head housekeeper Christine Robinson, a much in demand speaker for her entertaining and informative behind the scenes talks from her long service at Chatsworth.
The award winning chef from the Tickled Trout near Chesterfield, Chris Mapp will showcase the type of seasonal cooking his independent family run gastro pub has become famous for. Pursuing his dream of returning to his Derbyshire roots following stints working with top chefs such as Gordon Ramsay and Marcus Wareing, Chris opened the pub in 2014 which prides itself on the provenance of its food and championing of local suppliers.
Producers from The Welbeck Estate will also be on hand to share their secrets including Joe Schneider, the cheesemaker behind the award-winning Stichelton cheese, a traditional farmhouse Stilton made with raw milk and brewer Claire Monk, who set up Welbeck Abbey Brewery, which now produces 15,000 pints of real ale for around 350 pubs between Sheffield, Lincoln and Nottingham.
Sourdough baking; cider making; beer and cheese pairings; cheese making; hand raised pies; flowerpot bread; seasonal ices; botanical cocktails; dough balls and pizza; foraged pickles, preserves and cordials and the best artisanal butchery and guidance on British meats make up the foodie delights.
Julie Byrne, managing director at The School of Artisan Food, said: “We are so pleased to have been invited back to RHS Chatsworth again this year. It is a stunning venue and the newly renovated Chatsworth House provides a beautiful backdrop to the show. Food, like growing, is a brilliant way to bring communities together and blend traditional techniques with exciting innovation. The Artisan Kitchen Theatre is definitely worth a visit, as there is a whole host of great talks, demonstrations and tastings planned.”
Liz Patterson, Show Manager, RHS Chatsworth, said: “I’m delighted we can once again give our visitors a wonderful programme of food demonstrations and talks delivered by our friends at The School of Artisan Food. They have lined up some of the most knowledgeable, enthusiastic and dedicated people to share their passion and commitment to the craft of artisan food production.”
Outside the theatre, social enterprise Rhubarb Farm will be growing summer seasonal produce for use in the demos and tastings.
Now in its second year, the RHS Chatsworth Flower Show is set to host a range of exciting new exhibits, including a showstopping installation of over 100 varieties of orchid and a floral river display of 12,000 Cosmos. Discounted advance tickets are available from www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-chatsworth-flower-show
For more information on The School of Artisan Food, go to www.schoolofartisanfood.org
