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FOOD + DRINK
NEW HEAD CHEF FOR THE SMALL HOLDING
Hailing from a family farming background and with stints in notable Sussex restaurants Gravetye Manor , Restaurant Tristan , 64 Degrees and Murmur , James Chatfield from Hailsham has been appointed as the new head chef at The Small Holding , the Michelin green-star restaurant in Cranbrook , owned and operated by brothers Will and Matt Devlin as part of the Acre Group .
The 28-year-old ’ s appointment is a family affair as he is joined by wife Gabby Chatfield , who worked front of house at Tommy Banks ’ Michelin-star restaurant , The Black Swan at Oldstead in North Yorkshire , where James ’ s most recent role was as senior chef de partie .
Taking the reigns at the farm-to-table restaurant in early December last year , James has been utilising his hands-on family farming experience ( his uncle and grandfather own the award-winning Hook & Son dairy and beef farm ) and shared ethos of chef owner Will Devlin ’ s approach to ingredients and techniques to utilise their acre of productive land growing vegetables , fruit , herbs , plus beehives , ducks and chickens to enhance the restaurant ’ s sustainability driven menu .
SUET PUDDING FOR PARKINSON ’ S
Inspired by close friend and business coach , Dario Bucceri , who lives with Parkinson ’ s , chef owner of The Corner House in Canterbury , Matt Sworder , has set up a fundraiser for Parkinson ’ s UK .
Launched in October last year and running until the end of January , £ 1 will be donated to the UK ’ s leading Parkinson ’ s charity from every order of the restaurant ’ s Stour Valley venison suet pudding - Dario ’ s main course favourite dish . So far , over 350 puddings have been sold with many diners giving additional contributions to the worthy cause .
Matt says : “ Dario has not only helped me to navigate running The Corner House during some of the most challenging years in hospitality , but he is someone I feel privileged to call a friend . He has turned what many would find an impossible situation into a positive while continuing to provide excellent counsel to his clients . Parkinson ’ s UK funds advice , information and research , and by adding this donation , we want to raise awareness of the condition which is still sadly misunderstood despite it being the fastest growing neurological condition in the world .”
To support Dario ’ s fundraising efforts , which to date include taking part in a number of half marathons , visit : www . justgiving . com / fundraising / sensemaker .
NEW NEIGHBOURHOOD RESTAURANT AND CAFÉ FOR THE TURNER CONTEMPORARY
Louie Louie co-owners and Westgateon-Sea residents Chris and Lena Greenwood are set to bring their hugely popular neighbourhood restaurant and café to the Turner Contemporary with Louie On Sea .
Partnering with local chef Julian Brown ( Love Café , Samphire , Streets ), Louie on Sea will launch on Saturday 20 January in time for the spring exhibition – Beyond Form : Lines of Abstraction , 1950-1970 .
A café by day and restaurant by night , Louie On Sea will serve lunch and brunch offerings during the day , and aperitivo with music in the evenings , bringing a new energy to the café in time for the spring . As part of Margate ’ s burgeoning food scene , the venture will also host ticketed supper clubs with nationally and internationally renowned chefs as it takes over from pop-up café Staple in a space renowned for its views of Margate ’ s harbour and main sands .
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