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REALISING DREAMS …
BY PAUL ASKEW , CHEF PATRON OF THE ART SCHOOL RESTAURANT
After 4 decades in the hospitality , I have been lucky enough to fulfil many of my personal ambitions , from catering for Her Majesty to opening my own fine dining restaurant . I ’ ve cooked for movie stars and diplomats , met sporting heroes and enjoyed numerous appearances on well-loved cookery shows .
To be able to build a resilient business and to raise the gastronomic bar in the city & wider region has been a life ’ s ambition and I have been very fortunate to receive industry accolades to acknowledge that success . The national Taste of England award was followed by our appearance in the Sunday Time top 100 restaurants , the first and only Liverpool restaurant to receive the honour .
Our regular appearance in the Michelin Guide , The Good Food Guide and AA Restaurant Guide is a testimony to the consistency that we have achieved over the years . That consistency , with a food score of 5 out of 5 , has again be recognised again with an appearance in the top twenty of the acclaimed Harden ’ s Guide Top 100 UK restaurants . Debuting at number 18 , the acknowledgement is a wonderful reward for the team after two of the most difficult years . While we will , of course , enjoy our moment , we will continue to push forward to raise the bar higher and continue to offer the best we can in gastronomy .
We will welcome the teams from Bordeaux back to the city later in the year and I ’ m delighted to take the role of Creative Director , working with the culture team , Marketing Liverpool and the Liverpool Bid Company to create ‘ Taste Liverpool , Drink Bordeaux ’ festival that will debut in the city in June . Planned to coincide with Her Majesty ’ s platinum jubilee , the 4-day event will be hosted through the spine of the city , with a special tasting area created in Exchange Flags . The final touches to the event are still being curated but it promises to be a tantalization of the tastebuds and a much needed “ foodie ” boost to the city ’ s events calendar .
Of course , before then , all eyes will be on the city for the world ’ s greatest steeplechase at the Randox Health Aintree Grand National Festival . As I mentioned in last month ’ s column we are due to open “ The Art School at Aintree ” at this year ’ s event . We have converted the former home of Mirabel Topham , which overlooks the parade ring , into the Art School and will be serving up 6-course champagne lunches across the three days – a real opportunity to experience everything we do in slightly different ( albeit familiar !) surroundings . The hospitality packages are available on the course ’ s website .
We will , though , be welcoming very special people to the restaurant before that , a date for your diary Sunday , 27th March , Mothering Sunday ! We will , once again , open the restaurant for lunch service on the day and will soon be opening our booking system for you to buy tickets directly .
I do hope to welcome you back to our Sugnall Street home soon , and for those of you still to make the trip , with the impending arrival of Spring , now ’ s as good a time as any to join us !
Best as ever Chef Askew
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