TIME & TIDE
W L
TIME & TIDE
BY PAUL ASKEW , CHEF PATRON OF THE ART SCHOOL RESTAURANT
They say time and tide wait for no-one , and as 2023 races by this sounds especially apt . The weeks are speeding along and our feet have barely touched the ground – we ’ ve been humbled by your support for The Art School and of course we ’ ve had several external projects including Eurovision which was quite simply an astonishing occasion for us all .
There ’ s still a distinct energy buzzing around the city post Eurovision . Those remarkable two weeks which truly transformed the city have left an indelible mark upon us all – seeing Liverpool elevated to even greater heights on the global stage gave me immense pride and honour . And it is this which we all must continue to embrace and carry forward as a collective whole . Certainly this rare energy and vitality is the lifeblood of our great city and we must cherish it and use it for the coming months and years .
Now fully into the summer , the seasons shift again and with them we change our menus . As some ingredients fade out until next year others are now in abundance . Working locally with independent suppliers , our menus are informed by what grows around us , with sustainability and seasonality at the heart of all we do at The Art School and at Barnacle in Duke Street Market . In our kitchen , we are now using Ward ’ s native lobster and halibut plus the amazing Peter Jones ’ courgette flowers , to silky cuts of Long Horn Beef from Cumbria .
July in Liverpool is a huge month for the city ’ s many thousands of graduates who will be celebrating their immense academic successes – years of learning in our three stellar universities which culminates in get togethers with family and friends . As ever , seeing this next generation of talent reach the zenith of their studies is something for us all to be proud of , and at The Art School we have got some special dishes to help celebrate along with our extensive range of world-class champagne , wines , cocktails and craft beers .
We ’ ve also got the world ’ s biggest golfing event descending on the Wirral peninsular at The Royal Liverpool Golf Club in July . The Open is a sporting spectacular like no other and once more all eyes will be upon our region – we can ’ t wait to host guests during this fantastic weekend of golf .
In June we had the immense honour to welcome Katie Blakely from Ridge Vineyards to The Art School . It ’ s fair to say that they are widely considered to be one of the world ’ s eminent producers of fine vintages and Katie brought her wealth of knowledge to our guests . They continue to set a standard which is hard to beat , with their wines having won blind tasting competitions against Bordeaux classics . Their philosophy is rooted in using specific patches of land to grow their grapes , named Monte Bello and Lytton Springs to Geyserville and San Lorenzo , amongst select others . And it really works – every vintage is a true classic . You can of course find some of their delightful vintages at The Art School – we ’ ve proudly been serving Ridge since we opened in 2014 as one of your favourite wines .
If you ’ re reading this on the Wirral , I implore you to go local and go independent . Get out and support what is around you . Every operator still needs your support as we head through the gilded summer months . We of course cannot wait to welcome you at The Art School – whether a returning regular or brand-new guest . Dishes using a new wave of ingredients await you . The summer months are here to be cherished so embrace the longer days whilst we have them .
Myself and the entire team wish to thank you for your ongoing support for all we do at The Art School . 8 years in and there is plenty more to come from us .
With love , Paul Askew x
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