W
L
TIME FLIES WHEN YOU’RE HAVING FUN!
BY PAUL ASKEW, CHEF PATRON OF
THE ART SCHOOL RESTAURANT
May is shaping up to be another memorable and very busy
month. The bank holiday at the end of the month sees
the return of the tall ships and the first Bordeaux Wine
Festival at the pier head in Liverpool – a real coup for the
City Region. I’m very pleased to announce that The Art
School will have a small pop-up at the festival serving a
special menu of matched small plates.
I’m truly humbled that as part of the celebrations I will be
invested with the cape and cap of the order of Le Grand
Conseil des Vins de Bordeaux alongside Liverpool Mayor
Joe Anderson at a special ceremony at Liverpool’s Anglican
Cathedral.
Previous recipients of other ‘Ambas sadeur d’honneur des
vins de Bordeaux’, include none other than movie star and
my body double! Arnold Schwarzenegger.
It’s been a month of awards for some of our wonderful
suppliers and friends, even our own Italian imported wine
from Castorani was in the medals at the inaugural London
Wine Competition. There was a hat-trick of awards for our
friends Callum and Debbie from Edge Butchers, winning
“Butcher Shop of the Year”, “Overall National Retailer of the
Year” and “Best food retailer in the North West” at the recent
Farm and Deli shop of the year awards.
Our Castorani wines, which we have a sole import agreement
for, won two gold medals and two bronze medals before
taking best in show (Italy) in the country category and overall
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Winery of the Year, a fabulous achievement. All of the award
winning wines are available in the restaurant and in the Art
School Cellars, which is, of course, open to all, there is no
need to dine with us to enjoy its surroundings.
Finally, my good friend Ellis Barrie and the team are
celebrating two AA Rosettes for their restaurant on Anglesey,
The Marram Grass. This was announced just before the
return leg of my double header with Ellis as part of our Guest
Chef series.
In the restaurant we await, with eager anticipation, the first
show of Claremont Farm asparagus but we have seen the
return of the Hogget, the dish that was awarded a perfect ten
on the Great British Menu has returned to our Excellence
menu but only for a limited period. The Hebridean that
produces the meat, is a rare breed farmed by a small number
of producers in Wirral and Cheshire, Senna Lane Farm in
Comberbach, is one such supplier and features as one of my
food heroes in my book “Onwards and Upwards” alongside
our friends at the Rhug Estate who recently featured on the
BBCs Countryfile programme.
I look forward to seeing you in the restaurant or at the
Bordeaux Wine Festival.
Until next month.
Chef Askew