W
L
WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE?
BY PAUL ASKEW, CHEF PATRON OF
THE ART SCHOOL RESTAURANT
As I write my column this month I’m musing as to where the year
has gone. It’s twelve months since I first put pen to paper, or in my
case trotters to keyboard! For, what was then my first Wirral life
column. menus, which are available to peruse on our website, and collect from
the restaurant. It is, once again, dominated by fish and game, with
twists and refinements on classic dishes and new offerings to tantalise
the tastebuds. In my humble opinion, it is our best yet.
It seems this year has gathered pace with each passing month and, as
we launch our festive menu at the restaurant, the seasons pass in the
blink of an eye. From a culinary perspective, the autumnal months
are always eagerly anticipated, the harvest at this time of year is quite
simply inspiring. Menu development is one of the most enjoyable yet time consuming
parts of the job, dishes are carefully crafted, refined, tested, refined
some more before they are even considered for inclusion on our
menus. It’s the way we work at the Art School, to ensure every dish
will exceed the expectations of our guests.
Our new seasonal dishes have been very well received by our guests.
One that has gained plenty of attention on the social channels and,
new to our Prix Fixe, is pave rump of Bunbury red poll beef with
portobello mushroom, braised onion, caramelised shallot puree,
beef dripping potatoes & natural jus. This is without doubt, the most
delicious beef that I have ever tasted and I’ve sampled plenty! Developing menus for television is equally as challenging, without
the time! I return to your small screens on Friday 21st September
at 8.30pm on BBC 1, joining John Torode and Gregg Wallace on
Celebrity MasterChef. I am in the kitchens with two of the brigade
from the Art School kitchens putting the celebrities through their
paces to cook a very special dinner for some very special guests.
The beef comes courtesy of Britain's best butcher, our very own Calum
Edge of Edge & Son. Calum and his team can always be relied on to
provide the highest quality produce, the mix of experience, integrity,
knowledge and passion for what they do is, in my humble opinion,
unmatched. That obsession for the pursuit of quality amongst my
regular suppliers is one of the many aspects that continues to inspire
me after more years in the industry than I care to remember. Thankfully I have been able to invest the time in developing our
afternoon teas in The Art School Cellars. They’re no ordinary
afternoon tea, of course, they’re a veritable feast of homemade cakes,
breads and luxury ingredients with vegetarian options also available.
Served with speciality teas, Prosecco or Champagne they’re a real
treat, advance booking is required.
For me, it’s like having your most trusted lieutenants in the fields, the
farms and the fish markets. It’s one of the most vital ingredients in
running the restaurant. Our merry band of Wirral based suppliers
have all played a key role in the development of this years’ festive
46 wirrallife.com
Onwards and Upwards!
Chef Askew