It hardly seems real that the BBC Food Awards was only a week ago and that this time last week, we were up to our necks in washing up, having loaded and unloaded the van three times over, with a barbecue, wood burning oven, 25 tablecloths, two large champagne buckets and of course the leftovers that we had for lunch. It's not easy to put into words how brilliantly unforgettably perfect the evening was. Take a beautiful menu, designed by Barny, add a stunning St. George's Hall and stir in a sunny evening and 150 happy and excited guests and you'll get the measure of how the evening panned out. Oh, and Mary Berry pronounced our carrot cake (made to her recipe) moist and well-baked. Need we say more? The VIPs and finalists, among them Raymond Blanc, Mitch Tonks & Valentine Warner, made their way through a food journey, stopping along the way at different stations. There was the Smokery, serving wafer thin slices of Gigha Smoked Halibut and Lardo cured by Capreolus Fine Foods as well as Peter Rabbit's Carrot Paradise where guests nibbled magical purple, yellow & orange carrots grown by Steven Jack. Onto the Beer & Cheese table, where they sipped Brewdog beer and Thornbridge Pale Ale with Courtyard Dairy Cheese, Harts Bakery bread and Abernethy butter. Then it was out into the garden to wait for wood-fired flatbreads from the oven with charred asparagus, Edge & Son sausages, lamb heart skewers and cups of beef broth. Not forgetting the ceviche made to order, ships biscuits and laverbread pesto.
No words do it justice but some pictures might help. So check out our photos here, all taken by the talented and generous Sam Gibson who donated his time to help us capture the evening. A triumph. But all made possible by an extraordinary team of volunteers - some who attend our classes (young and old) and others who offered their time and expertise to make it a unique and memorable evening. Thank you from the Square Food Team.