By Denis Sheehan FIH, Publisher, H&C News: Expectations of monumental hospitality delivered by Tom Kerridge and Allianz Stadium.
Chef News is sponsored by Kitchen Porters Club
Sometimes hospitality is too special to decline, a recent invitation to enjoy such from the team at Allianz Stadium, The Official Home of England Rugby came into that category.
The invitation was to a dinner being held in the private dining room at Kerridge’s Bar & Grill, Corinthia London, where Tom Kerridge was doing the cooking, and as it transpired service too.
The dinner was arranged to introduce a group of media people to the fine dining offerings from Allianz Stadium’s hospitality team. Kerridge has been working with the hospitality team at the at Allianz Stadium for seven years. The dinner was set to unveil his latest menu concepts for the Autumn Nations Series and share a glimpse into a day of hospitality at a major rugby international.
Corinthia London is simply exquisite, as you appreciate the moment you enter. Similarly, as you venture into Kerridge’s Bar & Grill your senses deliver a distinct nod confirming you have chosen well. With your expectation bar already set high, being greeted by Kerridge and his team when you enter his private dining room, raises them again.
As the assembled group sat down to a perfectly laid table my attention was on the kitchen area at the end of the room where two chefs were busy assembling the appetizer, a Hand and Flowers sausage roll with mustard mayonnaise. The rolls were served with ample fresh bread and butter. It would have been all too easy to consume too much bread and butter, some control not to was required. The sausage rolls brought a whole new dimension to comfort food.
Before the starter course was served Kerridge addressed the table, setting out his partnership experience over seven years with the Allianz Stadium hospitality team. Explaining how the hospitality experiences at the Allianz Stadium all shared menu elements from his numerous restaurants around the country. The food on match day is then complimented with wine options from nations playing England, South Africa got a special mention. He was also clearly a fan of the match day experience, sharing how he likes to chat with fans pre and post-match about the games as much as the food and drink.
The starter courses were then served, and Kerridge joined the front of house team. He has in the past incidentally shared with us his view that service is more important than food.
The starter course was Cured Chalk Stream Trout & Rillette with Pickled Cucumber, Apple Jelly and Caviar, with Salted Crackers. The dish was led by the trout, delicate with mild nutty flavour and slightly sweet undertones, sitting on a bed of rillette topped with the pickled cucumber and apple jelly. It was a complex mix of flavours, complimented by the wafer like crackers, and signed off well by the caviar. As the image shows, the dish was presented beautifully.
The main course followed, Fillet of Hereford Beef with Café du Paris Butter and Red Wine Sauce, Baby Gem with Salad Cream and Crispy Beef, Marmite & Parmesan Roasted New Potatoes.
I had gone to the kitchen area to watch the chefs pan fry the beef, every moment of precision and care was rewarded, the fillet was impeccable, easy to cut even easier to savour, especially coated in butter and red wine sauce. The Marmite and parmesan potatoes, like the sausage rolls comfort food personified, more please.
For dessert we were served with Treacle Tart, Cornish Clotted Cream. Simple looking and straight back to comfort food, both combined to deliver a decadent sensation and like the potatoes I almost asked for more but resisted, just.
The assembled group were great company for the evening and undoubtedly added to the extraordinary culinary experience we enjoyed. Hospitality is a multi-sensory experience and the prelude that evening to what to expect throughout a day of hospitality at a major rugby international at the Allianz Stadium was more than promising.
Next month the Autumn Nations Series at Allianz Stadium sees England take on New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Japan. Not being a rugby aficionado, I am led to understand from friends that are, these are all big games. Served alongside the hospitality I experienced they will be monumental. If you are interested in learning more here’s where to start.
I would like to thank Tom Kerridge and his colleagues for the amazing culinary experience, Laura Jefferies and Nils Braude for their hospitality, and Sophie Comyn and the team at Hunt Communications for the invitation.
Denis Sheehan FIH
