Maz Cogo joins The Union Rye as Head Chef

Maz Cogo at The Union Rye (credit Sam Harris)

Maz Cogo joins The Union Rye as Head Chef

Maz Cogo has joined The Union Rye as new Head Chef. Maz has recently moved from London to the South coast, having had head chef and senior kitchen positions at Brat, Legare and Padella. Originally from Brazil, Maz brings with her whole animal butchery skills, live fire cooking and a passion for produce and hospitality.

Bringing her Brazilian heritage to the fore, Maz introduces beef cuts such as Picanha to the menu, salsas and condiments and sea bass ceviche. Other new dishes include Maldon Rock oyster topped with tomato, trout roe and bronze fennel; grilled chicken heart skewers covered in an oregano and sourdough crumb; Violet artichokes with butter beans, green sauce and oyster mushrooms and Cornish mussels in a spicy Sobrasada and heritage tomato sauce. For pudding there’s Basque cheesecake and raspberries and Baron Bigod, grape chutney, cherries and home-made linseed crackers.

Owner and Director of The Union Rye, Rajh Siva, comments, “Maz has cooked at some of my favourite restaurants in London. It’s a joy to have her level of talent and skill in the kitchen and we are looking forward to seeing how she continues to build on the great reputation The Union has in Rye and beyond.”

About The Union

The Union is a restaurant and bar in a beautiful 15th century building in the heart of Rye, East Sussex, with a menu made from seasonal produce that is primarily British and local to Rye and the East Sussex region. The small menu changes daily depending on what ingredients are best and what is available each day.

Taking pride in making as much as possible in house, such as ricotta, black pudding, crackers and ice creams, the team always source the very best ingredients they can, creating unpretentious, simple, and restrained plates of food.

The Union’s sister restaurant, The Plough, is less than five miles away on the Udimore Road with views over the fields down to the sea. The Plough is a countryside destination pub with a menu of small and large plates and a selection of pub classics.

The Union, 8 East Street, Rye, East Sussex, TN31 7JY
Tel: 01797 2229289 | www.theunionrye.co.uk | Instagram @theunionrye

Summer terrace restaurant opens at Water Lane

Clams with fregola, peas and coriander on the May menu at Water Lane

May menu on Water Lane’s restaurant terrace

The opening of the terrace restaurant heralds the start of summer at Water Lane. Opening the season on Wednesday 24th May, the terrace restaurant has a new menu from Head Chef Jed Wrobel, bringing sunshine and Mediterranean warmth to this corner of Kent.

On the menu is Sussex asparagus with ajo blanco and nasturtium capers; squeaky fresh radishes and their leaves and lovage butter; flatbreads cooked in the wood oven with peas, goats curd and mint; summery crab and sorrel salad; clams served over Sardinian pasta in a spiced light broth with peas; bavette with creamed chard and onion rings; punched potatoes with rosemary, thyme and garlic. While the soft berries and stone fruit from the walled garden are a little way off, there is Jed’s legendary tiramisu, plugging the seasonal gap, and a tart and fruity rhubarb and toasted almond fool.

The full menu:

- Asparagus, ajo blanco and nasturtium capers
- Pea, goats curd and mint flat bread
- Radish and lovage butter
- Chicken livers, rhubarb ketchup and thyme crumbs
- Crab and sorrel salad
- Clams, fregola, peas and coriander
- Farinata, golden beetroots, feta and chickpeas
- Bavette, creamed chard and onion rings
- Rhubarb fool
- Tiramisu

-ends-

River Cottage Food Fair

River Cottage Food Fair, a food lover's dream weekend

Tom Kerridge, Nadine Levy Redzepi and Anna Jones lead the line-up for the River Cottage Food Fair, 26-27 May 2018

Some of the country’s leading chefs, cooks, food pioneers and cookery writers are joining Hugh Fearnley- Whittingstall for a weekend of fun on the farm and food for thought at the River Cottage Food Fair on the late May bank holiday weekend.

A food lover’s dream weekend, the Food Fair is taking place at the idyllic River Cottage HQ, a 65-acre organic farm in Axminster, on the Dorset and Devon border. This hugely popular annual event is a treat for all the family to learn new culinary skills, meet the animals and be immersed in a weekend of cooking, growing, relaxing and (most importantly) eating. Held on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 May, the Food Fair is a must-visit for food-lovers and gardeners, to enjoy the sights, sounds and tastes of spring, surrounded by the rolling Devonshire hills, just a few miles from the Jurassic coast.

The Food Fair has a fantastic line-up of food talent, including Tom Kerridge, Anna Jones, Melissa Hemsley, Nadine Levy Redzepi, Alex Hely-Hutchinson, Guy and Geetie Singh-Watson and Gill Meller plus more names to be announced soon.

In the Food for Thought tent Hugh has curated a line-up of speakers, including writer and environmental activist George Monbiot, which promises to provide thought-provoking and possibly controversial, debate and discussion.

The Fair is packed full of activities from chef demos on the main stage and culinary masterclasses including wild cocktails and spicy suppers, cooking over fire with Gill Meller, artisan food stalls, craft workshops, talks and live music to garden and wild food tours with River Cottage foraging guru John Wright. There’s also a new BBQ area where chefs will be sharing their techniques for cooking meat, fish and vegetables over fire.

A team of River Cottage experts and friends will be on hand across the site to share culinary tips and gardening wisdom, throughout the weekend.

Children under the age of 16 go free and will be kept entertained with a huge choice of activities including pasta and pancake making masterclasses, giant bubbles, games, craft workshops, meet the animals’ area, face painting, skittles and hula hooping – to name but a few.

Tom Kerridge, chef patron of the 2 Michelin-starred Hand & Flowers in Marlow, will launch the Food Fair with a special feast on the Friday evening. Whilst at the Food Fair there will also be the chance to dine inside the iconic River Cottage farmhouse and enjoy a two-course menu for £20, featuring the very best seasonal and local ingredients. For those looking for food-on-the-go, there will be a range of street food stands as well as a fully licensed bar serving local ciders, beers, wines and seasonal cocktails under canvas.

Those keen to learn something new can book onto one of the popular masterclasses. Starting at £20 these include Bread & Butter from scratch in an hour, River Cottage Ravioli, Wild Cocktails and Outdoor Cookery, whilst children can learn new skills such as Fresh Pasta and Pancakes. 

For more information and to book event and masterclass tickets, please visit the website https://www.rivercottage.net/foodfair.

The River Cottage Festival will be at HQ on the weekend of 25-26 August and will feature a jam-packed programme of music, masterclass and festival fun. More information as the line-up is confirmed here.

-Ends-

For further press information, interviews or images, please contact Hannah Blake at
The Dining Room on 07730 039361 or hannah@thediningroompr.co.uk

Notes to Editors

River Cottage Food Fair
River Cottage HQ, Trinity Hill Road, Axminster, Devon, EX13 8TB
Saturday 26 May – Sunday 27 May 2018
10am-5pm 

Ticket prices:
- Adults: £12.50
- Children (under 16 years): FREE 

Parking:
- Free park and ride service included in the ticket price

About River Cottage:

River Cottage has been a household name in Britain since 1998, when Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall first brought his hands-on, ethical food ethos to our TV screens.  Since then, the River Cottage books, TV series and Hugh’s hard-hitting campaigns have changed the eating habits of the nation, as well as improving the welfare of our farm animals and the sustainability of our fish.

River Cottage HQ, situated on the Devon-Dorset border, is a thriving organic smallholding. It’s also home to a cookery school and chefs' school, and the base for unique dining experiences and events including weddings and private parties. There are River Cottage Canteens in Axminster, Bristol and Winchester. These award-winning restaurants and delis manifest the River Cottage philosophy by using the very best seasonal ingredients from the surrounding area. Alongside fresh, seasonal fruit, veg and wild foods, the Canteen menus showcase fish and shellfish from West Country day boats and organic meat and dairy products from local farms.

www.rivercottage.net

Cabrito chef producer dinner at Corazón

Mexican inspired goat feast

Corazón host exclusive collaborative dinners with some of the most exciting producers the UK has to offer - launching with James Whetlor from the award winning, Cabrito.

Mexican inspired restaurant Corazón in Soho will launch the first of their one-off producer led dinners aimed at celebrating their love and appreciation for independent and innovative UK producers.

On Wednesday 31 January, chef and co-founder Paul Daniel will team up with James Whetlor of Cabrito, the award-winning kid goat supplier and specialist. As an ex-chef, James founded Cabrito in 2012, feeling he should do something about the waste of male billy goats by the dairy industry – he thought that there had to be a better solution than euthanizing them as a by-product at a few hours old. Calling on his 10 years’ of chef experience and contacts, James set up Cabrito Goat Meat and began working with goat dairies to supply some London’s most celebrated restaurants.

This ticketed event, priced at £35pp, will include an introduction to Cabrito by founder James, followed by a 3-course Mexican inspired menu designed to celebrate the meat’s unique and complex flavour profiles, from Corazón’s Paul Daniel.

Feast style menu for the evening:

‘Corazon’ Margarita or Michelada

 Cabrito Taco: BBQ Goat Leg, Avocado Leaves, Roasting Juices, Guacamole, Habanero Pepper Salsa

Goat Birria: Shoulder of Goat Stew spiced with Housemade Adobo, Guajillo, Pasilla & Ancho Chiles, Mexican Chocolate, Cumin. Served with Warm Tortillas, Chopped Onions & Tomatillo Salsa

Mexican Cinnamon Doughnuts and Cajeta (Goats Milk Caramel)

Chef and Co-founder Paul Daniel comments: "Our kitchen at Corazón is committed to experimentation and taking Mexican food a few steps forward  – always a little better, a little different.  We use the best quality ingredients, all in-house prepped, of course – and we also love to get the diner comfortably out of their comfort zone, with the odd authentically adventurous dish. Goat meat may not be seen as the norm in the UK, but in fact eating goat is very popular in Mexico and South Texas. The meat lends itself very well to the slow cooking we do so much of as it retains its moisture so beautifully.  We teamed up with Cabrito for this one-off collaboration to really showcase just how delicious eating goat can be – what a perfect way to start what we hope to be many partnerships with some of the UK’s most celebrated producers!"

Corazon
29 Poland Street
London
W1F 8QR

www.corazonlondon.co.uk

Tickets: https://billetto.co.uk/e/corazon-x-cabrito-dinner-tickets-251521

For more information about Cabrito contact hannah@thediningroompr.co.uk
and for Corazon Ula@ulamcarthy.com

The Wine Kitchen goes west

Simon Ulph, head chef at The Swan Wine Kitchen in Tenterden, Kent

The Elephant restaurant in Torquay has announced the first date in its next guest chef series. The seafront restaurant, which has retained its Michelin star for a 13th year, will be hosting some of the UK’s top chefs over the coming months.

Simon Ulph is the first chef to take-over on Wednesday 22 November 2017. Simon is head chef at The Swan Wine Kitchen in Tenterden, Kent. Part of the I’ll be Mother family, The Swan is set in the award-winning Chapel Down vineyard and winery, one of the leading English wine producers in the UK.

Simon is cooking a 5-course menu, with each course paired with a wine or beer from Chapel Down. Chapel Down wine expert Freddie O’Sullivan will introduce each beverage pairing.

Simon has previously worked at Morimoto in Napa, California where he developed a passion for Japanese and Asian flavours, which strongly influence his cooking today and most recently as head chef of Thompsons on the Isle of Wight.

Diners at Simon’s guest chef dinner at The Elephant can look forward to the following menu:

A glass of Chapel Down Brut on arrival
~
Cured halibut, Union Red and garlic purée, fermented mushrooms, kale
Chapel Down Union Red
~
Seared Orkney scallops, salt baked and pickled swede, burnt apple and thyme
Chapel Down Orange Bacchus
~
Roasted venison loin, miso braised haunch croquette, smoked pear purée, sauce grand veneur
Chapel Down Pinot Noir
~
Curious cider sorbet, granola and poached blackberries
~
Salted caramel tart, bitter chocolate sorbet
Curious Porter
~
The dinner is priced at £75 per person. As the evening involves the pairings being presented with each course, there will only be one sitting, which will begin at 7.30pm prompt. 

It will be the first guest chef event since Simon Hulstone and his wife Katy took over full ownership of the restaurant, following a management buyout from co-owners and business partners Friederike Etsemmi and Peter Morgan.

Simon commented, “By taking over taking the restaurant, we are putting down roots in Torquay, where we’re all very happy to live. It’s not just about fantastic local produce and the stunning location for the restaurant, Torquay is our home and we can’t see ourselves anywhere else.

Please call 01803 2000 044 or email info@elephantrestaurant.co.uk to book your table. 
 

Simon Hulstone, chef patron of The Elephant in Torquay, Devon