'Meat' the chefs

 

Stoke Park, the luxurious 5 AA Red Star Hotel, Spa and Country Club is a well known glamorous destination for Londoners and visitors to the UK. It sits within 300 acres of beautiful parkland and lakes, attributed in part to Capability Brown and Humphry Repton. The Mansion is located in Buckinghamshire so easy to reach for those in London, from international airports, and also about 35 minutes drive from Henley-on-Thames.  It boasts a world-class, 18-hole golf course, state-of-the-art gym facilities and a notable spa. Stoke Park also hosts The Boodles prestigious tennis championship every year.

 

Chris Wheeler and Jean-Christophe Novelli join five other top chefs for a night of exquisite cuisine at Stoke Park! Henley Life was invited to join a special evening at Stoke Park in March --  a banquet with a difference, courtesy of Chris Wheeler, their executive chef who presides over the hotel’s acclaimed restaurant Humphries. He had gathered together a team of seven talented chefs who each cooked up a signature dish most of which were meat themed, hence the title for the event, MEAT the chefs. 

 

Chris was joined by his former boss, French cuisine star Jean-Christophe Novelli, Masterchef The Professionals finalist Louisa Ellis, The Miller of Mansfield's Nick Galer, Dez Turland, Hari Ghotra and the All England Club’s Robert Kennedy (pictured above).

 

We were greeted with a Pommery Champagne reception, followed by the dinner accompanied by fine wines from Justerini and Brooks. Guests were seated in the stunning Fountain Room, the exact spot where the characters from the British film Layer Cake hatched their plan. As courses appeared, each chef came out to explain their dish and answer questions from the delighted diners. Jean-Christophe Novelli was on top form and joked with guests about his life as a celebrity chef. “When you are at Stoke Park you know you are dealing with excellence. It is known around the world for its British legacy and I loved every moment of coming to Stoke Park, cooking for and meeting all the guests. It was a magical evening.”

 

Chris Wheeler is the UK Ambassador for the Quality Standard Mark Beef and Lamb scheme, and this was a brilliant way to showcase British meat in all its glory. He commented: “We were thrilled to welcome a group of extremely talented chefs to Stoke Park to cook up a fantastic seven-course dinner for our guests and also to be working alongside the Quality Standard Mark Beef and Lamb scheme, of which I am honoured to be the UK Ambassador. There was an incredible atmosphere and we hope our guests had a fantastic night!”

 

The entire evening cost £115 per person. Contact Stoke Park for more information on future events on 01753 71 71 12 or email epage@stokepark.com or visit  www.stokepark.com