After the excitement of day one, we had another day with the ever entertaining Colin and Rich the sound guy who was occasionally seen sorting out screens and microphones.
This was also a very exciting day as we were demoing for the first time ever. More specifically, I was demoing Baz's recipe because he was off running kitchens elsewhere. I'm a techie not a trained chef so it was nerve racking.
This was also a very exciting day as we were demoing for the first time ever. More specifically, I was demoing Baz's recipe because he was off running kitchens elsewhere. I'm a techie not a trained chef so it was nerve racking.
Thankfully, first on was Joe from the Lion and Pheasant and Rob from Maynards Farm. Both were absolute top guys and we were very pleased to meet them.
Joe's breakfast looked like just the thing you'd want to get on a Sunday morning - the backstage team went for it like they had been starved when it came backstage - and Rob's butchery demonstration and explanation of sausage making and bacon curing showed his passion for creating fabulous products.
The treacle cured bacon looked amazing and certainly had a fan in Colin who had been telling us about his bacon before Rob arrived.
Rob was also kind enough to gift the backstage crew some butchered ribs which you will see above - they were spiced and jerked in no time at all. The quality of the pork though - it was succulent and sweet even with a strong marinade.
We went on next and I wholeheartedly apologise to those who listened to my ramblings as I cooked dry spiced chicken, wet jerk chicken, rice and peas.
The two different ways of marinating the chicken gave two different textures but I forgot the scotch bonnets. What a rookie mistake!
Colin helped me cook while being the seasoned professional and making sure that I didn't freeze like a statue or ramble quite as badly.
My real issue though came when I mentioned the Caribbean food stall selling curried goat. Rich and Dewi (Mr SFSDTam) mocked me mercilessly as I came off for messing up my rice (too much liquid, fail), admitting to wanting to steal the Netherton Foundry pans (sorry @NethertonNews) and for sounding obsessed with the curried goat when mentioning it about three times in the same minute. It was lovely goat though - even if it wasn't Baz's curried goat.
Have I mentioned the goat?
Before I went on stage, the very skilled Suree Coates had arrived to prepare and buy some meat for her demonstration. If you ever get a chance to meet her, go for it. She's just gorgeous and so friendly - she was even trying to feed Colin as she was concerned he had been running around like crazy.
She made sweet chilli sauce to show just how easy it is. Incidentally, it really is easy and you could use any kind of chilli you like. Suree showed us some dried chillis backstage too which were new to us and had a totally different scent to any other chilli we'd come across. Her passion for real Thai food is infectious and we're certainly going to try her suggestions in the future.
She used the sweet chilli sauce to make a sirloin dish with rice and her second dish was a smoked duck and vegetable panang curry. Her dishes seemed so simple and looked visually appealing. Thankfully as she was keen to feed the backstage crew with the same concern she had for Colin, it also proved that her dishes were tasty as they were beautifully presented.
Marcus Bean took the stage again to make sure that Sunday's spectators also got to enjoy his lamb starter, chicken en papillote and the wonderful honeycomb dessert. Colin handled the honeycomb like a pro and the Netherton Foundry pan washed again like it hadn't been coated in boiled syrup and Marcus regaled us with his experiences of growing up in a pub.
Finally, Chris Conde took to the stage to talk about his executive chef position at Henry Tudor House and how he's settling in. He made a delightful crab dish with courgettes creating a roll rather than using pasta. He also demonstrating using agar agar to create a tomato jelly.
It was an elegant dish to close the stage with and it was really nice to get to see some fine dining techniques up close.
After Chris finished, all we had to do was clear up, wash up and help Rich pack away. Oh and turn a blind eye to a set of Netherton Foundry pans get hidden from the Festival organiser Andy in a well planned practical joke by two extremely charismatic gentlemen!
Then the journey home to Anglesey to wish away the next twelve months until 2015's bigger, better show. We can't wait to see you all there.
Joe's breakfast looked like just the thing you'd want to get on a Sunday morning - the backstage team went for it like they had been starved when it came backstage - and Rob's butchery demonstration and explanation of sausage making and bacon curing showed his passion for creating fabulous products.
The treacle cured bacon looked amazing and certainly had a fan in Colin who had been telling us about his bacon before Rob arrived.
Rob was also kind enough to gift the backstage crew some butchered ribs which you will see above - they were spiced and jerked in no time at all. The quality of the pork though - it was succulent and sweet even with a strong marinade.
We went on next and I wholeheartedly apologise to those who listened to my ramblings as I cooked dry spiced chicken, wet jerk chicken, rice and peas.
The two different ways of marinating the chicken gave two different textures but I forgot the scotch bonnets. What a rookie mistake!
Colin helped me cook while being the seasoned professional and making sure that I didn't freeze like a statue or ramble quite as badly.
My real issue though came when I mentioned the Caribbean food stall selling curried goat. Rich and Dewi (Mr SFSDTam) mocked me mercilessly as I came off for messing up my rice (too much liquid, fail), admitting to wanting to steal the Netherton Foundry pans (sorry @NethertonNews) and for sounding obsessed with the curried goat when mentioning it about three times in the same minute. It was lovely goat though - even if it wasn't Baz's curried goat.
Have I mentioned the goat?
Before I went on stage, the very skilled Suree Coates had arrived to prepare and buy some meat for her demonstration. If you ever get a chance to meet her, go for it. She's just gorgeous and so friendly - she was even trying to feed Colin as she was concerned he had been running around like crazy.
She made sweet chilli sauce to show just how easy it is. Incidentally, it really is easy and you could use any kind of chilli you like. Suree showed us some dried chillis backstage too which were new to us and had a totally different scent to any other chilli we'd come across. Her passion for real Thai food is infectious and we're certainly going to try her suggestions in the future.
She used the sweet chilli sauce to make a sirloin dish with rice and her second dish was a smoked duck and vegetable panang curry. Her dishes seemed so simple and looked visually appealing. Thankfully as she was keen to feed the backstage crew with the same concern she had for Colin, it also proved that her dishes were tasty as they were beautifully presented.
Marcus Bean took the stage again to make sure that Sunday's spectators also got to enjoy his lamb starter, chicken en papillote and the wonderful honeycomb dessert. Colin handled the honeycomb like a pro and the Netherton Foundry pan washed again like it hadn't been coated in boiled syrup and Marcus regaled us with his experiences of growing up in a pub.
Finally, Chris Conde took to the stage to talk about his executive chef position at Henry Tudor House and how he's settling in. He made a delightful crab dish with courgettes creating a roll rather than using pasta. He also demonstrating using agar agar to create a tomato jelly.
It was an elegant dish to close the stage with and it was really nice to get to see some fine dining techniques up close.
After Chris finished, all we had to do was clear up, wash up and help Rich pack away. Oh and turn a blind eye to a set of Netherton Foundry pans get hidden from the Festival organiser Andy in a well planned practical joke by two extremely charismatic gentlemen!
Then the journey home to Anglesey to wish away the next twelve months until 2015's bigger, better show. We can't wait to see you all there.