Chatsworth Country Fair

Chatsworth Country Fair 2010

Friday 3rd, Saturday 4th & Sunday 5th September

The Rangemaster Cookery Theatre

In the Fine Food Village, led by Martin Griffiths, the Demo Tent "Anchorman"

Each day, from about 11 am to 4 pm

Our hugely popular and entertaining Cookery Theatre will have running programmes from 11 am until 5 pm every day. This year we have commissioned a professionally equipped stage and set with the support of Rangemaster, with sound sytems and repeater screens

Chefs being what they are, and service what it is, it is not possible to have the schedule until the last moment: the running order will be available at the tent on the day. But there will be plenty of time for questions and hopefully some interesting contributions from some of the exhibitors in the Food Village. We are grateful to our demonstrators, and hope that they don’t burn anything....

Among those who have bravely offered to demonstrate this year, are Rachel Green, TV chef, again with her sous-chef Alan Titchmarsh on the Friday; Alan Coxon who also has a stand in the Fine Food Village; Wayne Rogers of the Cavendish Hotel, Max Fischer of Fischer’s, Rupert Rowley and Tom Samworth of Rowley’s - all three restaurants in Baslow; Mrs Somsrimee of Simply Thai in Buxton; Simon Bradley of East Lodge Hotel in Rowsley; Amelia Horne of Jack Rabbits and Jose Vega of Masa Restaurant - both in Derby.

Our thanks too go to Martin Griffiths, who once again will mastermind, compère, and generally steer proceedings along some sort of orderly lines.

Rachel Green has made a name for herself by her passionate and committed championing of British produce. She has several television series under her belt – from ITV Yorkshire’s Flying Cook and World on a Plate, to Kill It Cook It Eat It on BBC3 and Farm of Fussy Eaters on UKTV Food. Her cookery demonstrations are renowned for their lively exuberance.

She demonstrates all over the country, at the Divertimenti Cookery School in London, at Denman WI College and food festivals throughout the year. A farmer’s daughter from Lincolnshire, her family have been farming in the county for 14 generations, “Food production is in my blood,” she says, “I grew up helping to collect eggs, lamb the ewes, vine the peas.” Added to this is a great family heritage of cooking. “My mother’s quince jelly and lemon drizzle cake is sought after the length and breadth of Britain!”

A title of which Rachel is justly proud is Official Champion for Tastes of Lincolnshire, the promotional body for Lincolnshire produce. She is also Ambassador for Leicester Markets, the Yes Peas campaign and the Traditional Farm-fresh Turkey Association. “It means a lot to me to cook with great produce, I know just how much love, care and skill has gone into it.”

A training in Edinburgh led to a 25-year career in outside catering in London and Lincolnshire, in which she has catered for 8 to 800, and numerous times for the Royal Family. Her culinary skills include modern British, Italian, Thai, Indian, and Vietnamese. “One of the joys of filming World on a Plate was that I learned to cook with a huge range of different ethnic groups - from Jewish to Hindu, and Polish to Jamaican - which was a great privilege and an education. She will be demonstrating for us on the Friday with Alan Titchmarsh as her willing but talkative sous chef! For further information and recipes see her website

Alan Coxon - "The Food Archaeologist" - has established a reputation as one of the world’s favourite TV chefs and presenters, with exceptional culinary talent and an unparalleled knowledge for the earliest origins of world cuisine. His dishes have the rare quality of being both stunning, yet easy to recreate at home.

With a fun, approachable and interactive style, Alan is recognised as a leader in his field, and a highly-respected player by both the world of TV media and by his peers in the food industry.

With three exciting cookbooks, a new range of historic vinaigres, the creation of the globally unique, multi award winning 15th century Ale-Gar, along with numerous radio, magazine and live appearances also to his name, Alan has cemented his place among cookery’s broadcasting elite. Go and see his stand in the Fine Food Village, and his website is here

Max Fischer, Chef Patron of Fischer’s at Baslow Hall

From an early age Max had two great interests – cooking and gardening - and it was always clear to his family that he would choose one of these as a career. Cooking won and at the age of 16 he embarked on a career as a chef. This profession enabled him to travel and experience cooking styles in France, Belgium, Sweden and the UK as well as in his native Germany.

Over the past 20 years, Max and Susan have established a highly acclaimed restaurant with eleven luxury bedrooms in Baslow. Accolades including a Michelin star which has been retained since 1994, 4 Red Rosettes, Derbyshire’s Restaurant of the Year 2008 & 2009 are a few to mention. Max was named as ‘Local Food Hero 2009’ by Derbyshire County Council emphasising his commitment to promoting Derbyshire as a place to eat out and sourcing local ingredients. Max Fischer said “We’re very pleased to have won these awards and it’s a great honour because we’re always keen to use locally sourced produce”.

Since 2002 Max has been supported by Rupert Rowley as Head Chef, and now Max likes to indulge his other passion, the beautiful and extensive gardens at Baslow Hall. However on Sundays, Max is at the helm in the kitchen utilising his freshly picked herbs and vegetables from his Kitchen Garden to complement succulent Derbyshire Lamb and other seasonal main courses.

Max and Susan Fischer and Fischer’s Head Chef Rupert Rowley opened Rowley’s Restaurant and Bar in the village in 2006. Rowley’s offers an all day contemporary restaurant and bar with friendly staff next to Baslow’s pretty village church. The food is a mix of modern, traditional British and is honoured with two rosettes. It is fast becoming an established and popular eating, meeting and drinking destination.

Rupert Rowley, Head Chef of Fischer’s Baslow Hall

Rupert has continued to develop dishes and maintain the Michelin star and 4 AA Red Rosette at Fischer’s in Baslow, Derbyshire over the years. As you would expect he relies heavily on local produce which might include Derbyshire Spring Lamb, Chatsworth Venison, organic Beef and Yorkshire forced Rhubarb. Whatever the time of year the menu at Fischer’s features superbly executed classical favourites as well as those dishes designed to appeal to the more adventurous palate.

Rupert co-owns and has established the two red rosette restaurant, Rowley’s Restaurant and Bar in Baslow village, Derbyshire. He has helped to create a relaxed and informal atmosphere serving exciting local food with menus that change with the season.

In 2009 Fischer’s featured on the Hairy Bikers TV series showcasing the ‘Food Tour of Britain’. In the series, Si and Dave were sampling the best of British fare from across the isles. The Bikers cooked with Rupert and his team in their Derbyshire episode. We won 6 votes to 3 with Rupert’s dish. Even the Bikers said they preferred his dish !

Derbyshire County Council’s 8th annual Food and Drink Awards were held at the prestigious Thornbridge Hall, Ashford-in-the-Water last year. Everyone at Fischer’s were delighted to be named Derbyshire’s Restaurant of the Year for the second year. The nominated food and drink venues were judged on the quality of food, use of county produce and customer service. These awards are great for recognising the abundance of local produce and our continued commitment to do them justice !

Thomas Samworth, Head Chef at Rowley’s Restaurant & Bar

Aged 26, Tom grew up and lives in Stannington in Sheffield. He studied at Sheffield Catering College for three years. Tom worked in various restaurants in Sheffield before moving to Fischer’s where he worked for 2½ years. He then went to work for Gary Rhodes in his fine dining flapship restaurant “RW1” at Marble Arch, London. After four months Tom was promoted to Junior Sous Chef.

He returned to Sheffield last year and was offered the Head Chef position at Rowley’s in Baslow. He looked forward to the opportunity to work alongside Rupert Rowley as well as Max and Susan Fischer again. Tom has fitted in well to running his own kitchen by setting his standards and producing high quality dishes.

José Vega, Head Chef of Masa Restaurant

José Vega’s CV reads like a who’s who of French cuisine. Serving what he describes as a 15 year apprenticeship, he has carved a career that has taken him from the seaside town of Arcachon in South West France to Michelin starred restaurants such as Montacarlo in Monaco. Moving to the UK, he joined Marco Pierre White’s brigade at Titanic, followed by spells at the prestigious 5 star K Club and Crocketts on the Quay, voted one of Ireland’s top 100 restaurants by both Bridgestone and the Irish Times.

Only then did José feel that he had developed his own style and was ready to put it into practice, taking the role of head chef at Masa Restaurant. Since its launch in 2004, Masa has established itself as one of Derby's leading restaurants, enjoying an enviable reputation for its culinary excellence. As a result, the restaurant, which is based in a stunningly converted Wesleyan Chapel on Brook Street just minutes from Derby’s Cathedral Quarter, has scooped a wealth of accolades including two AA rosettes and an Enjoy England Tourism Award.

To José creating new dishes and new menus is what being a chef is all about and since taking charge of the kitchen, he has worked hard to build on Masa’s success. With this in mind, he has strived to combine simplicity and great flavours with his own unique twist, creating a broad and balanced menu that exploits local produce wherever possible.

And it is these key ingredients together with his typically French passion for food that look set to make José as big a hit in Chatsworth County Fair’s demonstration tent as he is in Masa’s kitchen. He is currently creating a special menu of delicious dinner party-style dishes that will allow people to impress their family and friends, without being too complicated to remember and replicate back at home – but on what those dishes will be, he won’t be drawn!

Wayne Rogers, Head Chef of the Cavendish Hotel

Wayne is 34 years old, was born in Plymouth but grew up in Sheffield. He started his career in cooking working in the large hotel groups including Marriott and De Vere. He then went on to work in various Rosette awarded pubs including The Star Inn at Harome, The Mulberry Tree in Lancashire and the Plough Inn at Hathersage before taking up Head Chef at the Nettle Inn at Ashover and the Abbey Inn at Coxwold where he won a Rosette award within 2 months of taking over. He has now returned to live in Sheffield and since July 2009 is the Head Chef at the Cavendish Hotel on the Chatsworth estate, where he likes to make use of the wonderful local produce that Derbyshire has to offer.

Simon Bradley has been head chef at the multi award-winning East Lodge in Rowsley for several years now and his culinary CV has an international flavour that makes impressive reading. At 21, he gained his first 18 months of experience in The Priory Hotel in Bath before securing an apprentice’s position at the Ritz in Paris, which became his training ground in classic French cuisine and provided an excellent grounding in cooking great food.

He returned to the UK after two years, joining the two Michelin star rated Le Manoir, honing and perfecting his skills under Raymond Blanc, prior to an eight year stint at Odette’s in Primrose Hill, London. Simon has worked for some of the biggest names in modern cooking, including BBC Great British Menu critic Oliver Peyton, but Raymond Blanc remains an inspiration.

Currently living in Pilsley on the Chatsworth estate and a stone’s throw from East Lodge, Simon can say with a little more than ‘a pinch of salt’ that he is now a true local, championing excellence in fine Derbyshire cuisine on a daily basis. With the coveted 2 AA “inspectors choice” accolade, winner of Derbyshire Restaurant of the Year in 2007/2008 and short listed for the award again for 2009, a visit to East Lodge has become a must.

Where possible, only home grown and sourced produce is used, to support local suppliers and ensure only the finest ingredients are used. “We have a great rapport with our local suppliers and they are equally as serious and passionate about food as we are,“ explained Simon. “There is no doubt that home grown equals incomparable flavour so when local ingredients are combined with our home grown vegetables, we have a winning combination.”

Phumiphat Auwannasaree is the Head Chef of Simply Thai Restaurant, Buxton. Known as "Lotto", he was born and raised in Saraburi, Thailand. He started his culinary career in 1985 at the Chaopraya Restaurant in Bangkok, learning the finer points of Thai cuisine and developing his skills and his dishes. After three years he was offered a coveted place at a Thai restaurant in Tel Aviv, Israel. After seven years in Israel he returned to Thailand to take on the prestigious role of Head Chef of the Bualuang Restaurant, a high class Thai restaurant with over 1000 covers in Lopburi, Thailand. In 2004 he moved to the UK to become the Head Chef at Siam Thani Thai Restaurant in Nottingham and a year later he came to join Simply Thai as Head Chef.

At Simply Thai he was given the opportunity to produce his own menu, train staff and take complete control of the kitchen. Under his guidance Simply Thai won the Thai Select award from the Thailand Ministry of Commerce for authentic Thai cuisine.

Martin Griffiths was born in Liverpool and moved to Colwyn Bay in his teens, where he was a schoolboy champion of Wales racing sailing dinghies. He also raced “Hot Rod” Bangers and Classic Cars. Trained at Llandrillo, he was acclaimed “Best Student of the Year”, and has worked at the Atlantic Towers Hotel in Liverpool, the Noake Hotel in St Albans, the Compleat Angler in Marlow, the Izaak Walton Hotel, Dovedale, and the Monk Fryston Hotel – amongst others. He lives in Ashbourne, enjoys all styles of international cuisine, and his own preference is for simple foods cooked well, where the flavours speak for themselves.

If Martin demonstrates he will be deciding what to do on the hoof, as he will be using ingredients from the Fine Food Village and Chatsworth Shops at the Fair!

A full list of the exhibitors in the Fine Food Village can be found here

For further information on Chatsworth House and Gardens please visit www.chatsworth.org

01328 821821