Special Events
Most recent special event
Asian Fusion Cuisine Dinner with Phansit Srisaeng, Wednesdsay 6th July 2011
As anticipated this was a very special evening with James teaming up with local Thai chef, Phansit Srisaeng to explore the best of Asian cuisine using fresh local ingrediants and with a touch of clasical European influence thrown in. Each of six dishes served were matched with wines from around the world. For more information see our themed wine tasting dinners page.
Here James and Phansit are pictured working in the kitchen trying out a few ideas for the menu .......
.... and here with some expert guidance from Brett Stephens, trying out wines to accompany the dishes!
Other past special events have included
Exeter Festival of South West Food and Drink, Sunday 1st May 2011
James was again one of the chefs appearing in the cookery theatre at the South West's premier food festival, the Exeter Festival of South West Food and Drink, now in it's eighth year and bigger and better than ever.
Michael Caines (pictured here with James), the two Michelin starred chef at Gidleigh Park and champion of South West food and drink is the driving force behind the Festival. Through the work of Michael and his team the Festival continues to attract top name sponsors and exhibitors from across the South West. The cookery theatre remains one of the star attractions and James is delighted thay following his first appearance last year he has been able to again contribute to the programme of cookery demonstrations which took place across the three days of the Festival.
This year James, assisted by Matt Rutter (seen here plating up their dishes), prepared Herb Spätzle with Spring Vegetables and a Moorish Custard with Cinnamon Donuts, both dishes appear on his present menus.
This year James was locked in a 'head to head' cook off with Adam Little, head chef at Exeters' Harry's Restaurant. The audience was treated to two excellent demonstrations using great local produce and the the atmospher enlivened bu some friedly competition and banter between the two chefs. James is already looking forward to another demonstration next year when the Festival is bound to rise to even greater heights.
Charity dinner in aid of the Calvert Trust Exmoor, Wednesday 13th April
We were delighted to once again be able to support the good work of one of our selected charities, the Calvert Trust Exmoor, by hosting this charity dinner. The Trust empowers disabled people of all ages through enabling them to participate in outdoor adventure. Every year the Trust helps thousands of people with disabilities to take part in activities they may otherwise not have had the opportunity to enjoy.
We were pleased to have a full restaurant this evening for which James prepared authentic Spanish dishes – appetisers, starter, main course, a cheese dish, dessert and petit fours - accompanied by three different Spanish wines. You may view, download and print the menu and wine list for this dinner by clicking menu.
For each person attending £20 was donated to the Trust’s bursary fund making a total of £920 which was further uplifted to around £1,200 through use of Gift Aid. The total contributed to the Trust was boosted further to close on £1,500 by the proceeds of a raffle on the night.
Feast of Dorset food festival, Sunday 19th September 2010
Venturing further afield James, with support from Jess undertook a cookery demonstration in the cookery theatre of this fantastic festival in the grounds of Deans Court in the pleasant market town of Wimborne. The emphasis was on demonstrating the use of local produce in two dishes that keen amateur cooks could prepare at home. The dishes were; a main course of Taw estuary fish with Winkleigh cider and laver and; a pudding based on use of local wild damsons and hazelnuts. For more information on the Feast of Dorset see the Festival website. Maybe we'll see you at the Festival in 2011.
Exeter Festival of South West Food and Drink, April 2010
Exeter Castle and the adjacent Northernhay Gardens in the centre of Exeter is the venue for the South West’s largest food and drink festival. This year, in the ever popular Festival cookery theatre, James went 'head to head' with Mark Dodson of the Masons Arms, Knowstone, in one of the professional chef demonstrations. See the event website for more information, also the feature in the North Devon Journal.
North Devon Food Fest 2009
A highlight of the 2009 October Celebration of Food here in North Devon was the North Devon Food Fest in Barnstaple’s famous Pannier Market. This year’s event attracted over 10,000 visitors to a market packed full of local producers selling a wonderful range of fresh produce
and gastromonic delights! In addition to the delicious food and drink on sale, there was the extremely popular chef’s demonstrations and live music – all contributing to making it a great day out for all the family!
As in last years inaugural North Devon Food Fest, James was one of the local chefs demonstrating their skills and hoping to encourage visitors to ‘try it at home’ – cooking enticing meals using fresh local imgrediants. And it was at Food Fest that James's restaurant was announced as Best Restaurant in the 2009 North Devon Food and Drink Awards.
Charity Cookery Demonstration
Also in October James presented a cookery demonstration in the kitchen of St Michael's School, Tawstock, near Barnstaple in aid of the Kika Trust. The demonstartion, attended by 25 guests squeezed into the school kitchen, raised over £1,000 for the Trust which is a charity set up in England to raise funds for the Kika Orphanage Cultural Troupe in Uganda. Kika works with orphaned or abandoned children and young people in Uganda. It seeks to rehabilitate the children and give them back their self esteem through dance, music and education.
In the half day event, James prepared and cooked a three course 'dinner' which guests were able to sample afterwards. The dinner comprised a starter of wild mushroom soup; a main course of rare roasted wild venison with celeriac purée, fondant potato, spiced red cabbage and glazed shallots in a red wine sauce; and a dessert of hot chocolate fondant with a hint of orange served with Baileys ice cream and berries.
Charity Dinner
And, in yet another event in October, James is proud to have hosted a charity dinner in
aid of the Calvert Trust Exmoor, a charitable body which provides life changing outdoor adventure for people with disabilities. Forty six guests filled the restaurant for a six course dinner raising £900 for the Trust's bursury fund.
Together with the North Devon Hospice, the Calvert Trust Exmoor is one of the two charities that James will support in 2010 through hosting charity dinners and undertaking cookery demonstartions and cookery masterclasses.
Westerly BMW Partnership
During August and September 2009 you may have seen a smart little yellow Mini convertable with the James Duckett logos on it around Town. The car was supplied by North Devons’ BMW and Mini dealership Westerly Barnstaple as part of their partnership arrangement with the Restaurant aimed at bringing their respective customers something special.
The Partnership celebrated two important dates. September 12th was the 50th anniversary of the launch of the original Mini while August 6th was the first anniversary of James opening his restaurant in Barnstaple. During August and September Westerly sponsored a special wine offer in the Restaurant; it rewarded its existing customers across North Devon with an exclusive offer for them to dine with James under preferential terms; and there were prize draws both in the Restaurant and at Westerly's September big Ride and Drive event to win dinners for two at the Restaurant. For the Restaurant draw the prize also included a fully expensed weekend use of the winners choice of BMW car from amongst the Westerly fleet. Shown above in front of the Restaurant is lucky winner, Kellie Hughes receiving the keys to her choice of a BMW Z4 car from John Cass, Westerly's Group Marketing Manager, with James looking on.
John said “The partnership made perfect sense as we and James share a very similar customer profile and draw customers from the same wide area.”
For his part, James is couldn’t be more pleased with the partnership. “It was an appropriate way to celebrate our first 12 months in North Devon” he said. And he went on “We try to team with quality businesses which delight their customers with their products and services. It’s the same with our suppliers where I only source from the best and where my emphasis is on quality local produce. Our partnership with Westerly BMW was driven by the same shared values and it was a great opportunity for both of us to deliver something a little extra to our valued customers”.
