Special Events

Forthcoming Events

Charity Cookery Masterclass, Petroc, Monday 23rd August

From 09:00 until 14:30 I'll be demonstrating the preparation, cooking and presentation (to include tasting) of a three course meal taken from my current restaurant menu.  I'll be aiming to give keen amateur cooks an insight into not just the preparation of this one set 'dinner' but demonstarting a range of skills and techniques as used in professional kitchens which may be applied more generally with considerable benefit at home.  

The cost for this event is £65.00 per head and all proceeds will go to help the wonderful and much needed work of the North Devon Hospice.  The venue is the fantastic new training kitchen at Petroc (North Devon College) which the College is generously making available to us.  The use of the overhead camera and projection system in the new kitchen means that participants will get a really close up view of every step.

We're aiming for around 30 participants with the goal of raising some £2000 for the Hospice.

You can read more about this event, including details of the dishes which I'll be preparing by clicking on the feature in the North Devon Journal.

If you'd like more information or to book your place(s), please email me,  telephone me on 01271 370123 or contact Emma Lowe at the North Devon Hospice on 01271 347213

Feast of Dorset 2010, Britains best loved food and drink festival, Deans Court, Wimborne, Dorset, 18th-19th September

Venturing further afield, I'll be undertaking a cookery demonstration in the cookery theatre of this superb and much loved food and drink festival on Sunday 19th September at 14:30.  You will be able to keep in touch with unfolding events surrounding this festival by clicking on the Festival website.  It's a wonderful venue and a great day out.  I hope to see you there.

Recent Past Special Events have included

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”.  

Exeter Festival of South West Food and Drink 2010