Club Gascon’s ‘Marmite Royale’ Awarded Best Dish at Taste of London
Some of the world’s top chefs and restaurateurs descended on Regent’s Park last night for the Taste of London VIP preview evening in the festival’s Secret Garden. Michelin-starred chefs including Theo Randall, Wolfgang Puck, Jason Atherton and David Chang made up the guest list at the star-studded foodie event.
Some of London’s most passionate celebrity foodies including Alex James, Vanessa Feltz and Gizzi Erskine were amongst the many guests picking up culinary advice from the star chefs.
The star of the show, and winner of the Best in Taste Award 2012, was Club Gascon with ‘Marmite royale and soldiers’ a playful dish served in an authentic Marmite jar. A delighted Pascal Aussignac said “I’m honoured to win this award, especially in front of such wonderful London chefs. It’s an amazing feeling and I am so proud of my team.”
The winning dish is a grown-up twist on one of Britain’s most talked about food stuffs, and contains two secret ingredients that Pascal keeps closely under lock and key. He explained his inspiration behind the winning dish, “I’ve always loved to play with ingredients and create dishes that take a much loved ingredient and make people love it even more. The dish is a combination of culinary influences and techniques from my French homeland and my adopted home London.”
This is the second year running that Club Gascon has won Best in Taste Award, and Pascal already has his eyes on making it a hat trick next year, “Club Gascon is firmly on the Taste of London map, I will certainly be back next year to defend my title!”
The evening was hosted by Joe Warwick who alongside a panel of critics of food writers and chefs, including David Chang, Charles Campion, Richard Vines, Zoe Williams, Bill Knott and Tracey Macleod, spent over six hours tasting world-class dishes from some of the capitals top restaurants.
Revered critic Charles Campion wasn’t surprised by the decision: “It’s wonderful how every year manages to be a vintage year. After other hard day eating incredible dishes by London’s best chefs, it was difficult to pick a winner.”
Coming in an admirable second place was Spice Market with black pepper shrimp and sun dried pineapple, one of the restaurant’s most popular dishes and its ‘icon dish’ at the festival. In third place was new London restaurant opening Cinnamon Soho with Bheja Fry a dish of lamb brains in mince curry.
With the Best in Taste dishes revealed, wine tipster, Neil Phillips announced the fiercely contested Best in Taste Wine Awards sponsored by Baccarat.
Such was the high-standard of entries this year, for the first time ever the judges made a special recommendation award to Carmel Road Pinot Noir 2010, Monterey, California USA. The judges felt that this was an excellent quality wine but not an aperitif style and thus wanted to recognise accordingly.
The Best Restaurant Wine List, one of the most eagerly anticipated awards of the evening, was awarded to Launceston Place. The restaurant fought off strong competition from runners up Coq D’Argent and Iberica.
Neil Phillips, who announced the winning wines commented: “The annual Best in Taste Wine Awards have attracted a wonderful array of wines from all corners of the world. The standard of entries that we received this year was exceptionally high and it was incredibly hard work whittling down the top three contenders in each category.”
Best in Taste Award
1) Winner: Club Gascon – Marmite Royale and soldiers
2) 1st runner up: Spice Market - Black pepper shrimp and sun dried pineapple
3) 2nd runner up - Cinnamon Soho - Bheja Fry: lamb brains in mince curry
Best in Taste Wine Awards sponsored by Baccarat
Aperitif Wine Award – Cantine del Taburno Falanghina del Sanno 2011, Campania Italy
Innovation Wine Award – Cline Cellars Viognier 2010, North Coast, California USA
White Table Cloth Award – Ager Taurasinus Greco di Tufo 2009, DOCG Campania Italy
Best Restaurant Wine List – Kensington Place
* Special Mention: Carmel Road Pinot Noir 2010, Monterey, California USA
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ABOUT TASTE OF LONDON
Having launched an average of two events per year since its inception at Taste of London at Somerset House in 2004, Taste Festivals will be hosting 15 restaurant festivals in 2012 setting a new benchmark for food and drink events worldwide. Following the huge success of managing 56 festivals in 20 cities around the world to date, the team is now looking forward to welcoming its millionth customer in 2012.
Taste of London runs from 21 to 24 June in Regent’s Park, London. Tickets on sale now www.tastefestivals.com/london
Pre purchased Ticket Prices
Standard (entry only) £24.00
Child (entry only) £12.00
Premium (entry + £20 of Crowns) £40.00
VIP (fast track entry + VIP area, glass of champagne & £20 of Crowns) £60.00
Laurent-Perrier Masterclass (VIP benefits plus entry to one LP Masterclass) £80.00
Secret Garden £90.00
(Fast track entry + Secret Garden area, glass of champagne, £30 of Crowns, plus a host of Secret Garden VIP benefits)
Crowns are the official Taste of London currency used to purchase food and drink consumed at the event.
For more information about Taste of London visit www.tastefestivals.com/london
Restaurants at Taste of London 2012
Le Gavroche - L’Anima - Theo Randall at The Intercontinental – Benares - Busaba Eathai - Opera Tavern - Blue Elephant – Tamarind - Patara - Rhodes 24 - ORA - Gauthier Soho - Whitechapel Gallery - Club Gascon - Bar Boulud – Yauatcha – Sake No Hana - Bocca di Lupo - Aurelia – Gaucho - The Hinds Head - Launceston Place - Spice Market – Kensington Place - Coq D’Argent - Asia de Cuba Nouveau – Maze - Petrus - The Savoy Grill - Iberica - Cinnamon Soho - Pollen Street Social - Barbecoa - Corner Room - Cotidie
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