Meet Three Amazing Chefs Cooking at Living North's Christmas Fair in York
Top notch cooking and terrific tipples - Living North's Christmas Fair is the place to see it all
Adam Maddock
Executive Chef at Saltmoore
Tell us about your background.
I started cooking at 14. I worked at a place called Tanners, then Gidleigh Park for two years and Whatley Manor for four-and-a-half years. Then The Manor House and down to The Driftwood in Cornwall, then up in Scotland. A supplier rang me and said there’s something happening in Yorkshire, do you mind if I pass your details along, and that’s how Saltmoore came about – it was really organic.
What has developing the menu with Tommy Banks been like?
We’ve just bounced ideas around and our visions were very similar and very aligned for what we want to cook and how we want it to be delivered. It’s been great. We’ve had the use of Tommy’s kitchen as we’re still in the building process at Saltmoore, and having Tommy and his team as extra support is great. Obviously they know the area really well which is a massive help if you’re a chef – knowing where to go for suppliers is key.
Can you give us a sneak preview of what to expect?
The brasserie is going to be good food sourced as responsibly as possible, with all the classics in there like pork crackling and nods to Oldstead from Tommy’s farm. Things like Whitby crab tart, chicken liver parfait, steak tartare, steaks, burgers, fish pies and sausage and mash (the sausages will come from Tommy’s farm). I think one of the favourites is probably going to be the Whitby crab tart. I think whenever ingredients come into season and are at their best, that’s what’s most exciting to cook with.
Tell us what to expect from you in the demo kitchen at Living North’s Christmas Fair.
I was going to do a little scallop dish with Jerusalem artichoke and a hazelnut vinaigrette. We’ll open the scallops on the stage and give a bit of insight into how you prep them because a lot of people get put off buying them when they go to fishmongers. We’ll show them how easy it is to prep a scallop and cook it, and how little time you actually need.
What do you hope guests take away from Saltmoore when it opens in November?
Just that they want to come back again! You want to cook what you believe in but you also need to cook what people are going to enjoy, remember, and come back to enjoy again. Whitby and Sandsend are places where they have a long tradition of families who go there year after year, and you want to become that place for them.
Angus Mason
Owner of Newcastle Cocktail Kitchen
How did Newcastle Cocktail Kitchen begin?
I got into doing cocktails quite late, in my late 20s, and had worked pretty much every other job in hospitality. I realised I was more drawn to what bartenders were doing and was in Edinburgh at the time, and my favourite restaurant was Aizle. They had a position come up and I finally found my groove. I came back to Newcastle and got a job at House of Tides, which was a fantastic place to work and I stepped up as bar manager. When Solstice opened there wasn’t a role for a full-time bartender so I started pre-batching cocktails so servers could just pour it into a glass. I soon realised that there was a potential business there. Loads of bars were struggling with staff and there was a market for creating this excellent product that was easy for staff to serve, and that’s how Newcastle Cocktail Kitchen was born.
How do you build a cocktail menu?
It’s all about balance really. You have to have something really accessible for those that are more fussy, you’ve got to have something strong and bitter, and it’s about making them all work together rather than just as individual cocktails. I like to work seasonally too, and it’s important to get your ingredients when they’re at their best. I’m just getting rid of all the strawberry things from my menus now because the strawberries I’m getting in aren’t very good, but then you’ve got things like elderberries which are growing on my doorstep so it makes sense to use them instead. I’m more ingredient led than spirit led which is probably a bit different from other bartenders, but that’s just because of my restaurant background – I’ll build a drink around a seasonal ingredient rather than start with a nice vodka.
Tell us what to expect from you at Living North’s Christmas Fair.
The most interesting drink visually that I have is called Madame Butterfly. It’s a blend of whisky and rum as the base, and then I’ve got amaretto, Granny Smith apples, a maple verjus, and then I wash the whole cocktail with brown butter. I’ll be going through the importance of using better ingredients but also humble ingredients like apples.
And if you had to pick a favourite cocktail?
A negroni!
Matt Leivers
Head Chef at The Old Liquor Store
Tell us about your background before The Old Liquor Store.
I worked around the country at different sites from the age of 15. The last 10 years I worked mostly at Andrew Pern’s company, including The Star Inn at Harome, and The Star Inn The City. Before that I was doing a bit of everything, from Michelin-starred kitchens to good pubs. I came here about year-and-a-half ago.
What inspires the menu at The Old Liquor Store?
The menu is about Italian-inspired relaxed dining. We’re not an Italian restaurant by any stretch but we did take a lot of inspiration from the classic flavours of Italy. In the daytime we’re more of a brunch spot, and in the evening we offer small plates, wine and a really good cocktail menu. We also do Sunday lunch which has become really popular.
Tell us something on the menu that’s exciting you at the moment.
We’ve just launched our autumn menu which involves a lot of root vegetables and warming food. We just try to make it cosy, and the menu reflects that. I’d say right now the prawns al guazzetto are great (prawns cooked with cherry tomatoes, brandy, parsley and garlic), done with a really nice rustic roll. It’s dead simple but really moreish.
What can we expect at Living North’s Christmas Fair?
I think we’ll probably display similar things as to what is on the menu. Small plate-style dishes, using a lot of classic Italian flavours, with some familiar stuff and hopefully some things people haven’t seen before. Hopefully, people will get to see the style of food we do – we really do do something for everyone.
Tell us a handy tip for cooking at home.
I really like working with fish. I love monkfish or a chunky piece of seabass – anything like that. Leave it in the pan and don’t try to play with it because the skin will peel off. Let it get a nice crust on it before you turn it. Undercook it and then let it rest – that way it’ll be cooked perfectly every time.
Thursday 14th November
11:00
Marlon Sanchez
The Judge's Lodging
13:00
Stephanie Moon
Chef Consultant
Friday 15th November
11:00
David Paddle
Black Dog Wine Agency
12:00
Adam Maddock
Saltmoore
13:00
Chris Garrett
The Staveley Arms
14:00
Angus Mason
Newcastle Cocktail Kitchen
Saturday 16th November
11:00
Neil Bentinck
Skosh
12:00
Matt Leivers
The Old Liquor Store
13:00
Peter Sidwell
14:00
Jon Appleby
Feversham Arms
15:00
Peter Sidwell
Sunday 17th November
11:00
Tomahawk
12:00
Kurtus Auty
Bosun
13:00
Olayemi Adelekan
Yummy by Design
14:00
Chris O'Callaghan
Aldwark Manor
