Cooking For The Best…
Cooking for some of the country’s most respected chefs was a recent honour for Steve Smith, who created a stunning menu for a top UK awards event
Earlier this year Steve Smith of the Freemasons, Wiswell, had the honour of cooking for guests at the prestigious Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs 2022 Awards lunch held at Escape to Freight Island in Manchester.
Steve created a canapé reception and three-course lunch celebrating the wonderful produce of the north of England.
Line caught cod from Morecambe Bay was selected and smoked salmon came from Wellgate fishmongers in Clitheroe.
Ox cheek was sourced from Aubrey Allen and longhorn and shorthorn grass-fed beef from Yorkshire’s Waterford Farm. The fillets were Himalayan salt-aged for 65-70 days.
Two of Steve’s signature dishes, truffle cheese hot dog and lamb fat and rosemary brioche also featured on the menu.
Speaking about the experience, Steve said: “Being asked to create a menu and cook at such a prestigious event was a real honour as we were cooking for some of the best cooks in the country!
“It was also a great opportunity to showcase what the Freemasons does and a fantastic experience for myself and the team to attend and be part of this event.”
At the awards ceremony, Steve and the team at the Freemasons were delighted to have climbed one space in the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs, moving up from sixth to fifth on the list.
The Top 50 Gastropub judges noted: “Food at the Freemasons is all about contrast – experimental meeting traditional. Smith fuses locally sourced ingredients and his love of the classics with wild, sharp world flavours.
“In the hands of a lesser chef it could so easily go wrong but Smith pulls it off with professionalism and gusto, creating a delicious roster of food you have to experience to believe.”
The Freemasons has held a top 10 position in the Top 50 Gastropubs for over a decade. In addition, it was the first pub ever to receive seven out of 10 in the Good Food Guide and has been included in The Sunday Times Top 100 Restaurants – the only pub to make the list.
