A LITTLE LONDON LUSCIOUSNESS - 20th SEP

When I started doing pop up restaurants in November last year, I never once imagined that by August this year I would've done over 18 events already! Although I've stuck to my plan of 1 public pop up a month, I've had so many requests for private catering gigs that I've been cooking most weekends for the last 6 weeks! I absolutely love it - but also have a full time job, so have been exhausting myself a bit recently!! I decided to have a break from public pop ups in August, although ended up catering a hen do and a baby shower last weekend anyway.

So with no more pop ups this month, my next date is Saturday 20th September. I'm teaming up with Urban Food Fortnight to put on a pop up using locally sourced produce. If you follow my pop ups you'll know that they are all about using sustainably produced, seasonal produce, sourced mostly from the West Country, where I grew up. However there's a different challenge with my September date, as all the ingredients I will be using will have been grown in and around London! Now this might not sound so appealing, but what I'm doing is teaming up with various allotment holders to use their lovely home grown fruit and vegetables, all of which are seasonal, and I am souring all of my meat and dairy from farms in Essex and Kent. It's an exciting challenge and one that's made me come up with a menu that I can't wait to cook...

The menu for 20th September is:

Fig and elderflower cocktail - made to order on arrival (non-alcoholic version if requested)

 

Grilled figs with chicory, apple, candied walnut and gorgonzola salad

 

Slow roast pork belly, fennel gratin, mustard creamy mash potato, buttered cabbage & rosemary and crab apple sauce, served with cider gravy

 

Raspberry mousse with shortbread biscuits

 

Cheeseboard with homemade chutney and rosemary and sea salt biscuits

 

Coffee or herbal tea with homemade chocolates

 

As always, dietary requirements can be catered for, so if you'd like to come but there's something  you can't eat or don't like on the menu, then just mention in the comments section when booking and I can email you alternatives to choose from.

 

Tickets for the pop up are £30 and include a welcome drink. It's bring your own booze on the evening so you can bring your preferred drinks with you. I provide soft drinks for those who want them. Tickets are available here - and have already started selling!

The pop up takes place at our lovely house in Acton - which is easily accessible on the Piccadilly line, or via the overground stations South Acton or Kew Bridge, which link to East and South London respectively.

If you're not quite convinced and want to see what other guests have said, you can read all my reviews here. And here's a couple of photos from my last events....

Walnut and cranberry bread for the starter:
 

Pea and broad bean mousse, with walnut, maple and thyme goat's cheese and a pea shoot and pea salad, served on THE most beautiful plates (which sadly aren't mine!):

 

Summer vegetable salad, piled high with everything that's good and ready in August - courgettes, tomatoes, lettuce, peppers and lots more, dressed with a tahini and lemon sauce:

 

Guests in my garden and a selection of that evening's food, including a blueberry and summer fruit cake, that went down particularly well, served with salted caramel crème fraiche:

So far, I've met some of my lovely readers/fellow bloggers who've booked to come to my pop ups, and it's been so nice meeting you! I hope more of you can make it to one my events soon :)

On another note, I wanted to mention that my last public pop up was in aid of a really important charity called Hope for Tomorrow. We raised a whopping £250 on the night (!) which is being very generously match funded by my day job at River Island head office, so we can donate a total of £500 to the charity. I know this money will be put to really good use, as being a charity, Hope for Tomorrow need all the support they can get. Thank you to everyone who came and made the evening such a success - and lots of fun too.