The (Pop up) Smokehouse @ The Obar brings authentic southern state American soul foods to Leicester

A new and exciting dining experience is coming to Leicester…for four weeks only.

The Obar in Braunstone Gate is launching a pop-up smokehouse kitchen on November 7^th featuring authentic smoked dishes.

The menu for The (Pop up) Smokehouse @ The Obar has been created by chef Liam Watson, who will be using an authentic grill imported from the States and smoking meats for up to 14 hours.

“The grill can happily smoke ten or 12 racks of ribs or a whole suckling pig,” explained Liam. “We use meat from local, traditionally bred Gloucester Old Spot and Long White pigs. Both are old English breeds famous for their flavour and succulence.

“We will cook our meat over hickory and oak pellets, to build a balanced smokey flavour. This, together with our signature spicy rub and the long slow cooking process of up to 14 hours, creates the tenderest, tastiest piece of meat you'll ever eat.”

The (Pop Up) Smokehouse @ The Obar will be housed in the upstairs room at The Obar, and is designed to add something new to the dining scene not just in Braunstone Gate but in the city of Leicester.

“Smoked food is very much on trend at the moment but we believe that this authentic approach to smoking food could be a first for Leicester,” said Lauren Pepper, general manager at the Obar.

“In true pop-up style, the restaurant will be open for a limited time only so it’s a case of ‘catch it while you can’.”

The Obar is part of the independent Orange Tree Group of pubs and bars in Leicester, which also runs The Orange Tree in High Street, The Lansdowne in London Road, and The Basement in Wellington Street.

Liam, 25, who has experience of working in rosette standard kitchens, and is usually based at The Lansdowne, will be smoking meat, vegetables and cheese. He has developed his own blend of salts, dried herbs and spices for red meats, and another for poultry and fish.

“I use these to dry cure the meats, drawing out the moisture and breaking down the proteins, and then when it comes to cooking, these flavours are easily drawn in,” he explained.

“The smoking processes work particularly well on vegetables too, such as fennel, aubergines and carrots, so we will have options for vegetarians, as well as interesting side dishes.

“We thought it would be fun to offer something experimental and something unique. One of the reasons it is unique is that it is quite a challenge to achieve these techniques and flavours – some meats will be rubbed, cured, smoked and prepared for days before they are brought to the plate. This concept is an exciting one for us and perfect for a pop-up model, seen mostly in London, but unique to Leicester we believe.”

Liam, who has been a chef since he was 18, has created a number of signature dishes, including pork ribs (St Louis cut) with an Obar rub & bbq glaze and 14-hour pulled pork and pulled pork chilli con carne.

All dishes at The Smokehouse can be complemented with perfectly matched crafts beers available at The Obar.

The (Pop up) Smokehouse @ The Obar will be open from 6pm to 9.30/10pm Monday to Saturday and from 2pm to 7pm (tbc) on Sundays. For bookings, telephone 0115 255 8223 or email obar@orangetree.co.uk

For more information visit www.facebook.com/thesmokehouseleicester

Press release issued by Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Luke Evans Bakery raises more than £200 for Teenage Cancer Trust as part of National Craft Bakers’ Week

Derbyshire baker Luke Evans Bakery has raised more than £200 for the Teenage Cancer Trust after taking part in National Craft Bakers’ Week.

The bakery visited Riddings School and encouraged pupils to get creative with cupcakes following a demonstration and hands-on session.

The company also staged a cupcake decorating workshop at its premises in Greenhill Lane, Riddings, and ran a raffle.

The bakery, which supplies bread and cakes across Derbyshire, as well as parts of Nottinghamshire and Staffordshire, has supported National Craft Bakers’ Week regularly.

Now in its fifth year, the campaign is organised by The National Association of Master Bakers and The Scottish Association of Master Bakers and supported by the baking industry.

“We were pleased to get involved in National Craft Bakers’ Week, which highlights and promotes craft bakers in local communities, and delighted to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust,” said Helen Yates, operations director at Luke Evans Bakery, which was founded in 1804.

“I’d like to thank all our customers and everyone at Riddings School who supported our fund-raising efforts.”

Luke Evans cake decorator Sharon Dance, pictured, ran the demonstrations, supported by Charlotte Dennis, who is also part of the Luke Evans Bakery team.

Luke Evans Bakery supplies around 300 trade and wholesale customers, including shops, delis, schools and universities, as well as selling direct from its shop in Riddings, near Alfreton.

For more information about Luke Evans Bakery visit www.lukeevans.co.uk

Press release issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Launch of luxury top loader hot dog roll for caterers by bakery specialist Butt Foods Ltd

A new premium hot dog roll has been launched by Butt Foods Ltd to help caterers take advantage of one of the fastest-growing menu trends in the UK.

The seven inch luxury, top-sliced roll is aimed at restaurants, pub chains and event caterers who offer gourmet sausages as hot dogs.

According to a Horizons Menurama survey in the summer, hot dogs have become one of the most popular items on the menu and are now in the top 20 most frequently listed main course dishes, edging out scampi and chips from its top 20 placing.

The hospitality consultancy revealed that hot dogs, with a gourmet twist, are now featured on 85% more menus than they were last year.

The egg-glazed hot dog roll developed by bakery specialist Butt Foods is baked individually rather than batch baked, which means there’s no join mark, and each roll is quick frozen to retain freshness.

Simply thaw and serve the fully baked item…adding gourmet sausages and toppings to create a first-class meal.

“The toploader hot dog roll has been developed to help caterers take advantage of the growing trend towards ‘haute dogs’, which are proving to be a popular choice for consumers,” said Butt Foods Ltd managing director David Williams.

“A number of national chains now include gourmet hot dogs on their menus, and our new hot dog roll provides the perfect bread for the job. They are ideal for gourmet event caterers who are looking to make the most of their offer, as well as restaurants, pub chains and other hospitality outlets.”

Available in two flavours, classic and brioche, the big softy toploader hot dog roll is one of a range of bakery products, including naan breads, flat breads and fruit breads, supplied by Butt Foods.

Based in Nottingham, the firm was established in 1990 and now bakes up to 60 million products per year for European foodservice and manufacturing markets.

For more information visit www.buttfoods.co.uk

Press release issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Food and Drink Forum helps Leicester firm secure Oxford Street deal

Lucy Cufflin

Leicester food producer Lucy’s Food has won a contract to supply tray bakes to a flagship Oxford Street store after taking part in a project run by The Food and Drink Forum.

The Leicester Food Specialist project provides two days of free support to eligible food and drink manufacturers in specific parts of the city in a bid to help the food and drink sector develop and grow.

Cake maker Lucy’s Food turned to business support organisation The Food and Drink Forum for advice and mentoring about how the firm could gain a recognised industry accreditation which would open doors with much bigger customers.

It led to the company winning an order to supply a range of cakes to two cafés in the Debenhams Oxford Street branch. It is the company’s first national order and the firm’s biggest order to date.

Lucy Cufflin, who runs the business, said: “It’s been an incredible journey forward for our business. It’s a big step because this means we can look at getting orders from much bigger customers that we haven’t been able to approach before. Richard Wigley, the senior technical manager at The Food and Drink Forum, has been someone from outside telling us how it will work on a different scale.

“The Leicester Food Specialist project has been a great opportunity to realise what The Food and Drink Forum can do for us in an on-going relationship. Rather than trying to invent it ourselves all the time we can go to them for help.

“The Debenhams order is a regular large scale order coming in which means we can employ more full-time people and look to purchase more equipment.”

The £94,500 Leicester Food Specialist project is being funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), which is providing more than 60% of the cost of the scheme, The Food and Drink Forum, and Leicester City Council through the Working Neighbourhood Fund.

The service, which runs until December 2014, is offering two free days of support to start-ups, micro businesses and small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises in the food and drink sector in the city centre area. This could cover a range of support from technical advice and packaging services to marketing, help with new routes to market or accreditation.

The two days of support is for a maximum of 25 companies and there are eligibility criteria for those taking part.

Lucy’s Food has been operating in the Leicester area since 2006, producing and supplying a variety of food products to local delis and cafés, but more recently the firm, which has premises in Putney Road West, has been concentrating on its popular tray bakes and cakes. It is currently supplying Sam's rocky road brownies, Leicestershire honey flapjack and orange, almond and mascarpone cake to Debenhams.

Trained chef Lucy Cufflin is the author of the cookbook, Lucy’s Food.

Her firm is one of 15 companies that have already got involved in the Leicester Food Specialist project.

“We are very pleased to hear that Lucy’s Food has won this deal with Debenhams after taking part in the Leicester Food Specialist project and being given advice and support by The Food and Drink Forum’s team of experts,” said Forum general manager Fay Davies.

“Our role is to support food and drink businesses across the region and beyond with their development. The Leicester Food Specialist project is just one area that we are working in at the moment, and it’s great to see that the project is already achieving results.”

The next event being held for eligible firms focuses on labelling and branding and takes place on Thursday 17th October at Leicester College between 8am and 9.30am. It is also open to Food and Drink Forum members.

For more details about the Leicester Food Specialist project, eligibility and the next event, email enquiries@foodanddrinkforum.co.uk or call 01159 758810.

Press release issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Cupcake decorating organised by Luke Evans Bakery as part of National Craft Bakers’ Week

Derbyshire baker Luke Evans Bakery is taking part in National Craft Bakers’ Week which is raising cash for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

The Riddings-based bakery is helping the younger generation to get involved in baking by visiting a local school and encouraging pupils to get creative with cupcakes.

Members of the Luke Evans team will give cupcake decorating demonstrations to pupils at Riddings School on Friday 11th October before letting the youngsters have a go themselves.

The bakery, which supplies bread and cakes across Derbyshire, as well as parts of Nottinghamshire and Staffordshire, is also staging a cupcake decorating workshop at its bakery in Greenhill Lane, Riddings, on Saturday 12th October from 10am to noon, with the opportunity for visitors to have a go themselves.

It is also holding a raffle during National Craft Bakers’ Week, which runs from 7th to 13th October. First prize is a voucher for an 8” celebration cake worth up to £47 and tickets are available from the Luke Evans shop in Greenhill Lane.

Now in its fifth year, the campaign is organised by The National Association of Master Bakers and The Scottish Association of Master Bakers and supported by the baking industry. The event is encouraging everyone to ‘love their baker’ and visit their local craft bakery.

Luke Evans Bakery, which was founded in 1804, regularly gets involved in the campaign and this year has organised a number of events to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

“National Craft Bakers’ Week is an excellent way of not only raising the profile of craft bakers and what they do, but also of helping a charity too,” said Helen Yates, operations director at Luke Evans Bakery.

“We’re looking forward to giving cupcake decorating demonstrations and encouraging others to roll up their sleeves, get their aprons on and have a go.”

Visitors to the workshop on Saturday 12th October are encouraged to put their names on a list in advance at the Luke Evans shop but can turn up on the day, numbers permitting. Entry is £2, plus 50p for a cupcake to decorate. All proceeds will go to the Teenage Cancer Trust, which is the only UK charity dedicated to improving the quality of life and chances of survival for the six young people aged between 13 and 24 diagnosed with cancer every day. The charity builds specialist units within NHS hospitals that bring young people together to be treated by teenage cancer experts in a place designed just for them.

Last year, events held across the UK as part of National Craft Bakers’ Week raised more than £2,000.

For more information visit www.lukeevans.co.uk

Press release issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk