In 2010 we were asked if we could put on a demonstration at the county showground in Stafford. For his live performance Chef Daniel did a main course and a dessert. Today, we would like to bring you the video of the dessert:

Chocolate Truffle with fresh Raspberries & vanilla flecked cream

If you want a copy of the recipe then right click here to dowload the PDF copy of the show handout

In 2010 we were asked if we could put on a demonstration at the county showground in Stafford. For his live performance Chef Daniel did a main course and a dessert. Today, we would like to bring you the video of the main course dish:

Rack of New Season Lamb, with a warm salad of new potato’s &
asparagus with a mint & red wine dressing

If you want a copy of the recipe then right click here to dowload the PDF copy of the show handout

A few weeks ago we decided that it would be great to enter our village scarecrow contest. The neighbourhood we live in has a very strong sense of community that is totally contagious, so we just couldn’t resist. My lovely wife put her creative skills together and with the aid of cushions, straw, scrap wood and a few bit of chef wear, we came up with the following:

I came up with the blackbirds from old sock, yellow golf tees, straw and garden wire. At 10 o’clock on the Sunday  morning, the assembled scarecrow was installed on the end of our drive. Hundreds of on-lookers came past and took photo’s of “Marco” and we did pretty much the same by playing village tourists for the day.

Sometime later in the day, we got a text message from some friends to congratulate us on our winning entry. The judges had stealthed in, put a 1st Place rosette on Marco for first place in Traditional Scarecrow, Business category.

Thank you, a great day and it certainly put a smile on our faces to get a prize.

Starting a restaurant at the very beginning of the recession was not one of our brightest ideas. Hindsight is a great predictor of how things work. During that time we have gone from strength to strength. In the first year our proudest moment was winning Best Newcomer of the Year in the Taste of Staffordshire Awards. In 2009 we were listed as a UKTV Food Hero in 2009. The crowning glory was a coveted listing in the Good Food Guide in 2010, only four places in Staffordshire made it.

It’s not been all awards and glory, there have been some real challenges from sacking dishonest staff to vandalism, theft and leaking ceilings. Each of these was dealt with and we have progressed onwards and upwards. A real inspiration for us came at the beginning of 2009 when Daniel Pilkington replaced our outgoing head chef. Dan has taken each new menu to higher standards. Through his knowledge of some great local suppliers and produce, each dish is continuously perfected. Our real key to growing during these difficult times has been in keeping an eye on quality and trying constantly, to improve on what we have done before.

Who knows what the rest of 2010 will bring, but we are looking forward to our 3rd birthday and many beyond that. A big thank you to some great locals who dine with us, supply us and work as a team with us.

It’s that time of the year again, beer flows freely in the Town Hall. Sadly, the twice yearly event may be losing the Autumn slot due to lack of volunteers. The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) organise the festival. Many brewers around the country supply the beer and then it’s down to a set of dedicated enthusiasts to run the whole thing.

Given the popularity, this attracts a lot of visitors and also a lot of work for the kind folks who donate their time freely to support their passion. In an ideal world, they would be enjoying their hobby from the other side of the tressel table.

If you can give a few hours to this Great British tradition, so shall we. For the Autumn Festival, we will happily donate a special menu of fresh hot smoked food from the kitchen of 99 Station Street, on site at the town hall,  for those who work for free on the day. Anyone else out there want to donate: time, sponsorship or other support to prevent the next Burton Beer Festival being cancelled?

Next week is a Great British festival of local ingredients. Game has been on the menu since hunter could errrm hunt and this is the height of the season for gorgeous autumnal fare. We are celebrating the week with an extra menu of game dishes, in addition to our current a la carte. The full menu can be seen online by clicking here.

British game is something that focuses the pallate on the season and also on what is available from our great countryside. It brings out the true craft of the butcher and the chef and this campaign allows us to share this with our friends each year.

We have a great line up for this summer night in the comfortably air
conditioned, 99 Station Street.

ALAN FRANCIS
Scottish comedian ALAN FRANCIS first came to the notice of comedy
audiences when he won Channel 4's So You Think You're Funny Award
in 1991. Since then his reputation has grown as a writer, stand-up and
actor.

"the beautifully observed performances captures all the manic
ambivalence of a Hello Magazine culture." The Times

STEVE DAY
Steve Day is a truly unique comedian - warm, witty and engaging whilst
dealing with the dilemmas of being a deaf man in a hearing world.His
stories of multiple children, wearing a suit and the problems caused
by not knowing how words are pronounced will have audiences in raptures,
and his uplifting tales of overcoming the obstacles in his path will
leave crowds feeling inspired.

A printable flyer is available by clicking on this line.

Compere Pete Smith

£15 in advance to include main course or £18 on the night.