Lancashire’s first ever pop up cookery school has served up such a treat that stove manufacturer ESSE is extending its opening so even more people can join in the fun.
The event in Preston’s Fishergate Shopping Centre was expected to last a month – but the response has been so great it will now remain open until August 9.
Hundreds of people have visited the pop up over the last four weeks and have enjoyed demonstrations from a number of top chefs.
Celebrity chef Tim Maddams, formerly of TV’s River Cottage, is among the culinary experts who have been sharing their tips and favourite recipes with visitors to the school and showroom.
The latest event saw Pedro Cebrero, head chef for James’ Places, who also runs Mitton Hall’s kitchen, and David Dugdale, head chef at The Emporium in Clitheroe, wowing guests.
James’ Places, owner of a host of acclaimed Lancashire restaurants and hotels, including The Emporium, Mitton Hall in Whalley and the Shireburn Arms in Hurst Green has been supporting the pop up throughout its run.
And its talented chefs highlighted the performance of ESSE’s latest electric range cooker, the EL 13AMP, putting it through its paces as they produced trademark dishes.
ESSES’ own in-house chef Steven Evans, who trained at Nigel Haworth’s Michelin-starred Northcote Manor, has also been giving demonstrations.
And the team was also joined by a surprise guest. Fernando Nuzzo, who owns a group of Italian restaurants in Portugal, walked in off the street and asked if he could take part! He prepared a quick 30-minute family meal and discussed pasta making.
Local companies and businesses have also taken up the invite to come along and enjoy their own personal cookery lesson during the pop up.
Mark Blewitt, Director of the Barnoldswick-based family-owned stove manufacturer, is delighted with the response the pop up has had.He said: “We wanted to do something completely different to officially launch our latest cooker and have some fun at the same time – and we’ve certainly done that, the response has been absolutely fantastic!
“We’ve been enjoying ourselves so much that we’ve decided to extend the opening so that even more people can see our innovative new cookers, our market leading technology and the talented team of chefs we’ve recruited for the event.
“Professional chefs and home cooks love our range and this has been a chance for people to see what our cookers are all about. It’s also been a tremendous event for all lovers of good food. The dishes the chefs have conjured up have been superb.”
Keith Mitchell, manager of the Fishergate Shopping Centre, said: “This has been a real first for the centre and we’re delighted with the response that ESSE has had. The pop up has created a real buzz.”
ESSE cookers are hand crafted to order. The company, based at the Ouzledale Foundry, Long Ing, has been hand-building stoves and cast iron cookers for more than 160 years.
ESSE cookers and stoves were used in the Crimean War by Florence Nightingale, in the Antarctic by explorers Scott and Shackleton and by the world’s first ‘celebrity cook’ Mrs Beeton in her kitchen.
