One of Amadeus' leading chefs, Simon Hellier, is stepping up to
the table to co-ordinate a gastronomic feast like no other - The
Birmingham Chefs Alliance Dinner on 13th October. The event will
see seven of Birmingham's finest chefs working together for the
launch of Birmingham Food Fest taking place from 14th - 23rd
October, run by Visit Birmingham.
What's possibly the most complex meal ever undertaken in the
city will see Michelin star trio - Luke Tipping of Simpsons
Restaurant, Glynn Purnell of Purnell's and Richard Turner of
Turner's of Harborne - plus Great British Menu champion Atkar Islam
of Lasan, Andy Waters of Edmunds, and David Colcombe of Opus
alongside Simon, come together at the historic Amadeus venue, St.
Martin in the Bullring to produce the ultimate tasting menu, with
each chef designing and producing a different course.
Amadeus' Simon Hellier, who is Executive Head Chef based at the
International Convention Centre (ICC), Birmingham, has been with
Amadeus for over 20 years and is widely recognised as one of the
most innovative and experienced chefs in high volume
banqueting.
Emma Gray, Marketing Services Director for Visit Birmingham, the
team behind Birmingham Food Fest, said: "We knew that Simon was no
stranger to working under pressure and that he has a wealth of
experience in delivering great food and a fantastic experience for
hundreds, and at times thousands, of people which has in the past
included presidents and prime ministers. We're looking forward to
him co-ordinating the event, which is set to be an unforgettable
night."
On top of ensuring first class delivery of the dinner, Simon is
also designing the cheese course and will be drawing on his vast
banqueting experience with Amadeus, to produce an alternative to
each course for any guests that may have special dietary
requirements - that could amount to a total of 120 different
dishes!
Speaking about the event, Simon said: "This is a once in a
lifetime opportunity - to have all these talented chefs come
together under one roof and deliver a meal in unison is absolutely
fantastic!
"I'm really looking forward to working with all the chefs and
can't wait to get back in the kitchen with Andy and Luke who I
trained with."
Members of the next generation of culinary stars from
Birmingham's leading universities, including University College
Birmingham, will assist with the food preparation and intricate
plating, while the Amadeus front of house team will oversee
service.
The dinner for 180 guests will be hosted by Paul Thandi, Chief
Executive of the NEC Group (parent company of the ICC and Amadeus)
and a board member of Marketing Birmingham, the city's strategic
marketing partnership. Tables of 10 will cost £2000 and the dinner
is being targeted at the city's corporate sector.
Running from the 14th to 23rd October the Birmingham Food Fest
will kick off with the Birmingham Chefs Alliance Dinner and then be
followed by 10 days of special restaurant promotions and a
programme of food and drink themed events and activities, designed
to get people inspired by food and eating out. It will also see the
launch of the Big Brum Cook Book, featuring recipes from 28 of the
city's finest restaurants and bars to celebrate the inaugural year
of Birmingham Food Fest . For more information go to www.birminghamfoodfest.com.