Blueprint Café’s Mini Patel embarks on a Great British flavour trail
Shad Thame’s much-loved Blueprint Café has mapped out a quartet of dinners designed to tour some of Britain’s finest flavours. Chef Patron Mini Patel has invited brewers, wine makers, distillers and fishmongers to showcase their products, each supported by a matching menu from Mini. From July to September – and from Fife to Cornwall – these Thursday night dinners represent a gastronomic journey around the nation.
Blueprint Café has collaborated with Tanqueray fin on its summer terrace menu, so Mini’s flavour trail begins in Fife – the only place in the world where the fin is made. On 5th July, Mini will welcome Tanqueray’s Ali Reynolds to team up on a five-course botanical feast playing homage to the four botanicals in Tanqueray London Dry Gin. Utilising ingredients associated with gin, such as coriander seeds and cardamom sauce, the menu pairs a cocktail of Tanqueray London Dry Gin, Betroot Shrub, Coco Lepez and Thyme with Cheltenham baby beetroots roasted in liquorice sheep’s curd, cobnuts and nasturtium leaves. To finish, Treacle tart, bergamot and Devon clotted cream will be served with a Juniper Prince, Tanqueray London Dry Gin, Bergamot Syrup, Fernet Branca and Blush Cider cocktail.
A night of South Downs wines follows on 26th July, when Mini welcome Nyetimber’s Steffan Griffiths and a clutch of the producer’s choice bottles. Raised by master of wines, Steffan grew up touring Europe’s vineyards and discovered Nyetimber while hosting events in the cellars on Berry Bros. & Rudd. This five-course menu will kick off with Nyetimber’s Classic Cuvée Multi-Vintage matched with Hot, sweet and sour Colchester oysters and also makes room for Baked Cornish sole, gooseberries, preserved fennel and citrus with a glass of Rosé Multi-Vintage.
The next stop on the flavour trail is just 1.5 miles away in South Bermondsey, home to the Small Beer Brew Company. Brewed between 0.5 and 2.8% ABV, their beers represent an entirely new underpinned by great flavour, while cutting out the slow-down often associated with higher-strength products. Co-founder James Grundy will join Mini at Blueprint Café on Thursday 23rd August, when these innovative beers will be matched to five meat-focused courses, including the Original Small Beer Lager with Short rib croquettes with mustard mayonnaise, and the Small Beer Steam with Grilled sirloin of Hereford beef with lovage, sticky brisket, wild mushrooms and dripping-cooked chips.
On 27th September, Mini’s British odyssey concludes all the wall down in Cornwall. The region’s fish and seafood supplier Flying Fish will be visiting the restaurant, to bring a flavour of the coast to the shores of the Thames. Drawing the catch of the day from boats in Loee, Brixham, Newlyn and Plymouth, Flying Fish is devising a menu with Mini to accentuate its sparkling-fresh produce.
Links to all dinners:
Let the Evening Be Gin: https://shop.danddlondon.com/product/minis-summer-supper-club-series-let-the-evening-be-gin/
An Evening of English Wine and Fizz: https://shop.danddlondon.com/product/minis-summer-supper-club-series-an-evening-of-english-wine-and-fizz/
An Evening of British Beef and Beer: https://shop.danddlondon.com/product/minis-summer-supper-club-series-an-evening-of-british-beef-and-beer/
Cornish Fish and Seafood Dinner: details to be revealed soon
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