The Brompton Bean

Flavour SenSaTion

Bring your cookery alive with a course at Brompton Cookery School, we can promise everything from

amazing daily bread to exquisite dinner parties.

The magazine of Brompton Cookery School

iSSue 001 July 2014

Cover and this image copyright: John-arandhara-Blackwell

2 SIMAGZ | May 2014

ConTenTS

Summer Courses

Book launch

Diary Dates

Bake-off returns

Stay at Brompton

new online Shop

04 06 10

07 08 11

Marcus is out and about across the country this summer from major food & drink shows to regional food festivals. Make sure you catch up with his latest demonstrations with our diary dates page.

We are very excited to announce the launch of Marcus’ first book, this September. entitled Chicken: The new Classics. Get a sneak peak of what to expect on page 7.

Brompton Cookery School has an amazing array of courses for all ages, tastes and abilities. Discover what’s coming up over the next three months and take advantage of our very special offers.

We are delighted that the second Great Shropshire Bake-off is return-ing to Brompton. Find out how to enter and have your cakes judged by Marcus and our expert judges.

Set on land owned by the na-tional Trust and part of the atting-ham estate, Brompton couldn’t be in a more picturesque location. Why not discover our gorgeous farmhouse B&B.

now it is even easier to give a Brompton cookery course as a present with gift vouchers now available on line.

3 SIMAGZ | May 2014

a warm welcome to the first issue of the new Brompton Cookery School magazine. it has been

18 months since Jenny and i bought the school complete with its array of wonderful outbuildings and beautiful B&B. i can only say it has been a magical time for the whole family.

our aim at Brompton is simple. To ignite or even re-ignite your passion for cooking. Whether its

learning to forage for your own seasonal ingredients, honing your existing skills or embracing a completely new skill, we have a course to suit everyone.

WelCoMe

Marcus and Jenny Bean

4 SIMAGZ | May 2014

CookS’ ParaDiSe

Set amongst the rolling countryside of Shropshire and forming part of the national Trust’s attingham estate,

Brompton Cookery School is the perfect environment in which to perfect your culinary skills.

CHeCk ouT our SPeCial oFFerS on THe neXT PaGe

5 SIMAGZ | May 2014

We have lots of courses over the next three months, so no matter what your passion you are sure to find something you love. Whether it is for you, a relative

or friend, a course at Brompton Cookery School makes the perfect gift. We have planned many of the courses this year to fall on subsequent days, giving you the opportunity to make a weekend or short break with us. Shrewsbury just three miles down the road is a fantastic place to spend some time if you are visiting us, as is the rest of Shropshire. You might even want to stay with us, see page 10 for details of our farmhouse B&B here at Brompton. For more details on each course visit www.bromptoncookeryschool.co.uk

July Courses

30th July: Junior Full Day, please see panel for more details and special offer

31st July: Family Fun Half Day, please see panel for more details and special offer

august Courses

Saturday 2nd august: Taste of india

Sunday 3rd august: Taste of Shropshire

Tuesday 5th august: Traditional Bread

Wednesday 6th august: Taste of italy

Saturday 16th august: Back to Basics

Sunday 17th august: Seasonal Suppers

Wednesday 20th august: Summer Dining

Friday 22nd august: intro to Fish & Shellfish

Saturday 23rd august: advanced Fish & Shellfish

Thursday 28th august: Stylish vegetarian

also in august

21st august: Secret Supper Club, 7pm

22nd august: Demo & Dine, 6.30pm

September Courses

Friday 5th September: Back to Basics

Saturday 6th September: Traditional Bread

Sunday 7th September: Cupcake Crazy (1/2 day)

Saturday 16th September: Speciality Bread

Friday 19th September: Back to Basics (1/2 day)

Saturday 20th September: Taste of asia

Sunday 21st September: Divine Desserts

Saturday 27th September: Taste of Shropshire

also in September

Friday 26th September: Secret Supper Club

SuMMer SPeCialS! Don’t miss out on these great summer offers on up coming courses.

Junior Full Day - Wednesday 30th July

Get the summer holidays off to a tasty start with our Junior Full Day course. Suitable for children aged 10-16 this is a fun filled day for all those budding chefs whose passion for food has started at a young age. The day will begin at 10am when participants will meet the chef and get shown to their work stations for the day. after watching a demonstration on each recipe they get the chance to recreate it. They will com-plete 4 to 5 recipes throughout the day and will stop to have lunch around 1pm to sample some of their creations. The day finishes at 4pm when they will box up the rest of their dishes to take home and enjoy with the rest of the family.

Special Price: £90, normally £110 (Save £20)

Family Fun Half Day - Thursday 31st July

This course is designed for an adult and child. Cook up some fabulous treats during this superb half day of family fun. You will be greeted with a coffee, tea or soft drink. our chef will demonstrate creative and fun recipes and then you will start cooking together. You will break for a relaxing lunch in our stunning dining room and eat some of the dishes you have prepared. The dishes which you have created and not indulged will be packaged up for you to take home. Sur-prise your family and friends with what you have achieved! Children should be over 10 years. 10am-2pm.

Special Price £120, normally £150 (Save £30)

6 SIMAGZ | May 2014

Jimmys Farm Sausage & Beer Festival, 26th and 27th July

Marcus will be joining a host of other top chefs for a weekend of great music and food in the Suffolk countryside.

Great Taste Festival of Food & Drink, 21st September

Taking place at Clumber Park, the Festival of Food and Drink has great food, fabulous producers, award winners, special guests and exciting dishes to try.

Shrewsbury Flower Show8th and 9th august

Marcus will be cooking on the main stage both days and Brompton will also have a stand so do come and say hello.

Mold Food Festival20th September

Mold Food & Drink Festival show-cases outstanding local produce, celebrity chef expertise and live music to create a fabulous foodie weekend for the whole family.

BroMPTonon Tour

JulY - oCToBer

ludlow Food Festival12-14 September

Marcus will hosting Friday’s Top Chef’s Stage, demonstrating over the weekend & launching his new book. There will also be a pop-up cookery school all weekend.

The Big Food Show24-26th october

The Big Food Show is coming to Westpoint in exeter. So if you are in the south west be sure to catch Marcus on stage on Sunday 26th october.

148 149r u n n i n g h e a d r u n n i n g h e a d

Serves: 4Preparation time: 2o minutes, plus

chillingCooking time: 10 minutes

12 asparagus stems2 eggs 2 smoked skinless chicken breasts (see

page xxx), cut into 12cm/½–¾in pieces2 tbsp Mayonnaise (see page 203)1 tbsp chopped chives1 tsp chopped tarragon leaves1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted and diced3 vine tomatoes, deseeded and finely

choppedsea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil over a high heat. Add the asparagus, return to the boil and simmer for 1 minute until just tender. Drain well, then put the asparagus into a bowl of ice-cold water to stop them cooking further.

Meanwhile, bring another saucepan of water to the boil over a high heat. Gently lower the eggs into the water, then boil for 6½ minutes. Lift the eggs out of the water, using a slotted spoon, put in a bowl of ice-cold water to stop them from cooking further and leave to cool for about 5 minutes. Peel in the water, to stop them from breaking, then drain and cut into halves.

Mix together the chicken, mayonnaise, tarragon and chives and season with salt and pepper. Cut off the tips of the asparagus spears and set aside, then chop the rest of the stems into small pieces.

To assemble the verrine, have all your ingredients set out in front of you and have four 300ml/10½fl oz/scant 1¼ cup wide tumblers handy. Start with a layer of the chicken mixture at the bottom of each tumbler, then a layer of mango, then the asparagus, then tomato, and finish with half an egg and 2 asparagus tips. Repeat until the glasses are full. Garnish with the asparagus tips and chill until you are ready to serve.

Poached chicken, mango, soft-boiled egg & English asparagus verrine

I love the texture and flavour of smoked chicken and when served with English asparagus you get that lovely flavour of the English countryside. The soft-boiled egg and tomatoes bring it all together nicely. It doesn’t just look great, though, it taste great too.

7 SIMAGZ | May 2014

Chicken is a superb meat. Tender and full of flavour, it is fantastically versatile, inexpensive and healthy.

Few foods blend as well with different ingredients and flavourings as chicken does. and the humble bird is having a renaissance as the cost of beef, lamb and pork soars.

We’ve all grown up with the iconic roast chicken and much-loved dishes such as chicken

soup and coq au vin. But so often we fall back on the same old dishes, time and time again. Marcus Bean has made it his mission to show us how to rediscover chicken, and reinvent our repertoire of chicken recipes. Whether you want to slow-cook, stir-fry or stuff chicken, or you are preparing a confit, casserole or curry, Marcus gives you innovative and inspiring dishes.

The book is packed with infor-mation, advice on mastering techniques such as jointing and

spatchcocking, and truly mouth-wa-tering, memorable recipes. The recipes themselves draw on time-honoured classics and are then given a modern twist. Take a fresh look at burgers, for ex-ample, and try a Chicken & Slow-roast Tomato Burger with Pesto Mayonnaise for a family meal, or serve up a contem-porary take on the traditional chicken and mushroom combination, with the asian Chicken & Mushroom Ballotines, for a show-stopper. Here you’ll find eve-rything you need to make a brilliant meal – and rule the roost!

Chicken: The new Classics is published in September.

CHiCken: THe neW ClaSSiCS

8 SIMAGZ | May 2014

entries are now open for the sec-ond Great Shropshire Bake off which will take place on Sunday

28th September at Brompton Cookery School. last year’s inaugural event was a run away success with more than 100 delicious entries for the formal and gen-eral bake-off categories.

Home bakers and professionals from all over Shropshire can now apply to take part in the formal baking heats with ce-lebrity judges picking the winner. Places are limited to just 15 so don’t delay; the £40 entry fee will be donated to the

Shropshire rCC Carers appeal, the sole beneficiary of the Bake off.

The Great Shropshire Bake off marquee will house the general Bake off event on the same day where everyone in Shrop-shire is encouraged to bring along their home-made cakes, pastries and biscuits for judging by an expert panel.

it is also the venue for a pop-up tearoom and plenty of family activities. There will be a children’s cookery area, demonstra-tions from Shropshire’s best chefs and delicious, home-made refreshments. Sam Gray from Middle Farm will also be bringing her piglets along for the day.

Marcus explains: “The Bake off is a great family day out, there will be lots to do, plenty to eat, including some gorgeous cake of course and all this is in aid of a really good cause”.

elodie Home, Community Fundraiser for the Shropshire rural Community Coun-cil said: “We are really excited to be hold-ing our second Great Shropshire Bake-

Join uS For THe GreaT

SHroPSHire Bake oFF

off. last year was a brilliant success, with over 600 people coming along to witness the hundreds of cakes and pas-tries. This year, we have got even more activities for everyone to enjoy, so enter cakes, come along and enjoy a great day out for all the family and raise money for the Shropshire rCC at the same time!”

For more information, contact elodie Home at the Shropshire rCC on 01743 237888 or visit http://www.shropshirebakeoff.co.uk

9 SIMAGZ | May 2014

Bespoke CoursesBrompton Cookery School can offer a range of exclusive cookery courses tailored to meet your individual needs.

We can design a day, half day, residential or demo and dine course for hen and stag parties, birthdays, anniversaries, dinner parties and corporate team

Marcus has run the last two london Marathons and in the process has raised nearly £2,500 for MnDa, Motor neurone Disease association. His next challenge is the Great north run on 7th September.

Marcus will be taking part in the Great north run for the third time on 7th September and he is hoping to beat his personal best time of 1hr 51 minutes.

if you live in the north east then by all means come along and cheer Marcus on! He has been training hard over the last few months with his daily runs near the cookery school.

He will be running for MnDa, The Motor neurone Disease association which funds and promotes global research into MnD and provides much needed support to people affected by the condition.

if you would like to support Marcus and help raise money for The Motor neurone Disease association, then he has a JustGiving page which you can accessed by clicking the link below:

http://www.justgiving.com/owner-email/pleasesponsor/Marcus-Bean3

runninG Man

building events. if you are a larger group we can organise your day – why not split the experience by cooking for one half of the day whilst the other group does another activity – then swap over!

The cookery school kitchen has been designed to take sixteen people with ease and is equipped with every-thing you could possibly need. Chefs will demonstrate dishes and then be on hand for questions and advice when it is your turn! You want to enjoy a Demo and Dine, you simply watch our chef create your delicious dinner, picking up a few tips along the way. enjoy the freshly prepared meal in our stylish dining room. Can-dlelight and fresh flowers all help to create a wonderful ambience.

Call 01743 761629 to discuss how we can help with your event planning.

10 SIMAGZ | May 2014

Brompton farmhouse bed & break-fast is set in the heart of Shropshire, just 3 miles from the medieval mar-

ket town of Shrewsbury, a haven for the boutique shopper and lover of fine food.

The accommodation is set on two floors. on the first floor there are 3 double/ twin rooms available all

with bath/ shower en suite. each room boasts spectacular views across the Shropshire hills and countryside. on the second floor there are an additional 2 double/ triple rooms with a shared bathroom, ideal for a larger family.

Breakfast is served in the main din-ing room where you can enjoy a cooked breakfast using only the

best local produce.

During the evening you can sit and relax in front of the open fire in the drawing room.

www.bromptonfarmhouse.co.uk

STaY aT BroMPTon

“an island of peace! Thank you!” Hanz and David Seitz

“What a treat!” nina Bailey

“very friendly welcome, fantastic room, beautiful house, lovely breakfast. See you again soon.” Gemma Wyles

“lovely home and setting. very relaxing and welcoming. Thank you for a lovely stay.” Mark, Sara, Millie, olivia Burgess

“Tip top!” ray and linda Hawkes

“Can we come again?” Joan and John Trip

“very relaxing, lovely food and attentive service.” Marc and Jo Schawemaber

“lovely setting, great breakfast, lovely atmosphere.” Chris Holmes

11 SIMAGZ | May 2014

We have big plans for our out buildings at Brompton Cookery School, which we will be able to share with you in later editions. This month we’ve kickstarted our expansion with our online shop. We will be adding items to the shop over the coming months starting with gift vouchers which are now online to purchase.

THe Buzz on BroMPTon

neW onlineSHoP

TWiTTer & FaCeBookFor all the latest news from Marcus and special offers from Brompton Cookery School simply follow us on twitter or like us on face-book. You can find us at:

@bromptoncookery

www.facebook.com/brompton.cookery.school

Brompton Cookery Schoolnr. atcham, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY5 6le

email: info@bromptoncookeryschool.co.uk

Telephone: 01743 761 629

www.bromptoncookeryschool.co.uk

12 SIMAGZ | May 2014