On my last write up about Camp & Furnace (see here), I attempted to explain a little
of what the venue offers and, having enjoyed the food, ended the post with the
simple proclamation… “I’ll be back!”
Since then I have indeed returned –
for a Friday night “Food Slam” (where I had some fantastic suckling pig and a shawarma and falafel platter) and, later, for the excellent and
entertaining “Rockaoke”.
When I saw that the Michelin starred
chef Glynn Purnell would be cooking as part of their Summercamp festivities, I could not resist another trip down the M62.
The price of the meal also included a one-day wristband…
we arrived early to soak up the “festival of music, food, art, friends and family” atmosphere.
Bands played in the main furnace
room and on the outdoor stage, whilst ‘fields’ of grass topped pallets, plastic
pint pots and portaloos completed the full festival experience.
What’s more, there was sunshine and street food by the likes of the Fire & Salt BBQ and the excellent ice creams of Ginger’s Comfort
Emporium – perfect!
A world away from the usual festival
food offerings (just up some stairs), Camp & Furnace’s photography studio
had been converted into a sleek and slick banqueting hall complete with crisp
white linen and candelabras.
Heirloom Tomatoes – there are few dishes more summery than a good gazpacho and this dish
featured an excellent gazpacho poured over a vibrant arrangement of fresh
tomatoes, basil leaves and oil, strips of confit tomato and a quenelle of fine
tomato concassé.
Organic Salmon, Pickled Cucumber, Wasabi Crumble, Watercress – a delightful dish of subtle curry
cured salmon, sharp pickled cucumbers, watercress leaves and puree with a
delicious wasabi crumble, featuring a powder and crushed wasabi peas.
Slow Cooked Ox Cheek, Pea Custard, Pea Salad, Puy Lentils – the slow cooked ox cheek was
everything it should be but the talking point for those up and down the table
was the ‘pea salad’ set with crisp fresh peas; wonderful flavours and
textures.
Lemon Verbena & White Chocolate ‘Dome’, Raspberries – a lovely end to the meal, the
raspberry components were spot on and the white chocolate dome filled with a
creamy lemon verbena ganache was served at an ambient temperature that made it
melt majestically in the mouth.
Another “boss” evening at Camp &
Furnace – I’ll be keeping an eye out for more of their special events in the
future and making my way down to Purnell’s
in Birmingham.
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