Persian food is supposedly trending this year yet nobody has really embraced this trend and done anything to showcase its wonderful versatility and delicate flavour. I have therefore made it my mission to show as many people as possible, just how special Persian flavours really are through a series of pop-up collaborations with some of London’s top Chefs at The Modern Pantry, titled ‘Passage to Persia’.

Passage to Persia is a celebration of the unique flavours, ingredients and techniques of Persian cuisine. Myself and Chef Patron of The Modern Pantry, Anna Hansen, will be hosting 4 very special dinners in October and November to showcase Persian cuisine and share it with the hungry diners of London who are looking for something new and interesting to excite their palates.

In addition to myself and Anna Hansen, I have chosen three other chefs with varying culinary styles and cooking backgrounds to complete our four very special one-off evenings at The Modern Pantry in Clerkenwell. Each dinner will see a different renowned chefs give their own interpretation of Persian cuisine by using Persian ingredients and drawing inspiration from the food of Iran to present a special menu fusing Persian flavours and cookery techniques with each Chefs own unique style of cooking.

The chosen chefs will work closely with both myself and Anna in creating a special menu using known and lesser-known Persian ingredients alongside seasonal British produce to showcase the flavours of a forgotten empire in a unique culinary style, specific to each Chef. Myself and Anna will join each Chef in the kitchen to prepare the menu for diners on each of the four evenings. The chefs are:

Monday 22nd October – Ben Spalding (FULLY BOOKED)
Monday 29th October – Anna Hansen & Sabrina Ghayour collaboration
Monday 5th November – Omar Allibhoy
Monday 12th November – Tim Anderson

(Biographies of the chefs, included below).

Each chef will prepare a 4-course menu for 30 guests using produce from Allens of Mayfair, Natoora and Belazu Foods. Special ‘Black Moth Vodka’ Persian-inspired cocktails will be served on arrival and include wine pairings courtesy of Gonzalez Byass along with tea pairings courtesy of fine tea merchants Lalani & Co.

The Passage to Persia dinners will reveal just how versatile and delicate the ingredients and flavours of Persian cookery really are, dispelling the myths that Persian food is all about kebabs and instead giving diners a glimpse into the food of a culture that is untapped and unexplored by people outside of the Middle East. It’s about time Persian food was put on the map and Passage to Persia is just the beginning.

Dinner are priced at 65.00 per person including arrival cocktail, 4-course meal, wine & tea pairings and service charge. To make a booking, please email: enquiries@themodernpantry.co.uk

We look forward to meeting and feeding you, Persian style!

~BIOS~

 Ben Spalding

At just 26, Ben quickly became one of London’s most innovative and most talked about Chefs after being appointed Head Chef at Simon Rogan’s (Chef Patron of L’Enclume) 2 year London pop-up Roganic. Ben has also worked as a chef consultant at The Ledbury and has done a series of pop-ups in London including his own ‘Stripped Back’ concept on Saturdays at Broadway Market. Ben is soon to join ‘John Salt’ restaurant in Islington as Head Chef.

 Omar Allibhoy

At just 28, Omar is the owner of the critically acclaimed Tapas Revolution in Westfield London and Bluewater. He is also the Executive Chef at London’s renowned El Pirata De Tapas, which was featured in Gordon Ramsay’s Best Restaurant. His career truly took off after training under the watchful eye of world-renowned three Michelin starred chef Ferran Adria of El Bulli and he has also worked at Gordon Ramsay’s Maze.

 Tim Anderson

Tim emerged as the winner of BBC1’s Masterchef 2011 and is now a freelance chef and food writer. His cooking is primarily influenced by his American heritage and his love for regional Japanese cuisine. His Izakaya will open in East London in 2013.

 Anna Hansen

Born in Canada and raised in New Zealand, Anna studied business management before venturing out into the world of food. She first trained as a chef under Fergus Henderson in 1992 at his first restaurant venture, The French House Dining Room. She then worked with Peter Gordon in 1994 at Green Street and again in 1998 at The Sugar Club, Soho. In 2001, Anna, Peter Gordon and partners opened their award-winning Marylebone restaurant, The Providores. In 2005 Anna left The Providores to focus on developing The Modern Pantry, which opened its doors to critical acclaim in August 2008. Since opening, The Modern Pantry has gained two AA rosettes and been listed as a “Bib Gourmand” in the Michelin Guide 2009. She has since appeared on BBC’s Saturday Kitchen a number of times.  The New Zealand Society awarded her the accolade of New Zealander of the Year 2010 and in 2012 Anna was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours.

Anna’s culinary philosophy is driven by the desire to please and excite the palate by renewing everyday cooking with modern ingredients and global inspiration, The Modern Pantry, in fact.