The social enterprise, Blend Kitchen, first welcomed customers to its stylish new premises at Ward’s Exchange, on the ground floor of the online educational publishing house, the head office of Twinkl, when hospitality en plein air resumed on April 12.
Its owner and chef, Chris Hanson, founded Blend Kitchen in 2017 with the aim of providing “structured hospitality training and paid work experience to people marginalized by a lack of access to rights, resources and opportunities.”
Chris has received support and help in making his dream come true from a number of people and businesses, including hospitality consultant Justin Rowntree, former owner of Silversmiths Restaurant; Twinkl; Front and 93ft creative agencies; companies D&J Brittian and Phoenix Kitchens and many more.
Justin helped Chris raise the £ 350,000 he needed to turn what Chris describes as a ‘concrete shell’ into a specially designed place on the city’s first stretch of bars and restaurants.
The result makes it a fantastic dining experience thanks to the visually appealing and mouth-watering dishes; exceptional service and the modern yet completely comfortable “multi-purpose” event space.
We started our experience with a warm welcome and were immediately shown to our table, which was well spaced from the dining area closest to us, creating a feeling of privacy and security.
Soul classics played softly in the background as my table mate and I chose king prawn dumplings appetizers and homemade focaccia bread with tomatoes, olives and rosemary with olive oil. olive and balsamic vinaigrette, respectively.
The focaccia was perfectly cooked and melted on the palate, and the blend of North African spices present in the olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette was divine. Meanwhile, my table mate immensely enjoyed the tasty steamed king prawn dumplings firm and needed the Sheffield steel spoon to get the last drop of the deep, rich broth.
Moving on to the main course, I selected smoked paprika with falafel with roasted red peppers and hummus with caramelized onions in a pita bread, while my table mate opted for the seared sea bass, chorizo, slowly roasted tomatoes, tender broccoli, and we shared garlic and herb hasselback potatoes.
The homemade falafel and hummus, both of which are my favorites, were the best I’ve had in a long time and the hasselback potatoes were tasty and delicious. My table mate relished every bite of the bar.
I concluded the meal with a heavenly honeycomb affogato, and my table mate did the same with a two-way mango dessert – parfait and sorbet – spiced with aromatic basil and black pepper, accompanied by ‘thick bursts of delicious white chocolate and I found it to be a true symphony of flavors and textures.
Overall we were really impressed with the food, and it is certainly of a high enough standard to compete with other restaurants on a stretch of Sheffield which is always popular with foodies.
Not only that, but by dining there you are helping support a business that seeks to empower and change the lives of some of the most vulnerable and disenfranchised.
Chris, who trained at Barnsley College and cut his teeth at the Whitley Hall Hotel, explained how the more people there are at Blend Kitchen, the more resources they have to create positions and experience for people. .
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Source: www.thestar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-07-03 10:57:17
