By Francesca Young
Prepare for Christmas with turkey tips from expert chefs
Wendell Park in W12 may look like a green and leafy backwater of West London but in reality it’s something of a foodie hot spot. A recent Twitter exchange between Mrs Trefusis (aka Helen Brocklebank, host of The Books That Built Me, who also works at Harper’s Bazaar) and Marina O’Loughlin, food critic for The Guardian, pointed to Askew Road’s “insanely good” October 26 bakery and the well-respected Ginger Pig butcher’s shop.
Much-loved, long-standing restaurants sharing the high street with the Ginger Pig are Persian restaurant Sufi and Adams Café—fry-up café by day, Moroccan restaurant by night—a favourite of none other than Domestic Goddess Nigella Lawson.
You can travel to all corners of the world, eating out on Askew Road. From Thailand to Japan, Nepal to Lebanon, there’s a restaurant to transport you across the globe.
Under new management, The Orchard Tavern offers a Kiwi take on the traditional pub classics.
Five minutes’ walk from Askew Road, The Princess Victoria (a favourite for Tom Parker Bowles, who’s a local) serves pig’s ears and tempura soft shell crab as well as the traditional Sunday roasts. The beautiful old Victorian gin palace won the London County Dining Pub of the Year in the Good Pub Guide 2016.
A welcome new addition to this corner of W12, open every Sunday since April 2016, Wendell Park Market trades in fresh fish from Billingsgate Market, award-winning cheese from Borough Market, sourdough bread from the founder of Franco Manca, farm-pressed juice, in-season vegetables, fresh eggs, meat from the farmer, real butter, raw milk and more.
From there, it’s a short stroll across Wendell Park to the world-famous Leiths School of Food and Wine, a true incubator of next-generation chef talent. So many well-known chefs started out here—Lorraine Pascale, Gizzi Erskine, Olia Hercules and Diana Henry to name just a few. With a shared passion for food—and curiosity about where it comes from—it was only a matter of time before the market and cookery school partnered up.
On Sunday 27th November 2016, Leiths teacher, Ryan Vaughan, assisted by a current Leiths diploma student, will be at Wendell Park Market demonstrating how to prepare the perfect Christmas turkey. With expert tips, canapés for you to try and a fact sheet to take away, this free event will ensure that you’re ready for the big day.
As well as demonstrating knife skills, there’ll be advice on side dishes, cooking times and veggie alternatives, and one lucky person will get to take away the turkey. If you’re into food and want to learn more about cooking a Christmas feast, you’ll be glad to hear there’ll be a voucher code so anyone going to the event can get a discount on some of Leith’s upcoming classes.
Leiths Live runs from 11am to 12:30pm on Sunday the 27th of November 2016 at Wendell Park Market. The market is open from 10am to 3pm at Wendell Park Primary School, Cobbold Road, W12 9LB.
