“See all the celebrity chefs demonstrating their cooking skills ­ up­close and personal”

Those were the words that interested Omar Niode Foundation to find out more about the Taste of London.  Eventually through its mailing list we received information that the event is four days of summer eating, drinking and entertainment.

It was difficult to resist the lure of 40 of London’s best restaurants and 200 producers of food and beverages, all in one place at the Regent’s Park.

In 1538 King Henry VIII seized 200 hectares of land for use as a hunting ground by the royals.  The land became Regent’s Park that is now a masterpiece of landscape design with stylish gardens and sports fields that offers a wide variety of activities all year round.

Ticket price

Taste of London 2012 took place in 7 sessions across 21-24 June with ticket prices ranging from £24 to £80 a session depending on the goods and facilities chosen. After some deliberations, Terzi Niode, the Secretary of Omar Niode Foundation, decided to buy a VIP ticket for Friday 22 June and paid £66.06 for 4 hours at the event.

VIP tickets entitled guests to priority entry, unlimited access to the VIP Lounge, a glass of champagne, a Taste Recipe Book, priority seating in the Taste Theatre, and 40 Crowns to spend at Taste of London restaurants and exhibitors. Crown is the official currency of Taste of London where £1 = 2 Crowns.

The priority entry was indeed useful as by 12.00 a lot of people were already waiting for the place to open.  Visitors patiently stayed for official ribbon cutting and commented on what they expected to see and taste.

Restaurants and producers lineup

The more than 50 British and international chefs cooking and entertaining guests for the four days occasion and the sophisticated guests attending made Taste of London a posh event.

Festival newbies wondered why food servings were very small. The organizer smartly explained this portion size way ahead of the event by announcing: “restaurants will fashion special menus of starter sized dishes for the occasion, including signature dishes created by chefs to specially reflect their philosophy and showcase seasonal and premium ingredients.”

Among the restaurants showcase were the famous and up and coming establishments. Producers encompass premium brand and artisans carrying foods from appetizer to desserts and drinks such as coffee, tea, beer, cider, wine and champagne.

In the end, small food servings made sense. There were many choices to savor as Taste of London kept its promise to have the best of  cuisine with a host of new international features and the most impressive line-up of Michelin starred restaurants and world-renowned chefs

Terzi Niode maximized his allotted 40 Crowns to enjoy salt and pepper squid at Maze, Gordon Ramsay’s fine dining; Scottish salmon ceviche at Asia de Cuba by chef Jeffrey Chodorow; and a drink at Laurent-Perrier.

London weather & celebrity chefs

During the Friday afternoon session, gloomy weather greeted guests. Rains came and went and came again. Naturally when it rained visitors went for cover in the stalls, making an increase in foods and drinks sale.

At the Secret Garden there was more fine foods, delicious drinks and top chefs. Here visitors could have exclusive tastings,mini master classes, intimate questions and answers and live music.

Not everyone was aware of what was on at the AEG Taste Theater in association with Waitrose Kitchen.  According to the Taste team,  “it is where the capital's culinary greats take to the stage and share their secrets, show off their skills and polish ours with a plethora of pan rattling demonstrations.”

Several people passed by the theater saw the stage and blurted out: Hey…it’s Jamie! It’s Jamie Oliver !

It was then difficult to see Jamie as more and more people gathered, overflowing the tent and stood under the rain to watch the richest chef in the world made pukka lamb.

The Crowns

After a session of learning, eating and drinking, people leaving the Taste of London could not miss a stall towards the exit that served those who would like to donate unused Crowns for gifts to charities. 

The Taste of London supports Jamie Oliver Foundation, an educational charity on a mission to keep cooking skills alive; and Action Against Hunger, an international humanitarian organization committed to ending child hunger.

The £66.06 ticket for the festival was more than worth it, neither because of the opportunity to see celebrity chefs up-close and personal nor because of all the foods and drinks available for tasting. Taste of London 2012 was noteworthy because Omar Niode Foundation had a chance to observe how a world-class food festival was structured without forgetting those in need.  

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Photo by Terzi Niode. More photos at http://on.fb.me/Ox27Zg

To read more about the Taste of London, visit www.tastefestivals.com/london