Stratford Chefs School Long Table Dinner Fundraising Event

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Chef Ian Middleton & Chef Aaron Linley

After a three-year hiatus, Long Table Dinner, the Stratford Chefs School's fundraiser, washeld at the newly revitalized and pedestrian-friendly Market Square on September 10th. The school had been holding the actual event location as a last-minute surprise. Inspired by “Diner en Blanc,” guests mostly dressed all in white gathered around one enormously long table to enjoy a four-course dinner of incredible local food complimented by Caves Springs VQA wine. 

The festivities began with guest mingling and being served Revolution cold brew coffee gin and tonics and Cave Spring Dolomite Brut. Passed around hors d’ oeuvres included smoky eggplant tart with creamy local goat cheese; cucumber, rainbow trout rillettes with fresh horseradish on cucumber slices and devilled eggs with crispy bacon and pickled jalapeno.

This was followed by a dinner comprised of platters of local organic vegetables, boiled eggs and poached mussels served with Perth County aioli; BBQ leg of local lamb with green tomato jam, late summer ratatouille and roasted potatoes ; and cold poached salmon with green goddess sauce. This was followed by a Monforte cheese board that featured Big Momma a bloomy rind water buffalo with ash; Bliss a bloomy rind sheeps’ and cows’ cream; and Toscano a limited edition aged sheeps’ milk cheese. This was followed by tables of seasonal fruit pies that included chocolate and raspberry and fresh pear which were served with crème fraiche.

Eleanor Kane, chairperson of the event, who helped found the school in 1983, along with fellow Stratford restaurant owners James Morris and Joe Mandel, said she commended the leadership in the school, the board and the administration of the school for creating this new generation of the school.  “I think tonight’s support from the community is testament to the kind of decisions that group has made because with that came the need for fundraising and tonight with 185 people sitting here for the Long Table, the school made all the right decisions”. Kane, who retired in 2013, remains in an advisory capacity to the board of directors.

The menu was developed by Aaron and Bronwyn Linley, from Linleys Food Shop. Kane said, “The Linleys and the Stratford Chef School reached out to many restaurants and food purveyors to support this evening, people donated and worked in their kitchens to provide this wonderful menu.” There was sponsorship involved in almost every facet of the dinner, which shows the generous support that the Stratford Chefs School's receives from the local food community that is so deeply centred in the city.


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