WATCH: Aspiring foodies vie for chance to design 'grand gathering' menu
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Three aspiring foodies are being offered the chance to fulfil a long-held ambition to collaborate with one of the UK’s leading chefs. Successful applicants will work alongside ‘free-range-foodie’ Tim Maddams - menu creator for The Cairn Distillery - to design a bespoke menu that will be served at the distillery’s ‘Grand Gathering’ event in summer 2023.
Lucky winners will learn new skills and gain valuable insight into what it takes to become an esteemed chef, travelling with Tim on an all-expenses paid experience to meet local suppliers, learn insider tricks of the trade and develop an inspiring menu to celebrate the opening of the distillery.
The Cairn, which opened its doors in October 2022, is the first new distillery to be built in the Cairngorms National Park for more than a century. Its owners, Moray-based family business, Gordon & MacPhail, aims to build on its 127-year heritage of producing exceptional Scotch whisky by creating legacies that inspire future generations.
Tim Maddams has developed the menu for 'The Gathering', located within The Cairn Distillery, which provides locally sourced tapas-style dishes devised to complement the whiskies tasted by visitors taking tours. He has previously worked in some very well-known London kitchens before taking his first head chef job for TV favourite, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.
Tim Maddams, menu creator for The Cairn Distillery, said: “For millennia, cairns have inspired people to discover and explore, set new challenges, and guide people along new paths. To reflect that ethos, we are providing a series of opportunities to help people realise their long-held dreams – inspiring hopefuls from all walks of life to finally pursue that new path they’ve always wanted to follow. I’m looking forward to working with those looking to learn, explore Scotland's natural larder, and join me in the pursuit of new dishes, that respect the local environment and reflect the inspirational nature of this wondrous place, to be served at a very special party event happening this summer at The Cairn.”
Ian Chapman, marketing director of Gordon & MacPhail explained: “Having secured such a beautiful and awe-inspiring location overlooking the river Spey, we wanted to make sure our food offering matches the quality of our whisky and inspires visitors as much as our surroundings. We are delighted to work with Tim to create an ever-evolving menu for The Gathering. With that in mind we are thrilled to be able to give three aspiring foodies the chance to work with Tim, learn and be inspired by his work, and help create a unique new menu to celebrate the opening of the distillery doors.”
The mission to discover three aspiring chefs is the second instalment of The Cairn’s initiative to inspire visitors to pursue long-held ambitions. The first was launched last year when The Cairn brought together three artists who shared a goal to collaborate internationally and offered them the opportunity to create a unique track inspired by Scotland’s incredible landscape which encompasses the distillery.
An online application form can be found at thecairndistillery.com/tim-maddams.
