Ascot Fine Dining
Ascot Fine Dining
There’s a top line up of chefs coming to Royal Ascot this summer
Royal Ascot is one of the summer season’s top occasions, not least because of its food, drawing in some of the biggest names in the industry. This year, the ‘Chefs in Residence’ collectively hold 28 Michelin stars. New to the line-up for 2025 are Yannick Alléno, who has 15 Michelin stars, and master pâtissier Benoit Blin.
Time & Leisure was invited along to a special preview dinner at The Maine Mayfair to try some of the exceptional cooking from several of the chefs who will be in attendance.
We started with a delicate and beautifully presented dish of marinated Orkney scallops from Tom Barnes’ team. Two exciting main courses were served – firstly Simon Rogan’s sensational slow cooked Cornish cod with whey onions and a divine roasted shrimp sauce. Tom Shepherd’s Creedy Carver duck, featuring breast and a duck leg croustillant, was everything this dish should be with a perfect balance of flavour and texture. Tom Shepherd and Simon Rogan were interviewed on stage by chef and TV presenter Clodagh McKenna. They talked about their journeys in the industry and their ethos.
Raymond Blanc has been cooking at Royal Ascot for 10 years and the milestone was marked during the dinner. Before being presented with cake and Champagne, Raymond regaled with anecdotes about his career and his reflections of Royal Ascot. We loved his dessert, which incorporated strawberries in several guises including sorbet and marshmallow: reminiscent of summer at Royal Ascot. We can’t wait.
Royal Ascot runs from 17-21 June.
Image: Nicole Hains
