No expense spared

By MiNDFOOD

No expense spared
G20 summit organisers recruit budget-conscious celebrity chef Jamie Oliver to cater for the world’s most powerful leaders.

G20 summit organisers recruit budget-conscious celebrity chef Jamie Oliver to cater for the world’s most powerful leaders.

During a week billed as the most expensive police operation in British history, the G20 summit organisers have turned to the budget-conscious celebrity chef Jamie Oliver to cater for the world’s most powerful leaders.

The enormous security operation is estimated to cost up to £8 million as police try to prevent legitimate protests from being hijacked in what could become the worst public disorder in a decade.

At number 10 Downing Street, however, Jamie Oliver settled on a simple menu for the world leaders, in an attempt to avoid similar back-lash from last year’s summit in Japan, when world leaders provoked outrage by eating an eight-course meal, featuring some eighteen dishes, while discussing how to ease global food shortages.

Oliver’s menu, sourced entirely from UK producers reflects the simple, down-to-earth cuisine he has become well known for through his popular TV series The Naked Chef and best selling cookbooks.

Oliver is reported as saying he planned: “a seasonal menu that will showcase the best of British for the international guests.”  Oliver spent the week desperately scouring the country for in season produce, finally settling on farmed, rather than wild, salmon, served with foraged samphire and sea kale; a selection of vegetables from Secrett’s Farms in Sussex, Surrey and Kent; wild garlic from Elwy Valley in Wales; and homemade Irish soda bread freshly baked today using Gloucestershire-based Shipton Mill organic flour for the starter.

For the main Oliver served a shoulder of lamb from the Elwy Valley with Jersey Royal potatoes, fresh asparagus from the Wye Valley and wild St George mushrooms, accompanied by mint sauce and gravy made with British herbs.

The dessert of Bakewell Tart with fresh custard made with free-range eggs from the Duchy of Cornwall farms, plus home-made jams and ginger shortbread from Grasmere, in the Lake District completed the meal.

At pains to showcase English fare, Oliver presented a menu that highlighted the best of English produce proving great chefs need not rely on costly imported ingredients for fine dining.

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