Titled "A Shetland Night in London", this event conceived by Helen Nisbet, originally from Yell, will show off Shetland's rich produce and hospitality to London's food lovers.
Helen Nisbet has lived in east London for over 7 years; she says “I have been telling friends and colleagues about the wonders of Shetland mutton for years; after being told by numerous butchers that they didn't stock mutton because it wasn't popular or buying meat advertised as mutton but that bore no resemblance, I want people to experience the wonderful food I grown up on, that is so hard to get outside of Shetland”.
This event will be in the increasingly popular style of a "pop-up restaurant"; the venue is Unpackaged, a restaurant in the London Fields area that specialises in organic produce, sourced seasonally and directly from local producers. And the chef is quite a coup: Helen says: “I am incredibly lucky to have the renowned Joseph Trivelli, Head Chef at one of London's most famous restaurants the River Café, as the cook for the evening”. The River Café has been the training ground for many renowned chefs in the past, including Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.
Family and friends will be helping with the preparation and running of the night, giving it a real community feel; and Helen hopes that a combination of Shetland-food, drinks and fiddle music could bring something of the atmosphere of home to London. The hope is also that it will become a regular feature in the London calendar and Helen is keen to do further work promoting Shetland produce in the future.
Helen has been overwhelmed by the support she has had so far from Promote Shetland (www.shetland.org) who have sponsored a press table for the evening and the council's Economic Development unit alongside food networks in London who have already taken a real interest in the event.
Helen says “we are really keen to have a mix of people there, from Shetlanders who will enjoy this unique play on their culture to people who might have never even heard of Shetland but who love food and are up for a great night out.”
For further information and booking details, or if you think you can help out with food, drink, music or in any other way, please contact Shetlandnightinlondon@gmail.com
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