'Taste the Origin' Masterclass

The kitchen team recently took a well earned rest for a couple of hours to experience the delicious tasting session which has been designed to promote the wines from Burgundy, the Douro Valley and Port alongside Parma Ham and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Any excuse to try some beautiful wines, artisan cheese and charcuterie and we do not need to be asked twice, so in glorious sunshine we headed off to The Royal Bath Hotel and met fellow chefs, restaurateurs and deli owners.

We were greeted by Juliette Harbutt, founder of the first Slow Food convivium in the country, International Cheese Expert and founder of The British Cheese Awards.  Juliette is a lively and knowledgeable speaker that kept us engaged throughout the event with her amusing stories and genuine passion.

The whole event was supremely well organised and as we were treated to generous samples of 18, 22 and 30 month Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, a 14 month and 20 month old Parma ham along with a slightly tropical fruit White Burgundy that was delicious with the youngest of the cheeses.  We also sampled a Douro Valley red with a hint of spice and an outstanding port that matched well with the 30 month cheese.

Most importantly we felt inspired to hold tasting sessions and wine matching of our own and look forward to organising an event soon.

For more information on Taste The Origin go to www.discovertheorigin.co.uk and Juliette Harbutt can be found at www.thecheeseweb.com