CK If you follow me on Instagram (@eat_tonbridge) and have been observing my recent stories, you’ll know that I have been teasing you all about an exciting project which has involved some interesting meetings with local businesses. Well the press release is out and so the wait is finally over – all can be revealed!
A while ago I thought about creating an Eat Around Tonbridge cook book. I wasn’t really sure how to go about it though and it has remained a pipe dream … until now.
I’m honoured to tell you all that I have been very kindly asked to collaborate with Tonbridge charity Tree of Hope, local food photographer Severien Vits (a fellow food blogger too, More than Just Carrots) and local events’ organiser and foodie, Charlotte Rogers to create a recipe book! As if that wasn’t exciting enough, it’s no ordinary recipe book, with local chefs, restaurateurs, café owners, and food and drink producers contributing recipes.
Cook book contributors and some of the Cook Book team (I’m not in it in case you’re wondering!) Back row L-R: Will Devlin (The Small Holding), Brian Whiting (Whiting & Hammond), Ben Sulston (Sulston’s Kitchen). Middle row L-R: Doug White (Fuggles) & Russel Goad (Rustled Up). Front row L-R: Kate Bourne (fundraiser at Tree of Hope and brains behind the book), Bruce McMichael (The Lemon Grove), Julie Docherty (The Papermakers’ Arms, Plaxtol), Loulou Hamilton (Cocolicious, Cranbrook), & Severien Vits, (food photographer for the book and author of More than Just Carrots).
We are still securing contributors from Sevenoaks, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells and surrounding villages, but to give you a flavour of the calibre and variety, we will be featuring Will Devlin from The Small Holding, Kilndown, (you may know him from his No Fixed Abode pop-ups, one of which was held at the Greensand Ridge distillery), Sulston’s Kitchen, Cocolicious (based in Cranbrook whose Lamingtons are stocked in Selfridges!) and Bruce McMichael, king of all things citrus and foodie demonstrator at Tonbridge Farmer’s market.
And that’s just for starters!
There are many, many more!
We are thrilled that the book will feature a foreword by a world renowned chef but for the time being my lips are sealed on that one still!
Everyone is so enthusiastic about the book and we, the team, are relishing the opportunity to create something fantastic and raise vital funds to enable Tree of Hope to continue to provide their life changing support to families with disabled children. The book will be available from the autumn with many independent bookshops as well as the likes of Waterstones, signed up to stock it.
Which local foodie would you like to see featured? Do you have a favourite dish that you’d love to be able to recreate at home? Let us know and we might be able to make it happen!
This is going to be a big deal, folks. I’m loving being part of it and hope you all love the final product too. Watch this space for more news….
