Food aficionados will once again have a reason to rejoice this year, asWildernessreturns with its most exciting lineup of culinary talent at the festival to date.
Famed as much for bringing together the cream of London’s restaurant crop as it is for the dazzling rollcall of guests from the fields of music, theatre, arts and literature and more, this yearWildernesshas assembled the stellar trio of , and Russell Norman to conjure up three days of glorious bespoke feasts deep in the woods of Cornbury Park, in what promises to be a mouthwatering gastronomic experience quite unlike any other.
First up, on Friday Simon Rogan will be kicking off proceedings in high style with a gorgeously unique Wildernessbanquet that’s every bit as artistic, innovative, unusual and delicious as you would come to expect from Rogan, showcasing his distinctive way with British food while at the same time tipping its hat to the rustic surroundings of the festival and taking in everything from Plaice Baked in Birch Bark with Shrimps and Tarragon Butter to Buttermilk Custard, Douglas fir and Sweet Cherries for dessert.
Rogan said “I’m really looking forward to my banquet atWildernessthis year. It’s a first for me and I’m busy creating a menu bursting with wild and foraged ingredients and ancient cooking techniques. I love the idea of a huge sharing banquet. See you there!”
Then, on Saturday, Michelin starred Angela Hartnett will bring a bit of Northern Italy to the wilds of the Cotswolds with a banquet from her hometown of Emilia Romagna. Famed for the award winning Italian restaurant Murano, as well as the recently launched and equally lauded Merchant’s Tavern and Café Murano, Hartnett’s menu will undoubtedly prove to be both comfortingly simple yet utterly transportive, with lip smacking regional specialties such as Chicken Cacciatore with Potato Fritti and Deep Fried Zucchini, Spinach and Ricotta Tortelli, and Stuffed Peaches with Amaretti among the variety of dishes in the offing.
“I’m thrilled to be hosting one of the banquets this year atWildernessthis year”,Hartnett says “I’ll be cooking a rustic Italian sharing feast, my ideal meal for friends and family”.
To finish off proceedings in suitably grand fashion, the man singlehandedly responsible for the revival of the Venetian bacaro in London, Russell Norman, will be on hand with a lavish Suckling Pig banquet with all the trimmings. As anyone who has ever been to Polpo, Spuntino, Polpetto or any of his wildly acclaimed restaurants will attest, this is beautifully traditional Italian cooking kicked up a notch or several, and his lavish meals (there’s one for lunch and another for supper), complete with Cornish crab Arancini, Heritage Tomato Panzanella, Venetian Polenta with Parmesan and Sage and Polpo house wines, are sure to send revelers off into the night with a smile on their face.
With the delights on offer atWildernessextending far beyond food and into the realms of incredible live music, late night revelry, talks, debates and philosophical forums, a variety of outdoor pursuits and family activities, spectacular processions and fire shows and lots more besides, there is sure to be something for every festivalgoer of any leaning. Make sure you do not miss out on what is surely shaping up to be an absolutely unforgettable event.
WildernessFestival
August 7–10th 2014
Cornbury Park,
Oxfordshire,
UK