19/05/2006, By
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Tom Aikens, Antonio Carluccio, Giorgio Locatelli, and Michel Roux Jr are just some of the world-famous chefs now confirmed for the prestigious Taste of London 2006 Sponsored by British Airways - London’s top outdoor food and drink festival, taking place in Regent’s Park from 15th to 18th June. Visitors to Taste of London will be able to sample exemplary cuisine from some of the UK’s most famous restaurants, at a fraction of the normal price. Around 40 of London's most feted restaurants will participate this year, preparing and serving a selection of sample size signature dishes for visitors to enjoy, including:
Tom Aikens - the eponymous Chelsea-based restaurant of the highly-lauded chef, who, at 26, became the youngest ever chef to win two Michelin stars.
Benares - inspired by the holy city of Benares, on the banks of the river Ganges, Atul Kochhar’s restaurant offers a gastronomic journey that redefines perceptions of Indian food.
Pied a Terre - Executive chef Shane Osborn creates outstanding modern French cuisine in this two Michelin-starred restaurant
Le Gavroche - Michel Roux’s fabulous French restaurant has two Michelin stars and has been a leading light of the London restaurant scene – under his famous gourmet family’s guidance – for 40 years.
Pearl - Executive Chef Jun Tanaka creates classic French cuisine with modern and light touches in stunning surroundings.
Villandry - modern European cuisine and delectable comfort food are the hallmarks of this Marylebone restaurant, where executive chef David Rood prides himself on the superb quality of his ingredients.
Fifteen - Jamie Oliver’s famous Hoxton restaurant, which provides world-class culinary training to disadvantaged local youths, serves up delicious modern British food with a strong Italian influence.
Taste of London 2006 will also feature a Chefs Theatre, Cookery School, Wine and Spirit Academy and a Speciality Beer Academy. Approximately 120 exhibitors will be offering truly dedicated foodies the opportunity to buy to take home an incredible range of speciality produce, drinks and luxury dining and lifestyle related products.
Sitting comfortably between Ascot and Wimbledon in London’s social calendar, Taste of London is touted as ‘the new Henley’ for London’s discerning socialites. Tickets are on sale, just visit their Website for details and to purchase.
The now renowned Taste of London events were first established in September 2004 as a way of bringing people who are fanatical about food together at one spectacular annual event. Run and managed by Brand Events, the first ToL was held at Somerset House. 26 restaurants served 13,500 visitors over four days, each creating a menu of three signature dishes while around 50 exhibitors sold food, drink and lifestyle products alongside a selection of wine bars, cocktail bars and beer stalls.
A mix of musical and culinary entertainment was provided through two stages – offering a combination of jazz, opera and classical music, while an A-list team of chefs demonstrated their talents at the Chefs Theatre. The event concept was heralded a fantastic success by visitors, chefs, restaurateurs and the media. The following year, it was decided to emulate the format, but grow the event into a new venue: Regent’s Park.
June 2005 saw the launch of a bigger and even better ToL with 36 restaurants serving just under 24,000 visitors in the beautiful surrounds of Regent’s Park. The gala night was attended by an impressive array of industry personalities, as well as many important media spokespeople and journalists.