18
Roskilde Feeling
MORE THAN MUSIC
AFTERNOON HIGH TEA
A tea party in the garden
Renowned pastry chef Nikolaos Strangas invited everyone to afternoon high tea with a sumptuous cake table that awakened the senses. words Cathrine Rodalgaard photos Thorbjørn Chiloux Fessel
• Six different cakes, scones and sandwhiches were on the menu.
B
ehind a gate in the Food Court area a marvellous sight awaits. Here, the grass is still green, and a refectory table has been set with fancy fluted porcelain from Royal Copenhagen. There is an exquisite smell of freshly-brewed peppermint tea, while the beautifully served cakes, scones and colourful macaroons make the mouths water on the almost 60 guests who have bought a ticket to the food event and gained access to the sumptuous cake table. The Greek born pastry chef Nikolaos Strangas is the man behind the cakes. He has previously worked at Hotel D’Angleterre and at Michelin-winning restaurant Era Ora but since 2010 he has owned his own patisserie in Copenhagen where he experiments with everything from sea-buckthorn to Valrhona chocolate in order to create new, fantastic cakes. For some of the guests at the table it is the first time during their week-long stay at the festival that they are drinking from a real cup or eating off a plate not made from cardboard. Although the atmosphere around the table is unceremonious, the event also represents a moment’s break from the pulsating life of the festival – and a moment of well-deserved luxury. //
Nikolaos Strangas
Pastry chef and owner of patisserie Dessert Boutique Strangas in Copenhagen Q: Why are you at Roskilde Festival making delicious cakes?
Tine Bolvig Guest
Q: Why do you participate in this event? A: »It’s like a small oasis where you can enjoy some delicious food, relax and brace yourself to go back into the festival area. I’m here with the people from my camp, and it’s a nice way of doing something different together«. Q: What effect does an event like this have on your festival experience? A: »It means a lot to me. In the warm-up days you eat a lot of the same food – often just from the food stall closest to your campsite. I think it’s great that there’s an alternative where you can not only get really good and delicious food made by highly skilled chefs, but also at a fair price«. Q: Does it add anything to the food experience that it takes place in an untraditional setting? A: »I think it’s fun to attend a popup event like this. The atmosphere is absolutely fantastic, and people are clapping, toasting and talking. It’s this informal and relaxed atmosphere you find at Roskilde, and at the same time you get great food that’s usually only served in a fancy restaurant«.
A: »Why not? People deserve to eat good food at Roskilde! I think it’s cool to combine something exclusive and posh like afternoon tea with a rock festival. I like the contrast between the two – just as I like contrasts in my life in general. Just look at me: I’m big and have tattoos, but I make small feminine cakes«. Q: What’s it like for you to be serving your food at Roskilde? A: »The cakes are the same high standard, but here you can play with things. We serve scones and sandwiches in coffee-filter bags, and we play with how we set it up: We serve the cakes on expensive porcelain but you eat it with a wooden spoon«. Q: Is it a certain kind of people who come to your event? A: »No. You see all kinds of people here. People with clean clothes and others who have been here for a week, children, parents and grandparents. That’s what I like about it«.