8 minute read
WOVEN
PART OF THE FABRIC
The county’s foodie scene had an early Christmas present when Woven opened its doors at Coworth Park earlier this year. We meet Adam Smith, the chef behind it
By MARK KEBBLE
PHOTO: MARK BOLTON
A TASTY BREAD SELECTION
For six years, Adam Smith has been a key part of the food o ering at the Dorchester Collection’s Coworth Park, but during this time something was bubbling away inside of him.
“A simple answer would be around 18 months,” he says when asked about how long his new restaurant,
Woven, had been in the making.
“That is when we decided to embark on the project. A more romantic answer would be the last 20 years, as I feel Woven is the culmination of my whole career to date!”
INSIDE WOVEN
It’s little wonder, then, that Woven at Coworth Park has really captured restaurant goers’ imaginations across the county. “It’s very hard to give a clear and definitive answer to one key role or position that has inspired me the most,” Adam reflects on the aforementioned career. “From all of the positions and experiences I have had there were learnings and inspiration. From working with John Williams, I was inspired by the classics of haute cuisine, the fundamentals of running a world-class kitchen and being a leader. My time at The Devonshire Arms allowed me to build relationships directly with farmers and suppliers, several of which I still work with today. It gave me the opportunity to source directly, sometimes the most humble of ingredients, but of the most amazing quality. Finally the biggest inspiration has been my role and team at Coworth Park for the last six years, we have all grown together in our own style and in confidence of what we do.”
Adam describes the process of idea of concept through to launch as “a rollercoaster of emotions”, but one he says he loved. “It was extremely stressful and challenging at times,” he admits, “but I have always found opportunities to experience something new for the first time enjoyable.”
The design is the first thing to take in, something Adam worked on alongside Martin Hulbert, who is also the designer of Coworth Park from when it first opened in 2010. “The design is theatrical and contemporary, yet woven seamlessly into the fabric of the Georgian manor house setting and the surrounding Berkshire countryside,” Adam explains. “Every detail of the design has been inspired by the natural world, with the fabrics, lighting, artworks, natural materials, and striking colours and textures all coming together to create a lively, luxurious, and interesting space. Coworth Park itself is a very special place – you will struggle to find a more beautiful property.”
With the design in capable hands, it was time for Adam to move on to the food itself. “My style of cooking at Woven is inspired by classic flavours and techniques, but presented in refined, creative, and contemporary ways,” he says. “I like to showcase the finest produce: fresh seafood, quality butchery, foraged mushrooms, hand-picked herbs, native flowers. I am inspired by what’s around me in the English countryside.
“We have created a dining experience that blends a tasting menu and a la carte menu,” Adam continues, “so that the guest still has choice, whilst also experiencing the unique culinary journey of the restaurant, and the story that each dish has to tell. We don’t create dishes to fit a concept; it’s about making every moment of the dining experience shine and a lot of thought and care has gone into that.”
There’s plenty to like on the menus at Woven, but is there one dish that stands
WOVEN’S POPULAR TURBOT DISH
FOOD THAT IS A WORK OF ART
out for Adam? ”At the moment I feel our Cornish turbot with salsify, lobster and tru e is just so special,” he smiles. “It’s a dish firmly rooted in classical cookery in terms of technique, however the execution has made it 100% relevant, and most importantly, our guests all seem to love it!”
On that note, how have guests responded to what he is trying to do? “The reaction to the opening has so far been amazing. I feel flattered that we have so many loyal and returning guests who have all loved what we have done with the space and who are excited by the new dining experience. Furthermore, we have seen an influx of new guests who are equally blown away.”
And that, Adam says, is key to his early 2023 plans. “We hope that if we keep focusing on our guest experience, we will build on our already fast growing reputation as a gastronomic destination.” Those 20 years have certainly been put to good use.
dorchestercollection.com
Coworth Park at Christmas
Adam Smith on the festivities and his own top tips for cooking on the big day
Q Is there anything special planned at Coworth Park this Christmas? A. Coworth Park is a really special place at Christmas, with guests enjoying the twinkling lights, chilly walks in the grounds, a ernoons by the fire, and of course the festive food and drink. Our festive a ernoon tea served in the Drawing Room always has a special kind of magic to it, being accompanied by a local choir singing carols at the weekends. The hotel is also a really exciting place for kids, with the chance to write letters to Father Christmas, make treats for reindeer and join a festive treasure hunt. We won’t be serving turkey and Christmas pud in Woven though! But I am looking forward to having the restaurant full of people celebrating the season, getting stuck into the food and perhaps popping an extra bottle or two of bubbles.
Q Will you have time o over Christmas? A. I usually work over Christmas then have some time off around 27 December. By this point, I have had it up to my eyeballs with turkey, so it has become a bit of a tradition that I buy a rib of beef for my family Christmas meal. I do tend to still do all the cooking, then just enjoy some time with my children and family.
Q Can you o er our readers some top tips on how to approach Christmas dinner cooking? A. My biggest tip for Christmas dinner is to be super organised, so that on the day you can enjoy the cooking and being around loved ones. I will always prepare all the vegetables the day before. I even boil and fluff my roast potatoes then freeze them, then on the day put them frozen straight into the hot duck fat in the oven, which gives you the perfect crispy and fluffy roast potato with minimal stress. I like to remove the legs from the turkey and stuff them with the stuffing, this way when you roast the crown separately you can cook it for less time and retain as much moisture as possible.
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C H A M P A G N E M O M E N T S
How Piper-Heidsieck is uncorking a sustainable future
Since its inception, PiperHeidsieck owes its success to audacious leadership and a pioneering spirit, anchored in its companywide practices – an approach now being recognised by others.
The House showcases its unwavering commitment towards a conscientious, sustainable future and responsible Champagne production by implementing several initiatives across a number of areas including its carbon footprint reduction, vineyard operations, social impact and supplier management.
Now, the e orts of the Champagne House, Piper-Heidsieck, have been recognised as it becomes B Corp Certified, joining a community of companies that are leading a global movement for an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative change.
A NEW WAY FORWARD
B Corp certification is given to businesses that meet high standards of social and environmental impact, verifying its performance, accountability, and transparency by allowing information to be measured against B Lab’s criteria. Piper-Heidsieck obtained a score of 91.9 points, verified by B Lab, the non-profit network founded in 2006.
Acquiring the certification is an extensive process involving the assessment of each brand’s social and environmental influence with more than 200 questions as defined by B Lab, covering governance, employees, communities, and the environment.
PIPER-HEIDSIECK CEO BENOIT COLLARD
“Achieving B Corp certification reflects our pioneering ethos and daring initiative to be a driving force of change within the Champagne industry. This certification not only recognises our environmental impact in the vineyards, but extends to our entire winemaking ecosystem, our community and our workplace.
“This process began with an innovative vision from our Chief Winemaker Emilien Boutillat, which propelled our entire team on a journey to work together towards a shared mission, and I am immensely proud to see this remarkable achievement brought to life. Becoming B Corp Certified marks a commemorative occasion in the history of Piper-Heidsieck, yet it also signifies that together we are striving towards sustainable change and we hope to inspire others in the wine industry to implement similar initiatives.”
For Piper-Heidsieck, the B Corp certification represents a first milestone in the reinvention of the iconic Champagne House’s operations towards a positive and purpose-driven business model.
