The Marsham Court Hotel is aiming to make mincemeat of The Cumberland Hotel when their managers face-off across the burners in the People’s Kitchen.
A highlight in the annual, 10-day, Bournemouth Food & Drink Festival (June 17-26), the People’s Kitchen pits teams of two from different professions against each other in fast-paced, 20-minute cooking challenges.
The action takes place in the Demo Kitchen in Bournemouth Square on Saturday June 18, with the teams cooking under pressure in front of festival-goers.
The Marsham Court’s duty manager Andy Thompson and wedding and events coordinator, Emma Wilkinson will be battling it out with The Cumberland’s general manager Helder Pinto and operations manager Vicente Martinisi.
Keeping order will be pro chef Des Burke, owner of Bournemouth’s Flavours School of Cookery, who will be whipping up a quick dish which the teams will have to remember and recreate.
The crowd will then choose the winner of each round.
Andy Thompson said: “There’s honour at stake here and while we’ll shake these guys’ hands now, we will show them no mercy when we get into the kitchen.”
Helder Pinto agreed: “There will be only one winning team and it will be from the Cumberland.”
Hacks from the Bournemouth Echo will be stepping up to the plate against fire fighting duo Peter Diffey and Steve Richardson, from Blue Watch in Westbourne.
The Echo’s Nicky Findley, said: “We have a great working relationship with Dorset Fire Brigade but I think it’s going to get quite competitive when we meet the boys in the People’s Kitchen.
“We have a tough reputation to protect and fully intend to ‘smoke’ the competition.”
Also competing in the People’s Kitchen are staff from recruitment specialist TeamJobs and even Bournemouth’s new Mayor Cllr Eddie Coope who will be doing battle against his wife, the Mayoress Janet Coope.
The People’s Kitchen is free to attend and takes place at the festival’s Demo Kitchen in Bournemouth Square from 12-4pm.
The People’s Kitchen is just one of a host of attractions at this year’s Bournemouth Food & Drink Festival.
Highlights include live cooking in the Chefs’ Demo Kitchen (June 17 from 10am-4pm), a buzzing street food festival with cuisine from around the world (June 17-26) and local farmers and producers markets (June 17-19).
The Kid’s Kitchen (June 19 from 11am-4pm coincides with Father’s Day and children are being invited to bring their dads down at 11am and enjoy a free cooking session led by Hilton Bournemouth Executive Chef, Matt Budden.
Festival founder Patrick Marmion said: “We held the People’s Kitchen for the first time last year and were blown away by how popular it was.
“We hope people will come down, eat, drink and watch the fun unfold.”
Hotel managers from the Cumberland and Marsham Court in Bournemouth will be going head to head in a quick fire cooking competition at the Bournemouth Food & Drink Festival June 17-26.
Pictured from left: Vicente Martinisi – General operations manager, Cumberland Hotel, Helder Pinto, General manager Cumberland Hotel, Des Burke, owner Flavours School of Cookery, Emma Wilkinson, Wedding and Events co-ordinator Marsham Court Hotel, Andy Thompson, Manager, Marsham Court Hotel.
