Utterly Obsessed
Obsession 15 wraps up for another year at Michelin-Starred Northcote in what has been described as ‘The Epicentre of World Gastronomy’
No less than 25 guest chefs with a combined total of 27 Michelin stars have passed through the kitchen at Michelin-starred restaurant and country-house hotel Northcote in the last 15 days It’s safe to say that Obsession 15 – the highly-anticipated anniversary edition of its annual gourmet extravaganza – has surpassed all expectations and proved a huge success not just locally but on a truly global platform.
Managing Director/Chef Patron Nigel Haworth, Managing Director/Director Of Wines Craig Bancroft and Head Chef Lisa Allen, along with the rest of the award-winning restaurant team, have worked tirelessly across the 15-day series to serve showstopping dinners to no less than 1,500 guests in the restaurant and in the Louis Roederer Private Dining Rooms.
Nigel said: “This year’s Obsession was a real team event and goes to show that if you really work hard at something anything is possible! Just look at all the star chefs we have welcomed this year from each corner of the world – it has been quite a mind-blowing experience for us all. One of our proudest achievements this year has been the experience of working with all of these chefs and their wildly varying cuisines – it has been like a university for our chefs with a conveyor belt of talent passing through! I believe the visiting chefs have left sharing the incredible spirit of the place and the fantastic hospitality of the Northcote team. I am very proud and thankful to them all.”
Chefs to have joined Nigel in the kitchen during Obsession 15 have included the best of British such as Shaun Rankin, Kenny Atkinson, Glynn Purnell, Angela Hartnett, Ken Hom OBE and the Galvin brothers as well as a raft of international talent such as three-starred chefs Klaus Erfort, Jacob Jan Boerma and Enrico and Roberto Cerea, amongst others.
Craig said: “Obsession 15 has been a totally absorbing event for all involved. To have hosted such an amazing gathering of culinary talent is a testament to the respect and high esteem in which Nigel is held. It was truly a delight to be able to entertain 15 overseas chefs this year alone, visiting us from 10 different countries and without the amazing support of Pure Luxury Travel this would not have been possible. No doubt all chefs have left Northcote with a feeling of pride in what they achieved on their night and a lasting impression of true northern hospitality. As for our staff, we cannot thank them enough for their drive, focus and determination. Obsession 15 has launched the new Relais & Châteaux Northcote on an international platform and we thank every single person for making it happen.”
Obsession 15 raised a total of £40,000 for this year’s chosen charities – Springboard, Prince’s Trust and Hospitality Action – through a series of silent auctions that offered exclusive, one-of-a-kind prizes.
FUN FACTS & FIGURES: Since its inception in 2001, Obsession has hosted 100 chefs from 14 different countries, served 67,000 dishes and 40,200 canapés, poured 67,000 wine glasses and paired 938 wines, and served 13,400 covers across 134 evenings.
Full set of pictures for the 15-day series available on request.
ENDS
For further information, please contact Nicky Clarke at Roche Communications on 020 7436 1111
Notes to editors:
Gold Medal Travel Group is the official travel sponsor for Obsession 15/30. Main sponsors include: Gaggeneau, Baxter Storey, Villeroy & Boch, EBLEX, Reidel Glassware, Wine Wright Company, Louis Roederer, Brakes and Woolers, Hospitality partners include Goodfellows, Blackburn Audi, Universal Cooling, Ward Robinson, Ribble Farm Fare, Sous Vide Tools, Sunderland Peacock, Griffith Laboratories, BMI Healthcare, Westbridge Foods, Smith Sager, Ltd., Ashleigh Signs, Marketing Lancashire and Greaves Butchers.