Welcome to the first of our dedicated foodie blogs to showcase our chefs for the Cookery Demo sessions.
First up we have a returning Chef to the Show, a big welcome back to
Ian Munro. hailing from The Velveteen Rabbit Luncheon Club, Great Ayton.
His first job was at Central Park on Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough putting garnishes on prawn cocktails.
Having worked in numerous local restaurants and hotels such as Dunsley Hall, near Whitby.
His first Head Chef role was for The Hide Bar & Grill. He was based in Durham in a fast paced kitchen in the student city.
He then went on to head up Westpark Café in Darlington. Here he cooked everything from scratch, very much as is done now at The Velveteen Rabbit.
He stayed here for 8 years until his move to the high end Muse in Yarm, where he was sous chef. A popular continental style café, with good food cooked simply, he enjoyed creating dishes for the set menus and specials boards using seasonal, local ingredients.
He was part of the opening team at Cena, the sister restaurant to Muse. Hand making pasta and traditional Italian dishes in a very fast paced high street trattoria.
He later turned his attention back to café culture, working at the Smeltery inside the Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art serving fresh salads and cakes in an open kitchen.
His final move was to Chadwick & Co. cooking modern Greek style food from scratch.
For Ian, the Velveteen Rabbit is the chance to consolidate his extensive experience and passion for making food from scratch. He can often be found experimenting with bread and hunting for new and exciting suppliers. He gets his thrills from a fast paced service & coming up with new ideas. Working with his wife, Kirstine, the Velvet Rabbit has become a staple of our neighbouring village in Great Ayton.
Catch Ian as he demos like a pro from 11.00 in our cookery theatre marquee, found within the heart of our Scrumptiously Stokesley marquee on show day.