On Thursday 30th July, Covent Garden will showcase the world’s first ever live food auction in collaboration with guerrilla cooking collective Too Many Cooks. Chefs from top UK restaurants will prepare an array of the finest dishes from around the world – all with a starting bid of a mere 50p.
The auction is the latest in a line of events at the Covent Garden Real Food Market to entice Londoners to the Piazza. Following the success of ‘Tea Party on the Piazza’ and the recent launch of Covent Garden’s giant cupcake, which fed over 2,000 people, the food auction will provide Londoners with another opportunity to experience food in an exciting and engaging way.
The Too Many Cooks team will prepare a selection of mouth-watering lunch and dinner ‘lots’ in real time - from Dorset crab with avocado and land cress, to an open rib-eye steak sandwich with rocket and red onion - all in front of a live audience on the Piazza. As the lots near completion, the live bidding will commence - with the hammer falling the moment the dish is ready to serve!
Too Many Cooks will be led by Head Chef, Nick Deverille-Smith (Head Chef at Soho House), assisted by Jonny Chocolate (from the double Michelin starred Capital restaurant in Knightsbridge) and Shane “The student Chef” (of the Church Green in Lymm). The auction itself will be hosted by professional Chelsea Lots auctioneer, Nick Carter.
On both lunch and dinner auctions, visitors to Covent Garden will be able to bid for an exclusive special lot– a meal for four people on Chef’s Table right on the Piazza (three course lunch/ four course dinner respectively).
In between lunch and dinner, Too Many Cooks will host a jam-making demonstration alongside an afternoon service of tea and scones.
As well as fast-paced biddings and action packed auctions, visitors to The Covent Garden Real Food Market will be able to enjoy mouth-watering, scrumptious, fresh produce from the UK’s finest food producers including SJ Frederick & Sons, Spore Boys, The Arabica Food & Spice Company and Crumbs & Doilies, which they can enjoy on the Piazza or buy fresh to prepare at home. The Covent Garden Real Food Market runs every Thursday until September 24th.
Full list of meals to go under the hammer:
• Tiger Prawns with garlic butter • Roasted scallops, with peas and shoots • Wild mushroom risotto • Open Rib Eye steak sandwich with rocket and red onion • Dorset crab with avocado and land cress
The Covent Garden Real Food Market Times: Every Thursday in June and September 12.00pm – 8.00pm Every Thursday in July and August 12.00pm – 9.00pm**
Trader Details:
There are over 32 stalls. Traders include: SJ Frederick & Sons, Mon’s Cheese, Neal’s Yard Dairy, Ham & Cheese Company, Flourstation, Sugar Grain, Crumbs & Doilies, L Booth, The Spore Boys, The Garlic Farm, Arabica Food & Spice Company, Gujarati Rasoi and Pie Minister
About Covent Garden London:
Covent Garden’s rolling arts and events programme has put it at the forefront of the cultural agenda in the West End and sees almost 44 million visitors a year make their way to the area. Over the past year the Piazza has played host to an exciting mix of artists and performers through their seasonal events.
Spring Renaissance (April-May 2008) saw a celebration of British springtime burst on to the Piazza hosting two 25ft high living floral peacock installations from world renowned designer Preston Bailey, a genuine working allotment that not only grew its own fruit and vegetables but hosted talks, workshops and demonstrations from gardening experts, an urban gardening pop-up shop and the return of the Flower Markets on the weekends.
Christmas Delight (November - December 08) welcomed an eclectic mix of some of the UK’s best musical talent who performed against a stunning backdrop of a 40,000 LED light installation from United Visual Artists suspended in the historic Market Building.
