The chef at award-winning eatery, Aspect Bar and Bistro in Morecambe, Lancashire is hoping that two secret recipes, a commitment to only serving food in season and the policy of ‘staying true to the view’ may help his restaurant scoop the ‘Taste Lancashire’ Award in the Lancashire Tourism Awards this year.
Meanwhile, with a second Lancs GinFest on the horizon on November 19 and 20, owners Paul Bury and Judy Edmondson, are looking forward to demonstrating how ‘Drink Lancashire’ is just as much part of their ethos.
Talented Aspect Bar and Bistro chef, Darren Tattersall, who worked at Gordon Ramsay’s London-based venue, in Royal Hospital Road, when the F Word chef was there and gaining Michelin stars, is hoping that Aspect Bar and Bistro’s current shortlisting for its county’s top food award may be the precursor to achieving an AA rosette for his food.
This is the second consecutive year that Aspect Bar and Bistro has been shortlisted for the ‘Taste Lancashire’ Award, demonstrating its commitment to incorporating the best of local produce into its menus, whether they are for lunch, dinner or afternoon tea.
Aspect Bar and Bistro has this year built on the national awards success it achieved in the FOOD Awards 2014 and 2015, to consolidate its reputation for great but non-fussy food, served at a reasonable price and in a relaxed dining environment where diners can feel at ease.
The eatery has, however, stayed true to its ethos of only serving food in season, not making unethical claims about the provenance of its ingredients and regularly auditing suppliers, to ensure that the finest local food continues to be served up to its diners.
It has also continued to serve ‘family food’ in the sense of enabling diners to sample some dishes cooked to secret recipes that have been in Paul Bury’s family locker for generations. One of these makes Aspect’s Morecambe Bay potted shrimp dish a must-order choice, whilst the other ensures that the eatery’s sticky toffee pudding is simply to-die-for.
Aspect Bar and Bistro has added new events to the county’s food and drink calendar and has many more selling points with which to not only impress food award judges, but also tickle the taste buds of diners. It is also hoping to make it three in a row, by again scooping a FOOD Award this year.
Owner Paul Bury says: “Our location means we have to work extra hard to attract diners, which is why we make every effort to deliver excellence on a plate. That starts with the produce we buy and the way in which our chefs then interpret Lancashire produce. Achieving two Taste Lancashire shortlistings in two years suggests we are doing something right.
“We now have to go one further, and attempt to win the Taste Lancashire award, whilst also seeking to gain an AA rosette and a third FOOD Award. Our chefs are up for the challenge and certainly have all the skills to take us to where we need to be, if we wish to consolidate Morecambe’s position on the foodie map.”