The Churchill Blog
Acoustic night in aid of York against Cancer
Mick Donnelly and Ian Donaghy play the Churchill on the 4th September.
Ian Donaghy from York based Party Band 'Huge' has arranged an acoustic night here at the Churchill to perform with saxophonist Mick Donnelly. 'Huge' need little introduction to people from York but this particular evening is a somewhat different affair. Ian is to be joined by Mick, an internationally acclaimed saxophonist who has played with such notables as; Sammy Davis Jr, Barry White, Alexander O Neil, Tony Bennett, Ian Dury, Spear Of Destiny, Ben E. King, John Denver, Britney Spears, Steps, Lulu, Maddness, Five Star, Swing Out Sister, Gene Pitney, Boy Meets Girl, Kool and the Gang, Kiki Dee, The Four Tops, The Temptations, Imagination, Shirley Bassey, Stuart Copeland, Sting, John Miles, Spice Girls, Stevie Wonder and Ronan Keating.
The proceeds from the evening are to be given to York against Cancer and The Churchill is delighted to host an evening with such talented musicians in aid of such a worthy cause.
Dinner with Ian Naude of Adoro Wines
The Churchill Hotel is delighted that renowned wine maker Ian Naudé has chosen our venue to host an intimate dinner party at which a select number will be able to sample and discuss his wines and, in a convivial atmosphere, hear of Ian’s philosophies and wine making techniques.
Winemaker Ian Naudé has more than twenty years of international winemaking experience. Ian has always believed that South Africa’s point of difference will be its premium blends. Not just blends by cultivar, but by the richly varied terroir that sees it uniquely positioned to make the best of winemaking styles, both ‘old world’ and ‘new’.
In a departure from the norm, Naudé began with a final goal in mind. Then he visited vineyards across the winelands looking for grapes to produce the envisioned result.
Ian’s initial attempt was a sumptuous red blend whose juicy yet weighty profile was sought from the different expressions of cultivar produced by different terroir. The blend, Adoro Red, won four stars in the John Platter guide, while his white blend, Adoro White, was a local first of sorts. A single varietal sauvignon blanc, Adoro White was produced from five disparate regions known for their excellence with the cultivar. And finally, the flagship wine, the Naudé white blend, whose critical acclaim has included a rating from Matthew Jukes as a “cult white wine in the making.”
Hopefully this is the first of many 'wine and food' evenings at the Churchill which are planned to take place on a quarterly basis. Although places are already extremely limited for this particular evening do feel free to contact us and express your interest, if we can't accommodate you this time we will be able to inform you of upcoming events.
Poached peach Savarin, crème anglaise and fresh raspberries
This month the recipe is for a dessert described by the head chef as:
“ Perfectly summery with a hint of a classic pudding`feel 'to it”
For the Savarin bases:-
8 eggs, medium-sized
30g fresh yeast, creamed with a couple of teaspons of warm water
450g strong flour
1 Tsp salt
75g sugar
180g butter, melted
In a mixing bowl and using a electric beater with dough hook attachment or in a mixing machine add the eggs and whisk thoroughly then add the sugar, flour, yeast and salt. Mix for a good few minutes then slowly add the melted butter. Knead for a further 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic then leave to proove in a warm area such as a airing cupboard until doubled in size.
When proofed beat back the dough and put the mixture into savarin bases or individual tart moulds 1/3 up to the top and leave to proof again. Bake at 160 degress until golden to dark brown on top, remove and cool.
Poached peaches:
1 litre water
400g Caster sugar
I vanilla pod deseeded.
10 peaches
Bring the water, sugar and vanilla upto a controlled simmer ensuring the sugar is all dissolved
Cut around the peaches from the top downwards, following the natural line in the peach. Twist slightly to halve the peach and seperate, remove the stone. Poach until tender, the timing for this depends on the ripeness of the peach but normally a good 8-12 minutes. Cool and peel off the skin. Reserve the liquid and add a good dash of peach liquor or light colored rum.
Vanilla Anglaise:-
8 egg yolks
160gg caster sugar
400ml double cream
100ml whole fat milk
1 Vanilla pod deseeded
Whisk yolks and sugar together until creamy and pale. Boil the cream with the vanilla pod and slowly whisk into the egg mixture. Over a low heat cook the mixture stirring continously until small bubbles begin to form and the mixture thickens. Pour the mixture through a sieve into a bowl containing the milk and mix again and chill. You should get a thick custard.
To serve put a good spoonful of the anglaise in the middle of a plate. Put the saverin which you must soak in the reserved liquid briefly on top then the poached peach. Place a few fresh raspberries around the plate and serve with your favorite chilled sweet wine.
Churchill Tweets!
Follow us on Twitter.
The website and blog are great for keeping you informed of our hotel's news and offers but you can now keep abreast of things on Twitter too.
Much will be the same as you find on this website but if you follow us on Twitter you gain access to truly last minute offers too. Log in quickly and there's even a deal for tonight's jazz night!
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Expedia Insider' Select List 2010
The awards keep coming! Following on from the restaurant winning it's second AA Rosette and Toptable's Gold Award now it's the hotels turn.
The Churchill has been chosen as an Expedia Insiders’ Select™ hotel, one of Expedia’s top-ranked properties.
The Expedia Insiders’ Select list is an annual award recognizing the very best hotels available in Expedia’s global marketplace, as judged by the experiences of Expedia®’s customers. Based on more than one million hotel reviews submitted by Expedia's travelers, the Churchill was identified as consistently delivering superior services, an exceptional guest experience and notable value. The Expedia Insiders’ Select program includes only a small percentage of the top-ranked hotels offered globally across Expedia sites—earning a place on the Insiders’ Select list is a testament to the Churchill's ongoing commitment to excellence.
