Mark Hix revives the forgotten art of carving at Brown's Hotel

From November 2011, prominent British chef, Mark Hix will launch a series of exclusive carving masterclasses at Rocco Forte’s Brown’s Hotel, celebrating this quintessentially British skill that has sadly disappeared from many Sunday lunch tables. Renowned for his passion for local produce, Hix will share his wealth of experience with guests, teaching them the forgotten art of carving in an intimate class setting.
 
Mark Hix comments, “The idea of these classes is to get people excited about carving, something that used to be an integral part of the traditional Sunday roast and a skill proudly passed down from father to son. I want people to leave the classes feeling confident about cooking and carving a fantastic roast meal which needn’t be complicated and time consuming, yet will taste fantastic, better than anything pre-prepared in the supermarket.  Carving provides a little bit of theatre at the beginning of the meal and is great for involving the whole family in a great British tradition. Also, it’s great fun being able to show off your new knife skills to friends at a dinner party.”

The two-hour interactive class begins with a brief overview of the various cuts of meat and the preparation process, with advice on cutting raw meat and cooking techniques including different glazes and stuffing’s.  Under the careful guidance of Hix, guests will all try their hand at carving a leg of lamb, a saddle of pork and a joint of beef.  Throughout the class Hix will share anecdotes and tips from his illustrious 27-year career, as well as answering questions. In between the carving of each roast meat, guests will be served the carved meat with a selection of vegetables, potatoes and a glass of wine, giving them further opportunity for an informal discussion with Hix.

The Mark Hix Carving Masterclasses cost £150 per person and include:
• The two-hour masterclass
• A feast dinner including all carved meats served with potatoes and vegetables, a bottle of wine per person, desserts and a cheese course
• A Brown’s Hotel apron
• A signed Mark Hix cookery book

The Masterclasses will take place at Rocco Forte’s Brown’s Hotel on the following dates: 17th November, 23rd November, 7th December, 15th December, 11th January, 25th January, 9th February and 15th March. There will be a maximum of ten guests at each masterclass.  Classes will be held from 6pm - 8pm (apart from on 7th December which will be from 12noon – 2pm).

As men are notoriously difficult to buy presents for, why not treat a friend or loved one to a Carving Masterclass for Christmas or for a birthday present. Mark Hix Carving Masterclass gift certificates are available from Brown’s Hotel.  *The classes are also available for private events, ideal for celebrating a special birthday or anniversary. 

Rocco Forte Hotels is also running carving masterclasses in Manchester at The Lowry Hotel with Executive Chef, Ryan Murphy and in Edinburgh The Balmoral with Executive Chef, Jeff Bland.

To book a Mark Hix Carving Masterclass, please call Brown’s Hotel directly on 020 7493 6020 or visit www.roccofortehotels.com

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*The Private Carving Masterclasses with Mark Hix need to be booked at least two months in advance.

Notes to Editors
Mark Hix
Throughout his career, Mark Hix has worked with some of the UK’s best-loved restaurants.  In 1990 he was appointed Executive Head Chef for Caprice Holdings overseeing Le Caprice, The Ivy and J Sheekey and was then made Chef Director, looking after a further six restaurants in the Caprice Holdings family. He then joined Rocco Forte’s Brown’s Hotel as Director of Food in 2007 as well as establishing his own brand, with several restaurants in London and Dorset.

Rocco Forte Hotels
Rocco Forte Hotels is a family of 13 individual hotels and resorts. Each property has a unique style, reflecting its nationality and location, but all share Rocco Forte Hotels’ trademark attention to detail, high quality and immaculate service.
 
Established by Sir Rocco Forte in 1996, Rocco Forte Hotels comprises: Hotel de Russie, Rome; Hotel Savoy, Florence; The Balmoral, Edinburgh; The Lowry Hotel, Manchester; Hotel Astoria, St Petersburg; Hotel Amigo, Brussels; Brown’s Hotel, London; Villa Kennedy, Frankfurt; Hotel de Rome, Berlin; The Charles Hotel, Munich; Augustine Hotel, Prague; Verdura Golf & Spa Resort, Sicily; Rocco Forte Hotel Abu Dhabi. Future openings: Jeddah 2013; Marrakech 2014; Cairo 2014; Luxor 2014.

www.roccofortehotels.com

Media Enquiries:

Anna Martin/Ilse van Steen/Natasha Berg
Rocco Forte Hotels
Tel:  +44 (0)20 766 3107/3137/3113
Email:  pressinformation@roccofortehotels.com