Meet the Cooks

We hope you enjoy reading our blog and that together we can learn to look at the wild side of food with a smile!

Introducing the Wild Cooks …

Steph Moon – The original Wild Cook and star of The Great British Menu! The daughter of a Yorkshire farmer, Steph grew up in the countryside and has a real love of Yorkshire food. She is never happier than when she is foraging for wild food in her favourite pink wellies. Steph is now Consultant Chef at Rudding Park and loves to share her favourite recipes and ideas for wild food in our blog.

Peter Banks – A passionate wild foodie, Peter is the envy of every Wild Cook, with an amazing kitchen garden which houses most fruit and vegetables you can think of – and some you possibly can’t! His cider making is legendry and his chutneys have made print many times. Peter is as at home foraging as he is running Rudding Park .

Nuno Cesar De Sa - Nuno loves nothing more on his days off than cooking for his young family. Nuno is Portuguese and his style of food embraces bold flavours.  Nuno has lived in Yorkshire for the last 10 years, during which time he has probably seen more of the county than the rest of us in our life times!  Coupled with his sense of adventure, Nuno should be able to raise a few eyebrows with his wild food.

Steve Ashburn - Barnsley born Yorkshire lad Steve loves the Yorkshire food he grew up on and is fiercely proud of all it has to offer. He is a keen football fan and can be as happy eating pie and peas at the match as he is cooking the wild food of Yorkshire.

Paul Mackie – Wakefield lad Paul loves cooking with wild food. He likes to visit Yorkshire producers too and only a month ago Paul was up to his knees in Yorkshire’s finest rhubarb. Being a native of Wakefield, Paul felt very at home in the rhubarb sheds. Who knows where he will visit next.

John Gascoigne - John has worked at Rudding Park for a number of years and is now a chef de partie in the banqueting kitchens. He loves to cook and make the most of the food we have here in Yorkshire. You will often find John cooking a private dinner in one of our function rooms, helping to prepare a wedding breakfast or even behind a BBQ in the grounds on a nice day.

Up Close and Personal …

If you cannot get enough of the Wild Cooks and want to meet us face to face, then why not come along to one of our many cookery demonstrations.

Here are some of our forthcoming highlights: 

 

14 January
Steph rolls up her sleeves and cooks a Rudding Park guest’s winning 12 days of Christmas prize at their house. Yes our chef’s can cook for you at home too!

 

21 January
Steph goes to teach the next generation of Junior Chefs under 16 yrs at Leeds City College. They are have a pudding master class!

 

26 January
Steph cooks up a wine and food pairings at Leeds- more details to follow

 

7 February
Downham Supper Club
Game cookery evening, it’s all pheasant, rabbit, venison, seasonal, fresh and low on food miles from the Downham Hall Estate.

 

24, 25, 26 February
Steph hosts the 2012 Wakefield Rhubarb Festival with a demonstration of this fantastic energy pink stem of fun. Watch out for Ruby Rhubarb! And some rhubarb triangle magic.

 

3 March
Steph to demo at Malton Mini Food festival
This mini food festival is an opener to the big Malton Food Festival later in May.

 

6th March
Steph dons her Wild Cook wellies to give a speech at Falcon Manor Hotel to a group of local farmers

 

Y12- The Wild Cooks look forward to learning what is up and coming in Yorkshire in 2012 at the Barbican.

 

28, 29 April
Steph to M.C. at the Harrogate Flower Show and to do a demo at this prestigious food theatre growing quite literally in popularity! Watch out for the local celebrity herb omelette challenge and the chefs ready steady cook competition.

 

19, 20 May
Malton Food Festival – Steph hopefully to appear for a cookery demo- T.B.C.

 

16 June
Steph to M.C. The Ripon Food Festival at Ripon Racecourse.
Also she wil take to the stage to do a cookery demo or two!

 

7 August
Steph to demo at the Washbourne Heritage Centre cooking up some Wild Cook treats and foraging fun from Fewston Reservoir.

 

15, 16 September
Steph to demo and M.C. at the Harrogate Autumn Flower Show – another chance to cook some of those great preserving fruits and vegetables.

 

 

 
 

 

This page has the following sub pages.

• Past Cookery Demos