Cooking Up A Storm In Cheshire

Robert Kisby, a top north-west chef, has joined the 400-year old Cock O Barton pub in Barton, Cheshire. One of his first challenges is to create a signature dish using locally-sourced products which captures the ‘taste of Cheshire’.

Head chef Kisby is working closely with Made in Cheshire to create the signature dish and intends to launch it at the 2007 Chester Food and Drink Festival in April.

Made in Cheshire is an organization which supports local food and drink producers by bringing them closer to other business and consumers.

Kisby, who made his name at Le Mont in Manchester and is a winner of 11 regional and national awards, commented: “Made in Cheshire has made such a difference - I couldn’t have done it without the team there. Customers constantly compliment us on our fantastic tasting dishes and sourcing quality ingredients is the key to that success.

“We aim to use the freshest produce possible and that means sourcing ingredients that haven’t traveled miles around the country before arriving here.

“Made in Cheshire instantly put me in touch with suppliers that could meet my needs and supply the right kind of produce in the quantities we required.

Kisby added: ”I’ll be delving into the expertise of the organisation to help me source and devise a signature dish for Cheshire which will be appearing on the menu in the coming months. Watch this space!”

The Cock O Barton currently sources most of its bread, eggs, meat and fish locally but Robert intends to increase this.

Jane Casson, spokesperson for Made in Cheshire, explained: “It’s great for the food economy of the region that we have a chef of Robert’s calibre in Cheshire. The county has a strong food and drink offering which is an important part of the local economy but also drives business from outside the region in tourism.

“Made in Cheshire is an essential link between producers and businesses. We help young and more developed businesses to offer a competitive edge for consumers who are increasingly demanding locally sourced, better quality produce.

“Chef’s like Robert who are already passionate about quality, taste and regional foods make our job much easier!”

For more information about food and drink in Cheshire, log onto madeincheshire.com.