Redrow couple enjoy 'Chef for a Day' experience

A couple will be putting their culinary skills to the test in the kitchen of their new Redrow home after picking up tips from a top chef.

Colin and June Phillips enjoyed a ‘Chef for a Day’ experience at the multi award winning Crown at Whitebrook, where, under the supervision of Michelin starred chef James Sommerin, they discovered what really goes on in a busy professional kitchen.

“It was brilliant. My wife June worked on the pastry section and I was on the starters and main courses. We did all of the preparation up to the lunch service,” Colin commented.

“It was really interesting and a bit of an eye opener as to what actually happens in a commercial kitchen. June and I really enjoyed it, it was what they said it would be – a real experience.”

The couple won the experience when they reserved their new Redrow home at Croesonnen Court near Abergavenny during a special promotional event in the run up to the Abergavenny Food Festival.

At the event James, executive head chef at The Crown restaurants at Whitebrook, near Monmouth and the Celtic Manor, in Newport, demonstrated his cookery skills in the fantastic new kitchen of one of Redrow’s show homes.

“We had always wanted to live in Abergavenny but hadn’t found a property that we liked until we went to the Redrow venture at Croesonnen Court and found the perfect home for us,” Colin said.

The ‘Chef for a Day’ experience was a complete change from the couple’s own careers – June is a support worker and Colin is a manager for Amec.

“A restaurant kitchen is not a planned environment – things come along that you’re not expecting and you have to deal with it, especially when orders are coming in. You have yourself ready but you can’t plan what to cook,” Colin said.

“We learned a lot on the day and there were a few good tips that June picked up.”

As part of the experience, James showed them how to prepare a lobster. They helped prepare Welsh cakes and biscuits and prepare dishes for customers in the restaurant.

The couple also enjoyed a wine tasting session and dined in the restaurant.

James said: “They did really well for beginners with no real experience of a professional kitchen. I think they were surprised by the level of effort that was needed.”

Croesonnen Court is a tasty development of four and five-bedroom homes, just a mile from the centre of the bustling market town of Abergavenny.

A new ‘Cambridge’ style show home is now open at Croesonnen Court, showcasing the latest in interior design from Redrow.

For more information about the homes available at Croesonnen Court, visit the sales office and show home, open Friday to Tuesday, 10am to 5.30pm. Alternatively, log on to: redrow.co.uk