You're invited: Community Canapé Party! 

I'm delighted to have have been asked to put on an event at the Hillbilly Social on Myddleton Road in Bowes Park. The story of the venue is inspiring: when a much-loved restaurant and bar was taken over by property developers and slated to be turned into flats, locals fought back, raising the money to buy the venue for the community. 

So community is our theme for the evening. To me this has always meant co-operation in the spirit of what we have in common: putting aside differences for a shared good. It can be based on lots of things, whether political aims, mutual interests or simple geographical proximity. In a city as large as London, the latter is sometimes put aside. With so many millions living here, it's easy to find "your people" at work or through a hobby and we can neglect the importance of just learnifn to rub along with those around us. I think meeting and chatting face to face is the antidote to that. 

My work as a chef and food educator obviously centres around people coming together, to eat or share skills. But (more pretentiously perhaps!) as a fermenter I also like to consider myself in community with the microbes who do the work for me, transforming simple ingredients into something delicious and good-for-you with complex flavours. 

You'll get a complementary cocktail on arrival, a generous array of delicious things to eat and connection-sparking creative prompts for those in the mood. Small bites and big conversations! 

The menu will be as follows (allowing for seasonal inspiration and chef's whims):

Hedgerow cocktail

Kimchi devilled eggs (V, GF)
Golden kraut fritters, coriander chutney (Ve, GF)
Freshly-baked soda bread, cultured butter, radishes (V)

Oatcake blinis with smoked salmon/carrot "lox" (GF, V/Ve option)
Pan con tomate (Ve)
Mini spanakopita (Ve)

Quince frangipane (V)
Miso brownie bites (Ve, GF)