Middleton Lodge's very own chef Robert Taylor is a thoroughly nice guy and has quite a pedigree. He has been recognised at several National Awards including UK's Young Chef of the Year in 2008 reaching the Chaine de Rotisseurs finals in Paris. In 2012 he was also successful in reaching the quarter finals of Masterchef 'The Professionals'. Robert ran the Cookery School at Swinton Park for 3 years and worked and trained alongside Rosemary Shrager an English Chef, who is probably best known for being an haute cuisine teacher on the reality television programme Ladette to Lady, and also as a judge on Soapstar Superchef.
The ethos of Middleton Lodge's cuisine stems from an old-fashioned love of food, with a perfectly modern appreciation of using the best local ingredients is at the heart and soul of our menus. They are inspired by the seasons, have a subtle Mediterranean influence and reflect the surrounding Yorkshire countryside. With a history like that who else would you want to run The Middleton Lodge Cookery School but Rob himself.
The morning commenced with coffee and pastries in the bar area, prior to an introduction from Rob of what lay ahead. The aim of the day was to learn how to cook a 3 course Dinner including bread making, knife skills, dessert techniques and the best sauces. The class was limited to 10 places ensuring that everyone would be able to be involved and to allow everyone to chat and learn from Rob himself or Middleton Lodge's equally approachable pastry chef , Adam Fenwick. The culmination of the days labours and possibly the best part was for everyone to retreat to The Cellar Bar for a couple of glasses of fizz and sample their very own home cooked three course dinner.