As 2013 threatens to dissolve into a misty water coloured memory, it is perhaps time to reflect on what has been a super year for the Spice Club. Our varied supper club events were attended by inquisitive minds, excited taste buds and growling tummies – and the feedback has been a generous endorsement of our love for food. Nothing quite beats the satisfied beaming smiles of our faithful patrons – thank you so much! A particular highlight was the collaborative pop-up event in Spinningfields with the ever-so-talented Raj Tent Club. Any effort on our part was soothed by the sight of the lunch-time cues braving the summer rains! It was both enthralling and humbling. Nevertheless, it has been the Cooking Classes which have been the events I have looked forward to the most…an opportunity to plant the roots of ideas and skills which you can take to your own kitchens and allow to blossom…so you can woo your friends and families with Indian food the way it is supposed to be – home made!! All of the above and a whopping £490 raised over the course of the year for great causes. Thank you again.
To have one of our recipes appear on the front page of Sainsbury’s Magazine was a great honour, and to have a feature in BBC Good Food Magazine as well meant that our reach is expanding. London is so yesterday… Manchester is taking over… I genuinely believe that!
So… as we turn the page to 2014, I was wide-eyed and tip-toed (I may have shrieked a little… lets keep that between you and I) to have been ranked in Manchester Evening New’s Top 10 Manchester Places to Eat list by their readers and not long after, we were thrilled to also be included in the Guardian’s Best 5 UK Supper Clubs round up.This news definitely got rid of any January blues that had been lingering-a big thanks to everyone who voted!
So 2014 is not waiting for anyone, least of all me… and your expectant tummies. So, with a nod to the best of 2013, I decided to kick the new year off with our Indian Street Food Cookery class where we taught how to bring the tastes of Indian guilty pleasures to your kitchen – everything from Punjabi Samosas and Channa Masala to Aloo Tikkis. It was such a “treat” (pun intended) to see Instagram photos and Tweets of the mouth-watering street food snacks you produced at home later in the week! (This makes it sooooo worthwhile – it is why I wish to host more classes this year!)
Last week we hosted our ever popular Indian Vegetarian Feast supper club where we had guests travel from all over the UK to attend. We had a great time hosting and it was pleasure to welcome back familiar faces and also see new faces grace our tables. A percentage of our supper club ticket sales were donated to the Find Your Feet– a fantastic charity who help to empower & aid the development of those who are underprivileged in rural areas of India and Africa. On Saturday, our guests helped us to raise over £90 for such a worthy cause-high fives all round!! Here are a few photos of a another great night at the Spice Club…
Home-made pastry flavoured stuffed with potatoes & peas flavoured with Spice Club garam masala & coriander
Paneer cooked with spinach in ginger, garlic, paprika, fresh chillis and coriander
Masoor and moong lentils cooked in cumin, sun-dried mango powder & fresh coriander
Saffron infused kulfi topped with mango sorbet and candied almonds & cashews
Our next few events are currently fully booked but if you would like to be added to our waiting list, please sign up here. Also, we have some exciting plans in the works so stay posted to our upcoming events page so you don’t miss out!
Hope to see you very soon.
Monica x