Market Vs Supermarket cook-off
Acclaimed local
chef Dan Hargreaves from the Restaurant@SJT will be putting fresh
ingredients to the test in a “Market Hall versus supermarket”
challenge.
Dan will be giving a cookery demonstration in Scarborough’s Market
Hall on Saturday 8 October at 10am and will cook the same dish
twice – once with ingredients sourced from the Market Hall and
Vaults in Scarborough’s Old Town, and again using the same
ingredients sourced from supermarkets.
Visitors to the free demonstration will be encouraged to have a
taste to see if they can spot the difference.
Market Hall and Vaults manager Terry Cullen said: “There is no
question that supermarkets have upped their game in the last decade
or so in terms of freshness and quality, but I firmly believe that
what we have on offer in the Market Hall and Vaults surpasses
that.
“The guys here work incredibly hard to
source the best meat and freshest produce and unlike many of the
big supermarkets, the distance it’s travelled when it gets on to
the dinner plate will in most cases be far less, which is a good
thing for the environment.
“I also believe it’s reflected in the
taste, which is why I think the dish cooked using the ingredients
sourced from the Market Hall and Vaults will come out on top in
this imaginative challenge, though ultimately that will be for
consumers to decide!”
Dan added: “I’ll be judging the food on cost, taste and quality,
as well the impact on the environment, keeping in mind the
packaging and how far the produce has travelled.”
The cook-off has been organised by Scarborough Borough Council’s
regeneration and renaissance team, in association with the
Restaurant@SJT – which as its name suggests is based at the town’s
world-famous Stephen Joseph Theatre.
It is the first in a series of demonstrations and special events at
the Market Hall and Vaults planned over the next 12 months which
the council hopes will raise its profile among Scarborough
shoppers.
The market building in St Helen’s Square was first opened in 1853
after the clearance of the Old Shambles and cost around £16,000 to
build. It was designed by John Irvin, the borough surveyor and was
constructed in the Tuscan style with a Whitby stone facade.
The Market Vaults, home to some of the town’s more unique
businesses, are a relatively new feature, having opened in
1993.
There are currently some 40 traders operating within the Market
Hall and Vaults.