In a year defined by Zoom calls - whether it be work meetings, pub quizzes, or webinars - we wanted to see how we could use virtual meetings to still bring people together over some delicious food.
Employing the help of celebrity chefs and cookbook authors, Gennaro Contaldo and Clodagh McKenna, we set out to plan two separate press events for our clients, Parmigiano Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma in order to boost the ways in which we can continue to cook with these high quality and unique products at home.
Taking the format of a "cook-along" dinner, each event required ingredients to be sent out to our guests beforehand. We therefore worked with some of the best quality, wholesale suppliers in London to organise deliveries for the attendees, including some quirky materials, such as chef hats to get them in the spirit!
Our event with Gennaro Contaldo was a huge success and great fun, with the recipes taken from his recent documentary with Parmigiano Reggiano - Pasta e Fagioli and Chicken Saltimbocca with Parma Ham and Sage. The evening began with a cheese tasting of 18, 24, and 36-month Parmigiano Reggiano, led by the Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano Reggiano. Gennaro then demonstrated how to cook each dish, with some really excellent results! His passion for the cheese and cooking really shone through the screen and it was thoroughly enjoyed by all attendees.
Read more about the event from The Tastemaker, London Unattached, and Eating Covent Garden.
Our press dinner with Parma Ham was hosted by the well-known and popular, Clodagh McKenna, who demonstrated how to make two new recipes from her latest cookbook, Clodagh's Weeknight Kitchen. Georgie Hackett, Account Director at Brand Dialogue outlined the unique qualities and flavours of Prosciutto di Parma - from its silky texture to its combination of sweet and salty flavours - encouraging our guests to sample the product for themselves. Clodagh then led the cooking session, beginning with a starter of Creamed Mushrooms on Sourdough Toast with Parma Ham and ending with her recipe for Creamy Pasta Amore with Parma Ham & Italian Flat Leaf Parsley as a main course. Despite the event being virtual, it included plenty of singing and dancing as well!
Read more about the event from FoodTribe, Eating Covent Garden, and London Unattached.