“Made In Oldstead, Inspired by Lord’s” is the ethos behind our brand new hamper dining experience from Michelin-starred chef Tommy Banks.
Whilst inspired by the rich heritage of the MCC, and the longstanding synergy between food and cricket, our new hamper experience reflects the land and bountiful beauty of a place a little further from NW8.
And we’re not talking a far flung, exotic destination a million miles from Lord’s, but Oldstead, a tiny pocket of Yorkshire countryside nestled on the edge of the North York Moors.
This small village is home to Tommy Banks, the chef behind the two Michelin-starred restaurants The Black Swan at Oldstead and Roots in York. Tommy’s family have lived and farmed in Oldstead for five generations, and it’s here that Tommy creates culinary magic. This has subsequently led him to win multiple awards for his cooking.
Tommy’s dream was to always be a professional cricketer, but with a sudden illness, three major operations and a bedbound year and a half, an 18-year-old Tommy focused himself on reading, watching and learning everything about cooking, with the ambition to return to the kitchen of his family pub and restaurant.
"These hampers are inspired by the land of Oldstead"
Fast-forward a few years, and Tommy had become the youngest-ever chef to win a Michelin star at the age of 24. It was at this point that Tommy decided he wanted to fuse his love of cooking with his rich, farming history, and he set about creating a three-acre kitchen garden at the back of The Black Swan, allowing him and his family to grow ingredients they cannot procure anywhere else.
Fifteen years since his family transformed the rundown, local village pub, Tommy has gone onto launch Made In Oldstead, with the goal of reimagining the traditional fine dining experience, whether that’s through the hundreds of fine-dining finish-at-home boxes they deliver nationwide every week, or the luxury hampers enjoyed pitch side at one of the most historic sporting venues in the world.
You can even find Tommy's innovative style of cooking at our newly-launched The Edrich restaurant, as Tommy and his team serve a unique tasting menu alongside International matches.
Just like his restaurants, these hampers are inspired by the land of Oldstead, and use the unique ingredients and preserving techniques that makes Tommy’s cooking so special.
"Every element of these menus reflect the uniqueness of Tommy’s cooking"
Lobster topped served with a tart, citrusy dressing – not from lemons, but the sea buckthorn plants growing at the top of Oldstead farm. Sausage rolls made with top-quality salt-aged beef from local Yorkshire farmers served with a fermented sauce made with the vibrant chillies that burst into life in the polytunnels on their farm every year. Flapjacks made with spruce tips, foraged from the towering trees of nearby woods.
Every element of these menus reflect the uniqueness of Tommy’s cooking, and the abundance of ingredients grown and foraged right here in the UK. And for the first time ever, you can experience this right here at the Home of Cricket, without missing a single run.
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