When I received an exclusive invitation to learn about Gaggenau kitchen appliances in the beautiful setting of Northcote Manor – I knew it was an opportunity not to be missed!
What I didn’t expect was to be welcomed into a specially designed room with a huge viewing window of the professional kitchen within Northcote Manor’s prestigious Michelin starred restaurant, watching the staff create wonderful food.
The Northcote Manor Cookery School exuded elegance, chic and functionality with a beautiful SieMatic kitchen - originator of the handle-less kitchen. The centre piece was a huge adjustable table for us (the students) to sit round and watch master chef, Michael Vanheste, at work. As he demonstrated and prepared the food, with a Gaggenau induction hob fitted perfectly flush into the fabulous table, an aerial camera and live viewing screen made sure we didn’t miss a thing.
The day was lots of fun and incredibly interesting. On arrival we were treated to breakfast in the restaurant before Michael took us a tour of the professional kitchen. It was surprisingly cool and calm - no gas here. Professional chefs prefer to cook with the more efficient induction method.
Inspired and keen to have a go myself, we made a seafood sauce wrapped in pancakes, which was so simple and quick to prepare and the Gaggenau induction hob didn’t disappoint. It was really simple to use with touch control for instant heat.
Up to four different pots, no matter size or shape, can be used on the cooktop at one time. If the cookware’s moved, the cooktop recognises the new position and continues to operate. This intuitive operation is controlled using an extra-large touch display, which shows the shape, size and position of the cookware. You can control all functions, such as selecting the cooking positions and setting or changing the power levels with a simple touch of the display. Touch the light up dial and away you go!
Our next task was to marinade a blade of beef in red wine and spices and vacuum pack the meat for freshness whilst we prepared the veg to go with it.
Then a break for lunch - two delicious courses with a lovely glass of wine in a beautiful setting, under a rather stunning chandelier.
After that, it was back to the school to finish off our mains. These had been slow cooking under the watchful eye of the lovely Sonia, Michael’s assistant, in the 400 series Gaggenau oven as required in this professional-grade kitchen. Gaggenau offers the perfectly designed appliance for every cooking method.
Finally we baked a delicious treacle tart, so easy (they’d prepared the pastry – which was a relief, so the really hard work was done).
All the dishes tasted amazing but the biggest surprise was the blade steak, vacuum packed and cooked in the 400 series sous-vide oven – it was absolutely delicious and melted in your mouth. I’m keen to learn more about this exciting and innovative new appliance which comes on the market in the New Year.
The whole day was an excellent and enjoyable experience - a real treat for customers who are serious about purchasing fabulous cooking appliances. It’s a great way of experiencing the simplicity and intuitive nature of Gaggenau appliances and learning new skills, whether you’re an experienced cook or just a novice.
To find out more about Gaggenau appliances and SieMatic kitchens take a look at our website, visit our stunning new showroom, or give us a call.