Paul and Emma Ainsworth are excited to announce the opening of their fourth Padstow venture, Mahé Cookery School and Chef’s Table with Executive Chef, John Walton at the helm. Named after an island in the Seychelles, Mahé takes its name from the location where Paul’s parents first met. Mahé reflects Paul and Emma’s ethos surrounding ‘beginnings’, not only encapsulating Paul’s heritage and strong family ties to the island but also the fundamentals of cooking.
The Cookery School, hosting up to five guests, offers a space for students to develop their kitchen skills while learning how to master a selection of delicious dishes from their chosen course. Each class has been designed to ensure each student receives one-to-one time with John Walton and leaves with expert skills and know-how from his wealth of experience. Courses throughout the year include: ‘Dinner Party Secrets’, ‘Sugar and Spice’, ‘Pasta Masterclass’, and ‘Bistro Cooking’.
‘Dinner Party Secrets’ (£275pp) will teach students how to create restaurant quality dishes at home, with simple instructions for curating an impressive yet stress-free menu. ‘Sugar and Spice’ (£195pp) will demonstrate how to prepare a range of eye-catching desserts and treats such as; Chocolate fondant; Cinnamon-sugared doughnuts; Fresh fruit sorbets and Cheesecakes, whilst delivering expert baking advice to ensure a perfect result every time. Guests partaking in the ‘Pasta Masterclass’ (£225pp) will learn the essentials to making authentic Italian pasta, delicious fillings and sauces.
The ‘Bistro Cooking’ (£250pp) course, will demonstrate how to perfect comfort food classics and how to elevate traditional meals using high-quality ingredients and insightful cooking tips. Inspired by Ainsworth’s pub in Rock, The Mariners, guests will learn to make much-loved dishes from its menu such as Porthilly Doom Bar mussels; Crab and prawn bruschetta and Steamed treacle pudding with custard. Guests of Mahé will also enjoy a light breakfast at No.6, a behind-the-scenes tour of the restaurant, a two-course lunch with matching wines, Cornish cream tea to finish off the day and a goody bag to take home.
Seating 10 guests, The Chef’s Table element of Mahé, will offer visitors the chance to witness the creation of restaurant quality food from start to finish by John Walton, who has run a Michelin-starred kitchen for over a decade. The Chef’s Table will give guests the opportunity to tailor the evening to their specifications, while gaining expert knowledge from John Walton.
Paul commented: “John and I have had so much fun putting these classes together, and we can’t wait to share our passion for creating great food with our guests. It’s been a dream come true to open Mahé and it’s incredibly exciting to finally open the doors and welcome our first guests. We’re so pleased to have partnered with Miele and Goodfellows for this project, they both offer world-class products and share our belief in ensuring customers receive the best possible experience.”
Adjoining onto the pair’s Michelin-starred restaurant, No.6, Mahé is multifaceted, offering guests both a one-to-one cookery lesson during the day, and an intimate and bespoke culinary experience at the chef’s table in the evening. Guests of Mahé will experience state of the art kitchen utensils and equipment from partners, Miele and Goodfellows.
A spokesperson for Miele commented: “We are delighted to be working with Paul, Emma and John, providing the appliances for their new cookery school and chef’s table venture, Mahé. At Miele, precision and perfection are a big part of our ethos and our appliances are the perfect fit for demanding professional kitchens. Our ovens provide temperature accuracy within one degree, ensuring that ingredients are cooked to perfection with the temperature set throughout the entire cooking process – providing consistent results every time. In addition, the kitchen’s fridges are equipped with Miele’s PerfectFresh Pro technology, which ensures that the teams carefully selected produce, such as fresh Cornish seafood are stored at the optimum temperature, preserving valuable flavours and textures. We look forward to seeing our appliances in action and the superb dishes the students create.”
The interior design has been led by Emma Ainsworth in partnership with Eve Cullen-Cornes to create an intimate, welcoming space. The design, inspired by Paul and John’s mutual love of vintage motorbikes and old school glamour, features custom-made lights made from antique Yamaha TY80 bike frames and navy-blue velvet doors, reminiscent of vintage bike seats. In a nod to the Seychelles, clamshell shaped stools with dramatic gold leather are positioned around the chef’s table.
Valda Goodfellow, Managing Director of G&G Goodfellows noted: “We are incredibly proud to be a sponsor of Mahé. Working with Paul and John is always a delight, but this project is unique and so special to us. It will set a new standard.”
Mahé Cookery School and Chef’s Table is now open with classes available to book throughout 2019.
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