Chefs at St James' Park are preparing to showcase their fine dining skills this week to guests who are to be served up a locally-inspired menu - alongside unique views.
The home of Newcastle United is taking part in NE1's Newcastle Restaurant Week for the first time and chef Kyle Bowman and team are out to impress with a specially-created tasting menu which will feature local favourites including Newcastle Brown Ale. And, served in the stadium's Park Grill dining room - which overlooks the pitch and usually hosts match day hospitality - diners will have the added treat of some stunning views.
For anyone other than match regulars, this promises to be a rare opportunity to enjoy the location while the special menu - which marks a big change from the Park Grill's usual fare of steak, chicken, burger and chips - will be a chance to experience the kind of special occasion fine dining which many people might not be aware is available there.
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Kyle, who is the development chef at St James' Park and has previously owned his own restaurant, 1964 in Low Fell, focuses upon using local, seasonal ingredients wherever possible. As well as the likes of Newcastle Brown Ale bread; pig's cheek arancini and pan-roasted stone bass, his £20 tasting menu will feature his signature 'surprise' Snickers dessert: a combination of chocolate, peanut, nougat and caramel.
He said: "This is the first Restaurant Week tasting menu we've been involved in so we're quite excited to get our name out there and show what we can do at the stadium." Of the restaurant's location, which links to the open kitchen, he added: "We thought this was the best room with the best views to showcase what we can offer here."
He added: "There's not much better in the whole of Newcastle than that view out there." With this being St James' Park's first involvement in Restaurant Week, which this year sees a record 120 city venues offer special-price menus over its seven-day run, its tasting menu is available for three days only, from Thursday to Saturday, in order to test the water.
Molly McHenry, St James' Park's marketing manager for events and conferences, said: "We decided to do three days as a trial to see how it goes. The type of menus is not something we've done before."
Relatively new to the business, she is keen to spearhead more promotion of the venue's "really good chefs" and what can be available. Restaurant Week is an ideal vehicle to do that and the NE1 team have been very supportive.
She said. "If it goes well, it's something we'd like to do more of in future." And initial signs couldn't be better.
With two sittings available each day, at 4.30pm and 7.30pm, bookings are being snapped up. The later Friday night session is already booked up but there is still availability for other times and, future fixtures permitting, the football ground may well also take part in the second of the Restaurant Week's two annual outings, in August.
Ahead of that there will be a chance soon to sample a new event as Kyle and his three fellow chefs, who are currently busy preparing for Thursday's Restaurant Week launch, are next going to create a seven-course Valentine's Day tasting menu for February 14, in addition to catering for special occasions such as Mother's Day and Father's Day.
Restaurant Week got under way at other venues in the city on Monday and Rachel Barlow, marketing and events manager at NE1, said that initial feedback from participating restaurants reveals delight at the public response, with many already being fully booked. She said diners keen to try St James' Park - one of 10 newcomers to this year's event - "really are in for a treat - not only for the tasting menu but also for the spectacular pitch views".
To book for St James' Park during Restaurant Week see here. Tickets are also on sale now for its Valentine's Day tasting menu: see here. Vegetarian options are also available.
The full list of city venues taking part in Restaurant Week can be found on NE1's website.
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