Two of the most highly-regarded pioneers in Glasgow gastronomy are teaming up for a unique two-night collaboration – to raise money for refugees who arrive in the city with nothing.
Iconic secret cocktail lounge The Absent Ear and much-loved restaurant The Gannet are bringing together their ground-breaking teams to create two evenings of truly stellar food and matched drinks on May 2 and 3, all in aid of magnificent cause Refuweegee.
Monday May 2 will see The Absent Ear take over the bar at The Gannet, with the reverse happening on Tuesday 3rd, when The Gannet arrives at The Absent Ear’s mystery location.
The menus on offer are as cutting-edge as you would imagine in terms of both food and drinks.
We’re sworn to secrecy for now, but we have managed to uncover ONE of the pairings – Aged dripping poached lobster, paired with twisted martini, made with sake, cubeb, Szechuan and a touch of the lobster dripping.
We have also heard about a stunning spiced wild pigeon and new season asparagus dish.
And there’s a whisper of Absent Ear’s signature WW serve with lychee, malic acid sage and crémant.
Tickets are £100 each and limited to just 35 per night, so it’s a truly exclusive opportunity to dine and drink in true gourmand style as you explore a six-course tasting snack menu with paired cocktails, while raising funds for a superb cause.
And that’s not all – auctioned off over the two nights will be a ridiculous experience – Peter McKenna of The Gannet will come to your house and cook dinner for you and your guests, with The Absent Ear mixologist team joining him to serve up sensational cocktails to order. The experience of a lifetime and the kind of thing money simply cannot buy.
There’s also going to be an online raffle with prizes including dinners and drinks in The Gannet, The Absent Ear, Saint Luke’s, The Amsterdam and many of the city’s finest establishments, gig tickets and more.
Alex Riches, group operations manager for The Absent Ear said: “I’m just so happy to be involved in bringing two Glasgow institutions together to support a charity that epitomises Glaswegian heart, supporting those who have been displaced from conflict zones in Ukraine, Europe and around the world.
“We need to work with charities like Refuweegee now more than ever – the need is spiralling out of control and that famous Glasgow hospitality is essential. We are rightly proud of our city and this is a chance to show why.”
“For those who can join us at one or both venues, it’s a chance to enjoy a really unique experience with two teams who really do go all out to deliver the very best from the cutting edge of food and drink concepts. It’s going to deliver something very, very special.”
Peter McKenna, chef and owner of The Gannet, said: “It made perfect sense to team up with our friends at The Absent Ear and raise funds for the children affected by the ongoing war in Ukraine.
“We have put our heads together and come up with a unique food and drink pairing based around our love of The Scottish larder and their quirky take on cocktails.
“These will definitely be two nights that will be remembered for some time and we are extremely excited to share them with you.”
Jamie Moran at The Absent Ear said: “We're very excited to work alongside such a fantastic team at The Gannet to create this event that will hopefully raise a lot of funds for those who desperately need it right now. Partnering with such a talented culinary team challenges us to keep raising our game and we can't wait to show you what we have in store.
Refueweegee’s Selina Hayes said: “Refuweegee is a community-led charity set up to provide a warm welcome to forcibly displaced people arriving in Glasgow. We do this through welcome packs, events and volunteering opportunities. Having recently just moved into our dream office, we now have a free shop space that is open for individuals and families to come and choose items such as clothing, toys and food for themselves.
“Being a part of this fundraiser will allow us to continue to provide bus passes so people can attend the shop or come to volunteer. We can also provide people with devices and WiFi so they can attend classes online and communicate with friends and family to prevent social isolation.
“We are absolutely delighted to be a part of something considered which will help and support people both overseas and locally.
“Thanks very much to The Gannet, The Absent Ear and Saint Luke’s for organising this fundraiser.”
To book or for more info head to Instagram, @TheAbsentEar and @TheGannetGla, tickets go on sale priced £100pp noon TODAY, Fri April 15 – strictly limited to 35 per night.
May 2 - https://www.ticketweb.uk/event/the-gannet-x-absent-ear-saint-lukes-tickets/12019175
May 3 - https://www.ticketweb.uk/event/absent-ear-x-the-gannet-saint-lukes-tickets/12019185
