Inverness College UHI presents A Feast & A Fling with the Highlands' top chefs

Inverness College UHI is delighted to announce a very special evening for food lovers, featuring dishes prepared by some of Scotland’s most highly acclaimed chefs.

A Feast & A Fling in aid of Marie Curie will take place on Friday 23rd February 2018 at the university’s Inverness campus. The event is sponsored by Caley Timber and Building Supplies.

Marcello Tully

Guests will enjoy a stunning four course menu, with courses prepared by Marcello Tully, (left) head chef/director at Kinloch Lodge, Isle of Skye; Steven Devlin, owner of Rocpool Restaurant, Inverness; Michael Smith, Chef Patron of Loch Bay Restaurant, Isle of Skye; and Helen Vass, acclaimed pastry chef and winner of BBC’s Bake Off Crème de la Crème.

It promises to be a night of true Highland celebration with dishes showcasing the region’s best chefs and finest ingredients followed by entrainment from award winning folk rock band Torridon.

Tickets are now on sale, priced £75. This includes bubbly and canapés on arrival at 7pm followed by dinner including wine, a charity auction and raffle.

Stuart Stirling, programme manager for hospitality at Inverness College UHI, said: “We’re delighted and very proud to be hosting this event in aid of Marie Curie, which provides care and support to more than 7,400 people living with a terminal illness in Scotland every year, many in the Highlands and Islands. It’s a privilege to host this dinner and to work with chefs of the calibre of Marcello, Steven, Michael and Helen, who will be a true inspiration for our Professional Cookery and Hospitality students supporting the event on the night.”

Vonnie Carson, Community Fundraiser for Marie Cure in the Highlands, said: “Marie Curie is delighted to be the chosen charity for this fabulous event. It is so important to work with local businesses and organisations to raise awareness and funds in the area. Our nurses provide such a valuable service, caring for terminally ill patients in their own home, as well as supporting the whole family through such a difficult time.  Having these four chefs working together is a really positive way of joining forces and creating something very special. It will definitely mean a unique menu and fabulous night out.”

Marcello Tully has been head chef/director at Kinloch Lodge since 2007, having previously worked under the Roux brothers. Within a year of Marcello taking post, Kinloch had won three AA rosettes and a Michelin star, which it retained for seven years.

Lady Claire Macdonald, Scotland’s award winning cook, food writer and owner of Kinloch Lodge Hotel said: “My husband Godfrey and I are very proud to be patrons of Marie Curie in Scotland. The work the nurses do is humbling. They bring strength and comfort not only to their patients, but also to the families of patients. We’re delighted to be supporting this event at Inverness College UHI, a most wonderful and impressive campus.  The feeling within Inverness College UHI is one of great purpose and positivity and I am always proud to be invited to participate in any event at the university.”

Michael Smith

Inverness-born Michael Smith (right) and his wife Laurence launched their restaurant, Loch Bay, in Stein, Skye, in March 2016. In October, it was awarded a coveted Michelin star. Michael also makes regular appearances on the BBC's Great British Menu as a veteran judge.

Michael said: "It's always a great pleasure for me to cook for events like this in my hometown. Teaming up with Marcello, Steven and Helen, supporting such a wonderful charity makes it even more special.”

Steven Devlin, owner of Rocpool Restaurant, has built up a reputation for top class food served in a friendly, relaxed environment in Inverness. “It’s a privilege to be able to cook at an event like this with other top class chefs, raising money for a truly worthwhile cause,” he said.

Helen Vass is an award winning pastry chef based in Glasgow. She runs her own patisserie and consultancy business, Dulce by Helen Vass, was part of the winning team in BBC’s Bake Off Crème de la Crème in 2016, and was recently crowned Callebaut Patissereire Chef of the Year by Catering in Scotland. Earlier this year she collaborated with The Three Chimneys, working with the restaurant’s head chef Scott Davies and his team for 10 weeks.

She said: "I'm really looking forward to working on A Feast & A Fling in aid of Marie Curie. Cancer is something that affects so many people from all walks of life and of all ages. For me, it is something that is very close to home as my father passed away nearly four years ago from the disease. Marie Curie is a fantastic charity, which does so much to help cancer patients and their families."

For tickets, visit www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-feast-and-a-fling-in-aid-of-marie-curie-tickets-39688998864

Anyone looking for a Marie Curie nurse for their loved one should contact their district nurse or GP in the first instance or visit www.mariecurie.org.uk for more information.