One of the most magical times of the year is upon us and I have a feast in store for you. The festival of Midsummer is celebrated throughout northern Europe to mark the longest days of the year, when the daylight stretches long into the evening and the night sky seems to never be fully dark. For this event, my seventh Summer Solstice supper, the menu pays homage to the magic of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream.
I know a bank where the wild thyme blows,
Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows,
Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine,
With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine:
There sleeps Titania sometime of the night,
Lulled in these flowers with dances and delight.
(Oberon, Act 2 Scene 1)
Let me transport you to the Athenian woods and the fairy bowers hidden deep within. I’ve been inspired by the scented herbs and beautiful flowers mentioned in the play along with nods to India for the faerie King and Queen and to Hippolyta’s Tunisian heritage. Expect a silky smooth gazpacho, gently spiced dumplings, a feast of colourful and delicious Indian flavours and some glorious sweet treats. Come and experience the magic of midsummer with me.
I’ll be hosting this supper club in the beautiful Mother of the Woods Retreat. Located between Saintfield and Lisburn this is a gorgeous Georgian house and retreat centre owned and run by Essential Nature Yoga.
Midsummer Night's Dream Supper Club @ Mother of the Woods Retreat
Friday 28th & Saturday 29th June 2024
On arrival:
Elderflower & hibiscus gin fizz
Peaseblossom’s courgette, pea & halloumi fritters
Moth’s wild thyme & cheese puffs
To start:
The lover’s tomato & strawberry gazpacho with basil oil, sourdough croutons and love-in-idleness
To continue:
Hippolyta’s carrot and rose harissa dumplings with yoghurt sauce and toasted pine nuts
The main event:
Titania & Oberon’s Indian Feast
Butter chicken & new potato curry
OR butter courgette & new potato curry
Dal makhani (creamy black dal)
Cardamom scented rice with barberries, herbs and edible flowers
Cucumber, mange tout and pink onion salad
Crispy poppadoms & spicy mango chutney
To refresh:
Cobweb’s airy elderflower and gooseberry sorbet
For pudding:
Bottom’s honey cake with apricots & rose petals
Round the fire pit:
Dian’s Bud (aka Mugwort) tea sweetened with honey
Chocolate mendiants with dried fig & rose
The drinks: This event is BYO. Please bring a bottle (or more) of your favourite tipple. A welcome drink will be provided on arrival
The time: 7pm on Friday 28th or Saturday 29th June 2024. If you are planning on booking a taxi or organising a lift we’d suggest organising that for 11pm.
The place: Mother of the Woods Retreat, 31 Back Road, Cargacreevy, Lisburn , BT27 6TR (please see the event confirmation email for full details on how to find the venue - but DO NOT go to the Back Road in Drumbo)
The cost: £70 per person (includes booking fees), for a six-course menu plus a few extras.
Keeping warm: This event will be hosted inside the beautiful dining spaces at Mother of the Woods. Weather permitting welcome drinks will be outside and we may light the firepit at the end of the evening. Please bring an extra layer or two to keep you cosy during the welcome drinks and around the fire pit.
Seating: You will be seated with other guests. If you are not comfortable sitting with other people then please do not book tickets as unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to seat groups separately.
Dietary Requirements: This menu is suitable for vegetarians. We can cater for vegan/dairy free guests, please do let us know in advance if you are vegan/dairy free. Unfortunately this event is not suitable if you are gluten free. For all other dietary requirements just let us know when you book and we’ll try our absolute best to accommodate you.
Cancellation Policy: We have recently updated our cancellation policy and we now charge an administrative fee for cancellations up to one week in advance of the event. If you cancel less than one week before the event we cannot offer a refund unless we can resell your tickets. All tickets are transferable if you can find another guest to come in your place. For full details of our cancellation policy please click here.
