The Oxford Cultural Collective at the 2018 Gibunco Gibraltar International Literary Festival
The Oxford Cultural Collective staged the opening and closing dinners at this year’s Gibunco Gibraltar Oxford Literary festival, in partnership with Matt Tebbutt and Diana Henry
28th November 2018
Stepping from the plane at Gibraltar airport, the drama of the setting stops you in your tracks, no matter how many times you have visited before. The highest point of the imposing limestone rock towers above, with a shear drop of over 400 metres to the sea. You immediately get a sense of why Gibraltar’s distinct location, as a promontory on the Southwestern tip of Europe, near the entrance to the Mediterranean, ensured its strategic importance and its role as a military stronghold.
Gibraltar may seem an unlikely destination for an international literary festival, yet over the last six years its annual gathering of novelists, historians, biographers and public figures has become one of Europe’s leading celebrations of the written word. Originally formed in partnership with Sally Dunsmore and Tony Byrne, the team behind the FT Weekend Oxford Literary Festival, it has strengthened Gibraltar’s emerging reputation as a centre for high quality cultural events.
In addition to its engaging lectures and panel discussions, the festival is known for its convivial social gatherings, which bring speakers together with locals, from members of the public, to politicians, press and sponsors. It is at such occasions that friendships develop, commitment to the festival’s future is secured and a community spirit is fostered.
The Oxford Cultural Collective was invited to this year’s festival to stage its opening and closing dinners. Chef Matt Tebbutt, the hugely popular presenter of BBC 1’s Saturday Kitchen, prepared the opening dinner, and the closing dinner was overseen by Diana Henry, award-winning food writer, journalist and broadcaster. Paul Bloomfield, chef and Patron of OCC, took on a coordinating role.
To view photos from this year’s Gibunco Gibraltar International Literary Festival, visit the OCC’s Facebook site. With thanks to KT Bruce for photographs.
Menu – Opening Dinner , from Matt Tebbutt
15th November 2019, The Caleta Hotel, Gibraltar
Ox cheek croquet, Jerusalem artichoke puree, beef and olive oil jus.
or
Deep fried Egg, Jerusalem artichoke puree, garlic confit, sherry caramel.
Tarragon chicken breast, cannellini bean vinaigrette, langoustine.
or
Socca bread, cavolo nero, spiced crisp chickpeas, yoghurt dressing, roasted pumpkin.
Quince and apple tarte fine, Calvados custard, caramel.
Menu – Closing Dinner, from Diana Henry (taken from her latest book, How to Eat a Peach)
18th November 2018, The University of Gibraltar
Onion, spinach and Cashel Blue tart
Roast duck leg with aillade, wild mushrooms and potatoes, green salad with hazelnut dressing
or
Vincisgrassi (without the torn Parma ham).
Fig and Honey Cake