Ken Hom hosts latest Culinary Salon dinner in Belfast
Legendary chef, television personality and OCC Patron, Ken Hom CBE, hosted the most recent Culinary Salon dinner at Academy Restaurant, Belfast – as part of an ongoing collaboration between the Oxford Cultural Collective and Ulster University.
On 1st October 2024, over 100 guests enjoyed Ken’s menu, which married the highest quality Northern Irish ingredients with pan-Asian flavours. Dinner was prepared by culinary arts management students and the Academy’s team of professional chefs, with guidance from Ken.
The Culinary Salon dinners have become a prominent feature of Belfast’s vibrant food scene. As well as reaching a wide public audience, they provide students with outstanding opportunities to work alongside many of the best loved chefs and food writers in the UK and Ireland. Contributors to the thirteen dinners that have taken place to date include Andi Oliver, Jeremy Lee, Cyrus Todiwala, Felicity Cloake and Marc Millon.
On the afternoon of 1st October, Ken participated in an event for local food and drink producers, chefs and restaurateurs, focused on the development of Northern Ireland as a leading gastronomic destination. He joined panellists Michele Shirlow, CEO of Food NI, Ioannis Pantelides from Ulster University, Donald Sloan of the Oxford Cultural Collective and Niall McKenna, Chef Patron of Waterman House, where the event was staged.
Waterman House, owned by Niall and Joanne McKenna, is one of Northern Ireland’s leading culinary and events venues. It incorporates a bistro, cooking school and multiple events spaces. Niall McKenna is recognised and admired for his significant influence on the food culture of Northern Ireland.