Restaurants in Hockley have put football on the menu as the European Championships come to a climax in France this week with the help of Nottingham-born MasterChef finalist Pete Hewitt.
In conjunction with the Nottingham City of Football project twenty-four venues from around the Hockley area of the city took part in the #HockleyFoodandDrinkChallenge throughout July.
Each venue was designated a country from the European Championship finals and was tasked with creating a unique dish, snack, drink or cocktail that represented and celebrated their nation. This was then made available on their menu for the duration of the tournament.
The City of Football brought together each of the Euro themed delights for a celebration event last Friday at The Bodega, Nottingham, which was judged by MasterChef finalist Pete Hewitt and included music from Nottingham musician Rob Green.
Pete said: “I’ve loved being a part of the Hockley Food and Drink Challenge today – this is what food is all about for me and why I’ve always loved cooking.
“It’s been fantastic to meet so many different people who have come together in the name of football and food.
“Today wasn’t about picking an overall winner; it was about celebrating a summer of football and praising local businesses for getting involved in their numbers like they did. However, if I have to pick, I did particularity like the Salt Cod Croquettes (Portugal) from The Tapastry and the Guinness Cake (Republic of Ireland) from Wired Café Bar.
“All the dishes tasted fantastic though and there were so many different flavours out there in the bars and restaurants of Hockley, so people should definitely try them all.”
This event was part of Nottingham City of Football’s Summer of Football celebration, where 50 football sessions and events will take place over the summer to help the whole of Nottingham #FindTheirFootball.
Ben Welch, City of Football Event Organiser said “Football fever hit Nottingham this summer and we wanted to find a way of working with some of the businesses from around Hockley and thought this would be a great way of engaging with members of the local public and venues alike.”
“It’s also been a fantastic way to get people involved in football in a slightly different way, it’s not just about playing the game but finding your football in other ways too, like cooking or trying new foods for example.”
Find your football this summer – http://www.city-of-football.uk/activities/
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For further information, please contact the Nottingham City of Football Press Office:
Aimee Preston
Macesport
Account Manager
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