Here at Hot Dinners we love a good day out at the Races, but up to now, the refreshment's either been of a purely liquid variety or down to the likes of a hog roast roll. So when Ascot Racecourse asked us to come down and preview the menu they were putting on for Royal Ascot we couldn't resist. And then when we heard about the multi-Michelin star brigade they had roped in to help, it was a done deal.
For the five days of the Royal Meeting, the racecourse will feature restaurants by twice Michelin starred chefs, Michael Caines and Phil Howard. Caines are Howard are joined by Raymond Blanc, who's in charge of coming up with the menu for this year’s Private Boxes, and Angela Hartnett, who'll be doing the picnic for Royal Enclosure guests in the Winning Post Gardens. A pretty impressive line-up.
All the chefs, with the exception of Angela who got called away because of a colleague's accident, were at Ascot on Valentine's Day to showcase their dishes in the Panoramic Restaurant. The clue's in the name - situated on the sixth floor of the Grandstand this restaurant has an impressive view over the whole course complete with a private terrace and balcony. So we sipped champagne and wines picked by Bollinger and Bibendum whilst losing money hand over fist at the Tote. Yes, a tough job, but we were happy to do it. You can see the full details of the meal in the gallery below.
All of this loveliness does come at a price. You can buy a ticket to Royal Ascot for as little as £19 but Fine Dining packages start from £250 per person + VAT. To enjoy Phil Howard's food during the Royal Meeting starts at £995 and includes the Bollinger reception, four course lunch, afternoon tea, free drink (including champagne) all day AND the chance to catch a glimpse of the Queen. Get a few reverse predictor bets right and the day might even pay for itself.
For more information, visit the Royal Ascot website.
Hot Dinners ate as guests of Ascot. Prices were correct at the time of writing.
