Tag: Culinary Adventures
A Vintage Picnic with the TV Chef
A German TV company came to visit Vintage Dorset this weekend to film “the perfect English picnic” with TV Chef Sarah Wiener described as the “German Jamie Oliver”. Hmmm we thought! Perfect picnics in September?
“The Culinary Adventures of Sarah Wiener in Britain” by Zero One Films is made for Arte TV and responds to food challenges set by English Food expert Gary Rhodes. Sarah Wiener tours the British Isles in her red VW Beetle, finding good local food and making her own dishes for a panel of tough judges from each area. The TV company has visited Wales, the North York Moors and Scarborough, Alfriston in East Sussex, The Isle of Skye in Scotland and the Isle of Man.
We were asked to introduce Sarah to the customs of a traditional English picnic, make links with local food companies, provide all of the picnic baskets and bits and bobs and suggest locations for a perfect event. The TV show will be aired early next year in France and Germany.
We knew it would be a great chance to show off the beautiful Dorset landscape and heritage as well as our china and some of the local food producers we love – but explaining our mercurial weather just wasn’t getting through!
We began filming possible picnic locations on Friday visiting Little Bredy walled garden which we used as the perfect vintage spot for meeting Sarah, Chesil Beach and St Catherine’s Chapel, Abbotsbury. Then we heard news that Hurricane Katia was coming – the sea fog began rolling in and all of the gorgeous views started to disappear! By Sunday night, the TV crew was in a panic. We’d persuaded the Women’s Institute to judge the final spread on Monday but no-one was going to be happy outside in 40mph winds!
Luckily, one of our favourite vintage spots is Corfe Castle Railway Station and we’d already persuaded them to visit it as a potential picnic spot. Swanage Railway really came to the rescue when the weather worsened and the filming ended up in a traditional railway carriage on one of their steam trains.
The Weybay WI were judging and they gave Sarah a thorough critique noting that as a picnic it wasn’t quite traditional and was rather late in the afternoon – but a good effort under the circumstances!
Local food producers helping the show included Sgt Bun Bakery, Craigs Farm Dairy and Ourganics at Litton Cheney. A local resident from Portland Bill showed Sarah how a home-made picnic should be made (ie quickly to catch the weather) and Vintage Dorset helped Sarah with all the vintage china and finishing touches.
The verdict: Maybe not the “perfect” picnic but great fun to watch!
Vintage Dorset china and accessories are available to hire for TV and film as well as photo shoots and vintage events. Please contact us HERE for more details.
