Food
Dinners
Conversation and debate across disciplines and cultures is central to the philosophy of Metal. Food has played a large part in the way that we like to bring people together to talk.
A central feature of each of our buildings is a large oven – in Liverpool we have an AGA, and in Southend a Lohberger wood burning stove.
Artists and thinkers are invited to share food, knowledge, experience, ideas and to meet each other in a ‘neutral’ and domestic space in the belief that this supports, strengthens and extends the UK cultural network on an artist-to-artist principle.
Dinners are a regular feature of our programme - planned around ideas, themes and notions that have their starting point in an artist’s work.
Below are a series of images from dinners that Metal has hosted in Southend, Harlow, Chelmsford, Liverpool, Gateshead and London.
Artist’s Recipes
Artist’s in residence often cook, and some have left behind recipes that have a particularly meaning for them. Download the following recipes from:-
Ackroyd & Harvey
Cornelius MacCarthy
Joanna Hartle
Kuljit Bhamra
Noel Wallace
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown
Chalkwell Kitchen Garden
During the renovations at Chalkwell Hall, Ackroyd and Harvey suggested taking Metal’s association with food, and our green ambitions for our house in Southend on Sea one step further by creating a Kitchen Garden in Chalkwell Park.
Working with Southend on Sea Borough Council parks team, and a team of community volunteers we have, in June 2009, planted our first vegetables on a plot adjacent to the house.
The garden has four rotating beds, growing vegetables (root, brassica and legumes). The beautiful olive tree that drew the crowds at our Hampton Court Show Garden in 2008 has been planted as a centrepiece.
The Kitchen Garden is looked after by Metal, the parks team, a group of willling volunteers and is soon to be taken on by the nearby Chalkwell Hall Primary School pupils as part of their curriculum. Two of the beds are also used in the NVQ training for new recruits to SBC parks team.
The Kitchen Garden helps to raise awareness of the issue of food miles, as well as contribute to keeping Metal’s low. It also provides us with a fantastic opportunity to work with neighbours – individuals and other businesses on the nurturing, harvesting and eating of any produce we manage to grow.
If you would like to get involved in the Kitchen Garden group please contact Grace Acton - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . All are welcome - from the most experienced gardener, to the absolute novice.
