Celebrity chef cooks up a treat for Beverley Racecourse diners

Beverley Racecourse has teamed up with celebrity chef Colin McGurran to make visiting the East Yorkshire venue an even more fabulous experience during the 2017 season.

In a first for a Northern racecourse, the partnership has seen the acclaimed chef create signature dishes to be enjoyed by race day diners in the popular The Attraction restaurant.

The link-up is the latest innovation by Beverley Racecourse, which has become established as one of Yorkshire’s leading leisure venues, and will make visiting the picturesque Westwood course a must in 2017.

Mr McGurran has worked closely with the racecourse’s exclusive catering partner, CGC Event Caterers, who are specialists in racecourse hospitality, to bring his star quality to The Attraction, which underwent a £700,000 extension and refurbishment just a year ago.

It means racecourse diners can enjoy a taste of the mouth-watering menu at Michelin-recommended Winteringham Fields while enjoying East Yorkshire’s finest day out.

Mr McGurran, Chef Patron at the elite Lincolnshire restaurant with rooms, joined the racecourse’s catering team for Beverley’s second meeting of the season to introduce racegoers to one of two signature dishes which will alternate through the season.

Diners in The Attraction restaurant were able to feast on the special dish of roasted rump of lamb, confit belly, new season pea salad, red chicory and romesco sauce, prepared by the racecourse chefs under Mr McGurran’s direction.

Mr McGurran will also create a beef dish for future race days and plans a complete menu takeover for lucky racegoers at one of the final meetings of the season.

He said: “It’s been a long-term ambition for us to be involved with the racecourse and we’re delighted to be working together.

“The Beverley Racecourse brand and the Winteringham Fields brand work really well together, as they both represent quality. In fact, this brings together three great brands – CGC, one of the country’s best outside catering operators, one of the region’s leading restaurants and one of the best racing venues in the UK.

“It’s an opportunity for us to work together to create a fantastic experience for diners in The Attraction restaurant, which is a superb hospitality venue.”

Sally Iggulden, Chief Executive of Beverley Racecourse, said: “We’re delighted to be working with one of the country’s leading culinary stars and it was great to welcome Colin to the course.

“Our kitchen staff were really inspired by working with Colin and we’re all really proud to be associated with him and Winteringham Fields.

“Colin’s stellar reputation will add star quality to The Attraction and provide yet another reason to come racing at Beverley and book a table in the restaurant to make a great day out even more of an occasion.”

Tim Wray, Outside Catering Director of Yorkshire-based CGC Event Caterers, said: “We see the association with Colin and Winteringham Fields as the start of a long relationship.

“We’re starting with signature dishes in the restaurant on race days and intend expanding that potentially to taster menus and also, possibly, to non-race day functions.”

Mr McGurran took over Winteringham Fields in 2005 and has re-invented the restaurant as one of the country’s very best fine dining venues.

He expanded the business, developing much of the property’s eight acres into a fully functioning farm and nursery, where Mr McGurran encourages his staff to take an active part in the cultivation and harvesting of their produce.

Sheep, pigs and chicken are kept to supply meat and eggs for the menu, while the vast majority of the restaurant’s herbs and vegetables are grown in the grounds. Anything that cannot be grown on site, such as beef and shellfish, are sourced as locally as possible, a philosophy the chef refers to as their “One-Mile Menu”.

As well as building upon Winteringham Fields’ long-established reputation as one of the North’s leading fine dining venues, Mr McGurran has become a familiar figure on television cooking programmes. He has appeared on Saturday Kitchen, Ramsay’s Best Restaurant and the Great British Menu, emerging as a winner in both 2012 and 2014.

The partnership with Mr McGurran is a coup for Beverley Racecourse at the start of a season when there are more reasons than ever before to enjoy a perfect day out on the Westwood, with a series of themed meetings offering an unbeatable combination of socialising, scenery and sport.

The next great day out on the Westwood is the May Day Raceday on Bank Holiday Monday, May 1, when youngsters can meet lambs, chicks and baby rabbits as well as enjoying trampolining and face-painting. A live Ceilidh band and mysterious living hedges add to the appeal of a fantastic day for all the family.

Other highlights of the season include:

The Half Term Race Day on Wednesday, May 31, when the racecourse will team up with Hull FC to create the perfect day out for families and sports fans.
A Very British Raceday on Saturday, June 10, which features Beverley’s famous and hilarious Donkey Derby.
70s Race Night on Tuesday, June 20 – a new themed night for 2017, featuring the return of the legendary Bus Stop, Hull’s iconic 70s club night.
And Flemingate Ladies’ Day on Wednesday, August 16 – the ultra-glamorous social event of the summer, presented in partnership with Beverley’s Flemingate shopping centre.

Tickets for all race meetings can be booked online at www.beverley-racecourse.co.uk or by calling the ticket hotline on 01482 867488.

Dining in The Attraction restaurant makes a race day at Beverley an even more unforgettable experience. The restaurant enjoys superb views of the racecourse and the historic Westwood from its position on the first floor of the Premier Enclosure and serves a varied à la carte menu as well as a luxury afternoon tea.

To book a table, call Sarah Duff of the racecourse catering team on 01482 867488. The restaurant is extremely popular, so racegoers are advised to book in advance and can reserve a table for the whole meeting for just £10 per head. Some tables are available on the day, on a first-come-first-served basis.