Weston Park’s Senior Sous Chef to pass on his expertise
A leading chef is to pass on some of the expert tricks of his trade at a series of culinary workshops at an award-winning stately home on the Staffordshire and Shropshire border.
Rob Perez, the senior sous chef at Weston Park, will share some of his best kept kitchen secrets during the Hints and Tips events at Weston throughout the year.
The sessions, designed to inspire both home cooks and foodies, will take place in the Granary Café followed by a two-course lunch in the Granary Restaurant and kick off on June 20.
Each session is based around a demonstration on a chosen theme with guests encouraged to ask questions, sample the delights on offer and leave with a recipe pack to take home.
Rob, who has a passion for fresh produce, locally sourced ingredients and hearty homecooked food, says the June 20 session will be centred around summer eating using fresh produce from Weston’s four-acre Walled Garden.
He said: “I can’t wait to share my knowledge and passion with the guests who come to my Hints and Tips sessions.
“I chose the theme of ‘Summer from the Walled Garden’ to show guests how food at Weston Park goes from estate to plate and to inspire guests about how to be creative with fresh fruits and vegetables.”
Weston Park’s Head chef Anna Jones added: “Rob is an extremely talented chef who is a real asset to the team here at Weston.
“His passion for homecooked, fresh food is something that he loves sharing with every single customer who walks through the door and that is why he will be leading these fantastic Hints and Tips sessions.
“The sessions will allow customers to get to know Rob, ask questions about his methods and where he learnt them and gain knowledge when it comes to preparing deliciously good food.
“Guests will then be invited to taste Rob’s creativity when it comes to homecooked food with a two-course lunch in the Granary Restaurant.”
Rob joined the Weston Park team in August 2022 having previously worked in various kitchens in central London including the Kingsway Hotel in Holborn, the Pelham Hotel in South Kensington and as a sous chef at the Gherkin.
His passion for food was sparked when he spent two and a half years at the Domaine Gayada in the south of France, driven by fresh produce, locally sourced ingredients, local farmers and bakers.
Rob added: “The Estate to Plate ethos is what really drew me to Weston Park. With a passion for homegrown, fresh produce driven from my time in the south of France, the amount of fresh fruit and veggies that come from the Walled Garden and heritage orchards was what really struck me.
“I was also excited to start creating menus that used this fresh produce in a new and creative way and develop menus in the Granary Restaurant which gave customers a taste of my passion for homegrown, good food.
Rob has helped to lead Weston Park to victory at the Enjoy Staffordshire Tourism and Good Food Awards in 2023 and 2024, as well as contributing to the Granary Restaurant being awarded an AA Rosette for Culinary Excellence.
Rob also had success at the Venues of Excellence Cook and Serve competition where he won the Best Dessert award in the Senior Category.
To find out more about Hints and Tips, visit: https://weston-park.com/rob-perezs-hints-tips-summer-from-the-walled-garden/
