The latest news from the kitchens of Luke Dale Roberts

Published: August 16, 2012

1. Announcing The Pot Luck Club Verbier, Switzerland

Chef Luke Dale Roberts, renowned for his culinary innovation and boundary pushing, is thrilled to announce the establishment of The Pot Luck Club Verbier, a pop-up restaurant. This exciting new venture will be located at the popular Hotel Farinet in Verbier, Switzerland for the ski season, which commences on 8 December 2012.

This new project will give Luke the opportunity to explore his maternal Swiss heritage, as he and current Pot Luck Club sous chef, Nicholas Wilkinson, venture abroad in November 2012 to commence the creative process. The pair will thoroughly investigate local produce and work on creating smart menus, based on the current style and adjusted to accommodate the cold weather and an international clientele.

Selena Afnan-Holmes, who has been serving as a leading member of the front of house at The Test Kitchen since its inception and has been an invaluable part of the team has been appointed manageress and host of the new Pot Luck Club Verbier.

The team is exceptionally excited to see the Pot Luck Club concept introduced for the first time on international soil, with the new venture set to be exposed to a huge audience of both locals and travellers in Verbier. The project also affords the team representing The Pot Luck Club with a tremendous opportunity for travel and expansion of skills.

Luke enthuses, “I’m excited to see the Pot Luck Club go to Switzerland for the first time. It gives me enormous pleasure to help provide platforms for my key staff to spread their wings, see the world and progress in this exciting career. I look forward to doing more of this in the future.”

The Pot Luck Club Verbier pop-up restaurant is set to run until the end of the ski season, April 2013.

2. Pot Luck Club Wines by Almenkerk

The Pot Luck Club has partnered with the family-run Almenkerk wine estate, situated in the Elgin Valley, to produce two wines under The Pot Luck Club label. The Pot Luck Club White is an elegant and balanced crisp Sauvignon Blanc, echoing the minerality of the region, and pairs well with fatty dishes such as yellowtail fish, whilst also providing an excellent accompaniment to salads and fresh dishes.

The Pot Luck Club Red is a blend of Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Viognier. It is a full bodied wine that pairs exceptionally with meat and ‘gamey’ dishes such as duck, pork and quail.

3. Luke Dale Roberts and The Homestead Gala Dinner

Luke will be partnering with his long time friend Giorgio Nava and gallery owner Johans Borman on a very special project later this year. Guests will be spolit with both his and Giorgio's unique and refined style of cooking at a charity Gala dinner to benefit The Homestead.

The Homestead is a non profit organisation that supports various projects with street children in helping to reconstruct their lives and keep them off the streets.

Luke explains “I’ve wanted to get closely involved with a charity as a new resident to South Africa. Our friends’ involvement with this project has brought home the reality of the problems faced by children living on streets. I want to help to make a difference to their lives”

The Gala dinner will be held at the newly renovated Land Bank on 1 December 2012.

4. The Test Kitchen Winter Collection

Luke’s Winter Collection menus run up until September and represents a brand new approach to his favourite season for experimentation with flavour and form. Steering clear of traditionally heavier winter offerings, all the menu’s dishes have been created to represent a lighter, fresher take on the season.

Added starch and fat content has been kept to a minimum, with dishes having being created using minimal ingredients in order to generate intense flavour combinations.

“I wanted to create dishes that let the core ingredient stand out for itself, I’m hoping to represent a crisp purity of the season with this menu”, says Luke.

On the Gourmand Menu, the lightly cooked Franschhoek trout with aubergine nitsuke, enhanced with the tangy flavours of tamarind and lime, is cleansing and prepares the palate for the next high. Ever popular is Luke’s XO dressing, a formula he is constantly perfecting, served with crayfish scottati and crayfish braised rice.

The slow cooked organic sweet potato, short rib and maple braising liquor with roasted bone marrow and compressed eringi mushroom is a perfect example of mellow, smokey flavours fusing effortlessly to present the palate with a singular taste profile.

The Winter Collection perfectly encapsulates Luke’s philosophy of minimalism, while taking flavour and theatre of dining experience to new heights.

The new off-site Test Kitchen Lab and Bakery are where the labour intensive “play hours” go into inventing and perfecting dishes, as well as baking the wide range of breads that are presented to diners each day.

*The Winter Collection is also available as a three or five course experience.*

The Test Kitchen is located at Shop 105a, The Old Biscuit Mill, 375 Albert Road, Woodstock, Cape Town. www.thetestkitchen.co.za. Opening hours: Lunch Tuesday to Saturday: 12.30pm to 2pm and Dinner from Tuesday to Saturday: 7pm to 9.30pm. To book your table call (27) (21) 447 2337 or book a table via email reservations@thetestkitchen.co.za

The Pot Luck Club & Gallery (104a, Old Biscuit Mill) is open for dinner Tuesday to Saturday from 6pm till 9.30pm, and Saturdays for lunch from 12.30pm till 2pm. For booking enquiries, call (27) (21) 447 0804 or email reservations@thepotluckclub.co.za

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