Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend a fabulous press event held at Amsterdam’s Westergasfabriek showcasing the broad range of fine products offered by Lidl this coming holiday season. Along with a group of culinary journalists and food professionals, I was invited to sample an exquisite five-course dinner created using the supermarket’s Delicieux collection. The menu was put together by Dutch chef Robert Kranenborg and Lidl’s culinary advisor, Ramon Beuk. It included a remarkable selection of wines chosen by sommelier Jan-Willem van der Hek.
After champagne and mingling, the doors were opened to the beautifully decorated venue where we were given the chance to first become acquainted with the shop’s products before taking our seats. There were stalls with cheeses, meats, wines, breads, condiments and more. Though I tend to have a preference for buying food directly from the producers or specialty stores, I must admit that I was very impressed with the high quality of everything I sampled. And that before I was totally blown away with the dinner that followed.
The menu consited of the following:
*Caramelized apple with red cabbage (Champagne Rosé Brut, Bissinger France)
*Coquillles with Iberico Bellota, Parmesan and garlic chips (Champagne, Prestige Brut, Bissinger France)
*Cod with a Mediterranean style sauce, pommes turmeric and Ice’d fennel/carrot (2013 Chardonnay/Viognier Riserva Privada, Cimarosa, Chili)
*Stewed beef with belgian endive and sauerkraut crème, gravy with red onion and celeriac (2008 Saint-Estèphe, Château Andron Blanquet, France)
* Bûche de Noël with a pine cone (2010 Loupiac, Château Fonthenille, France)
Throughout the dinner the chefs and sommelier enriched our experience and understanding of the products by providing detailed descriptions of what was on our plate.
I left with a very good impression of Lidl’s Delicieux range and highly recommend that you too give it a try. The products will be available at Lidl stores throughout the Netherlands as of Thursday, November 13th.
Stay tuned for a selection of images on the blog tomorrow. The image above is the work of Samuel van Leeuwen.