MICHEL ROUX JR. AND THE BALVENIE REUNITE TO SPOTLIGHT THOSE KEEPING AGE-OLD BRITISH CRAFT ALIVE IN UNEXPECTED PLACES

– The successful online series ‘The Balvenie Craftsmen’s Dinner’ is back to celebrate modern day artisans from urban bee keepers to experimental cheese makers –

APRIL 2017: Following the success of last year’s series, The Balvenie has launched the second installment of The Craftsmen’s Dinner, which tells the stories of four exceptionally skilled craftspeople through a series of short films, demonstrating that true craft is not about what you make, or where you make it, but how you make it.

This year, the online series, hosted once again by renowned Michelin starred chef, Michel Roux Jr., showcases the dedication to British craftsmanship by a group of specialists, each using traditional techniques to create their artisan products in the most unexpected of places, from a rooftop overlooking The Shard to a council estate in Tottenham.

The series follows urban cheese makers, Wildes Cheese; the family-owned car producer Morgan Motor Company, who embrace new technology whilst preserving tradition; artisan bakery Wooster’s, who restored the old family mill; and Bermondsey Street Bees, who champion food sustainability from a central London rooftop. The stories that emerge highlight the common values between the different craftspeople, Michel Roux Jr. and The Balvenie; who all share an intimate understanding of their trade and a desire to leave a mark through their produce, taking no shortcuts.

The series concludes with the four-course ‘Craftsmen’s Dinner’ at the Langham curated by Michel Roux Jr. with dishes that showcase the exciting collaborations with each of the craftspeople. The delicious independent menu features spit-roast veal loin with sweet breads glazed in Bermondsey Street Bees’ honey, Wildes Cheese’s Roland cheese with Balvenie soaked prunes and Wooster’s sourdough ice cream.

Michel Roux Jr. commented: “It’s been a pleasure to continue this partnership with The Balvenie, setting out once again to discover and learn from an immensely talented group of craftspeople, all united by the passion and dedication for what they do. This year I have been particularly inspired by how these experts go to great lengths, in this modern world, to preserve traditional craft methods, often in unexpected ways and places.”

Asmita Singh, The Balvenie Senior Brand Manager, added: “We are delighted to bring back The Craftsmen’s Dinner after the success of the first series. The Balvenie’s distinctive character as a whisky is created by the experience, skill and ambition of our own craftspeople and it has been a pleasure to work with Michel again to shine a light on individuals who approach their craft in the same way.”

Series Two of The Craftsmen’s Dinner is now live on https://www.youtube.com/TheCraftsmensDinner and features the following episodes:

• Michel Roux Jr. meets Morgan Motor Company
• Michel Roux Jr. meets Wooster’s Bakery
• Michel Roux Jr. meets Bermondsey Street Bees
• Michel Roux Jr. meets Wildes Cheese
• The Craftsmen’s Dinner at the Langham

#TheBalvenieCraft

Notes:

About The Balvenie:

        The Balvenie is a unique range of single malts created by David Stewart, The Balvenie Malt Master, who celebrates his 55th year at the distillery in 2017. Each has a very individual taste, but each is rich, luxuriously smooth and underpinned by the distinctively honeyed character of The Balvenie.

        The Balvenie is dedicated to the five rare crafts that are used to create The Balvenie’s distinctive taste. It is the only distillery that still grows its own barley, uses traditional floor maltings and keeps both coppersmiths and coopers on site – making The Balvenie the most handcrafted of malts.

        The Balvenie Single Malt Scotch Whisky is produced by William Grant & Sons Ltd, an award-winning independent family-owned distiller founded by William Grant in 1886 and today run by his direct descendants.

Website: https://uk.thebalvenie.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBalvenie

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BalvenieUK

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebalvenie/

About the craftsmen:

        Wildes Cheese is a small, award winning independent artisan cheese making company based on an industrial estate in Tottenham, North London. They are passionate about quality and provenance and have created their own line of cheese rather than reproducing other cheeses.

Website: https://wildescheese.co.uk/pages/welcome

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wildescheese/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/wildescheese

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildescheese/

        Morgan Motor Company is a family-owned car producer who hand build British sports cars with a unique blend of charisma, quality materials, craftsmanship and performance. Every Morgan Motor is expertly craft using three core elements: ash, aluminum and leather; designed to work in harmony and deliver a higher quality vehicle.

Website: https://www.morgan-motor.co.uk/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/morganmotor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/morganmotor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morganmotor/?hl=en

        Bermondsey Street Bees is built around Dale Gibson’s home rooftop apiary overlooking The Shard. His honey has become an iconic micro-brand, winning awards including Great Tastes ‘Best Small Artisan Producer’ and National Honey Show’s ‘Best Honey in London.’

Website: http://www.bermondseystreetbees.co.uk/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BermondseyStreetBees/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BermondseyBees

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bstreetbees/

        Wooster’s is a small bakery in rural Suffolk owned and run by Will Wooster in his family mill. They specialise in handcrafted traditional and artisan bread and cakes including: sourdough, batch loaves, baguettes, ciabatta, brioche, buns, croissants.

Website: http://www.willywoosters.co.uk/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Woosters-1866300473595431

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Bardwellbakery

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/woostersbakery/