The first supper club I attended was in 2010 in an old village hall near Newcastle. It wasn’t a beautiful venue, but filled with fairy lights, candles, interesting people and delicious food it did the trick. Back then this was a new concept in the North East and most of the guests were as bemused as they were excited. Many turned up to meet new people, some for the experience, and others just because they were cool.
Supper clubs have outlasted most other food trends, if anything they’ve grown in popularity. This could be because they have evolved and caught on with serious foodie types, with pop-ups now being created by food writers, chefs and street food evangelists.
Right at the forefront of the pop-up scene in Newcastle is popular food blogger The Grazer, aka Anna Hedworth. Anna started her blog in 2011 and quickly established herself amongst top foodies. The blog follows her own adventures in the kitchen, her travels and her seasonal Graze events.
Last year she set up her first supper club inside a refurbished shipping container in Ouseburn, Newcastle, and it proved so popular she now runs a pop-up every couple of months (she has a full time job too!).
Spaces are limited and after missing out on a couple of occasions I finally managed to get a seat at the table for her Middle East Meat Free Feast (tickets sold out within 2 minutes). I love meat but I also love middle eastern flavours so I was willing to give it a miss for one night. I wasn't disappointed.
Supper clubs are an amazing way to meet new people and eat delicious food cooked by people who love what they do. Anna's passion is obvious and I look forward to booking a spot on her next pop-up. If you live in Newcastle or are just visiting I urge you to get along to one, you won't regret it!
For more info, recipes and details of future supper clubs, be sure to check out Anna's blog http://the-grazer.blogspot.co.uk
