Guests enjoy taste of the high life at tower

An event yesterday introduced a restaurant that will be coming to the Spinnaker Tower, at Gunwharf Quays, on Fridays this summer.

Guests were treated to samples of the seven-course tasting menu put together by celebrity chef, Stephanie Moon, who has big plans for the new ‘sky diner’.

She said: ‘It has been really thrilling to investigate and learn about and to show off Hampshire food. I feel passionately about using local produce. It is great to make something good when you have something good to start with.’

Yorkshire-born Stephanie has been a chef for more than 20 years, starting her training at the Michelin-starred Dorchester Hotel in Mayfair under acclaimed chef Anton Mosimann. She moved to the five-star hotel Park Hyatt in Sydney and Charlie Trotter’s Michelin-starred Chicago restaurant, before returning to the luxury hotel Rudding Park in Harrogate.

She cemented her celebrity status on BBC2’s Great British Menu, representing the north east for three years in the competition.

Guests enjoyed panoramic views across the Solent as well as the food, which included Solent mackerel, belly pork, Isle of Wight crab, Hampshire South Downs lamb, followed by Minghella ice-cream, Pimms lollipops, lavender cake and Fordingbridge sea salted caramel fudge, washed down with champagne, Southsea coffee and Portsmouth tea.

Andrew Johnson, from fish suppliers Johnsons Enterprises, in Norway Road, Portsmouth, said: ‘It is fantastic. This is exactly what Portsmouth needs. It is a seaside city and there’s not enough made of the fact there’s seafood on our doorstep.’

Oli Cullingworth, the group food and beverage manager for Continuum, which operates the tower, said: ‘I love it. There’s a growing pop-up culture and I thought where better to open a pop-up restaurant than 100 metres up in the air? It is unique and we have great produce in Hampshire.’

Sky Dining with Stephanie Moon will be on Friday evenings from July 22 to August 12. Tables are available to book on (023) 9285 7520 from £80 a head. See spinnakertower.co.uk for more.