University of Chester chaplain appears on national TV cookery show

Feb 26 2010 Chester Chronicle

THE University of Chester’s answer to the ‘Cooking Canon’ has appeared on a TV show which saw him turning his home into a restaurant.

Father Ian Delinger, Assistant Chaplain, showcased his culinary talents this week on the BBC2 programme, Instant Restaurant.

“I only casually applied for a show for people interested in cooking”, said Father Ian. “Well as they say, ‘be careful what you ask for!’

“I had 10 strangers to feed, one huge menu, a difficult concept to get across, a house to clean, a restaurant to kit out, paperwork, cats - all while preparing a meal to restaurant quality!”

Named the Upper Room, Father Ian’s restaurant concept was based around the idea of a communal meal. The diners are seated around the same table and the food was brought as one large portion to share.

He added: “It was truly shared food, giving and talking around a lazy susan. After all, at the Last Supper, Jesus used one loaf and a common cup for the wine!

“Without the help of a good friend from theological college, I wouldn’t have survived. On the day of filming I was wondering what it would be like to be on TV and have cameras following me around, but actually when you start filming you don’t really think about it.

“The diners or companions were interesting – two married couples and a party of six women celebrating a 50th birthday. I was a little worried about how the companions might take to the idea of a ‘spiritual dining experience’, but they all seemed to respond to it well.”

Father Ian prepared a Mexican tasting menu, including roasted pepper quesadilla, chicken enchiladas, and Mexican chocolate cake with smoked chilli.

He continued: “During the course of the evening, the production crew were interviewing the companions but I still didn’t know what they had to say until the programme aired. They all got to decide how much they would pay for their meal - from nothing to £40 each.”

The amount Father Ian raised was revealed to him by the presenter of the show, actress Nadia Sawalha, who announced that the companions had had a “spirited, if not spiritual” experience, and they were very generous, earning him a profit of £135. Half the money was donated to the British Red Cross Haiti Disaster Relief Fund.

Father Ian added: “It was stressful, fun, and I met some interesting people. I challenged myself – possibly to the max, and I confirmed what I have been saying for 15 years: I don’t want to run a restaurant, I want to have dinner with my friends!”

Instant Restaurant aired on BBC2 at 5.15pm on February 19.