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🗞️ Could you win the Great British Menu?
Published 19 days ago • 6 min read
Welcome
This week we've got our local chef who won the Great British Menu, and the exciting line-up for The Proms at St Jude's.
🏆 From Michelin Star To School Dinners: Our Champion Chef
Amber Francis on the Great British Menu
Last week, Amber Francis was crowned champion of champions on BBC's Great British Menu.
Unlike previous contestants such as Marcus Wareing and Jason Atherton, whose Michelin-starred restaurants benefited from the show's exposure, Francis has chosen a different path.
After training at the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts and apprenticing at The Ritz, the 29-year-old turned away from the rigid world of fine dining, where "they need the same carrot of uniform shape and size served day in, day out."
Now, as head chef and senior food educator at Finchley's Christ College, she's challenging dated misconceptions about school food.
Her approach to school meals is revolutionary yet practical. With no turkey twizzlers in sight, she focuses on fresh whole foods: veg-packed pastas, curries and pies.
Working with the same budget as any state school, she gets creative, replacing half the mince in bolognese with lentils or adding beans to chilli con carne to increase nutrients while keeping costs down.
Perhaps most impressive is her "butternut" chicken curry - so delicious, students would "riot" if it disappeared from the menu. It cleverly incorporates butternut squash and chickpeas to reduce meat content while maintaining flavour.
For Francis, who is now expecting her first child, this isn't a vanity project - she's at school five days a week from 7am, ensuring over 700 students receive freshly cooked meals using the best possible ingredients.
And in a pleasing full-circle moment, she now proudly serves those "wonky" vegetables that high-end restaurants would reject.
As she puts it: "What is more important than prioritising our children's food?"🏆
Events
KIDS
Wednesday 16th April
Michael Morpurgo's Farm Boy | Wed, Apr. 16 | 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm | artsdepot, N12 0GA | From £14 | Michael Morpurgo’s compelling sequel to War Horse returns to the stage in this delightful, family-friendly show for everyone aged 8+, combining drama, storytelling, and original music.
Thursday 17th April
Pirates Love Underpants | Thu, Apr. 17 | 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm | artsdepot, N12 0GA | From £14 | Join a swashbuckling party of pirates on their quest to find the fabled Pants of Gold for the Captain’s Treasure chest in this fun-filled show based on the book by Claire Freedman and Ben Cort. For everyone aged 1+.
Saturday 19th April
Highgate Village - Bach to Baby Easter Family Concert | Sat, Apr. 19 | Pond Square, Chapel South Grove, N6 6BA | £17.70 | Come and join Bach to Baby this Easter Holiday for a specially designed programme of classical music for the whole family to enjoy together.
Monday 21st April
Indoors Teddy Bears Picnic | Mon, Apr. 21 | The Bull Theatre, 68 High Street, EN5 5SJ | £10 | Bring your favourite Teddy and a blanket to sit inside the theatre garden, Enjoy a story and a sing-a-along with the easter bunny.
ARTS
Monday 14th April
Not Bloody Likely: The Marketing Of Covent Garden | Mon, Apr. 14 | 3:00 pm | St John The Baptist Church, EN5 4BW | £2 | The next Lecture in the series by Barnet Museum is Not Bloody Likely: The Marketing of Covent Garden from the 1600s to 2000s. Lecture Starts at 3 and is free for all museum members.
Tuesday 22nd April
Adam Worth - The Napoleon of Crime | Tue, Apr. 22 | 7:30 pm | Swain's Lane, N6 6PJ | £15 | Award-winning actor Jonathan Goodwin performs this original one-man show, scripted and directed by himself. Thrill to the life and crimes of professional thief and criminal mastermind, Adam Worth, who lies interred at Highgate Cemetery. From his humble beginnings in Germany to his astounding career on the wrong side of the law in America and Europe.
NATURE
Thursday 27th Amrch
The Wonder of Soil Science | Thu, Mar. 27 | 8:00 pm | Online | Free | Soil science is a fascinating subject that unlocks the secrets of life beneath our feet. Soil science helps us understand and protect this precious resource, ensuring a greener, healthier planet for generations to come.
COMMUNITY
Sunday 20th April
Barnet History Walks - Battle of Barnet Anniversary | Sun, Apr. 20 | 2:30 pm | £15 | Our local City of London guide, Paul Baker, has 34 upcoming guided historic walks you can join him on in 2025. On the 20th of April, join him for the yearly Battle of Barnet anniversary walk.
SPORT
Thursday 10th April
Beat the Goalie with Brent Cross Football Academy | Thu, Apr. 10 | 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm | Claremont Park, Claremont Way, NW2 1AJ | Free | Run by Brent Cross Football Academy, these fun, free sessions are suitable for all ages. There's no need to book, but spaces will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
Events - Book Ahead
Thursday 1st May
An Ideal Husband | Thu, May. 1 | 7:30 pm to 9:45 pm | Upstairs at the Gatehouse, N6 | £15 | Sir Robert Chiltern is a successful government minister, well-off and with a loving wife. All this is threatened when Mrs Cheveley appears with evidence of a past he would rather hide. Sir Robert has to decide whether to yield to blackmail or risk exposing the origins of his wealth and position.
Sunday 22nd June
East Finchley Festival 2025 | Sun, Jun. 22 | 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm | Cherry Tree Wood, 88 Summerlee Ave, N2 9QH | East Finchley Festival returns stronger than ever in 2025, hot off the heels of their 50th anniversary. Look forward to an afternoon of music, food, drink, shopping and fun for all.
Saturday 28th June
Whetsone Wildcats FC - Summer Football Festival | Sat, Jun. 28 | Finchley Catholic School Sports Fields, N12 7ES | £2 | Football games for all, includes a bouncy castle for kids, face painting, beat the goalkeeper and so much more with refreshments included. All proceeds go to Noah's Ark Hospice.
Local Lowdown
Greater London House
Rebuilding
Art deco makeover. Greater London House, a bold Egyptian-style building that used to be the Carreras Cigarette Factory, will soon get a makeover. Last month, Camden Council approved plans to improve accessibility for the landmark building. This building won several design awards after its restoration in 1996.
Sprucing up
Green revolution. Residents of NW2 have transformed the neglected Cloister Road roundabout into a thriving community garden. On the sunny launch day, volunteers filled six large planters with herbs, vegetables, fruits, and flowers. They also sowed wildflower seeds in four tree pits. This grassroots greening project aims to brighten the neighbourhood and create a buzz with local pollinators.
Traveling
Bus buzz. Great news for commuters. The 84B bus route between Potters Bar and Barnet has graduated from a stop-gap to a star. Thanks to its proven track record and rising passenger numbers, funding from Hertfordshire County Council is now secure.
Electing
Vote time. Whetstone ward is gearing up for a by-election on 15th May, following Liron Velleman's resignation. Mark your calendars! Polling stations open from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm. Not registered? There's still time. Go online by April 28th to register to vote.
Studying
Top marks for local learners. Barnet schools are smashing national averages across all age groups in the 2023-2024 academic year. GCSE students ranked fourth highest in the country, and a whopping 24.8% of A-level students bagged three or more A grades, far outpacing London and national figures.
From June 21 to 29th, the peaceful grounds of St Jude's Church and Henrietta Barnett School will become lively centres for music, literature, and comedy.
The festival kicks off with Evelyn Glennie, the virtuoso percussionist, joining forces with the Fantasia Orchestra.
Attendees can also look forward to unique renditions of Fleetwood Mac's 'Rumours' by talented young artists, a brass band showcase, an evening of Italian opera arias, and mesmerising performances by the vocal group, The Swingles.
Literature lovers will enjoy a memorable day at the one-day lit-fest. Michael Palin will discuss his diaries. Tracey Chevalier will share insights on her latest novel, 'The Glassmaker.' Renowned authors Phillipe Sands and the duo Patrick Maguire and Gabriel Pogrund will also explore political and historical figures.
And email us with any projects or ideas you'd like us to write about.
Tessa Davis
Sasha Frieze
Finchley Now
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