A Taste of Padstow On The Causeway Coast: Rick Stein's Maestro Chef Delourme Returns to Elephant Rock

There's a whisper of magic in the salt-tinged air of Portrush next weekend. Stéphane Delourme – Rick Stein's right-hand man for over twenty years at the celebrated Seafood Restaurant in Padstow – is returning to the Causeway Coast for what promises to be two nights of sublime cooking at the rather fabulous Elephant Rock Hotel.

The hotel itself is a bit of a gem: stylish without being stuffy, it sits proudly on the dramatic Northern Irish coastline. Last year's event still has locals and visitors alike misty-eyed with reminiscence – always a good sign.

Delourme's cooking is that rare thing: technically brilliant but never fussy. His years in Cornwall gave him an almost spiritual connection to seafood, but there's something about watching him work that suggests he could make a slice of toast transcendent if he put his mind to it.

The menus for Friday and Saturday are now available, and they read like love letters to the finest local produce. This isn't just dinner – it's storytelling on a plate, the narrative of a chef who understands that great ingredients, treated with respect, create memories that linger far longer than the meal itself.

Spaces are understandably limited for this coastal culinary pilgrimage. If you consider yourself even the slightest bit interested in food that makes your heart beat a little faster, I'd suggest booking rather quickly. Some experiences are worth rearranging diaries for. This, I suspect, is one of them.

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