‘You are what you eat’ might be old news, but the idea that we are only as healthy as what we put on to our skin, was the theme of the event hosted on Wednesday night by TV presenter and make-up artist to the stars, Armand Beasley. ‘Look as Good as You Eat’, an evening with Armand Beasley, promoted to guests the beneficial properties of ingredients that we can find in products in both our kitchen and our vanity cupboards.
The event was hosted at Scene, Spinningfield’s vibrant Indian street food restaurant that opened in 2015 and is as renowned for its VIP diners as it is its shisha terrace. The event was attended by local celebrities, including Denise Welch and Shobna Gulati as well as Real Housewives of Cheshire, Seema and Stacey.
On arrival, guests were served Virgin Mojitos or light Prosecco with strawberries, and at a glance Scene’s cocktail list is almost as exciting as the variety of shisha they offer which can be taken outside and enjoyed by guests on their front terrace.
After drinks in Scene’s bar area, guests took their seats and spent some time chatting with Armand and the other guests. Scene’s executive chef, Sudesh Singh, then introduced himself and explained how his travels around India had taught him about the history of how ingredients were used and had inspired the variety of dishes that appear on Scene’s menu.
Then, before our starters arrived, Sudesh guided us through the beneficial proprieties of the ingredients he’d included in the starters such as turmeric and ginger, known for their anti inflammatory and healing properties and Armand then introduced guests to several products, one of which was Himalayan Salt, which can be added to a hot bath to help relax muscles after a vigorous work out, or long run.
For starters, guests were treated to a generous platter of sea bass which had a crispy skin and was coated with a simple blend of turmeric and ginger, as well garlic and lemon lahsen mushrooms and a delicately spiced five bean salad.
Following starters, Armand then discussed with us the beneficial properties of the ingredients in the dishes in the main course, and introduced his guests to products such as Faith in Nature, a coconut based hand wash, and War Paint, a tooth whitening product from Australia made with coconut ash.
The main course arrived shortly after, and guests shared chicken chettinad, a medium spiced curry with depth cooked in coconut with red chillies, a Punjabi choley which is chickpeas cooked in delicate and sweet spices, and a tarka daal, using skinless lentils, one of Armand’s favourites, which can be found on Scene’s main menu.
Even desert was good for guests and we were served a refreshing and hydrating dish of watermelon with mint and pistachio, which was sprinkled with pink Himalayan salt, which is lower in sodium than table salt.
There was a relaxed atmosphere throughout the evening and guests were invited to sample the products Armand had brought along and afterwards guests stayed to chat.
Scene certainly has a vibrant atmosphere and is a really great space both inside and out.
For more information and bookings visit: www.scenedining.com
