Madonna chef's menu is a firm favourite on slap-up train to the Gold Cup
Champagne-sipping punters paying up to £1,000 to travel to the Cheltenham Gold Cup from London on one of the world’s most luxurious trains next month will dine from a menu devised by a chef who once cooked for Madonna and the late Queen.
Brian Clark, 51, who has worked in some of the world’s top hotels and restaurants, is determined to make the journey an unforgettable experience for the 200 passengers aboard the 1930s Pullman-style Northern Belle.
That means boarding over a red carpet laid across the platform at Paddington Station and being handed their first glass of champagne, before tucking into a three-course brunch that will include smoked salmon and Whitby crab.
Then after being transferred to the racecourse on a vintage steam train, there will be more champagne and caviar before a slap-up five-course dinner with fillet of beef is served during the journey home in the evening.
Brian, 51, said: “Win or lose at the bookies on the racecourse, this will be a culinary trip aboard the Northern Belle to remember. You can bet on that!”
There will even be a band on the train to serenade passengers during the journey, while a conjuror will wander from table to table to add an extra touch of magic.
Fares on the Cheltenham trip on Friday, March 14, start at £699. For those who miss the train, there will be another horseracing special from London in July for Ladies Day at Glorious Goodwood in West Sussex.
For more details, see www.northernbelle.co.uk