Gourmet frozen restaurant N-Ice opens

The world's first gourmet frozen food restaurant was opened by the British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF) in London yesterday (8 August).

N-Ice will be open until 12 August from 12pm to 2pm daily and serve gourmet cuisine prepared from frozen food including signature dishes from celebrity chefs.

A main course created by Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar, a vegetarian dish by TV's Simon Rimmer and a dessert from Michelin-starred and holder of three red rosettes Galton Blackiston will all be served at the Vincent Square restaurant.

Other dishes are designed by Westminster Kingsway College chef lecturers and include crisp fried spicy John Dory with grokha chutney and mango soufflé with a Ghanaian liquid chocolate centre, served with a macadamia biscotinni.

The public, members of the press and restaurant and food critics are invited and the restaurant is expected to serve 800 covers during the week.

"N-ice is one of the courageous and most exciting projects ever undertaken by the BFFF," said director general Brian Young. "We are going all out to prove that frozen food delivers the same quality and taste as fresh food and have deliberately been audacious in our menu choice.

"The fact that we have three of the UK's best chefs on board is true testament to the fact that the tide is changing for frozen."

Kochhar said: "N-Ice is a bold move and not before time. There's been an unfair stigma associated with frozen food for a long time. N-Ice has been purposefully designed to challenge frozen's image. Its quality has improved dramatically over the years and it is now on a par with, and sometimes better, than chilled equivalents."

The venue is designed as a winter wonderland with an icy palace and frozen trees, sculptures and more. All ingredients are supplied by BFFF member sponsors.