An experienced cooking teacher, Nick offers a cooking school to guests, which is also one of the inn's special packages. (This year's cooking class is June 6 & 7, but Nick says there might be another in the fall.)
"One thing I try to tell my cooking school students is to experiment. One of my recent classes didn't feature recipes. I showed them techniques such as Beurre Blancs, compound butters & pestos. We then selected items like fresh herbs, fish, chicken, and shrimp and proceeded to create our own recipes, very much like I arrive at the nightly specials at the Inn."

I asked Nick how cooking at Beaumont Inn was different from cooking at a restaurant:
"Working at an inn is a wonderful experience. We operate a 100 seat restaurant. The main difference between working there and working in the larger city restaurants that I previously have worked is the pace is slower. My stress level has dropped to a new low."

What does Nick like to cook in his spare time?
"I enjoy cooking, experimenting, borrowing from and eating almost any international or U.S. regional cuisine. After a recent trip I have become interested in the mostly overlooked dishes of England. I love the simplicity of their preparations and the accent of natural food flavors (sounds like Southern U.S. food doesn't it!) They also make some of the world's best cheeses and beers. (Homebrewing is one of my hobbies and I love to make English Ales & Stouts.) "

Nick's assistants include Sheila Poynter, Craig Kwick, and Pastry Chef Cathy Nichols who will be introducing many new dessert items to the menu this year along with personalized "house made" special occasion cakes.

In the latest issue of the Beaumont Inn News, Nick announced the creation of an herb garden on Beaumont grounds, which will enable them to expand their offering of dishes using the freshest of seasonings. Designs have been completed, and construction is planned for the fall.