The Chefs’ Forum Invites you on a Day Trip to Koppert Cress in Holland!

Book your FREE place for a unique “Cressperience” with innovative micro herb and vegetable producer Koppert Cress.

Members of the Chefs’ Forum are being invited to go Dutch and have a unique “Cressperience” to discover why the best things really do come in small packages.

Gourmet growers Koppert Cress are hosting a special Chefs’ Forum visit to their centre of innovation near Rotterdam, Holland, where members will not only have the chance to see how their magnificent micro herbs and vegetables are produced, but also help choose the garnishes to accompany a tasting menu by celebrity chef Franck Pontais.

In 2002 KoppertCress was bought by horticultural genius Rob Baan – the man dubbed the “Christopher Columbus of vegetables” by Ferran Adria – and since then he has been using his expertise to create a unique range of micro herbs and vegetables which burst with stunning natural flavours encompassing liquorice, ginger, aniseed and even fresh oysters.

Rob said: “We are producers of micro vegetables – germinated plants with extreme tastes, textures and flavours. They are fantastic to finish off a dish and great ingredients to make a sauce with a unique taste. I like my clients and customers to be surprised and experience a ping-pong sensation of flavours in the mouth.”

Now these small herbs and vegetables are packing a big punch on the gastronomic scene, appearing on the plates of celebrity and Michelin-starred chefs all over the world, and the likes of Heston Blumenthal, Alain Ducasse, Jamie Oliver and Sat Bains are all fans.

Sat said: “These vegetables allow a great range of flavour marriages in sweet and savoury cooking. I’ve never been one to use ingredients for decoration alone, each element has to taste fantastic. I believe micro-vegetables take certain dishes out of the ordinary and into the gastronomic.

“We like to surprise diners; in dessert cooking I use micro basil with strawberries and olive oil sorbet, or liquorice cress with white Peach and vanilla.

“Balance and excitement are key elements in providing our guests with a memorable experience – micro-vegetables do just that.”

One Chefs’ Forum member who has already visited Koppert Cress is top chef Cyrus Todiwala, chef proprietor of top Indian restaurant Café Spice Namasté in London. He said: “It was an absolute eye opener for me, a fantastic experience. What they are doing is unimaginable and the flavours quite mind-boggling, but one needs to find the right balance. Once achieved, you have magic on a plate.”

Participants on the trip will be able to experience this magic first hand thanks to Franck Pontais, who has been creating the finest gastronomic experiences for celebrities, large corporations and small groups of friends and family for more than 20 years, and is now working with KoppertCress to promote their products around the UK and Ireland.

Koppert Cress invites Chefs’ Forum members to experience this for themselves:

The Chefs’ Forum trip will take place on Tuesday October 28, and laid on for your enjoyment will be transport between Rotterdam airport and KoppertCress, a tasting menu and tasting tours of the gardens and greenhouses.

The only thing Chefs’ Forum members have to pay for is the flight which will cost around £100 and leaves from London City Airport at 7.25am arriving into Rotterdam

Airport at 9.30am, and depart Rotterdam at 7.10pm arriving back in London at 7.15pm.

Bonus: 50% of the airfare will be refunded in Koppert Cress produce, so this fabulous Dutch culinary experience will only cost around £50!

Space is strictly limited and there will be only 30 places available.

To book your place, please contact Paul Da-Costa Greaves in the first instance ASAP – email:paul@koppertcress.com

*You will need to book and pay for your own flights and more details will be given once your booking is confirmed – Paul will give you the link to do this.

We look forward to hearing from you!