London Chefs Gather at Piquet with Chef Allan Pickett to Inspire Young Talent

Chef Allan Pickett hosted top chefs and suppliers at his Fitzrovia restaurant, Piquet, on Monday for the first Chefs’ Forum event of 2016.

The day of networking, cooking demonstrations and delicious food began with a drinks and canapé reception, with the food prepared Allan with the help of learners from HIT Training. Allan cooked some stunning dishes from his menu at Piquet with the help of the HIT Learners– showcasing Cooktek Induction and fresh pasta making techniques.  He also demonstrated the versatility of his Charvet One range.

Guests also had the chance be part of a focus group to taste some delicious Delizzimo strawberries, a variety that has been developed thanks to a partnership between Koppert Cress and Holland Strawberry House.

The final event of the day was a ravioli making competition for the students.

The winning HIT Learner was Lewis Mullings of The Green Man chosen by Allan Pickett’s Sous Chef, Rory Lumsden. He said ”All the learners have made a very impressive effort but Lewis is the clear winner with ravioli that I would serve to guests here at Piquet – I look forward to inviting him back to spend a day with us here in the kitchen as his prize.  It is great to see such young talent.”

Allan Pickett added: “It was a privilege to host the first Chef’s Forum event of 2016. The Chefs’ Forum does crucial work in helping young chefs to connect with professionals. The young people working with me in the kitchen today all worked exceptionally hard and demonstrated promise and enthusiasm and proved why the future of this industry is so exciting.”

Founder of The Chefs’ Forum, Catherine Farinha said: “The Chefs’ Forum was born out of a desire to make a positive change in the hospitality industry. It is a real honour to be working with Allan again as he is one of our founding committee members who launched both London and Kent chapters of The Chefs’ Forum with us.  Collectively, we connect chefs with education, suppliers with chefs and education with suppliers to help the industry unite and work towards the shared goal of showcasing the incredible talent we have here in industry! I think that this evening really has proved what incredible talent we have in the industry today, and the talent that we can look forward to seeing in the kitchens in the future.

“I would like to thank everyone who supported today’s event, and especially our sponsors without whom none of the events would be possible.”

Photography by Majella O’Connell: www.pavlovaandcream.com