A Celebration of Brixham’s Bounty at The Berry Head Hotel!

They might be more used to spending time in the kitchen, but at the most recent meeting of The Chefs’ Forum, top Devon chefs were treated to a fantastic day of top class fish filleting and cookery demonstrations as well as wonderful wine pairing with WSET.  Assembled chefs and front of house professionals had the chance to sit back and relax for a change as they tucked in and enjoyed a day of gastronomic greatness!

The event was held on Monday, June 6th, at Berry Head Hotel in Brixham, and it gave hospitality students at South Devon College and learners from Hit Training the opportunity to work with Berry Head chefs, Canon Vas  and Noor Alam.

Guests were able to meet some top suppliers as they enjoyed a Chandon reception provided by Majestic Commercial, accompanied by some stunning canapés showcasing Kingfisher Brixham Fish prepared by Canon, Noor and the students.

The Day began with a networking session enabling Devon chefs to talk to their peers, top suppliers and education providers which is the main purpose of The Chefs’ Forum and what makes it such a vital industry communication platform.

Darren Whelan of Kingfisher Brixham then gave a talk on sustainable fish, followed by what can only be described as a ‘Ninja’ fish filleting demonstration.  Chefs watched in horror and awe as Bass, Hake and flatfish were filleted to perfection in seconds – Darren put on a great show!

The students then took part in a fish filleting competition to win a day at Brixham Fish Market with Kingfisher Brixham, coupled with a day in the kitchen with Canon and the team.

Hit Training Learner, Rhys Bower (19) impressed Darren and Canon the most, winning the experiential day and a Roux Scholarship journal as a prize.

Darren then decided to invite all students from both Hit Training and South Devon College for a day at Brixham Fish market to thank them ALL for their valuable contribution to the day.

Next, it was time for Canon and Noor to take to the demo stage to showcase some fabulous Indian dishes showcasing Brixham fish powered by Cooktek Induction and the Monolith Kamado Grill.

Devon chefs were given a true taste of India in their highly entertaining and skilled demonstration – Indian gastronomy proved a real hit with the culinary experts!

WSET and Majestic Commercial then joined forces  to deliver a wine tasting and food pairing showcasing beautiful wines and a new, local Salcombe Gin, due to launch next month.

Paul Yates of Que Fresco rounded up the day in laying-on a fantastic local fish BBQ cooked on the market-leading Monolith Kamado ceramic grill. Paul expertly demonstrated multiple cooking styles to the chefs and students also had a chance to try their hand at grilling and live fire cooking which they loved.

Trevor Smee, Catering Programme Coordinator at South Devon College said: “The College greatly enjoys taking part in The Chefs’ Form events. We have supported the forum at several events already and relish the opportunity to meet local employers with a view to securing work experience and jobs for our students. Having so many industry professionals at The Berry Head today gives us the opportunity to showcase the talent and professionalism of our teaching team, our students and our outstanding facility.

It is also great for our students to network with their peers from Hit Training.

As a college we continue to work closely with industry bodies and employers to develop our curriculum offer, and be proactive with industry needs working to keep South Devon College a principal training provider. Our students’ professional development is enhanced by working in Horizon’s restaurant, through partnering activities, local industry events and culinary competitions, achieving exceptional results and outstanding customer feedback.

Canapés and drinks at Chefs’ Forum events are prepared and served by tomorrow’s chefs, waiters and waitresses under the expert guidance of top chefs and a first class teaching team. This is a chance to spot the up and coming stars of the future!”

Canon added: “I very much enjoyed working with the students today. They were a credit to South Devon College and Hit Training and showed a great deal of promise. I am confident that they will all have a bright future in the industry.”

Founder of The Chefs’ Forum Catherine Farinha said: “The Chefs’ Forum was created with the aim of making a positive change in the hospitality industry. It aims to 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.

“Today’s event has proved just how much can be achieved when chefs, suppliers and students all work together, and I hope that everyone who attended would agree that it is inspiring to see.

I would particularly like to thank the Berry Head team for being excellent hosts and all the sponsors who supported the event, especially Kingfisher Brixham, Total Produce PLC, WSET, Majestic Commercial and Voyager Coffee who provided the ingredients, wine and coffee. Without our sponsors none of this would be possible.”