A Feast for the Senses at Parlour
The latest meeting of The Chefs’ Forum in London on Monday 18th May 2015 was a feast for all the senses. More than 70 chefs from across the capital joined suppliers and producers at Parlour restaurant, Kensal Green, hosted by Chef Patron, Jesse Dunford Wood.
ParlourUK1 from The Chefs Forum on Vimeo.
The event kicked off with a Nyetimber and canapé reception with an array of delicious morsels from Jesse’s fabulous menu prepared and served by students from the HIT Training Academy. Guests were treated to mouth-watering popcorn lobster, back door smoked salmon on soda bread, mackerel with gooseberry puree served on a fence pole and chicken lollipops.
There was then a chance to meet suppliers and producers before the official welcome by founder of The Chefs’ Forum, Catherine Farinha, and host, Jesse Dunford Wood.
Jesse said: “It was a pleasure to host this event at Parlour, and to work with the students of the HIT Training Academy.
“They all worked incredibly hard, and demonstrated a great deal of talent and dedication. It is important for us as established chefs to encourage the next generation and The Chefs’ Forum provides a fantastic platform in which to do this.”
Guests were invited to participate in an olive oil tasting with Olivence, with a group of five olive growers and producers of the finest French olive oils giving tastings of each of their oils, showcasing their different flavours and textures. Jesse made ten different mayonnaises with the oils and some fabulous chocolates to demonstrate the versatility of using top quality olive oil with various flavour notes as ingredients. A selection of their oils are available through Turners Fine Foods.
The chefs and The HIT Training Academy Learners were then given a Global Knife Skills Masterclass by not one, but two Roux Scholars; Andrew Jones (Chamberlain’s of London) and Armand Sablon (Hotel Café Royal).
Apprentices from The HIT Training Academy then took part in a knife skills competition where they had to turn a potato from Armand’s classic dish of sautéed chicken with turned vegetables using a Global turning knife. They then had to fillet and pin bone a whole mackerel from Andrew’s demo using a Global G-18 24cm filleting knife and GS-20 fish bone tweezers. The winner, Abdirisaq Sharif Mohammed from HIT Training Academy was awarded a Global GS89A 30th Anniversary special edition cook’s knife.
Sophie Newton, Brand Manager at Global Knives UK said: “Global sponsors The Chefs’ Forum as we firmly believe in bridging the gap between education and industry and supporting young chefs. This event was a great opportunity to showcase the Global 30th Anniversary knife range – A major milestone of time working within the UK catering industry.”
It was then Jesse’s chance to wow the crowds with a demonstration of his multi-sensory dessert which gives diners an interactive experience using music and sounds played through headphones as they eat. Jesse’s ‘Willy Wonka-esque’ grand finale to a fantastic day of knowledge-sharing and networking was nothing short of sensational and the silent disco proved a real hit with the culinary experts!
Event organiser Catherine Farinha said: “The purpose of The Chefs’ Forum is to forge links between top chefs, producers and suppliers and the rising stars of the hospitality industry, and events like today show just how valuable the links between education and industry can be.
“I would like to thank everyone involved in making this event such a success, especially our sponsors First Choice Produce, Walter Rose Butchers, Favis of Salcombe, Cacao Barry, Cornish Sea Salt, Flying Fish Sea Foods and Turners Fine Foods who provided the ingredients for the demonstrations and the canapés.”
The next Chefs’ Forum event will be held on the 6th July at Le Meridien Piccadilly with Master of Culinary Arts, Chef de Cuisine, Michael Dutnall. If you would like to attend please contact Alexandra Duncan, email: alexandra@redcherry.uk.com
It is The Chefs’ Forum’s aim to shine the industry spotlight on the latest cooking trends and techniques being used in the best London kitchens. This is to enhance knowledge of professional chefs and to inspire the next generation of chefs, showing them just how great their careers will be.
Photography by Craig Howarth: www.seaaitch-photography.com
