Chef of the Week: Ben Purton, Chef Consultant in London
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
I started up my consultancy business around 5 years ago and this has given me the opportunity to work with lots of different clients in a variety of establishments and venues.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
My passion really came after I was given an opportunity firstly to be a KP washing dishes and then to start cooking when I was 16 and realised It was something I could be quite good at. I was a bored student at school but once I knew this was what I was going to do – I focused and got better and better. I spent the first 3 years of my career at the Woodford Moat House Hotel and the next 10 years at The Carlton Tower in Knightsbridge. All of my foundations and skills come from those years.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
The variety, especially in my new role. The joy that a great meal can bring and the opportunity to be part of a young chefs journey as they start out in their own careers.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Now, anyone that knows me knows that I cannot do without tea, water, milk and sugar and yes I know that’s 4 but I’m much better at everything I do after tea has been had. Picking just 3 ingredients is super tough but it can’t be underestimated how important good salt and pepper is and I think I’d just add a good olive oil to that list too.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
I’m a little old school with these things and I’d go for my trusted pastry knife as really versatile and a must have for any chef.
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
So I like seeing the continued development of plant based and these are here to stay and some amazing work going on to make these dishes better and better. I see a trend for experience and interaction / engagement growing as it’s all about the memory making. Home comfort style cooking and eating with sharing plates will also be a big focus over the next 12-18 months.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
So at the beginning of their careers I think a common mistake is not taking the time to learn the foundations and skills that will set you up for life. I’m the middle part of their careers, never forget that you can always learn and you should keep that academic brain ticking over. And never forget why you cook and who you are cooking for – listen to your guests and always have a bit of an open mind to tweak and develop what you do.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
I love all the seasons and what they bring but I think early autumn has to be my favourite when the slow cooker comes out and everything takes a bit of a low and slow theme. Slow cooked lamb shoulder with a classic dauphinoise or boulangère is a thing of beauty and just feels even better from October – January.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
On a similar theme to the lamb, when doing my chef in your home experiences – a dish that can be tweaked and adapted for some many occasions wins out. It’s a trio dish and has a grilled / roasted element, slow cooked element and mini pie element. So think grilled fillet, braised short rib and cottage pie of Oxfordshire Beef and you get the idea. Then you swap out the beef for lamb, chicken, fish, veg and it just keeps on giving and always gets a 10/10 from my guests.
How do you come up with new dishes?
Loads of different ways and I look for inspiration everywhere and from everyone. I play with flavours, look at what others do, love the info that’s on the socials, play, experiment, make mistakes, play some more until you have something that’s good enough.
Who was your greatest influence?
Wow – again so many but the likes of Raymond Blanc, Brian Turner, Claire Clark were names that I looked out for at the start of my career as they were doing the kind of things that I thought “oh I’d love to do that” and then watching, meeting and getting to know the likes of the Galvin brothers Chris and Jeff, Simon Young, James Golding, Cherish Finden, Jason Atherton and so many more have me so much confidence and a great network to be able to reach too as needed.
Tell us three chefs you admire.
Again, so many but to try and pick 3 – John Williams at the Ritz – I mean the boss right, Clare Smyth – I don’t know her but wow – just wow – top end cooking and consistency year after year, inspirational and James Martin – this guy does it all and does it all well – great chef, lovely bloke and anyone that has more butter in his mash than mash is right up there in my book.
What is your favourite cookbook?
So although I’ve been UK based for my career, I worked in an Italian restaurant at the Carlton Tower so Italian cookery and cooking has a spot in my heart forever. While I was at the Hyatt Churchill Hotel, I had the honour to watch Giorgio Locatelli at work and oh my – this guy is fantastico. His signed cookbook – Made in Italy – has pride of place on my bookcase at home.
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
So you should have been watching these already and def for the next few months and way beyond I’m sure.
- Ruth Hanson – at Swinton Estate
- Steffan Davies – Claridges
- Liam Rogers – Moor Hall
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
So the ink is still wet on this one when writing this but think by the time of reading it Fazenda Rodizio Bar & Grill Bishopsgate will be the talk of the town and it has a dream team of Sergio Labarile, Francisco Martinez, Andrea, Monika and so many more – it’s a must visit.
Chef of the Week: Ian Mitchell, Head Chef at The Land’s End Hotel in Cornwall
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
7 years in total after leaving and returning.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
I was a late bloomer in catering. I went to college late after a farming and building career start, but I made up for it and was lucky to have very skilled and passionate chefs around me. Coming from a humble background where food was scarce, I learned to cook early with little ingredients and great enthusiasm. I have a blog on all my food memories, from eating chewy liver as a toddler to heating up baked beans under the Eiffel Tower with my hippy mum in the 70’s. I learned my skills mainly from good chefs and going to college, but my people skills are from over 30 years being in the trade.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
It has changed over the years. Getting smashed in a highly stressful busy service used to give me a real buzz and a sense of belonging and self-worth. As I have got older, I feel not only a responsibility to help others by advising and guiding them, but I feel happy when I am able to help others meet their full potential in my kitchen.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Onions, spices and eggs.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
A decent sieve.
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
The return to simple foods cooked well.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Trying to put their ego on a plate and not knowing their market.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
Autumn, because everything is ready. You can pickle, preserve and bottle the harvest of summer.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
Any of my dishes that exceed my customer’s expectations.
How do you come up with new dishes?
I look at nature for inspiration.
Who was your greatest influence?
I was influenced greatly by a lot of unknowns that really should get credit, and equally by lots of bad people that made me a better person and chef. Specifically with regards to my chef influences, it would be Marco Pierre White, Raymond Blanc and Jamie Oliver.
Tell us three chefs you admire.
Marco Pierre White, Raymond Blanc and the Roux brothers.
What is your favourite cookbook?
Jamie Oliver’s Italy.
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
My chefs at Land’s End, two in particular are very talented and passionate.
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
To be honest, anything local I’m happy to support as I know how hard it is.
Classically Brilliant!
Take six top chefs! And some world-class ingredients.
It isn’t often that you get to experience Australian and Japanese wagyu beef, sustainable caviar, exquisite seafood, seasonal fruit and vegetables, inimitable chocolate and hand-picked wines in one brilliant event.
So, the South West Showcase of leading produce and ingredients supplier, Classic Fine Foods, on Monday 18th September is a MUST for every West Country chef’s diary. It’s being held at Courtyard by Marriott in Exeter and runs from 10:30am-5:00pm and The Chefs’ Forum will be organising the chef demonstration stage, and what an excellent line-up lies in wait.
As well as outstanding ingredients there are also six, internationally-acclaimed chefs doing demos and masterclasses and the event will see the return of the hugely-popular and highly competitive/comical omelette challenge.
The six chefs are:
- Chris McClurg – Paul Ainsworth at No.6
- Jordan Denning – Lympstone Manor
- Scott Paton & John Brimicombe – Àclèaf at Boringdon Hall
- Richard Hunt – Courtyard by Marriot
- Darryl Collins – Mullion Cove Hotel
- Denis Drame MCA – Classic Fine Foods
Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs Forum, 
said: “This will be a fantastic event that will celebrate Classic Fine Foods launching their regional hub in the Southwest and we are really excited to be running the demo stage and promoting such a great collection of ingredients and producers all under one roof. Make sure you come and see us!”
Krishna Quarrell from Classic Fine Foods said “As National Sales Manager, I am particularly excited to announce the next phase in our national expansion and the opening of our new hub in Exeter, which will service Devon and Cornwall, locations very close to my heart. I have grown up and live in the Southwest and my love for the hospitality and food industry was sparked by my visits to hotels and restaurants across the area.”
Register to attend please CLICK HERE
Meet Klima. Climate. Controlled.
The perfect steak needs the perfect climate and in Klima, every chef has the opportunity to achieve perfection. How does it work?
Simple, everything is done in the cabinet which can sit happily, front of house, in the restaurant so every guest can see what’s going on.
Due to a unique air ventilation system, Klima achieves strong and intense flavours and increased juiciness in steaks which get the correct ageing environment – No matter what the cut.
Steve Snow, Managing Director of UK Distributor, MCS Technical Products Ltd said: “In designing KLIMA MEAT, the Italian manufacturer, Zernike focused on recreating the ideal microclimate and the natural reactions 
traditionally harnessed by man for aging meat. They then perfected a unique dry ager with an intuitive technology that combines our patents for ventilation, sanitization and oxygenation of meat. Their ambition was to create a high performance, technologically advanced product which is also user friendly, we’re convinced it will be extremely popular with among top UK chefs and butchers.”
The touch screen monitor displays each function with intuitive icons which make it easy to control and modify all the process phases and parameters. The electronic control allows a precise management of temperature, humidity and ventilation inside the chamber, which combined with the patented oxygenation system OxigenKLIMA, makes it possible to reproduce the ideal conditions for a high quality and perfectly biosafe dry aging – reducing the danger of listeria, harmful moulds and unpleasant smells. Never a dull steak ever again!
Chef of the Week: Mike Greer, Head Chef at The Eden Project in Cornwall
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
I have currently worked at The Eden Project for just over 12 years. Starting off as a Chef de Partie then working my way up to Junior Sous Chef, Sous Chef and in 2021 I gained the role of the Head Chef.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
Growing up in Birmingham I was surrounded by different food and cuisines from all over the world. I loved going into different local shops seeing produce, smells and colours. I was always keen to try different food, different spices and different cooking techniques. At school we celebrated many different religious festivals and the food we ate reflected this giving me an insight to global cuisine.
I studied catering at GCSE and loved all the practical elements of it. I moved to Cornwall from Birmingham and studied hospitality at college for 3 years. Whilst at College I was also working part-time in a kitchen to help develop my skills.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
I enjoy the creativity of being a chef. Having such wonderful produce to work with in Cornwall is amazing and now we have a state of the art nursery here at Eden, the produce is literally grown on our kitchens doorstep.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
This is a tough one as there are so many ingredients I enjoy cooking with but if I break it down to what I would use the most, it would be coriander, paprika and hake.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
For our scale of operation the piece of equipment that is most essential to me is our 180 litre bratt pan. On our busiest days we see up to 7,000 visitors so it’s a large scale to cater for. In this bratt pan we do the majority of our food preparation, whether its our organic Cornish pasta mac and cheese or our Eden grown vegetable summer curry it’s a great bit of equipment to cook lots of food.
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
Vegan and plant based food trends has been on the rise for several years now and it’s great to see so many meat-free alternatives and plant based dairy replacements. We strive to ensure that we cater for every dietary and allergy requirement ensuring great taste and quality for our visitors. Also I am seeing that people are trying to make operations a lot more sustainable now. We have just created a food policy at Eden to ensure we are as sustainable as possible in all aspects of our catering and I think that sustainability will play a huge factor in a lot of restaurants.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Difficult one to answer but I think a big mistake in hospitality in general are working hours. We know it’s part of the job, long days and lots of hours but I believe in ensuring my chefs have 3 days off a week so they can enjoy a good work life balance. We want to ensure our visitors have a great dining experience and by allowing the team suitable time off allows them to be refreshed and focused in the work place.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
This has to be summer. I love cooking outdoors (although this year it’s been a bit damp). I love the summer produce especially the crops we are growing on site. Fresh, vibrant, colourful and tasty produce is delivered to our kitchen every day from our nursery and the quality is unbelievable.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
We had a beautiful Malaysian vegan curry on the menu using Cornish vegetables and our own grown lemongrass, chillies and curry leaves. The fragrance of this dish was amazing and being able to commercially grow lemongrass in Cornwall for this is a real treat. I am also very proud and passionate about our paella we cook and serve in our Mediterranean biome, visually it’s a masterpiece and the combination of local chorizo, Cornish shellfish and beautiful spices makes this a winner in our restaurant.
How do you come up with new dishes?
In our quiet period in January and February I invite the whole team to come up with dishes for the seasons for all of our venues. I feel passionately about involving all the staff in menu development so they have an input and feel invested in. We will do a week-long cooking and tasting development week, pick and choose dishes we like, which need a little more development and then feed this information back to our Horticulture team so they can grow the right ingredients for the right time of year.
Who was your greatest influence?
This would have to be my mum; she will say she taught me everything but I know better. She supported me all the way through college and my early years as a chef.
Tell us three chefs you admire.
Antonio Carluccio is definitely one I admire. I had the joy meeting him and assisting him with a cooking demonstration and he was amazing. His style of cuisine making simple, tasty fresh food using fine ingredients has made a huge impression on me especially when creating menus for our Med terrace restaurant. An incredible individual who’s passion for Italian cuisine was incredible.
Phil Vickery is another chef I admire. Again I had the opportunity to assist him on a couple of occasions and he was such a nice guy. His gluten free cooking and recipes are very inspiring, ensuring taste and quality are never compromised.
Angela Hartnett was one of the first celebrity chefs I met and she was incredible, so nice and down to earth and her cooking is sensational.
What is your favourite cookbook?
My favourite cookbook has got to be Antonio Carluccio’s Simple Cooking. Some of his favourite recipes in there using simple techniques to create beautiful food.
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
My favourite new opening has to be Kernow Street Kitchen in Mevagissey. A stunning little pop-up restaurant perched beautifully on the fishing harbour of Mevagissey. They serve up the most incredible street food using Cornish ingredients. The menu changes regularly with every dish as tasty as the next.
Taste the Difference
Tasting menus divide opinion but their progress is undeniable. They are here to stay and represent an opportunity for chefs to show off their skills and range. They also allow kitchens to control waste and guarantee a set income. Are we seeing the death of a la carte? Probably.
Once upon a time the guest chose. The customer was always right. How things have changed. Today the chef is right and the guests… well, the guests can either have the tasting menu or find somewhere else.
Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Once thing is certain: it’s good for chefs. They get to create a range of dishes, often experimental, that plays to their strengths.
Our esteemed Director Catherine Farinha and National Business Manager Alexandra Duncan had a tasting menu experience at South Place Hotel in London at The Angler restaurant run by executive chef Gary Foulkes.
“It was an incredible experience,” Catherine Farinha explained afterwards. “We were celebrating Alex’s birthday and this was a brilliant way of doing it. I never thought it would end but each course kept getting better and it was all a brilliant surprise even though we had seen the menu. I love this way of dining.” (See below for the menu Catherine & Alex enjoyed).
The emphasis here is on experience. A tasting menu takes much longer to serve but enables the diner to experience very different tastes and combinations. This level of experience simply cannot be replicated by an a la carte menu.
However, there will always be those that hanker after the a la carte.
“You don’t go to a steak restaurant for a tasting menu,” said Chefs’ Forum editor Chandos Elletson. “You go for a steak. It’s the same with pizza or fried chicken. The tasting menu works in a narrow band of restaurants where the skill of the chef is focussed on small, exquisite, courses. It originated in Japan with Kaiseki and has been expanded and refined in the UK.”
Some restaurants are now tasting menu only. Two notable examples are Restaurant Sat Bains and Gareth Ward’s Ynyshir which recently won best restaurant in the UK.
“Diners have a choice now,” Elletson continued. “They can go for tasting for a special occasion or go to a restaurant to enjoy a specific style. The days of the multi-format a la carte are numbered.”
The tasting menu at The Angler by Gary Foulkes
Aged Comté, goat’s curd, pea & black garlic gougère
Angler stout bread, caramelised yeast & malt butter
*******
Crispy Iberian pig’s head, BBQ apple, smoked bacon & tarragon
Montgomery cheddar, caramelised onion & wild garlic tart
Foie Gras Cornetto, new season’s cherry & pistachio
Prawn & squid ink cracker, smoked cod’s roe & Espelette pepper
*******
Sea Bass Tartare – Oyster cream, green apple, shiso
Native Lobster – Gazpacho dressing, Has avocado, lobster & oscietra caviar tart
Phil Howard’s Langoustine Dish – Parmesan gnocchi, truffle purée, potato & truffle emulsion
Cornish Monkfish – Carrots, English peas, Citrus butter sauce
Roast Newlyn Cod – Line caught squid, Scottish girolles, Alsace bacon
Raspberries – Perilla leaf, Greek yoghurt, “100’s & 1000’s”
Black Provence Fig “1000 flower” honey, mascarpone, fig leaf
or
Black Forest, English cherries, Amarena, Kirsch cream
****
Strawberry bon bon
Banana & miso caramel
Coconut and chocolate chouquette
Chef of the Week: Alex Naik, Chef Patron at Thirteen in Poole
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
1 year spent refurbishing Thirteen ready for opening.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
Mainly my mother, but also being exposed to fine dining with my parents from a young age. Learning on the job, eating out at fine restaurants, watching TV cooking programmes and ready cookery books.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
Making people happy when they enjoy what they eat, especially if it’s a new taste combination.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Onions, garlic and mushrooms.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
Tablespoon.
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
The shift away from vegan food back to an omnivorous offering where proteins and vegetables have equal prominence. Continued emphasis on sustainability.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Overcomplicating and overloading plates.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
Spring because everything comes back into life and colour.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
Pea panna cotta.
How do you come up with new dishes?
Often I get inspiration when I’m walking in the woods or exchanging ideas with others.
Who was your greatest influence?
My mother.
Tell us three chefs you admire.
Simon Rogan, Jordi Roca and Massimo Bottura.
What is your favourite cookbook?
A Day at El Bulli.
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
Rob Howell at Root in Bristol.
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
Root Wells in Somerset.
Chef of the Week: Daniel Lee – MasterChef: The Professionals Winner 2021 & Chef Dan Lee Personal Chef
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
I have been working as private/ freelance chef back in the UK since covid, I came back and started my own company after returning from Singapore.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
I realised my passion for food later on in life when I was figuring out which career path to take, which led me to the University College Birmingham. But growing up my auntie had a takeaway which is where I would spend my weekends, so the passion has clearly always been there. At college I studied classical French, but it was my Auntie who taught me about Cantonese flavours and cooking styles.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
I enjoy the freedom and creativity it gives me. Being a chef is a never ending lesson, every single day you can learn something new, and no matter how hard you try or how much you study, you will never know it all. But learning and discovering new ingredients/ techniques/ cultures of cooking never gets old, it’s a constant evolving and amazing journey.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Garlic, ginger and soy.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
Chinese cleaver.
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
The use of more Japanese ingredients, Japanese food culture is amazing, and I see a lot more chefs using Japanese ingredients (vinegars/ oils/ soy) as well as Japanese cooking techniques.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Overthinking.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
Chinese New Year, it reminds me of these amazing feasts I used to have when I was younger. All the family coming together to eat this incredible spread of food, the smells, the flavours, the atmosphere. I love it all.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
It’s difficult to pick, I am very proud of my chicken rice dish for the MasterChef professionals final. It wasn’t dainty, or very refined, but I took a low cost street food dish and showcased it on such a big stage, and pulled it off. It will never be the best looking dish I’ve done, but the meaning and purpose behind me doing it, is something I am very proud of.
How do you come up with new dishes?
My influences come from everywhere, whether it’s travel, eating in new restaurants, speaking to other chefs. I like to create ideas by learning the history of cultures. I think it is very important to understand the history of a cultures food and cuisine before using it as an influence. Then by getting an understanding of why each dish came about, you can adapt and recreate.
Who was your greatest influence?
My Auntie.
Tell us three chefs you admire.
- Gareth Ward
- Prin Polsuk
- Kray Treadwell
What is your favourite cookbook?
The Food of Sichuan (currently, it changes monthly).
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
Kray Treadwell and David Taylor.
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
Toffs by Rob Palmer.
Bradford College Lines-up the Stars at The Chefs’ Forum Academy
We are excited to share UK hospitality business BaxterStorey will be bringing a ‘Careers in Contract Catering’ focus session to our schedule of curriculum enrichment at Bradford College. At a date to be agreed, BaxterStorey will hold a special careers day next term, which will give students an opportunity to learn about working at locations across the North of England including Bradford University and Marks & Spencer Distribution Centre, also based in Bradford.
Andy Aston, head of wellness and nutrition at BaxterStorey said: “Hospitality is an incredibly diverse, exciting industry to work in and we’re looking forward to showcasing the opportunities with students. Engaging with the local community is important to us, and this partnership with The Chefs’ Forum is one way we’re proud to able to do this”.
“It’s great to welcome BaxterStorey to the growing number of companies we are helping in the chef education sector,” said Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs’ Forum. “BaxterStorey are a significant chef employer in the North and having a careers event for the students will be very valuable and enhances the work the chefs are doing in their masterclasses.”
Students studying catering are already looking forward to a mouth-watering series of masterclasses that have been lined up for 2023/24. The series kicks-off in October with a bread masterclass by artisan baker Sandor Bagameri who took the podium at the World Bread Awards in 2022.
In November chef Lloyd Hesom from United Chefs Limited brings his skills to a special fish masterclass. Hesom has worked at all levels across the country but really got to understand fish in a different way when working as a head chef in Madrid.
In December students will get to focus on lamb with Jack Holden – a skilled artisan butcher based at Fodder Farmshop in Harrogate. 
And 
then in February 2024 it’s the turn of Radha Ru, a local Bradforian, who reached the final of Masterchef in 2022. Radha will give a vegetarian masterclass based on her popular Instagram channel @thespicyflexitarian.
Following on will be a name familiar to many Chefs’ Forum Academies: Exose Grant. The popular former MasterChef :The Professionals finalist will give a past shapes and pasts masterclass in March 2024.
Finally, Kevin Kindland, an experienced freelance chef currently working in Hotel du Vin in York will give a 
Fine Dining masterclass in May 2024 to round off the year.
Speaking about the series of masterclasses at Bradford Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs Forum, said: “I’m full of praise for Bradford College. It’s really great for the students and for local schools to be able to see details of upcoming masterclasses and who is going to be visiting the college to teach. On top of an already excellent curriculum The Chefs’ Forum Academy brings in top local chefs to enhance the education. This coming academic year is going to be really exciting and e can’t wait to see how our chefs get on when they bring in their specialist knowledge to Bradford College.”
To see the fantastic line-up and read more about the chefs going into the college, visit the college website: HERE
News at Eleven – Salami Steals the Show
Every day of the Game Fair we served up ‘Elevenses’ with a twist; The finest Fennel salami from Somerset Charcuterie wrapped round strips of the finest Le Gruyère cheese and washed down with a Dutch Barn vodka cocktail. This combination proved popular with guests to the Le Gruyère stage, saying it would make a classic shoot day snack. To say it was a hit would be an understatement!
Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs’ Forum, said: “It was a winner and very popular with visitors and chefs alike. It’s just what you need on a shoot day – something easy to snack on and a warming cocktail. Just the job for those winter mornings! They also looked great layer out on the special boards provided by Richkins Woodcraft.”
Andy & James had been hobby charcutiers for several years. Andy grew up on a pig farm and James is a member of a small village cooperative of 6 families who raise livestock. Their daughters become best friends at the local school and it wasn’t long before they discovered that they shared passion for curing meats and making salami. Over a pint of cider at a local lawn-mower race (this is Somerset!), the idea for a quality British Charcuterie business was conceived. Both of them have run their own food businesses for several years and could see an opportunity to develop a range of products that followed traditional Spanish, French and Italian methods but were adapted to the British market and capitalised on the rich food culture of the Southwest.
Within 6 months the first products were ready to try on family and friends and, with some encouraging feedback, the first farmers markets were booked to test the product on the general public. The buzz around the stall at the first market was electric and the decision was made. Somerset Charcuterie was born.
Now in their 8th year the team are going through up to two tonnes of pork a week along with local wild venison from our favourite, Curtis Pitts Deer Services, local free-range duck, grass fed beef and lamb. Everything is handmade now, and will remain that way in order to preserve the artisan texture, flavours and look.. Everything is handmade now, and will remain that way in order to preserve the artisan texture, flavours and look. They moved into their new production unit on the farm a couple of years ago but are now already looking to expand in order to meet the growing demand.
“We are committed to producing the best product with the best of Somerset ingredients wherever we can. We are now regularly in several markets across Somerset and Bristol, at festivals around the country, in pubs, restaurants and delis. It has been a fantastic success story so far and we are very lucky to have a loyal fan base to whom we are very grateful. We are looking forward to developing new and exciting products, meeting like-minded meat lovers and expanding our business further afield. If you are interested in stocking our product or would like to work with a great team in a fledgling artisan food business, please get in touch.”
