Incredible Line-up Wows Welsh School Students
A top line-up at Coleg Gwent yesterday introduced 120 local school students to the joys of a career in hospitality and what they can expect to learn at a top catering college.
The line-up comprised of Great British Menu contestant Cindy Challoner (who is also studying to become a chef lecturer), 3 time award-winning butcher Tim Hanks, Bake Off: The Professionals winner Andrew Minto and head chef Gareth Hope.
“It shows how seriously we take education when a line up like this gets together to inspire school students,” said Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs’ Forum.
“It’s such a pleasure to work with Coleg Gwent. It’s such an amazing college, whose learners are clearly engaged and very much enjoying their courses.”
The taster day followed a familiar pattern of canapés and mocktails, pasta-making, sausage-making, butchery followed by cooking demonstration with seasonal Welsh produce and perfect patisserie with the finest chocolate fondants being made by Andrew!
At the end the students took part in an éclair decorating competition and the winner was presented with a copy of The Chefs’ Forum’s new publication, The Chef’s’ Knowledge.
Gavin George from Coleg Gwent, said: “The work we do in partnership with The Chefs’ Forum continues to get better and better and every one of these amazing days we do more and more students from local schools get more inspiration to come and study here. A big thank you to the amazing team that came and entertained us!”
Photo & film credit: Carlos Farinha
Chef of the Week: Rob Winslow, Head Chef at The Bay Tree Hotel in Broadstairs, Kent
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
I have worked at my current restaurant for five years, and have worked my way up from KP to head chef.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
I have always had a passion for cooking and baking since a young age even taking part in a junior chef course at Thanet College. I then learnt my skills full-time at East Kent College as a chef studying level 2 to level 3 kitchen and level 3 patisserie & confectionary.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
The things I enjoy about being a chef is the excitement during prep and at service time knowing that your prep becomes the end product.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Lemon, butter and fresh bay leaves from the tree at the Bay Tree Hotel where I work.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
Definitely the one thing I couldn’t live without are my I.O.Shen knives.
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
Veganism, vegetarianism and superfoods e.g. kimchi and fermented foods.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
They overcomplicate dishes/or the menu. My key saying is always stay humble.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
My favourite time of year for food is spring/early summer because you have rhubarb, asparagus and new potatoes.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
I am most proud of slow cooked pork belly, cooked in apple juice and stock for eight hours, served with creamy mashed potato, sauteed kale, homemade marmalade, glazed heritage carrots and braised leeks.
How do you come up with new dishes?
I come up with new dishes by starting with the basic ingredients and then tweaking it and adding new flavour concepts.
Who was your greatest influence?
Michel Roux Jr and Tom Kerridge.
Tell us three chefs you admire.
I admire Tom Kerridge, Marcus Wareing and Simon Rogan.
What is your favourite cookbook?
Stark by Ben Crittenden. Stark is a local restaurant to me, it has really inspiring dishes in the cookbook.
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
Gary Usher is definitely the one to watch having just added to his restaurant portfolio.
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
The Quince in Westgate with sensational food and atmosphere, they are definitely moving in the right direction.
Student Pastry Chef of the Year Finalists Announced
Eight students have made it through to the final of the 2023 Student Pastry Chef of the Year competition. Lead judge Franciane Tartari has heralded this year’s talent and the hugely-impressive standard of the entries.
Franciane told The Chefs’ Forum:
“I’m really impressed with the diversity and strength of the entrants this year. Pastry is a hard discipline to learn but this year’s bunch are well up for the challenge. Congratulations to all those who made it through to the final!”
Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs’ Forum, said:
“It’s so gratifying to get such good feedback from the students and to see them entering this important competition. We have a great final ahead of us and we are so pleased that 5 colleges share the 8 finalists. That’s a great spread from across the country!”
The finalists are:
- Husnaa Kaka – Leicester College
- Gemma Collick – Leicester College
- Jack Morris – Coleg y Cymoedd
- Kai Whittaker – West London College
- Katrina Tañas Atienza – University of West London
- Mali Leese – Coleg y Cymoedd
- Abby Webster – North Kent College
- Oraib Al-Shareeba – West London College
The Chefs’ Forum would like to take this opportunity to thank all this year’s entrants for their brilliantly-creative presentations and we’re very much looking forward to seeing the final eight finalists create their wonderful concepts on the 10th May at West London College.
Meet the judges:
- Michael Kwan – Executive Pastry Chef at The Dorchester and UK Pastry Team
- Chris Underwood – Artisserie
- Michael D’Angelo – Head Pastry Chef at Louie London
- Franciane Tartari – Executive Pastry Chef at Amazonico
- Daniel Pearse – Executive Pastry Chef at Rhubarb
- Enrico Carloni – Head Pastry Chef at The Peninsula
- Biju Joshwa – Executive Pastry Chef at Sheraton Grand Park Lane
- Cherish Finden – Bake Off: The Professionals Judge
- Nelson Sa – Head Pastry Chef at South Place
- Thibault Hauchard – Executive Pastry Chef at Claridge’s
- Benoit Blin – Executive Pastry Chef at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons/Bake Off: The Professionals Judge
Thank you to our sponsors: Bragard, Wedgwood, Henley Bridge, Matfer Bourgeat, Mitchell & Cooper, Koppert Cress, First Choice Produce, Taylor UK and Adande.
Chef of the Week: Dave Critchley, Executive Chef at Lu Ban Restaurant in Liverpool
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
I’ve been with Lu Ban for about 4 years, the restaurant has been open for about 2 years in total due to covid.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
I’ve been in the game for a long time now… starting at 15! I picked up the passion from day one, falling in love immediately with the atmosphere, the energy, the buzz of kitchen life and the camaraderie.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
I think it’s the buzz, the excitement before a huge shift, the backs to the wall mentality, the feeling of one team against the world. That feeling at the end of an amazing shift. There’s nothing like it!
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Tough one this! I love trying all kinds of ingredients… but I love the holy trinity of ginger, garlic and spring onion – It forms the basis of a lot of flavour combinations I’m working with at the moment and the aromatics when these three are cooked off is unreal, it really takes me back to my time in China.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without!
I’m going to cheat a bit here… I teach my chefs that they themselves are the most valuable piece of kit in the kitchen. Their senses have to be on point every time we go into service. Touching, feeling, picking up, moving, sight, smell and taste are so important to keep our dishes at the level they should be, and most of all their brains! Chefs need to be able to make decisions and calculations in seconds. A level head is needed at all times.
Failing that leave me with some source of heat, a really good wok, a ladle and a cranked spatula, and I’m happy !
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
I think we’re seeing a move towards the classics again which I’m really enjoying … really good simple food done well . And I for one couldn’t be happier. I can see lots of fusion food happening which I think there’s a place for, when it’s done right.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Letting ego drive their dishes or their menus. The fundamental purpose of what we do is serve our customers . I get create menus and dishes for my guests. Another mistake I see often is chefs over complicating dishes and forgetting to nail the absolute basics which is way more important in my eyes . It’s tough, Chefs want to be creative but it has to be about control and balance .
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
I think if I’m pushed it’s spring … some incredible produce appears. The colours and the freshness that spring brings with it should be evident in any chefs spring menu!
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
Ahhhh! The worst question I think a chef can face and probably one we get asked the most. Every dish we put on the menu we need to be more than happy with. We need to be proud every time we serve it. Every dish on the menu currently has a story relating back to my time in China. I need my team to buy into the story and the provenance of each dish and treat it like their own.
How do you come up with new dishes?
It’s quite a complicated (and long) process to be honest, everything has to come back to what I saw in China. If the dish doesn’t have meaning or significance, or a story per say it doesn’t make the menu!
Who was your greatest influence?
I always answer this question the same way. Sure there’s loads of great chefs out there to look up to, but it’s my parents and my family who inspire me every day. I learnt the values of hard work from my mum and dad and it’s my wife and son I want to make proud every day.
Tell us three chefs you admire.
Three chefs that probably don’t get the recognition they deserve are Mark Prescott the absolute OG top chef and the most amazing Person (Google him if you need to), John Tamila (Development Chef at Hickory’s) a close friend of mine and the chef that truly sent me on my path to where I am now, one of the best chefs I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with and Mike Mounfield, co-author of my book and business partner at Lu Ban as well as mentor and friend he has a wealth of experience as a chef and in education .
What is your favourite cookbook?
Selfishly my own… Cherry Blossom, it was such an emotional day to receive the books to launch. Any chef should aspire to have their dishes in print and to see 25 years of work published in that book meant the world to me!
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
I think anyone who hasn’t been watching Nathan Davies at SY23 is missing a trick! Obviously Gareth Ward and Mark Birchall are also setting the standard for us all but I think the next few years will be hugely decisive in the future of hospitality with so many huge challenges ahead of us all. I wish every single one off us the very best for the future as it’s definitely going to be a challenge .
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
Manifest in Liverpool. Another fantastic addition to a flourishing food scene. I love what Paul and his team are doing there.
Crab a Piece of This!
To see is to believe. There is no better way of demonstrating the value of a Crustastun than to see it in action, so Mitchell & Cooper Project Director, Kat Cooper and The Chefs’ Forum team headed off to Brixham to put it to the test. Joining them were Chef Jolly and local chef Canon Vas from the Berry Head Hotel.
Mitchell & Cooper is proud to manufacture Crustastun at their family-run factory in Ukfield, East Sussex. They are carrying out a series of live trials at the moment and are systematically receiving hugely-positive-feedback about the improved eating quality of crab and lobster, humanely-dispatched, using their patented cutting-edge, humane, technology, while raising welfare standards in the processing of live crustaceans in a professional kitchen environment.
The purpose of Brixham trip was to meet the fishermen and market traders at the ‘chalk face’ of the fishing industry, then to see the wonderful creations produced in the kitchen by top Indian fish chefs, all using Crustastun to stun the freshest live Brixham crab and the results were truly amazing.
Project Director and Crustastun Manufacturer Kat Cooper said
“We have had a brilliant time in Brixham with The Chefs’ Forum and the hugely-talented chefs we have met along the way. To be shown around the fish market by the Rockfish chefs was such an amazing experience and the passion and excitement form the chefs in our party was infectious. I am really excited for the future of Crustastun and at how well it has been received by the chefs who are using it. Crustastun is especially dear to us as we manufacture it and it is so great to see it being tested by top chefs in the field.”
First up, was a visit to the famous fish market and then out on the boat to see the pots that are dotted around the Devon coast.
“We’re working with Mitchell & Cooper to promote improved animal welfare in professional kitchens,” explained Chefs Forum Director Catherine Farinha. “We believe passionately in the humane dispatch of shellfish which have been shown to have what is known as sentience. In the other words they can be adversely harmed by traditional methods of preparation such as being plunged into boiling water or pierced with a sharp knife.
“The Crustastun used electricity and water to literally stun the shellfish and results in much higher quality meat and it’s done humanely. What’s not to like? We decided to do this in Brixham with the freshest crab we could find and invited some local chefs to come and see for themselves. It was a brilliant day.”
Rockfish Chef Director Kirk Gosden and Senior Head Chef, Kyle Williams took great delight in showing their chefs peers around Brixham Fish Market, the largest in the UK by value of fish sold. They walked the group through the tremendous bounty of species landed at the market; From beautiful lobster to bream, stunning seabass to John Dory and Turbot as big as Land Rover wheels, Jolly and Canon were in their element.
Kirk said
“We love having chefs visit Brixham fish market for tours. It’s wonderful to see the excitement on their faces as they explore the different elements of the sea to land process. From trawlers to grading and quality control, it was great to explain the fishing processes and the daily trade deals sealed by silent auction, on a national and international level to our chef peers.”
We were also joined by David Markham from the Blue Seafood Company in neighbouring Paignton, who supplies beautiful Brixham Crab to Rockfish and is also a Brand Ambassador for Crustastun.
David said
“There is this issue going on around sentience and the population is behind it. And when anyone asks, we explain that we use Crustastun and it is compassionate. We’ve done our part to make sure our restaurant dispatches crab in the most humane manner.
“We’ve very quickly started to adopt the Crustastun technology, from a humane perspective mainly. We use it in our larger crab business, Blue Sea Crab, and when we opened our restaurant, The Crab & Hammer in Paignton, it was a natural progression to use a smaller version in the kitchen.
“We’ve had comments from the likes of Raymond Blanc and The Waterside Inn how they can really notice the difference in the flavour of the crab and we were truly amazed with the difference to the improved eating quality of the crab meat when it is humanely stunned, it is less stressed and more tender as a result.
International Celebrity Chef Jolly concluded
“It was an absolute privilege to see the fish market and we are so grateful to the Rockfish chefs for the tour and the fantastic surf and turf breakfast they kindly prepared for us afterwards in Rockfish. It is wonderful to see the care and passion that runs through everything the team do and take in the beautiful harbour views or trawlers, fishermen and general market activity. I felt much better about using Crustastun to humanely dispatch Brixham crab, then creating a wonderful Kerala crab curry in a cook-off with Canon in his kitchen and the quality of the crab coming out of Torbay is simply sensational –The crab meat really was really tender and stunning crustaceans is definitely the future in professional kitchens. I had a great time and will certainly be visiting Brixham and Rockfish again soon.”
The Chefs’ Forum is looking to stage a larger version of this event as we feel it is important for chefs to see where their fish comes from, at source and all of the hard work and passion that goes into supplying professional kitchens across the UK and beyond. Any chefs who would be interested in attending such an event should contact catherine@redcherry.uk.com
Photography & film by Carlos Farinha.
Chef of the Week: Jubz Ali Mannan, Chef Patron at Grubz by Jubz in Wales
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
Approximately 8 months.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
My passion for food and cooking comes from my parents who are both excellent cooks. I learnt to cook over the years of working in Indian Restaurants. I learnt a lot of my skills through the chefs and pioneers of the curry industry.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
Working in a busy environment where my main priority are the customers. Being able to be creative with flavours and seeing the faces of those who eat and enjoy my food.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Cooking oil, seasoning and huge amount of love! Can that count as an ingredient? Haha!
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
Working in Indian restaurants, you get use to working with gas cookers and Tandoori ovens. Over the years I have come to learn how to use a Rational. It can make a big difference in the way we work and prepare our dishes. It saves us a lot of time, it’s consistent and can be used in a variety of different modes. This modern technology has changed the way we run our kitchen on a daily basis.
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
The most common trends I have noticed in recent years is street food. It’s amazing to see different food merging with the British food scene and bringing a wide variety of flavours.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Chefs often notice when people overcomplicate things and make recipes more difficult than they need to be.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
Winter, because there’s nothing better than preparing a home cooked meat curry which is hearty and warming on a cold day! Summer, creating light savoury snacks consisting of exotic ingredients. Just bliss!
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
My take on an Anglo-Indian fusion. A honey glazed, spiced tandoori rack of lamb with an Indian inspired, spiced creamy mash.
How do you come up with new dish?
Coming up with a new dish is always a matter of experimenting, researching and understanding the ingredients and it’s purpose.
Who was your greatest influence?
My parents, they are still my greatest influence!
Tell us three chefs you admire.
- Marco Pierre White, no need for introduction
- Christophe Tuloup ,an amazing creative patisserie chef
- Latif Abdul from Latif’s Inspire on YouTube
What is your favourite cookbook?
The Flavor Matrix: The Art and Science of Pairing Common Ingredients to Create Extraordinary Dishes
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
Burhan Ahmed – Masterchef Contestant 2020
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
I haven’t tried it yet but have been inspired to try Coco Grill & Lounge in London. Seen a lot of social media presence and find it to be a brilliant concept which I wish to try!
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Female Chef Wins The Roux Scholarship for the First Time in 29 Years
Throughout the long history of The Roux Scholarship, which stretches back to Andrew Fairlie in 1984, there has only been one female winner. That was Mercy Fenton in 1994.
All that changed on Monday as 29 year old April Lily Partridge, Sous Chef at The Ledbury, beat five other finalists in a cook-off at Westminster Kingsway College in London. The year she was born was the last time there had been a female winner.
According to the Roux Scholarship it was the first time April had entered the competition and under the rules it was her last chance to do so before reaching the age limit.
Partridge said after being presented with the award: “I’m gobsmacked, this will change my life!”
She went on to thank her family and friends including winner 2020/21 Oli Williamson who encouraged her to enter and her chef Brett Graham. “Thank you, Brett, for making me feel like I can achieve anything,” she said.
For this year’s final, the six chefs were asked to prepare their own dish using a variety of ingredients, along the theme of Pâté Chaud de Lotte (hot monkfish pie) – a recipe originally created by the Troisgros family. At the start of the competition, the chefs were shown a table displaying dozens of ingredients that would allow them to interpret the brief as they chose. The only ingredients they were obliged to use were the monkfish and whole black truffle.
Partridge said: “It was really tough, a tough brief. Monkfish is tricky, it’s very easy to overcook. Once I got in to the kitchen I began to question my reasoning and interpretation of what was required in the brief. I began to change what I had planned and for the first hour I was still working out what to do. I wasn’t 100% happy but we are all hard taskmasters on ourselves!”
Michel Roux Jr said: “It was an exceptional final. I thought we were in for a good final and so it proved. We had six finalists, six styles and six very different dishes. The new format allowed the chefs to truly show off their skills and character on a plate. Given a wider choice of ingredients they all rose to the challenge and our guest judges said they’ll be taking some of the ideas back home with them to France.”
Alain Roux said: “It was a tremendous challenge, they had to do it all in their own vision as they wouldn’t have come across the dish before, so it was new to them all. Textures were so important in this competition and some of the six put a lot of work into it using a very large number of the ingredients. It was amazing.”
The judging panel was led by joint Honorary Presidents of Judges, Michel Troisgros and his son César, whose restaurant at Troisgros in the Roannais region of south-east France has held three Michelin stars longer than any other restaurant in the world. They led the panel alongside joint chairmen Alain and Michel Jr, who were joined by Brian Turner CBE, Angela Hartnett OBE, Rachel Humphrey, Sat Bains (1999 scholar), André Garrett (2002 Scholar) and Simon Hulstone (2003 scholar).
Michel Troisgros said: “It’s hard for the candidates. It’s hard for them to manage the time and not to know what the ingredients are until the last moment. It is a classic Troisgros dish but it’s a new interpretation of it. It was great to see new perspectives and creations. You have to work quickly too, and in a kitchen you are not used to, so we saw six very different styles and six very different dishes.”
César Troisgros said: “The experience was great. It was great to take a step back and see what they could do and how they handled the subject. Everyone had a different version of the dish and the skills of working varied, and made them think differently.”
April was battling it out against the following chefs:
Ben Champkin from The Newt in Somerset, Christopher Clarke from Core by Clare Smyth in London, Oliver Dovey from Baxterstorey in London, Sam Lomas from Glebe House in Devon, and Alex Rothnie from L’Enclume in Cumbria.
The winner was announced at an exclusive awards dinner at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in front of a small audience comprising the finalists’ guests, sponsors and judges, with the ceremony live-streamed via the Roux Scholarship website and YouTube channel.
The winning chef receives £6,000, with an additional £6,000 awarded if they stay with their current employer for 15 additional months. They have the choice between two star prizes: the invitation to cook and train under the supervision of a leading chef at a prestigious three-star Michelin restaurant anywhere in the world for up to two months; or a bespoke training programme tailored to the chef’s ambitions, skills gaps and interests.
Congratulations to All the New, and Existing, Michelin Star Winners!
It’s that time of year again. The end of one of the biggest weeks in the culinary calendar, when chefs up and down the country hold their collective breath and wait to hear if they’ve won or held a star.
For the vast majority of chefs there has been no change. Their awards are safe for another year as they have gone neither up or down.
For a smaller percentage there is jubilation. At The Ledbury, for example, the entire chefs team led by Brett Graham is celebrating returning to two stars having had a period of closure over the pandemic. Also celebrating is chef Alex Dilling whose restaurant at The Café Royal has jumped from one star to two.
At the very top there are no changes. All existing three-star establishments have kept their awards. Celebrating one new star is a different story. 19 restaurants in England and Scotland picked up a first star including Kenny Atkinson for his Newcastle restaurant Solstice and the popular Timberyard restaurant in Edinburgh.
However, all was not roses with the new results. Talking to The Daily Telegraph chef Sally Abé of The Pem wondered why there were no new stars for female chefs.
“It made me sad,” Abé said. “The winners were overwhelmingly white and male. In previous years it has looked like women were being better represented, and last night two women, Helene Darroze and Clare Smyth, maintained their three-star status. But from the 20 new one-star restaurants, there was not a single female head chef. We need a long hard look at ourselves as an industry to ask why this is what it is.”
We hear you, Sally and we agree. We tirelessly champion brilliant female chefs and would be more than happy to flag some promising contenders for a highly-coveted star.
Let us know if you feel any restaurant or establishment was left out.
Pembrokeshire College Hails Unique Chefs’ Forum Partnership
Following another successful taster day for local schools held on Wednesday 29th March, the Welsh college, based in Haverfordwest explained that it couldn’t have achieved such enthusiasm without The Chefs’ Forum.
“There was cheering and so much positive energy in our purpose-built theatre from the school students who came to visit,” said Head of Curriculum Eva Rees “We can’t get that on our own. At the end of the day this is a partnership with The Chefs’ Forum. We provide the teaching expertise and The Chefs’ Forum helps us to reach local schools and work with top local employers to enrich our students’ learning by putting on events like these “Hospitality Industry Taster Days.” It was brilliant.”
Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs’ Forum, said: “We love coming to Pembrokeshire College. They make what we do so easy. They’re really proactive, they get everything ready, the teaching staff are excited and the whole college really shows itself to be a true centre of culinary excellence.
“We had interactive pasta-making with Orsola Muscia from The Tailor Made Chef and Alejandro Mayo Lopez from Plantagenet restaurant. That went really well. Then we did a pastry masterclass with college pastry students who made choux pastry and lastly an éclair decorating competition.”
Orsola Muscia regularly teaches at our Welsh colleges, she said
“Events like these are crucial to the future of our industry. I get so much joy out of seeing the look on the children’s faces when they create their first fresh tagliatelle and pesto, live on stage in front of their peers. I have been in the industry for twenty-five years and love passing on my knowledge and teaching students about Italian cuisine, just like my grandmother taught me from the age of four – I always knew I wanted to be a chef and love every aspect of the job and creating delicious food with genuine love and passion transcended through my hands.”
All students who helped out with the demos on stage received a copy of our new publication, The Chefs’ Knowledge, all they need to prepare themselves for college.
Alejandro made his demo stage debut at this event and had always been apprehensive about cooking live on stage in front of such a large audience, but he absolutely loved the experience and is now looking forward to the next event with The Chefs’ Forum who regularly run the chefs’ theatre at prolific food events and festivals all over the UK, he said
“The visiting school students were lively and spirited, with some of them shouting out comments and heckling. So, we embraced this, channeling this energy, inviting them onto the stage and getting them involved in the demos as tasters. They absolutely loved it.
“We also had the GM of local top hotel The Grove at Narberth with us, Thomas Ferrante, and he was able to tell his story to the students. I worked with Thomas before at The Grove, so it was great to see him again. He fell into hospitality after nearly becoming a barrister. He’s now the director of luxury hotel and restaurant company, The Seren Collection.
“There’s real career progression opportunities, this is a marvellous industry he told everyone.”
211 students and food tech teachers from 8 local schools attended the two-hour event.
Any chefs wishing to get involved with The Chefs’ Forum Academy at any of our six UK colleges, please email brogen@redcherry.uk.com
Film and photography credit: Carlos Farinha
Chef of the Week: Chris Emery, Executive Chef at Orelle in Birmingham
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
I opened Orelle in October 2022 and have been working here for 6 months now.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
My passion started from a very young age. I used to look at pictures of cakes from my Grandmother’s cookbooks. She was a baker and I always enjoyed visiting to look at her books. I started learning skills when I left culinary school and went to work at the Waterside Inn.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
There’s always something new to work on and it allows me to be as creative as I wish. I also enjoy searching for ingredients and working out how to include them in new dishes.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Citrus, thyme and good quality olive oil.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
My notebook you never know when ideas can pop into your mind need to get it straight down on paper.
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
Herdwick lamb.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Poor work life balance is always a common mistake that effects Chefs. This is something I am working hard to achieve and always recommend this to anyone who would like to join the industry.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
I would say spring time and its great to start seeing all the amazing produce coming through.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
The white asparagus.
How do you come up with new dishes?
Trial and error.
Who was your greatest influence?
Jason Atherton, I spent a lot of time working with him and learnt a lot from Jason.
Tell us three chefs you admire.
Jason Atherton, Daniel Humm and Frederick Berselius.
What is your favourite cookbook?
Aska by Fredrik Berselius.
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
Adam Wood.
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
Studio Frantzen.
