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.”
You can see the full range of salami, charcuterie and cured meats here.
Canapés? It’s All About Ready, Set, Fill with Pidy
We discovered just how good the Pidy canapé range is at this year’s Game Fair where we hosted a party for TV’s Paul Whitehouse. Filled with smoked trout, sour cream, horseradish and watercress the Pidy canapé cone came into its own.
With the Pidy canapé range all you have to do is think about what fillings and toppings you want to present to your guests. The hard work of pastry has already been done. Whether you’re thinking vol au vent, tartlet, choux bun, savoury or sweet – Pidy has you covered.
And we’re not just talking about any pastry. This is Pidy pastry which has been delighting gourmets and gourmands for decades – since 1967, in fact.
Every piece of the canapé range is technically innovative, hugely creative and designed with the chef in mind. That means you can have confidence that whatever you serve will have that same luxurious richness for which Pidy is famous.
The Game Fair party in the Fishing Village was overseen by Michelin-starred chef Hywel Griffith from The Beach House in Oxwich alongside students from West London College. The Pidy cones were presented on special wooden boards from Richkins Woodcraft had special holes drilled in.
Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs’ Forum, said: “Working with the Pidy canapé range was a dream for us. The cones were simple to fill and tasted delicious. Served alongside a very good Cava Brut from Tanners Wine everyone enjoyed the party and the food.”
Chef of the Week: Sofiane Kaced, Executive Chef at Bankside Hotel, London
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
Since February 2023.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
My mother. Growing up in Southern France and watching my mother cooking from an early age had a huge influence on my passion for cooking as well as my style and technique. Her food was typically French/Mediterranean, fresh locally grown, seasonal foods (lots of peppers) cooked over the grill.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
I love that I can be creative. Having the freedom to create new dishes, flavours and textures is fulfilling and rewarding. Seeing people smile and enjoying my food is the best feeling.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Onion, thyme and olive oil.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
The grill.
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
Wood fires are hot! Excuse the pun. Everything is about sustainability, provenance and growing your own. I really hope these are not just trends, and that people are genuinely moving towards this direction.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Allowing pressure and stress to get to them, this causes a stressful environment to work in. Over working dishes is another thing that can let them down, sometimes you just need the confidence to know something works.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
Spring. I love the way the season suddenly changes with promise. The bright colours, the first shoots of crops growing. It’s also a time to start planning new crops. It feels like a fresh start. I just love that.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
From the current menu the ‘Beetroot carpaccio’ and the ‘Beef Tartar’.
How do you come up with new dishes?
I am constantly gathering ideas, even when I am not looking to create new dishes. I jot things down, am constantly trying to discover new ingredients & suppliers and then I bring it all altogether through brainstorming.
Who was your greatest influence?
I have two! Christian Sinicropi, he was always ahead of his times. I remember him 20 years standing out from the crowd wearing a bright green jacket rather than traditional whites. He cooks simple food, creativity.
My second is Jason Atherton. His influence stems from working alongside him. He is an incredibly talented chef, and I learnt a lot from him.
Tell us three chefs you admire.
- Yannick Alleno – and who wouldn’t. He is a huge success story.
- Pierre Gagnaire – simply inspirational. The colours, textures and tastes are a work of art.
- Pierre Koffmann – a true legend, I have huge respect for him.
What is your favourite cookbook?
Pollen Street cookbook.
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
The team at Pavillon Ledoyen, Yannick Alleno and Mauro Colagreco at The OWO.
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
Lima.
Welcome to The Academy Family South & City College Birmingham!
We have a new member of The Chefs’ Forum Academy club! We are very pleased to announce that South & City College Birmingham has joined us.
As a new member of our Academy roster, catering students at South & City College Birmingham can look forward to masterclasses from top chefs, participation at industry events and lunches and on-the-job training at some of the best restaurants and kitchens in the Midlands region.
Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs’ Forum, said: “We’re really chuffed to be in South & City College Birmingham is such a great college. We can’t wait to get started and we’ve got a strong list of local chefs who are ready to go with masterclasses. September’s calendar already looks top notch with Mark Walsh from Hogarths delivering a masterclass on game butchery plus the creation of a modern game dish.”
Adam Porter, Head of School for Hospitality & Catering, Hairdressing and Barbering from South & City College Birmingham said: “We are very excited to have our own Chefs’ Forum Academy. We’ve seen the work Catherine and the team have done across the UK and it’s very impressive. One of the clinching factors for us is the amount of extra reach into the industry our students will have. The experience they will get from masterclasses and events is going to be a key part of their development.”
The college will also be hosting a Taster Day this September to encourage local school students to take up hospitality as their chosen career.
It will feature:
- Canapé & mocktail reception
- Exose Grant – MasterChef: The Professionals Finalist 2019 and Head Chef at Ikaro – Pasta making demo and cookery masterclass
- Ross Pike – Executive Chef at Oakman Inns – An Oakman Inns classic dish
- Munayam Khan – Chef Patron at Raja Monkey Making the perfect samosa
- Angelina Adamo – Chef Patron at Tutto Apposto & The Circle Lounge at The Hippodrome
- Tom Everard-Fairburn – Pastry Chef at Two Brothers Bakery
Cooking is not the only skill that students will be learning. In January 2024 students will be taking part in a business study at Birmingham Wholesale Market.
Munayam Khan, owner of Raja Monkey restaurant, will accompany students to the market and help them select seasonal produce to a budget of £25 per pair.
They then return to college to create a two-course meal to cook (supervised by Munayam and Chef Lecturers) and serve to the teaching staff in the college restaurant at lunchtime.
The pair who make the most profit and sell the most of their menu win a meal for two with their Chef Lecturer at one of the Lasan Group restaurants.
Le Gruyère was The World-Award-Winning Star of this Year’s Game Fair
This year, we teamed-up with the famous Swiss cheese to reveal hidden twists to old classics that take game to a new level. Le Gruyère stand this year hosted Michelin-starred chef Hywel Griffith and a team of students from West London College with Chef Lecturer, Bob Carruthers, Cindy Challoner, Chef Lecturer at Coleg Gwent, Ashleigh Ferrand, Head Chef at The Kingham Plough and Martyn Watkins of Laksa Shack in Cardiff. There were four demonstrations each day of The Game Fair and we were delighted with the magnificent Le Gruyère stage, built and managed by The Demo Kitchen Company.
To add a touch of ‘shooty class’ to the line-up, we also offered ‘Elevenses’ each day at 11am, consisting of delicious fennel salami from Somerset Charcuterie, accompanied by a delicious Dutch Barn Vodka cocktail – A very traditional snack on shoot days.
All demos had the benefit of delicious Koppert Cress varieties being grown live in the marquee in a Bloomkube or hydroponic cube, so the recipes could be enhanced with tasty and nutritious microgreens and microherbs paired to each dish by the chefs.
Ashleigh Ferrand, selected Koppert’s Tahoon cress to go with her French onion soup, pulled venison and Le Gruyère crouton – This is a timeless French classic with a twist. Ashleigh said
“The richness of the Gruyère cheese complimented the soup without overpowering and the cress added a subtle flavour and a bight vibrancy to the dish to cut through and lighten-up the dish. I love Le Gruyére because it’s a versatile cheese that can be baked into a crisp, melted into a dish, such as risotto and used as a garnish on top as an alternative to parmesan, especially the Reserve Le Gruyère, which is an absolute show-stopper in my opinion.”
It was great to be able to educate the audience on brilliant and delicious ways to cook with the game that they shoot – Our top quality game featured in the demos was kindly sponsored by Lincolnshire Game.
One lady said that the partridge her husband shoots gives her the ‘ick factor’ and so she usually ends up throwing them away – The audience gasped in amazement, as the whole purpose of our line-up of game cookery demos was to promote the eating of wild game meat.
By the end of the demo by Cindy Challoner, she had not only tried the Stuffed Partridge Ballotine with Caramelised Pears and loved it, she then asked if there was some sort of game cookery retreat she could embark upon with The Chefs’ Forum to learn how to make the most of the game shot by her family – Now that’s food for thought and a great idea to take further.
Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs’ Forum and Publisher of The Great Game Guide and The Welsh Game Guide, said:
“We decided to make the demos simple this year and easy to recreate at home. We didn’t want everything to be too cheffy or complicated. We were also really excited to be given the opportunity to work alongside the brand activation team at Le Gruyère. It really is amazing how well it goes with game and all samples were snapped-up in seconds. It was lovely to see the same faces come back throughout the weekend to see more demos from their favourite chefs.”
Dishes cooked on the demo stage are available on our recipe page CLICK HERE, by popular demand of the audience at the show (we’ve already received eager email enquiries to this effect), as well as the chefs who follow our event schedule.
In other areas of The Game Fair, top chefs and students, all representing The Chefs’ Forum joined the massive catering operation across VIPs, crew and volunteers.
MasterChef: The Professionals finalist, Exose Grant and West London College graduates, Jahmi and Laurie were also called upon to join the brigade and work in James Martin’s restaurant at the show, alongside the food hero himself to cater for hundreds of VIPs in the private enclosure – A brilliant opportunity to experience high-volume, high-end event catering.
Hywel Griffith and his team from The Beach House, Oxwich swooped in to cater a Michelin-starred and fizz reception in the fishing village with Celebrity Comedian/Fly Fishing expert, Paul Whitehouse.
The students ably helped his team to create and assemble a delicious menu, showcasing game and yes, even more delicious Le Gruyère!
The beautiful canapés comprised:
- Venison and Gruyère with barbequed pineapple
- Spicy partridge tacos with avocado and coriander
- Crispy pheasant with sriracha mayo and toasted sesame
- Smoked trout, sour cream, horseradish and watercress
- Lemon meringue tart
- Almond choux, mascarpone, orange and ginger
The chefs were all amazing and the food produced, out of this world and we can’t wait to do it all again next year!
Chef of the Week: Sandor Bagameri, Bakery Consultant in Bradford
How long have you worked at your current restaurant/in your current role?
Over 25 years.
Where did your passion for baking come from and where did you learn your skills?
I started to bake when I was 6 with my grandma, the smell of the freshly baked bread straight from the wood fired oven led to my profession. I qualified as a baker and pastry chef in Hungary and I’ve got Master degree in Food Science.
What do you enjoy most about being a baker?
It gives endless possibilities to create breads, cakes and desserts.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t bake without.
Flour, water and salt.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
Oven.
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
Vegan/wholegrain baked goods.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Not having enough patience, mistakes are not a failure, it’s opportunity to learn.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
Every season offers it’s main flavours, so no particular favourite one.
Which of your bake are you most proud of?
White farmhouse loaf and brioche bun, both of them are national winner.
How do you come up with new dishes?
Following new trends and blending with old traditions.
Who was your greatest influence?
Guy Frenkel.
Tell us three baker you admire.
Guy Frenkel, Chad Robertson and Richard Bertinet.
What is your favourite cookbook?
Anything from Tartinet.
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
Hopefully it’s me.
What’s been your favourite new bakery opening of the last year?
Stir Bakey in Cambridge.
From Harrods to The Headland Hotel – The FlashGRILL is Hot Stuff!
Every inch of a FlashGRILL is HOT. Seriously hot.
A FlashGRILL is not normal. By using a heating element submerged in a diathermic liquid the heat produced is spread to every part of the grill surface. Furthermore, when cold foods are put onto the grill the time taken to heat up again is reduced by the same system. The result: a very hot, complete, grill surface which can produce savings of up to 70%.
The idea is simple. Traditional grills use a heating element or gas flames which directly heat the cooking surface. FlashGRILLs are not built this way. Instead this patented system supplies an even heat to the cooking surface meaning that chefs can rely on the heat always being the exact temperature they need.
Gavin Edney, Executive Chef at The Headland Hotel in Cornwall said,
“The FlashGRILL plays a vital role in our busy kitchen, ensuring we can cope with the tremendous volume served during the holiday season. We often see 250 covers served each service and the consistent heat and ease of cleaning really helps us execute our Terrace Menu, quickly and efficiently – Lower temperatures are used to retain moisture and preserve flavours and texture, minimising the chance of burning food and therefore less wastage.
We use FlashGRILL to cook-off our chicken breasts for summery Cesar salads, all our steaks are cooked to perfection to guests’ preference and juicy local beef burgers simply fly off the pass as a delicious beachside snack. Built to last and efficient on energy, FlashGRILL is a much-valued member of our kitchen team.”
What’s a diathermic liquid? It’s a good question. The answer is a liquid that transfers heat quickly and effectively. By having the heating elements heat the liquid not the surface a FlashGRILL can operate faster and more completely – meaning no hot or cold spots.
Another fan of the FlashGRILL is Valentina Maschio, Head Chef at Gordon Ramsay Burger in Harrods, she has historically cooked on charcoal, but in the nine months she has been in her current post, she has been really impressed with this clever plancha, often coping with 400-500 covers per day, when reliability is crucial.
Valentina said
“This is the first time I have used The FlashGRILL, but I can tell you that I am seriously impressed. I can achieve a consistent temperature to cook perfect burgers, no problem at all. It is so simple to use, that chefs of all levels can easily operate it and it is very safe for the more junior members of the brigade. We also use it to cook fish and toast bread – This really is a great plancha and I would definitely recommend it to my chef peers”
The system, this time installed by CCE London, is so efficient it can even handle frozen foods that really suck the heat out of a traditional grill. The diathermic liquid gets heat to cold spots quicker than traditional methods meaning a saving in time and energy.
FLASH is not just a name. It’s a guarantee. You will be amazed at how efficient it is. Cooking time is reduced and food quality improved. Lower temperatures can be used to retain moisture and preserve flavours and texture with less chance of burnt food.
This method of heating the FlashGRILL results in lower kw loadings when compared to other griddles in the market, resulting in up to 70% saving in energy. There are 19 models in the range, 16 of which can be run on either single phase or three phase (needs to be specified when ordering), the other three griddles are dedicated to three phase. The 5 smallest griddles have a kW rating of only 2.7 and can work off 13A plugs.
The FlashGRILLs carry a comprehensive 5 years parts and labour warranty.
For more information on how the FlashGRILL can add value to your kitchen team contact David Jenkins at MCS Technical Products: davidj@mcstechproducts.co.uk
