Chef of the Week: Christian Ørner, Private Chef at SALT Cø. in Dorset
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
I set up SALT Cø. Private Chef and Chocolatier in February 2017. In January 2020 we expanded to create SALT Cø. Bakery and Patisserie as well as SALT Cø. Cookery School.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
My decision to become a chef came as a surprise to everyone in my family. As a toddler I only ate pears and through my childhood years my interest in food barely improved. Growing up, mum always cooked fresh, healthy and nutritious food for us as a family. And in my later teenager years I worked a bit as a waiter so I got an insight into the chef world, but it wasn’t until I was 23 that I decided the chef life was for me.
I did my first year of catering college in Bath then I moved down to Bournemouth for the second and third year at Bournemouth and Poole College. I always worked my way through college as well in the best local hotels and restaurants to learn the best ways of doing things.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
I genuinely love cooking. I really enjoy the teamwork aspect of being a chef. And seeing the reactions on people’s faces when they are eating my food. Also, the fact that we as chefs never stop learning. There is so much to learn about food and cooking, we should never be bored.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Salt, chocolate and cream.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
My knives, electric whisk, potato ricer…so many!
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
After this whole Covid-19 chaos is over, I would like to see more of people using more local suppliers like butchers, fishmongers and greengrocers. I believe it was starting to happen before, hopefully it will happen on a bigger scale after this is over.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Not tasting what they are cooking enough. Taste, season, taste, add more if required.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
Spring and autumn. Spring because this is when ingredients like amazing British asparagus, peas, and lamb are coming into their own. I love the colours and the flavours that come out in spring.
Autumn is my favourite time of year for many reasons; my birthday, Halloween but also mushroom, truffles and different squashes coming into their own.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
The SALT Cø. 9 Textured Chocolate ‘Cake’ is the dish I am most proud of. I love working with chocolate, there is so much you can do with it and this dish brings together a few of them; white chocolate ice cream, chocolate sauce, chocolate cremeaux, chocolate mirror glaze and… I’m not going to give away all of the secrets!
My favourite dish that we do at 99% of all our dinner parties is our palate cleanser. We call them ‘Lemon Explosions’. They are little spheres of lemon juice mix coated in cocoa butter. We Introduce them like this: “We deliberately aren’t going to tell you what these are. What we recommend you do is that you pick these up gently, put it in your mouth, close your mouth, then crunch.” It is my favourite course of all the courses we do as we get to watch the expressions on people’s faces when they break the cocoa butter and the lemon mix ‘explodes’ in their mouth.
How do you come up with new dishes?
Inspiration comes from lots of places. The lemon explosion dish idea came from a programme on Netflix. The 9 Textured Chocolate ‘Cake’ came as a culmination of things I have learnt over the years, and talks with different chef friends on how to present the dish. I also use social media a lot. I follow several of the three Michelin star restaurants around the world and watch their videos searching for ideas.
Who was your greatest influence?
In my first year of catering college in Bath I read Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain. It remains my all time favourite books and as a chef he has been a big influence in my cooking.
Tell us three chefs you admire
I also really like Thomas Keller’s ethos as well as Heston Blumethal and Espen Bang from Maeemo in Oslo. Another chef who I admire is Grant Achatz from Alinea and Next in Chicago.
What is your favourite cookbook?
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat.
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
Anyone working with local ingredients and not just using the ‘prime‘ cuts in their food.
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
It was opened a little more than a year ago but I am really happy that Cockle and Clam has opened in Westbourne. Also I am really happy that Restaurant Roots opened, although it was a few years ago now. Both of which really upping the quality of food being cooked here in the Bournemouth area. I have eaten at both and have really enjoyed the experience each time.
The Chefs’ Forum Academy Maintains College, Student and Supplier Engagement During Covid-19 lockdown
The Chefs’ Forum has successfully rolled-out five Academies in leading catering colleges across the UK.
In normal times, top chefs and front of house professionals visit students in their usual teaching environment to deliver guest lectures to enrich their learning.
The inspirational sessions take place on a weekly basis and are running in West London College, The Manchester College, Coleg Gwent, Gloucestershire College and two further colleges set to launch this September, Bath College and Pembrokeshire College.
Many of the colleges have been in touch to discuss methods and best practice for maintaining student engagement whilst lessons are being taught remotely.
The Chefs’ Forum Academy has launched a brand-new YouTube channel with recipe film contributions by chefs from across the UK. The channel features recipes filmed live in chefs’ kitchens and have been kindly submitted with the sole aim of engaging students and inspiring them to cook simple recipes at home. Any chefs wishing to submit a film please email alexandra@redcherry.uk.com
The Chefs’ Forum is also working with its suppliers to help stage Zoom Cook-along events like the forthcoming vegan Nutcellars macadamia nut cheese with Instagram Influencer chef, Bettina Campolucci Bordi, coming up on Wednesday 20th May at 2pm, click here for more information.
Elizabeth Peters, Assistant Principal, Service and Retail Industries at The Manchester College said
“We’re in constant talks on how to motivate and inspire our students whilst they are learning remotely at this difficult time. Resources like The Chefs’ Forum Weekly Chefs’ Quiz and recipe channel are extremely valuable to us, as they maintain our links with industry to come back even stronger once we are able to invite students and chefs back into the college for the new normal.”
Denise Charles, Head of Curriculum, Service Industries at Hammersmith & Fulham College said
“We have added The Chefs’ Forum Academy chef quizzes and links to our online learning platform. I personally participate in the Chefs’ Quiz each week to maintain contact with chefs who come into the college to teach. It was great to see our guest teaching chefs Michael Dutnall MCA from the RAF Club, Soham Sonawane from The Dorchester, Chanaka Fernando from Buddha Bar and Connor McAlpine of Marcus Waring Restaurants, who gave a Front of House Masterclass. My teaching staff and students will be participating in this Monday’s quiz and are very much looking forward to it.”
As a result of last week’s quiz, TV Chef Scott Goss of Verdigris in Tonbridge offered to join The Chefs’ Forum Academy and teach at West London College. Denise was absolutely delighted with this offer and is looking forward to welcoming him to the college when face to face teaching resumes.
Any chefs, suppliers or colleges wishing to participate in this Monday’s quiz, 4th May at 2pm to be hosted by Richard Davies, Executive Chef of Calcot & Spa and Bettina Campolucci Bordi should contact Alexandra Duncan via email: alexandra@redcherry.uk.com
Bettina’s Kitchen Nutcellars Live Zoom Cook-along – 20th May at 2pm – Sign-up NOW!
Bettina Compolucci Bordi loves everything plant-based food and when she heard of macadamia gurus Nutcellars’ wish to collaborate, she was only too delighted to accept. Having grown up in Tanzania and living there until the age of eleven, Bettina has an inherent love of Macadamia and holds Africa very close to her heart. Now settled in London, Bettina posts daily recipes to inspire people to integrate more plant-based ingredients into their diets.
Bettina will be making a Garlic and Herb Macadamia Nut cheese on a live Zoom Cook-along session on Wednesday 20th May at 2pm and will be inviting fans to take part. The recipe is plant-based and suitable for vegans!
Nutcellars macadamia nuts are delicious and provide a wide range of nutrients and health benefits. Bettina’s ingenious idea is to make a homemade version of a very famous eighties garlic and herb soft cheese with the delicate white globes and is certain that it will be well-received as the ultimate lockdown pick-me-up!
Bettina has spent the last four years cooking, blogging, and developing recipes on Instagram in a professional capacity. The accomplished Instagram influencer has also spent seven years staging health retreats in normal times at exotic and beautiful destinations all over the world, where she gained inspiration for her first two books and is now writing her third. Bettina has amassed a huge audience of 119,000 followers on Instagram and is officially classified as an influencer, complete with a blue tick of authenticity, the goal of all influencers!
Bedford-based macadamia nut supplier, Nutcellars approached Bettina to raise the profile of their ethically produced macadamia nuts and incorporate them into a recipe.
Director Andrew Emmott said
“We are really pleased to be working with Bettina to raise the profile of our Macadamia nuts. Bettina’s plant-based focus and her concern for sustainable sourcing chimes well with our brand values of tasty, healthy, and sustainable. My family have spent the last thirty years working with smallholder farmers in Malawi to help produce the nuts. Independent farmers make up 90% of all the food produced in Malawi and staple crops such as maize can be volatile and prone to erratic yields. Farming macadamia provides the farmers with vital extra income, especially at this uncertain time.”
Bettina suggested a Virtual Cheese making class on the popular conferencing platform, Zoom®, using Nutcellars macadamia nuts to make a macadamia based, garlic and herb creamy nut cheese– Nutcellars loved the idea and have marked the date when this will take place:
Bettina positions herself as a plant-based chef, as she prides herself on strictly monitoring the provenance of the ingredients she uses in her recipes. Bettina loved the ethical values of Nutcellars macadamia and links to smallholder farmers in Africa and hence was very happy to collaborate in the Zoom Cookalong, for her audience of avid foodies who are all in lockdown and eagerly await her daily recipe creations, already producing forty recipes since the UK went into lockdown.
Bettina said
“I was really happy to be approached by the team at Nutcellars to create a recipe using their delicious macadamia nuts. My nut cheese recipe comes from my love of plant-based cheese and I have sped-up and modified one of my favourite recipes to incorporate whole macadamia nuts as I feel their intense and delicious flavour will greatly compliment the garlic and herb flavour notes in the luscious creamy cheese – I’m sure the Zoom cook along participants will love the finished result!”
Bettina will host the cheese making class and create an ingredients list that participants will have to source beforehand from grocery shops and from Nutcellars for contactless delivery online:
To take part in the course, simply click on this link and email Bettina to register your interest, the cost is just £19.
Nutcellars will package and send finest Malawian macadamia nuts to all the participants in order to make the creamy nut cheese.
2019 Roux Scholar, Spencer Metzger Completes Successful Stage at Restaurant Frantzén, Stockholm
Roux Scholarship 2019 winner Spencer Metzger has returned from his stage at Restaurant Frantzén in Stockholm saying it “was a dream place to work,” despite having to return to the UK early due to the coronavirus pandemic. The three-month placement, with all expenses paid, is the star prize of the annual competition, with winners able to choose any three-star Michelin kitchen in the world. Spencer’s choice was Restaurant Frantzén, widely regarded as one of Europe’s best restaurants. It was the first Swedish restaurant to be awarded three stars by the Michelin Guide and it is set in a three-storey, 19th-century townhouse in the Norrmalm district. The guest experience is geared towards interaction with the chefs, who introduce themselves and present their dishes from a backdrop of an open kitchen. The style of cooking combines classic and modern techniques inspired by local tradition with strong Asian influence.
Spencer returned at the end of March, two weeks earlier than scheduled due to the Coronavirus lockdown and said of his experience: “It was so much more than I expected. After a month of working in the prep kitchen, I started to help with the service. All the chefs serve the food, and they told me: ‘This restaurant is about people’s personality so just put yourself forward.’ To start with, I was a bit nervous serving the guests, but after a couple of times they said: ‘Go for it’. Not all the interns get to do service, so that was great.”
The pandemic’s impact on the restaurant meant that Spencer was able to take on more responsibilities due to staff absences, including other international interns returning home. “It meant they pushed me into a different role and I got to do more. It was really good to see how they adapted with staff numbers going from say 35 people down to sometimes 25. Everyone had to step up and do everything they could.”
As well as experiencing a very different style of restaurant to The Ritz London, where Spencer works as Premier Sous Chef, he also enjoyed working with new ingredients and learning new techniques.
“I cooked with a lot of new ingredients that I’ve never heard of before, such as something called Myoga, which is Japanese Ginger, and then there was galangal which I’ve never used before; I’ve never worked with sea urchins or abalone either. There were a lot of techniques I’ve never seen before either and I got to know them really well.”
Michel Roux Jr said: “Chef Frantzén and his team were very welcoming. Spencer immediately became one of the team and has made life-long friends. In essence, this is what the Scholarship is about: life-changing experiences that will be with you forever.”
Alain Roux said: “Spencer was so e
xcited at having a ‘secret door’ opened to him by the Roux Scholarship, a brilliant, unique, priceless experience. Although having joined and excelled as a humble ‘stagiaire’, Spencer has forged a lasting relationship with his mentors. Spencer has learned that kindness and attention from the team can transcend a guest’s experience and is as important as the dishes and flavours presented.”
Björn Frantzén said: “Spencer has really made an impact on not only everyone within the team but also our guests. It has been a pleasure working with such a talent and I really wish him an amazing career.
Taking a Tea Break Can Boost Your Mental Wellbeing
- Almost two-thirds of tea drinkers agree that taking time to have a cup of tea helps them feel more relaxed
- Nearly half agree that a tea break helps them calm down and reduces stress levels
There is no question that as a nation, Britain is full of tea lovers. In fact, it’s estimated that Brits consume over 100 million cups of tea[1] daily.
At a current time of uncertainty, new independent research by BRITA Professional* has revealed the potential wellbeing benefits a tea ‘break’ can bring, now especially relevant with so many of us working from home.
The research, which was conducted amongst 1,000 tea drinkers, found that two-thirds (64%) believe taking time to have a cup of tea has a positive effect on their mental health, admitting it helps them to feel relaxed. Almost half (41%) agree that it helps them calm down and reduce stress levels.
As well as being beneficial to consumers’ mental health, research also found that a tea break can increase our productivity with nearly half (41%) agreeing that they are able to concentrate more on their work after a cup of tea and over a third (38%) are able to perform better or to a higher level.
Commenting on the research, Jane Pettigrew from the UK Tea Academy said:
“As we all continue to settle into the ‘new normal’ and spend more time at home, it’s more important than ever to look after our mental wellbeing. The research by BRITA Professional really shows that there’s nothing quite like a reassuring cup of tea. I would encourage all of those who are busy in their households to take regular breaks throughout the day and where possible, connect with others over a relaxing hot drink.”
Although tea is clearly a popular drink choice, 46% of consumers do not believe the quality of tea is better in cafés than at home[2]. In fact, tea comprises just 4.4% of the average coffee shop sales mix[3]. So, what can businesses do to encourage consumers to drink tea out of home?
Whilst the hospitality industry is currently facing a challenging time due to the current climate and repercussions of COVID 19, BRITA Professional’s new research has also provided a number of insights on how, once back up and running, businesses can encourage tea drinkers to take their tea break in their establishments and improve their revenue.
- Choice: While English Breakfast Tea is often seen as the most popular choice of tea at many cafés, coffee shops and hotels, over half of consumers (51%) would be more likely to choose another type of tea out of home
- Quality: Almost half (46%) of tea drinkers don’t believe the quality of tea is better in cafés than it is at home. In fact, tea operators believe the reasons for missed opportunities in the sector are the quality of tea used (64%) and the lack of training on how to make a good cuppa (40%)
- Ambience: Of those that do enjoy a cup of tea out of home, almost half (41%) said the ambience of the location was one of the biggest drivers. Tea drinkers provide other opportunities too as 60% of consumers typically make additional food purchases alongside their tea[4].
Speaking about the research results, which are available in a new toolkit from BRITA Professional – Life is Better Filtered: Business Vitali-Tea, Sarah Taylor, Managing Director of BRITA UK, said:
“From conducting research into the benefits of a tea break, it’s clear that the majority of tea drinkers not only enjoy the taste but also the opportunity it provides to take a break from the stresses of work and everyday life.
“Whilst the hospitality industry as a whole is going through a very difficult time, this toolkit also provides invaluable insights that could help businesses take this time to strengthen their offering and come out of this situation stronger on the other side.
“By educating Brits in why having tea in a café, coffee shop or other business environment could be beneficial to their wellbeing, or why the quality of tea may be better out of home, the hot beverage industry has the potential to flourish in a whole new sector”.
In addition to the research findings, the new toolkit Life is Better Filtered: Business Vitali-Tea also features expert insights into the health benefits of a tea break, the added benefits of enjoying a tea break outside of the house and also top tips for hot beverage businesses looking to expand their offering and entice more custom when they are able to reopen.
BRITA Professional will also be posting top tips across their social channels over the next few weeks on how to make the most of your tea break whilst working from home.
To download a copy of the Life is Better Filtered: Business Vitali-Tea toolkit, please visit: https://issuu.com/britaprofessional/docs/brita_vitalitea_toolkit_single_pages_final
[2] 3GEM in collaboration with BRITA Professional (November 2018)
[3] Allegra Project Tea Report (2019)
[4] Allegra Project Tea Report (2019)
Chef of the Week: Galton Blackiston, Chef Patron of Morston Hall in Norfolk
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
I have been Chef Patron at Morston Hall for 28 years.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
My passion came originally from cooking at home with my mother. I am the youngest of 5 boys so she was always baking and cooking. I had a market stall in Rye selling cakes, breads, biscuits etc all from mums kitchen, then an opportunity came up in the Lake District to train as a Pastry Chef, and that’s how I started.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
Cooking allows one to be creative and follow the seasons. I also love the fact that I’m still learning so much every day I step into the kitchen .
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Sea salt, butter and rapeseed/olive oil.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
Got to be my knives!
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
The making of fantastic sourdoughs in kitchens, provenance of ingredients has never been so important. A lot of oriental influences in cooking.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
A lot of young chefs lose the focus of just cooking great food but seem to want to cook for Michelin stars. That’s the wrong attitude, cook for your customers firstly, they are the most important.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
It’s got to be this time of year, the spring, as winter in this country drags on for ever. Now we look forward to local asparagus ,English new potatoes, crabs etc.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
I don’t have one favourite but I love good desserts or puddings. A great lemon tart stands the test of time but having said that we have fantastic produce and am proud of all our dishes.
How do you come up with new dishes?
Really it’s Greg my Head Chef, and the rest of the kitchen who give ideas. Greg and I almost weekly discuss dishes for the menu.
Who was your greatest influence?
Two people sadly no longer with us John Tovey and Michel Roux.
Tell us three chefs you admire.
Difficult one as there are so many – Anne-Sophie Pic, Sat Bains and Clare Smyth.
What is your favourite cookbook?
Simon Hopkinson’s Roast Chicken and Other Stories – a legendary book.
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
Gareth Ward, Niall Keating and Stephen Edwards – they’ve all been around a while but are doing great things.
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
I don’t get out often but there is an eclectic restaurant opened in Norwich where our old Head Chef is – No.1 Cromer.
Hrishikesh Dedicates His Appearance on Great British Menu to Late Cousin, Nayana
Hrishikesh has supported The Chefs’ Forum since he ran the cookery school at the Michelin-starred Lucknam Park in Colerne. It is fantastic to see how his career has progressed and the sheer talent and professionalism displayed during the latest series of Great British Menu 2020.
Indian-born Hrishikesh Desai is now the Executive Chef at Gilpin Hotel and Lake House, where he has earned a Michelin star for its flagship restaurant HRiSHi.
After beginning his hospitality career in front of house, Desai decided he wanted to become a chef after earning a scholarship to the Institut Paul Bocuse in France.
He then went on to train at both Lucknam Park in Colerne, working under chef Hywel Jones, as well as at Thomas Keller’s three Michelin-starred The French Laundry in California.
In 2009 he won the prestigious Roux Scholarship and collected the Craft Guild of Chefs National Chef of the Year award in 2010.
Always mild-mannered and incredibly polite, it was an absolute pleasure to see him return to Great British Menu 2020.
It was great to see Hrishikesh Desai in the final of Great British Menu once again, but this series saw the chef having to put a brave face on whilst he was in inner turmoil.
You may have seen Hrishikesh become rather tearful when asked to present his dish, Mr McGregor’s Garden (pictured below).
Hrishikesh retorted that it was because “he’s worked very hard” on the dish.
In reality, he was struggling with news of his close cousin having been taken off life support in the final stage of cancer.
The pressure further mounted when on the day of filming the final, Hrishikesh learned that she had sadly passed away.
Hirishikesh said
“I am so grateful to all those who supported me and got me through this last series of the Great British menu. It is so difficult to carry on as normal, when in such a fragile emotional state. As soon as filming finished, I was able to travel straight to Heathrow to attend my cousin’s funeral in New York, at least I had the chance to properly say goodbye.”
He added
“I would like to dedicate this series of Great British Menu to my cousin, Nayana, she really was very special to me and this is how I would like to celebrate her life, cruelly cut-short by cancer. I would love to return once more to compete in this fantastic competition and congratulate all the chefs who took part this year. It was fantastic to work with Tom Barnes and I congratulate him on making it to the national final”.
Gilpin Hotel and Lake House can be found on the edge of Windermere in the Lake District.
Chef of the Week: Clive Williams-Jones, Chef Proprietor of The Bristol Cookery School
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
Having suffered spinal issues over the past few years I left the restaurant business and set up Bristol Cookery School in May 2019 where I am Chef Patron.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
My earliest memories of food like many are from my mother, who was a phenomenal cook. The whole process of simple ingredients being transformed into something greater than the sum of their parts always fascinated me. However, my first career was as a lighting director for film and T V. It was in my twenties that I took myself through the Grand Diploma Cordon Bleu in London to get me up to speed in the industry. Having finished there I started working for Caprice Holdings under Mark Hix for 3 years.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
Training the next generation not only in how to be the best chef they can be as well as developing relationships so that the ‘difficulties’ of a chef’s life can be navigated effectively. I have always found that it’s the relationships in a kitchen that define its success.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Good salt, lemon and oils.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
My knives (or generally anything that doesn’t break or malfunction just as you need it!).
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
That food intolerance, allergies and preferences such as veganism have always been ‘catered’ for, whereas now they are an integral part of the dining experience. Also the reversion to simplicity.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
The belief that kitchens are a top down environment when in reality it is precisely the opposite. That way the focus is on nurturing and improving our industry rather than just maintaining it.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
Tough one. I would say spring/summer mainly because of the shift in gear regarding ingredients and the freshness that brings after several months of cold early dark nights.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
We worked on one this winter which was an oxtail ravioli, pickled julienne of heritage carrots in a reduced veal consommé, green peppercorn oil and grated horseradish.
How do you come up with new dishes?
I have been fortunate to have travelled extensively and for me inspiration is borne out of experience, perseverance and trusting those around you to give honest feedback.
Who was your greatest influence?
On a personal level my father but professionally Giorgio Locatelli.
Tell us three chefs you admire
Giorgio Locatelli, Fergus Henderson and Paul Ainsworth.
What is your favourite cookbook?
Made in Italy, Food and Stories by Giorgio Locatelli.
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
Niklas Ekstedt, his passion for ingredients is infectious.
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
Rather than naming a particular restaurant I wanted to say what an incredible industry we have. We are currently experiencing the greatest hardship in the hospitality industry in memory. This is going to be one hell of a rough ride but chefs are a resilient breed and I know that by supporting each other though these tough times we will, as we always do, get through it.
Chef of the Week: Jacqueline Wise, Private Chef in the South East
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
I have been a private chef for 8 years.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
My family, and growing up on a small-holding with lots of fresh ingredients. I trained at Tante Marie Culinary Academy, receiving the Cordon Bleu Diploma, and Level 4 in Professional Culinary Arts from The Confederation of Tourism and Hospitality.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
The way you are constantly learning new things, and there is no one way to achieve something.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Butter, salt and wine (I even sometimes put the wine in the food…)
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
My mandolin, vital to the perfect dauphinoise potato.
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
Foraged ingredients seem big this year, which is great as I love getting out in the countryside.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Being a perfectionist, sometimes you don’t need to be the best, good enough is good enough!
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
Spring. I love tiny, sweet vegetables and spring lamb.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
Scallops with spiced parsnip puree, bacon crumbs and coriander, followed by seared fillet steak with Roquefort sauce, wild garlic croquettes and green beans, plus my espresso martini chocolate mousse with cinnamon shortbread, yum!
How do you come up with new dishes?
I find an inspiration ingredient, often something seasonal or local, then build the dish around it.
Who was your greatest influence?
Escoffier, as a History Graduate, he has always been a great source of inspiration.
Tell us three chefs you admire.
Matt Gillan, Claire Smyth and Anthony Bourdain.
What is your favourite cookbook?
This is always changing! Currently really enjoying ‘Together: Our Community Cookbook’ in aid of those effected by the Grenfell Tower, wonderful stories behind the recipes!
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
Elisabeth Passedat.
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
Heritage by Matt Gillan.
Calcot Hotel Cooks for the Covid-19 Isolated, with Complimentary Meals Delivered to the Door
Calcot Hotel & Spa has launched a complimentary chef-made meal delivery service to those in self isolation. The high-end Cotswolds hotel, near Tetbury has engineered a thoughtful food distribution to supply of nutritious two-course meals to vulnerable groups in isolation, staffed by furloughed Calcot employees and council volunteers.
The Calcot team have been working with four surrounding councils of Tetbury, Malmsbury, Nailsworth and Sherston to identify those most in need, in terms of lacking a home support network, to ensure they get chef-made tasty, nutritional meals delivered to their doors, completely free of charge, three days a week.
The service supports isolated and elderly people, vulnerable individuals and families who are unable to leave the house during the Covid-19 crisis. Delicious meals, consisting of a main course and dessert, are prepared by Richard and the culinary team at Calcot, then distributed by a council volunteers to those isolated by Covid-19, as well as NHS workers, completely free of charge.
Deliveries are made to vulnerable groups in isolation every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and the Calcot kitchen team are producing 164 meals a day and this is set to rise considerably as more people require this help.
Chef Davies has devised a delicious menu of nutritious two course meals to be reheated by the recipient, packaged into hearty portions. The menu changes daily and clients can expect fantastic main courses like Stokes Marsh Farm Beef Stew, Chicken and Mushroom Fricassee or Fish Pie, all served with locally sourced seasonal vegetables or rice. There is always a delicious dessert of traditional crumbles or sponge puddings for recipients to look forward to. All ingredients are from local suppliers to help keep them going at this difficult time.
Richard Davies said:
“Calcot’s Executive Chairman, Richard Ball and I both felt that we wanted to use the time that we are on Furlough to contribute and help those affected most by Coronavirus on a local level. We are especially grateful to our furloughed colleagues for volunteering to cook for this vital cause. The Stone family who are the principle shareholders behind the Calcot Collection have kindly offered to sponsor all associated costs for the initiative.”
Richard also expressed his gratitude to local suppliers who have donated produce and fuel to help get the meals delivered to those in need.
He continued
“The kindness and willingness demonstrated by my suppliers to contribute towards and support this initiative has been truly amazing. Everyone is doing their bit to help; from helping with vegetable prep to donating funds to fuel the volunteers’ cars, it all helps and is very much appreciated. It would be great if other hospitality businesses are able do the same, so we can all join forces to use our culinary skills to help those in crises in the current pandemic.”
Calcot Hotel would like to thank local suppliers New Wave Seafood (Fairford), Walter Rose & Son butchers (Devizes) and Cam Catering (Dursley) for meat, Bramleys of Cirencester and Total Produce (Bristol) for fruit, veg and dry goods and Car Care of Tetbury for donating £200 towards fuel costs.
Any local businesses or chefs wishing to support this initiative should email Richard on: calcot.c19meals@calcot.co
