Electric Bath Audi Customer Event with TV Chef Cherish Finden

The Bath Audi Showroom held a spectacular launch event to celebrate the e-tron range!

The theme of the event was sustainability end environmental awareness and its title: ‘Electric has gone Audi’. The electric customer event was all about introducing new e-tron technology to the fifty or so VIP guests who attended, whilst showcasing the finest culinary talent and staging a delicious afternoon tea.

Guests were welcomed to the event by Julian Drew, Head of Business at Bath Audi who stages regular culinary events at the dealership to thank his customers for their continued loyalty, updating them on new technology as it evolves.

Julian Drew, Head of Business at Bath Audi said

“The ‘Electric has gone Audi’ event proved a great success.  Excellence in customer service and product are the Audi brand values and indeed our values at Bath Audi. These are resonated through working with top chefs and front of house professionals via The Chefs’ Forum.  We will be staging regular customer events at our Bath dealership, treating our valued customers to the finest cuisine and service levels. Showcasing top chefs and optimum levels of hospitality really shows our commitment to customers that we really believe in what we do.  The feedback from guests as well as the chefs who took part was really positive and it was great to showcase the new Audi e-tron and hybrid models alongside the finest culinary talent and flair.”

TV Chef Cherish Finden took to the Audi chef demonstration stage to create the Audi gecko in chocolate.  The Bake Off Professionals judge invited guests to assist with finishing the shiny edible Audi geckos with a brilliant pearl dust powder.  Cherish also produced an excellent canape of Bath Audi branded 66% Valrhona Chocolate brownies with Caribe Cremeaux to the delight of the Audi customers who attended.

Cherish added

“I was delighted to take part in the event today and really enjoyed my test drive of the Audi TT. I have had a lovely time today working with the chefs from Thornbury Castle and the students from Bath College.  It was great to invite Lucy Knight onto the stage to assist me with my demo, she was an outstanding student on the day and was a real credit to her college.  The Audi customers really enjoyed finishing the chocolate geckos with pearl shimmer powder.”

The stunning range of new e-tron products was on display and guests enjoyed a show round of the new e-tron and the hybrid models by Bath Audi brand experts Christian and Adam.

Guests enjoyed a stunning menu of savoury and sweet Afternoon Tea canapés, cocktails and mocktails made by the culinary team from Thornbury Castle.  The canape menu comprised:

Blue cheese and pickled walnut tart, parmesan scones and Foie Royale and quince macaron.  Dessert followed with Rhubarb and Custard ring, Paris Breast and Coconut Exotic Cake – all canapès took the form of the four Audi rings to celebrate the style and finesse of Audi Excellence and give the customers a five-star dining and service experience in the showroom.

Head Pastry Chef at Thornbury Castle Tom Everard-Fairburn, gave a plated demonstration of his spring signature dessert of gooseberry mousse with fermented ginger, gingerbread crisps and kaffir lime leaf ice cream.

Bath Audi supports the Bath fine-dining scene in sponsoring The Chefs’ Forum, an industry networking organisation for top local chefs, which bridges the gap between hospitality education and the professional kitchen. Inviting its Member Chefs to cater this prestigious customer event showcased the link between the Audi brand values of ‘Excellence in Product, Excellence in Customer Service’ and Michelin-starred food and five-star service levels experienced in fine dining restaurants, headed-up by the visiting top chefs.

The event set out to communicate that the new Audi e-tron range is at a whole new level of technology and makes for a greatly enhanced driving experience, whilst

The guests had a fantastic afternoon and experienced a true feast for the senses at Bath Audi.

Top Chefs Reinforce Vital College Links with Demo and Dine event at City of Bristol College!

The Chefs’ Forum was launched with City of Bristol College eight years ago. It was great to be back where it all began at the College Green Centre, where top Bristol chefs gathered at the college for a fantastic Demo and Dine event working with hospitality and catering students.

Saravanan Nambirajan (The Mint Room), Dan Bowden (Berwick Lodge), Sam Elliott (Pasture) and Dave Newman and James Baker from The Ginger Pig, all worked together to produce a stunning four course meal for the chefs and front of house professionals who attended.

The event took the format of ‘Demo and Dine’, in that each chef worked with the students to produce sample bowls of their demo dish. The front of house students then served the sample bowls to the audience of local employers who were extremely impressed.

The menu comprised:

Starter – Grilled Soya Chops (The Mint Room)

Fish – Scallops, Black Pudding and Orange (Berwick Lodge)

Meat – Steak and Chips (Pasture)

Dessert – Ginger Pig’s Sticky Toffee Pudding (The Ginger Pig)

The Chefs’ Forum is all about various chefs and front of house experts coming into colleges up and down the country to give a compelling and inspirational masterclass throughout the academic year, culminating in work experience opportunities at the participating properties and businesses.

Saravanan Nambirajan from the nationally-acclaimed Mint Room said: “The students have worked extremely well today in the kitchen with me and all of the other chefs who have taken part.  It’s great to have performed a live cookery demo for The Chefs’ Forum. I was very impressed with the level of professionalism and positivity shown by the students today in asking lots of questions. City of Bristol College is a very well-run college, headed-up by a team of talented lecturers who gave me a very warm welcome. I would happily welcome any of the students to The Mint Room or Bandook on work experience based on their excellent performance today.”

Chef Lecturer Ryan Fernandes has been very active in supporting quarterly Chefs’ Forum events over the last eight years, ensuring the students know the importance of putting themselves forward to raise their individual profiles to prospective employers.

Ryan Fernandes commented: “Chef’s Forum is a stage which brings the hospitality gurus together to share the current trends in all aspects related to food and service and also to network with talented people in the industry. We as a College are always involved with the Chefs’ Forum as it exposes our students to the professional world they hope to build their careers in. It also helps the future generation of chefs to work with some talented and passionate chefs from the industry and, at times, secure work experience or part-time work after the event. It also helps us to build our network with businesses which are looking to work with us on a different level which focuses on student engagements through apprenticeships and so on.”

The move to bring local chefs and experts into the college to work with the students serves to galvanise existing relationships with local employers and further-reinforce industry links for the college.

Level 2 Culinary Skills student Ahmed Ali Bekhit worked with Dave and James from The Ginger Pig.  They were so impressed that they offered him a trial shift at their newly-launched restaurant in Weston-super-Mare.

Dave and James, who recently opened their restaurant in Weston’s Grove Village near The Playhouse Theatre on 23 January 2020, said: “It will be great to have Ahmed for work experience, not only are we local to him but we are also one of the only restaurants around which do proper food and it is good to give something back. Chefs’ Forum gives us the opportunity to give a little bit back to the students, we were all there once upon a time and, hopefully for them, it is inspiring to look at people like us all working in major cities and restaurants. Some of the students are nervous but they are really enthusiastic and are really good.”

Chefs’ Forum Founder Catherine Farinha commented: “Today’s event was a great success. It was fantastic to welcome such esteemed chefs to the college today.  It was great to be back at City of Bristol College where our journey began eight years ago.  The Chefs’ Forum prides itself on sharing industry knowledge and best practice in catering colleges and The Chefs’ Forum Academy ensures top chefs continue to pass on their skills to the next generation, inspiring young chefs.”

For more information on how to get involved with Chefs’ Forum events, please contact rebecca@redcherry.uk.com or to start your cooking career by signing up for one of City of Bristol College’s many Catering and Hospitality courses at www.cityofbristol.ac.uk

Photography by www.jcampbellphotography.co.uk

The Roux Scholarship announces its 18 regional finalists for the 2020 competition

As the regional finalists for the Roux Scholarship 2020 are announced, chairmen Alain Roux and Michel Roux Jr are delighted that a new generation of chefs are taking part, having submitted recipes that demonstrate a very high level of talent. In this year’s competition, ten of the 18 regional finalists are first-time applicants and the chefs come from as far south as Jersey and as far north as County Durham.

These 18 chefs were selected from their paper applications and written recipes submitted anonymously to the judges, who took part in the Paper Judging day at The Waterside Inn on Wednesday 4th March. The 18 finalists will compete in two regional finals which will be held simultaneously on Thursday 19th March 2020 at University College Birmingham and University of West London, Ealing.

There are two chefs in reserve (should any finalists not be able to compete):

Connor Wilson, The Traddock, North Yorkshire

Nathan Cornwell, Moor Hall, Lancashire

 The challenge

This year’s challenge was to create a recipe to serve four people using one whole fresh MSC-labelled gutted hake, weighing anywhere between 1.6kg – 1.8kg (maximum 2kg) and 600g of live whole grooved carpet shell / palourde clams (ruditapes decussatus); together plated with two ‘simple’ or ‘composed’ garnishes/accompaniments. One of them had to include leeks and the other was a garnish/accompaniment of the applicant’s choice. One of these could be served separately if preferred.  A sauce had to accompany the dish.For the regional final, competitors will have 2½ hrs to cook their dish, along with a dessert from a mystery box of ingredients given to them on the day.  The judges will be looking for recipes and methods, which demonstrate the best balance of creativity, taste, style and practicality in the finished dish.

Key facts:

• 2020 is a strong year for previous applicants to qualify again, with eight having previously competed:

Ryan Baker from Corinthia Hotel, Scott Braithwaite from L’Enclume, Olivia Burt from Claridge’s, Michael Cruickshank from Bohemia, Benjamin Champkin and Oliver Marlow both from Roganic, Oliver Dovey from BaxterStorey, Curtis Tonge from Northcote having competed before.

• Simon Rogan once again proves his excellence as a mentor with three of his chefs qualifying for the regional finals: Benjamin Champkin and Oliver Marlow both from Roganic, Scott Braithwaite from L’Enclume.
• Michael Cruickshank has the most experience competing in the Roux Scholarship, having reached the regional finals in 2016 and 2018, and the national final in 2017 and 2019.
• Eight finalists come from establishments outside London, ranging from as far south as Jersey to County Durham in the north.
• The range of establishments is also well-represented, with chefs coming from luxury hotels, contract catering, successful local restaurants and even the House of Commons.
• The paper applications are judged blind, so judges don’t know their identity or their place of work.
• The number of entries increased by 18 per cent from the 2019 competition and judges felt they were of a higher standard.
• The judges felt that some of the applicants’ costings were inaccurate and that they should have shown closer attention to how much certain ingredients really cost.
• The judges were also looking at cooking timings of the dishes and whether the chefs had allowed time to prepare the mystery box dessert in the regional finals.

QUOTES FROM THE JUDGES

Michel Roux Jr: “Hake is versatile, sustainable and it ticks all the boxes; you can really cook some interesting dishes with it. Also, clams, hake and leek are a great, classic combination, and you can see how the finalists have used those classic combinations and have brought in something interesting or different, such as a bit of spice, to make their recipes stand out. The ones that got through are really the ones I want to taste.”

Alain Roux: “Hake is a fish that a lot of chefs use in their restaurant, so we chose it because they weren’t going to be scared of cooking with it. If you look at price and quality you can do an excellent fish dish with it, and it’s also sustainable.”

Clare Smyth MBE: “I do think we have to try and develop the chefs of the future, and the head chefs of the future, so it’s important that the chefs have taken the costs of their dish into consideration when creating the recipes.”

Simon Hulstone: “When I’m judging, I always take the dessert into consideration alongside the dishes as well. You have to ask yourself, are they going to be able to get their dessert out at the same time, or are they filling the whole time with just a main course?’.”

Sat Bains: “When you’re looking at the recipes, and reading them, you want to be thinking ‘oh I really want to taste that’ because we’re never going to taste all 18. You’ve really got to want to eat it.”

National final – Monday 6^th April 2020  

Six winners selected from across the two regional finals will go through to the national final, which takes place at Westminster Kingsway College, London. The judges for the final cook-off will be: Alain Roux, Michel Roux Jr, Brian Turner CBE, Sat Bains, Angela Hartnett and the Honorary President of Judges Bjorn Frantzén of Stockholm’s first three-star Michelin restaurant Frantzén.

About the Roux Scholarship

In 1984, Michel Roux OBE founded the Roux Scholarship with his brother Albert to enable a new generation of chefs from Britain to train in the greatest restaurants in the world. Not only has it become the industry’s most acclaimed chef competition in the UK with many scholars having gone on to win Michelin stars themselves, it ranks among the most prestigious competitions for chefs in the world. Since it was established, it has helped British chefs gain the international recognition they deserve. With many young chefs entering the competition each year, it is true to say thousands have been inspired and lives changed by the experience of competing.

Our sponsors

The Roux Scholarship is sponsored by Aubrey Allen, Bridor, Cactus TV, The Caterer, Direct Seafoods, Global Knives, Hildon Natural Mineral Water, Champagne Laurent-Perrier, L’Unico Caffe Musetti, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, Mash Purveyors Ltd, Oritain, Regent Seven Sea Cruises, Restaurant Associates, TRUEfoods, and Udale Speciality Foods Ltd. For more details about our sponsors visit www.rouxscholarship.co.uk

Chef of the Week: Sam Elliott, Chef Proprietor of Pasture in Bristol

How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
2 years, pasture opened in March 2020. 

Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
From a very young age, loved the creativity and limitless boundaries of cooking. I travelled to the Isles of Scilly immediately after leaving school to learn my basic chef skills. 

What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
The challenge, the environment, working with likeminded highly motivated people 

Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without?
(Salt? Too obvious,) Vinegar, Chilli, Garlic.

Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
My charcoal oven.

What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
Restraint, sustainability, Vegan.

What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
The Summer, our farm thrives in the summer, it’s like a candy shop for the chefs! 

Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
All of them!

How do you come up with new dishes?
Normally over a beer after service with the chefs.

Who was your greatest influence?
Gennaro Contaldo, my chef mentor.

Tell us three chefs you admire?
David Chang, Peter Sanchez-Inglesias, Fergus Henderson 

What is your favourite cookbook?
Momofuku.

Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
Peter Sanchez-Inglesias, Freddy Bird.

What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
Little French.

Farm Shop & Deli Awards Finalists Revealed: Walter Rose & Son Makes the FINAL!

The definitive 2020 shortlist of the UK’s finest speciality retailers has been revealed, with the deserving winners of the Farm Shop & Deli Awards set to be announced during an exciting ceremony, held this March (Farm Shop & Deli Show 2020, NEC Birmingham). 

Spanning 11 categories, as well as a coveted ‘Newcomer of the Year’ gong, the Farm Shop & Deli Awards, held in partnership with The Grocer, recognise the very best standards in speciality retail and celebrate the highest levels of service, product knowledge, initiative, innovation and community involvement.

Award-winning catering butcher and Chefs’ Forum Sponsor Walter Rose & Son in Devizes (pictured) has made it to the final!  We would like to congratulate, Jack and Charlie Cook on this fantastic achievement.

The awards culminate on Monday March 30^th at 3.10pm.

An expert judging panel lead by broadcaster and journalist Nigel Barden, have deliberated over and scored almost 90 entries, before creating a shortlist of just 51.

Nigel was joined in the exacting process by food writer and co-chair Elaine Lemm, plus a line-up of judges which included Deputy Editor at British Baker, Amy North, Owner of Wellgate Fisheries and President of the National Federation of Fishmongers, Giles Shaw, Fresh Foods Reporter at The Grocer, Henry Sandercock and Richard Nicholson from Cannon Hall Farm Shop – 2019’s Retailer of the Year award recipients

Nigel comments: “Hard work, long hours, a dedication to artisan quality, to service and locality; these are the tenets that set the ‘great’ apart from the simply good. Each year the bar is raised in terms of quality, making the judging process and deliberation

over the shortlist so difficult. I’m delighted to have had such high calibre team of fellow judges to help create what we now consider to be the defining class of 2020. We now look ahead with great excitement to the awards this coming March.”

Farm Shop & Deli Awards categories include, Baker, Butcher, Cheesemonger, Delicatessen, Farm Shop – Large Retailer, Farm Shop – Small Retailer, Fishmonger, Food Hall, Greengrocer, Newcomer, Online Business and Village Store/Local Shop. For a full breakdown of how each is defined, visit: www.farmshopanddelishow.co.uk/awards

Registration is free and now open for Farm Shop & Deli Show; the flagship event which brings together the great and good of the speciality market to celebrate the very best of British produce, returning this March (30^th March -1st April, NEC Birmingham).

Visitors keen to experience 2020’s most comprehensive programme of demonstrations, interactive live debates and tastings, all focused on improving the bottom line can go to: https://www.farmshopanddelishow.co.uk today to register for their completely free badge.

Devon Chefs Enjoyed Culinary Excellence on the Estuary!

The beautiful Dart Marina Hotel & Spa was the venue for the latest Devon meet for The Chefs’ Forum on Monday (2) March.  Quite the foodie stronghold, Dartmouth has become a serious destination for those looking to eat at some of the best restaurants in Devon, whilst taking full advantage of beautiful views of the River Dart estuary.

The Chefs’ Forum launched in Devon in 2013 and ever since, its following has increased year on year, making it one of the strongest chapters within the organisation on a national level.

A multi-million pound refurbishment has made the Dart Marina Hotel & Spa one of the most desirable hotels in Devon and a landmark in the beautiful South Hams sailing town, overlooking busy pontoons adorned with brilliant white yachts and boats against a backdrop of rolling coloured houses on the opposite side of the estuary.

Spring was just starting to break through with brilliant sunshine glistening on the water. It was the perfect day to set-up the Cloud Nine beer bus serving ice cold Peroni on draught and fire-up the Kamado Joe BBQ to give the Devon chefs a fantastic day out on their day off.

Top chefs and industry professionals attending the event were Masterchef: The Professionals finalist, Elly Wentworth and her team from The Angel (Dartmouth), Dan Foster (Rockfish), Johnathon Mather (The Cove), Nicholas Legendre (Group Exec Chef, Richardson Hotels) and Mary Grose (Thurlestone Hotel).

The day started with a networking session where the chefs got to meet each other in an informal setting and catch-up with suppliers old and new.  It was also a fantastic opportunity for the chefs to forge links with the lecturers and students from South Devon College.

A fantastic canapé menu flowed from the kitchen as students from South Devon College worked with Head Chef Peter Alcroft and his team to produce a fantastic spread of delicious morsels, showcasing produce from Chefs’ Forum Sponsors Tim Potter Butchers, Foie Royale and Nutcellars macadamia nuts.

The chefs worked hard to produce a butternut, sage and mozzarella arancini, as well as pressed ham hock, parsley jelly, Dijon mustard.  Beef & lamb kofta was also on the menu and Tahina sauce and cured salmon, nori sushi, wasabi mayonnaise and pickled ginger.

Franco Macellaio of Tim Potter Butchers and popular YouTube Channel The Urban Butchery Channel then took to the butcher’s block to break down a ‘top of beef’. Franco expertly broke down the top into topside, silverside, thick flank, shin, spider muscle and heel muscle.  The bullet muscle was then turned into quarter inch steaks which were hand-tenderised by the showman butcher, which the chefs very much enjoyed watching.  Steaks were then cooked to perfection by BBQ Maestra, Sue Stoneman on the Kamado Joe.

Chris Dyke, Sous Chef at Dart Marina gave a brilliant cookery demonstration on the stage of lamb loin with wild garlic cooked in Nutcellars Macadamia nut butter, crispy capers, aubergine, maple and sherry vinegar with fondant potato, pan juices, broccoli and rapeseed oil.  Peter and the students assisted, making for an excellent, culinary skills showcase and six delicious plates of food for all to try at the end of the demo.

A student competition of éclair filling and decorating then followed with the stars of the day from both front and back of house being awarded an afternoon tea at Dart Marina Hotel.

The chefs and hospitality professionals then made their way onto the terrace to enjoy a pint of ice cold Peroni from the Cloud Nine Citroen beer bus.

Afternoon tea was then served on the terrace and the sweet canapés of mini scones with clotted cream and jam, chocolate brownie cremeux gateau and macarons. All disappeared at a rate of knots overlooking the beautiful yachts and boats, moored on the estuary.

The Chefs’ Forum holds quarterly events in Devon and any chefs or suppliers wishing to attend the next event should contact rebecca@redcherry.uk.com

Chef of the Week: Ryan Shilton, Head Chef at Dormy House in The Cotswolds

How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
Just over 1 month.

Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
My passion began from eating hearty home cook food at home. My mum has always grown rhubarb in the garden, once it was ready she’d make a crumble. The whole process of growing and picking your own food really intrigued me and has been a real passion of mine throughout my career.

What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
Mentoring and seeing young chefs grow and develop in the kitchen as well as the challenge of producing consistent, tasty food and knowing that each guest has enjoyed what we have produced.

Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Vinegar, soy and sugar.

Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
Thermomix.

What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
I try not to get to involved with trends but cooking on open fire seems to be popping up all over my Instagram right now.

What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Consistency and care. It’s a hard career path to go down, you have to love what you do.

What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
Summer. The vibrancy of the produce around and the light, sharp, fresh flavours really enhance my style of food.

Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
Probably one of the first dishes I put on after getting my first head chef role, it was Mangalitza Pork, peas and Worcestershire sauce. The dish has developed and has been on the menu numerous times throughout the summer months. Something you will probably see this summer at Dormy!

How do you come up with new dishes? Its all about Simplicity.
Sourcing the best piece of protein we can get, finding whats in season and bringing it to life with a bit of acidity and sweetness.

Who was your greatest influence?
My Parents.

Tell us three chefs you admire.
Gareth Ward, Michael O’Hare and Mark Birchall.

What is your favourite cookbook?
Too Many Chiefs, Only One Indian by Sat Bains.

Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
Tom Shepherd. He’s opening his first restaurant in Lichfield, in Staffordshire. Its definitely going to take the dining scene there to new levels.

What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
From 2019 openings I must say Pensons in Worcestershire has really interested me. I really liked Lee Wescott’s food from the typing room and its just getting better and better.

www.dormyhouse.co.uk

Masterchef: The Professionals Winner Invites Brighton Chefs to Etch.

The Chefs’ Forum was delighted to stage a Chefs’ Forum event at Steven’s first permanent restaurant in a former bank in Hove. Etch. has been getting rave reviews since it opened in 2017. Now, Masterchef: The Professionals Winner is now heading to London, taking on the Bingham Riverhouse in Richmond.

Due to open early next month, his new project will depart from the tasting menus available at etch and will offer a full a la carte menu with some exciting new dishes.

The Chefs’ Forum has worked with Steven on various occasions, both in hosting Chefs’ Forum events  and at the Institute of Hospitality Southern Branch Awards.  It is great to have seen Etch evolve from a pop-up restaurant to bricks and mortar in Hove and now and exciting new partnership with the Bingham Riverhouse in London.

It was fantastic to welcome learners from East Sussex College to Etch. to work with Steven and his team in the kitchen to produce and serve canapès to the chefs who attended.

Catherine Farinha, Founder at The Chefs’ Forum stated

“Steven is a great role model for young chefs, as well as his peers.  He has always entered competitions to build has profile and get his name out there and encourages young chefs to do the same, which is very solid advice. We really appreciate Steven working with The Chefs’ Forum and students from East Sussex College. We look forward to inviting Steven into the training kitchens at East Sussex College to teach at the college as part of the hugely successful national initiative, The Chefs’ Forum Academy.”

The event started with a fantastic cookery demo by Steven, incorporating fantastic produce from the suppliers exhibiting at the event.

Steven created a dish of Creedy Carver duck breast from Walter Rose and Son, award-winning Devizes-based butchers who will be supplying him at The Bingham.

Steven said

“I love to pair two delicious ingredients and feature the dish on the menu as those.  For example, this dish would be ‘Duck. Carrot’.  I can then get creative with the accompaniments.  In this case I’ve used Nutcellars Macadamia nuts and a delicious Foie Royale pate, the ethical alternative to foie gras.”

He continued

“I love to cook meat in its own juices and duck is best done a little under.  If we overcook a duck breast, then it is ruined. There’s no better flavour combination than pickled carrot, Foie Royale pate and toasted macadamia nuts.  It is great that we’re in a forum environment today and can discuss ingredients and cooking styles together as a group – It’s fantastic to open these lines of communication between chefs.”

As the demo continued, many interesting subjects affecting the professional lives of the chefs were discussed: Sustainability, reduction of plastics, seasonal ingredients and local sourcing.

Chefs’ Forum events are an excellent opportunity for chefs and suppliers to get together and discuss industry trends, whilst inspiring young chefs and forging links with local catering colleges.

Mike Logut from Foie Royale spoke of the provenance of the hugely popular Foie Royale and Jack Cook from Walter Rose & Son gave a beef butchery demo showcasing the showpiece picanha cut, spider steak, rump tail and single muscle steaks.  Steven then seasoned and seared the Stokes Marsh Farm beef to perfection for all the guest to sample.

Lenards of Covent Garden supplied all fresh produce and Chris from MCB Seafoods gave an excellent fish filleting demo, explaining that he’s supplied Steven ever since he was Head Chef at South Lodge at just twenty-five years old.

Following six years at South Lodge, Steven set up etch as a pop-up experience, cooking dinners at Oxfordshire’s Blenheim Palace, Nyetimber Vineyard (where The Chefs’ Forum staged an event with him) and The Corn Exchange in Leeds.

Following yesterday’s event, The Chefs’ Forum has received many offers to host further events in the Brighton and Sussex area.  This is an absolute certainty and the team very much look forward to future events promoting local chefs and forging links for them with East Sussex College.

To join the mailing list to keep up to date with the latest Chefs’ Forum events, please email rebecca@redcherry.uk.com

Photography by: www.andrewplantphotography.com

Young Chef Young Waiter Finals to be hosted in UK Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai

Thanks to a new partnership with The Department for International Trade, Young Chef Young Waiter 2020 will be stepping up to a global audience this year, taking 20 UK semi-finalists to battle it out at the UK Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai in the UAE this November.

They will be joined by judges including Michelin star chef Theo Randall, proprietor of Theo Randall at the Intercontinental and Simon King, Group Ops director JKS Restaurant Group, as well as 2019 Young Chef Young Waiter winners Richard Henderson from Restaurant Hywel Jones, Lucknam Park and Alessandro Calzavacca from Jean-Georges at The Connaught.

The Young Chef Young Waiter of the Year competition, in association with UKHospitality and the Restaurant Association, has been honouring the best young chefs and waiters in the UK since 1979. It highlights the remarkable skills of the finest young professionals building their careers in the industry. Past winners include Raymond Blanc OBE, Heston Blumenthal OBE and Angela Hartnett MBE.

From 20 Oct 2020 to 10 Apr 2021, Expo 2020 Dubai will provide a global platform to showcase British innovation, creativity and collaboration to over 15 million visitors, from students and families to celebrities and heads of Government. Under the UK’s participation theme ‘Innovating for a shared future’ the topic of how we utilise technology and innovation to grow, consume and provide food sustainably will be a key point of discussion across the six months.

The Young Chef, Young Waiter finals and awards will take place in the stunning UK Pavilion, produced by Avantgarde and designed by Es Devlin. Previous UK pavilions at World Expos have featured menus from some of the UK’s top chefs, including Tom Aikens, Angela Hartnett, Ken Hom and Tom Kitchin.

Darren Tierney, Senior Responsible Owner for the UK at Expo 2020 Dubai, comments: “This is a fantastic opportunity for the talented contestants of Young Chef Young Waiter to demonstrate their ability on a world stage. The UK Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai will showcase some of our future stars within the food and hospitality industry – a sector where we have a proud history of excellence and innovation.”

Robert Walton MBE, president of the Restaurant Association and founder of The Nth Degree, Global comments: “As the past Chairman of the competition from 2006 to 2012,  I was delighted  to relaunch the Young Chef Young Waiter concept and give a new generation a fantastic opportunity to excel in the hospitality industry. Young Chef Young Waiter in 2019 exceeded all of our expectations and was a spectacular success last year.

We are especially excited to see that our Young Chef winner Richard Henderson has now moved to London to work with one of the UK’s most acclaimed British chefs, Tom Aikens. Our ambitions for this competition are global and  it is thanks to our new partnership with The Department for International Trade that Young Chef Young Waiter 2020 will be travelling to Dubai this year. Our 20 UK semi-finalists, who will be aged 26 and under, will battle it out in the UK Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai in November. This is a huge step for the future of the hospitality industry and is the perfect opportunity to showcase British creativity and talent, plus expose the semi finalists to a world stage. We can’t wait for entries to open in April and meet the next round of contestants.”

Head chef judge Theo Randall, proprietor of Theo Randall at the Intercontinental: “We are so excited with the prospect of moving the Young Chef Young Waiter competition to an international arena. Dubai is such a modern and fast paced place, it is the perfect environment to put our young semi finalists through their paces. The results last year were phenomenal and our Young Chef winner, Richard Henderson, was a fantastic character and had a really calm persona in the kitchen. He cooked really well under stress and his final dishes were absolutely flawless. We are all amazed by his personality and think he is going to go a long way in the industry.”

Our head waiter judge Simon King, Group Ops director JKS Restaurant Group comments: “For  me being the head judge for YCYW is very special, it’s a completion of my journey as I was fortunate enough to win the competition in 2000. I still remember how it felt, who I competed with and the what I learnt about myself. The idea of going to Dubai is very exciting and will further revitalise the competition from last year. Holding the semi-final in the Pavilion at EXPO 2020 will make it more relevant, engaging, fun and educational, reflecting the modern challenges young professionals now face and showcase the breath of skill and talent they now need to excel in this industry. Our Young Waiter winner from last year, Alessandro Calzavacca, is a credit to the competition. He is clearly very passionate, unbelievably composed and his attention to detail across all our tasks was noted by all our judges. We think he has a very bright future ahead of him in hospitality.”

Richard Henderson, winner of Young Chef Young Waiter 2019: ”Last year was a brilliant year for me; winning Young Chef Young Waiter really has changed my life. I nearly stopped cooking altogether in 2018 and in just over a year I’ve managed to rekindle my passion, creativity and interest, which inspires me to keep learning, it has felt amazing!

This has all been possible because people believed in me when I didn’t. Hywel Jones, who mentored me from 2012, was one of the main people who inspired me to cook again, and from that belief and his encouragement I entered these competitions. Since entering them, I have started to really believe in myself again. After the competition, Tom Aikens contacted me about an opportunity to work in his brand new restaurant in Belgravia. I asked to do a 10 day stage at ‘Muse‘, which I found an incredible experience, so incredible in fact I’ve now moved to London to work full time with Tom.

I’m excited to hear that this year the Young Chef Young Waiter final will be held in Dubai in the UK Pavilion at the World EXPO 2020, what a fantastic opportunity for all the contestants to showcase their skills at such a huge event promoting the very best of UK talent on a world stage.”

Further opportunities to be involved in the UK programme at this major world event are still available. Further information on sponsorship, exhibiting or showcasing innovation in hospitality and catering can be found at: great.gov.uk/expo2020

Chef of the Week: Guy Manning, Chef Proprietor of the Michelin-starred Red Lion Freehouse in Wiltshire

How long have you worked at your current restaurant? 
11 years.

Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
Firstly at home, with my family, then cooking 101 at Chez Bruce, thinking and working like a chef 101 Per Se. I practice/train/learn everyday.

What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
Inspiring my team to understand and cook delicious, flavourful food.

Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Thyme, parsley and chives.

Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
Scales

What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
Crumpets, ageing fish and burning leeks.

What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down? 
Producing technique led food and dishes rather than focusing on making food that eats well and is satisfying

What is your favourite time of year for food, and why? 
I work with what is at its prime at any given time of year and so it is the changing nature of seasonality itself that excites me.

Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
Chateau/chips/bearny. It illustrates my philosophy about food. The best ingredients from the best suppliers cooked using skill to make it as good as it can be. In my opinion a chef must understand this dish before moving on to focus on their own style and creativity.

How do you come up with new dishes?
Dialogue between our talented team of chefs.

Who was your greatest influence? 
Bruce Poole and my Dad.

Tell us three chefs you admire
Thomas Keller, Bruce Poole and Phil Howard.

What is your favourite cookbook?
French Laundry Cookbook.

Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
Dan Barker, Connor Barber-Stakey, Arron Varley, Anthony Mortimer and Jamie Gay (our team- they are all superstars!).

What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
Not sure, hard to keep up out here in the sticks, but best meal last year was definitely at Victor’s Fine Dining.

redlionfreehouse.com