Chef of the Week: Mark Chapman, Executive Chef of Season + Taste Group in Bristol
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
Almost 4 years.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
Classic family story my mum. And the team working in a restaurant near the beach in Australia.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
Constant challenge for improvement. The rush, adrenaline and the satisfaction of making someone enjoy a plate of food.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Onions, pepper and butter.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
Mortar and Pestle, or the other way round as you guys say here!
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
Root to shoot. Food which reduces surplus, veganism not just for diet but performance. Artisanal or heirloom produce whether it be local or not. More food with thought which cares about its sourcing policies.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Not drinking enough water and taking breaks. The simplest things make the biggest marginal differences everyday.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
Autumn. Can really fatten up the food with butter. Game and mushroom season is on!
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
Managing 5 restaurants gives me a lot of opportunity to be proud of many dishes. In 2019 Season + Taste opened up Masa + Mezcal our newest Mexican restaurant. Ive been pretty proud of the dishes coming out of this kitchen. Our ceviche options like prawn aquachile or seabass ceviche really test a skill of a chefs seasoning so if this is spot on its pretty good, something to be proud of is a chefs palate.
How do you come up with new dishes?
Instagram. Cook book. And eating out a lot. Also having a lot of solid cheffie friends who can suggest ideas alongside the ones you create yourself really bounces the creativity.
Who was your greatest influence?
Had quite a few over the years. Most of which are head Chefs from Sydney Australia like Martin Benn from Sepia, Daniel Puskas from Sixpenny or Sam Moody from the local Bath Priory.
Tell us three chefs you admire
Nieves Barragan, Marcus Wearing and Martin Benn.
What is your favourite cookbook?
Currently The Whole Fish Cookbook by Josh Niland.
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
Josh Niland – Internationally and Peter Sanchez – representing South West UK.
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
Masa + Mezcal.
Masterchef: The Professionals Finalist Exose Heads to The Manchester College for Celebration Event with The Chefs’ Forum Academy
VIP guests enjoyed an exclusive ‘Demo and Dine’ event to mark the next phase of Academy sessions.
A masterclass in fine dining from chefs including Masterchef: The Professionals finalist Exose Grant Lopo-Ndinga was delivered at The Manchester College during a celebration event with The Chefs’ Forum Academy.
College students enjoyed expert tuition from the region’s most critically acclaimed chefs during the fundraising event, which saw them produce and serve a five-course meal to guests including VIPs, local businesses and employers.
The line-up included:
- Rory Lumsden, Head Chef at Randall & Aubin Manchester, who prepared an Amuse-bouche of dartoise of wild mushroom and artichoke, celeriac purée
- Sam Fazackerley,Head Chef at Rosso Restaurant, who prepared a starter of spalla d’agnello con ceci neri
- Doug Crampton, Head Chef at James Martin Manchester, who prepared brown butter poached Cornish Brill, roasted roots, smoked garlic gnocchi, baked potato consommé
Danny Young,of Northcote, who prepared free range duck, pickled pear, smoked Foie Royale, beer and barley- Exose Grant Lopo-Ndinga, Masterchef: The Professionals 2019 finalist and chef at James Martin Manchester, who served a dessert of lemon and raspberry choux bun, with brandy snap, meringue and raspberry sorbet
Chef Exose said: “Events like this are important for young up and coming chefs. It’s a chance for them to learn and to take a step into the industry, it’s helping them to gain work experience and it also contributes towards their future career.”
The Chefs’ Forum Academy masterclasses at the College have seen more than 70 local chefs and front of house experts deliver weekly sessions to Hospitality and Catering students, with many students progressing to secure work experience opportunities and careers with participating venues.
Each top chef chose their own star of the day, who will go on to receive trial shifts or experience days with them in their own professional kitchens. Level 3 student Andy Tran was named as Danny Young’s ‘Star of the day’ almost a year after receiving the same accolade from Doug Crampton at a previous event back in March 2019.
Andy, who is also currently working for James Martin Manchester, said: “I feel very lucky. James Martin is such a respected restaurant in Manchester, and being there allows me the best opportunity to break into the industry and offers me valuable lessons at this early stage in my career. I’m very grateful to The Manchester College.”
Guests paid £25 to attend the ‘Demo and Dine’, raising donations towards The Chefs’ Forum Educational Foundation, an organisation which helps young people receive training to secure a job in the hospitality industry.
Lisa O’Loughlin, Principal at The Manchester College, said: “The Chefs’ Forum Academy has seen our students gain unrivalled access to some of the country’s most talented chefs, enabling them to benefit from their knowledge, experience and expertise.
“Not only do events like this help to inspire them, it provides them with up-to-date insight into current culinary trends, techniques and industry standard best practice which ensures that they are work ready when they complete their course with us.
“I am exceptionally proud of the exceptional standards that our students delivered today, which is testament to the success of our unique partnership with The Chefs’ Forum.”
Catherine Farinha, from The Chefs’ Forum, said: “The Chefs’ Forum Academy at The Manchester College is proving a great success. It is fantastic to welcome such esteemed chefs to the college on a weekly basis throughout the academic year.
“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, whilst creating employment opportunities for the young people taking part.”
The Manchester College is the only college in the north of England to offer The Chefs’ Forum Academy. Students participating in the Academy benefit from a weekly three-hour long session with industry professionals.
The Roux Scholarship adds the £6,000 Mentorship Award to its long list of prizes
With the deadline for The Roux Scholarship 2020 fast approaching, the Roux Family is delighted to announce an additional £6,000 in prize money, doubling the total available to £12,000.
The extra cash will be awarded to the winner on completion of 15 month’s service with their employer following their win. The aim is to encourage the scholar to share with their brigade the new experiences, ideas and skills learned during their three-month stage in a three-Michelin star restaurant. Should they wish to leave their job before 15 months, the £6,000 will be awarded to their employer to support the brigade’s development in other ways.
Chairman Alain Roux said: “When the winner returns to their kitchen after their stage in one of the world’s best restaurants, their experience is of enormous benefit to the whole brigade. This notion inspired our fathers to start the Scholarship 36 years ago. Our aim with this new bonus prize is to incentivise scholars to share these fantastic skills over the subsequent 15 months to inspire and strengthen their team. But should the scholar wish to move on sooner, then the fund will go to their employer instead, to support the brigade’s development.”
Fellow chairman Michel Roux Jr said: “The Roux Scholarship’s star prize – a stage in a three-star Michelin kitchen abroad – is a life-changing experience for our winners. It really opens doors for them. Should they wish to take up new opportunities soon after returning, then this cash award will help the development of the employer’s brigade regardless.”
In addition to the cash prize and three-month stage in any three-star Michelin restaurant anywhere in the world, the winner of The Roux Scholarship 2020 will scoop a long list of prizes from our sponsors and supporters, as follows:
- A Sustainable Meat and Cheese Box, courtesy of Aubrey Allen, as well as a Butchery Masterclass at their butchery training school, Aubrey’s Academy.
- Two personalised, Roux Scholarship, chef’s jackets, courtesy of Bragard UK Ltd to wear at the competition and awards, plus an additional Grand Chef jacket.
- A trip to Paris, courtesy of Bridor, to attend a workshop at the prestigious baking academy the École Lenôtre, which is set on a barge on the River Seine. The winning chef will attend an exclusive day-long course with their MOF Chef (Meilleur Ouvrier de France), and includes breakfast and lunch. The trip also includes dinner, overnight accommodation and transport from the UK.
- A year’s subscription to print and digital editions of The Caterer for one year, plus two tickets to The Caterer’s annual awards, the Cateys. Known as the hospitality industry’s Oscars, the exclusive, black tie event takes place at Grosvenor House on 7 July 2020.
- A classic collection of Global Knives and a range of accessories; peeler, fishbone tweezers, tongs, scissors and whetstone sharpener, all contained in a chef’s case.
- Courtesy of Hildon Natural Mineral Water: 36 cases of free Hildon water, delivered as three cases per month (delivery to mainland UK only). PLUS: two Hospitality tickets to the Hildon Archie David Cup in June, starting with a private lunch in the Guards Club house, a five- star view of the polo action from your private seat in the Royal Enclosure, followed by afternoon tea in the Royal Box.
- Complimentary membership of the Institute of Hospitality for one year.
- An exclusive Magnum of Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé Brut, signed by the judges at the final cook-off.
- An all expenses paid trip for two to visit the wine cellars of Laurent-Perrier at Tours-sur-Marne, including a guided tour of the cellars and a tasting of the Laurent-Perrier range. Travel by Eurostar and overnight accommodation with dinner, bed and breakfast.
- A day trip with Mash Purveyors’ forager to learn the basics of foraging and how to harvest and cook the foods found in the wild.
- A coffee machine for the home, plus a trip for two to visit the award winning Caffé Musetti roasting factory with flights, transfers and a night’s accommodation in Milan, courtesy of L’Unico.
- An escorted tour with Regent Seven Seas Cruises aboard one of their most luxurious ships while in port in Southampton, to see how they deliver an unrivalled, exquisite dining experience to over 700 guests – while at sea.
- A four-night trip to New York, courtesy of Restaurant Associates, with a senior member of the Restaurant Associates team, to explore restaurants and the food scene, including flights, accommodation and all meals.
- A day at TRUEfoods followed by a gourmet trip to Portland and Seattle USA, with two senior members of TRUEfoods to explore the cities’ most exciting and enticing restaurants, markets and food stores, including flights, accommodation and all meals.
- A day of Game shooting with one night’s accommodation including dinner, bed & breakfast, courtesy of Udale Speciality Foods Ltd.
- A signed, framed commemorative certificate, signed by the judges.
The Winner’s Establishment will receive:
- Ten kilos of award-winning coffee from L’Unico (Caffé Musetti)
- A sirloin of aged beef from Udale Speciality Foods, Himalayan Salt Chamber.
The prizes for the Natoinal and Regional Finalists can be found on the website: https://www.rouxscholarship.co.uk/prizes/
Competition details:
Applicants must submit a recipe via the Roux Scholarship website, before 31st January 2020, that includes:
One whole fresh MSC labelled hake, gutted, weighing anywhere between 1.6kg – 1.8kg (maximum 2kg) and 600g live whole grooved carpet shell / palourde clams (ruditapes decussatus); together plated with two ‘simple’ or ‘composed’ garnishes/accompaniments. One of them must include leeks and the other to be a garnish/accompaniment of their choice. One of these can be served separately if preferred. A sauce must accompany the dish. Up to two and a half hours’ cooking time is allocated at the Regional Final for cooking the dish, as the recipe originally submitted and a dessert to serve four people made from a ‘mystery box’ of ingredients given on the day. Entrants must be in full-time employment as a chef in the United Kingdom and be aged 22 or above, but no older than 30 years of age on 1st February 2020. Further instructions and the rules of the competition, including maximum costings for recipe ingredients, can be found on the website www.rouxscholarship.co.uk
Competition dates
- Closing date for applications – Midnight, 31st January 2020
- Regional Finals at University College Birmingham and University of West London – 19th March 2020
- National Final at Westminster Kingsway College, and Awards Ceremony at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park – 6th April 2020.
Judges: Three-star Michelin chef Björn Frantzén will judge the final as Honorary President of Judges, and some of the country’s best chefs are returning as judges for the regional and national finals: joining chairmen Alain Roux and Michel Roux Jr are Clare Smyth, Sat Bains, James Martin, Simon Hulstone, André Garrett, Rachel Humphrey, Brian Turner and Angela Hartnett.
Chef of the Week: Joe Bartlett, Head Chef at The Lake Country House & Spa in Builth, Wales
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
4 months.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
I just love eating, used to gorge myself when I was a kid. I remember cooking dinner for my mum from a Gary Rhodes cookbook. I went down hard. I was only about 12 years old. I learnt my skills from A chef called Mike Davies, at The Holne Chase Hotel on Dartmoor, formerly of the Castle Hotel, Taunton working under Phil Vickery and Richard Guest. He gave me the basic skills and knowledge I needed to progress as a chef. He was old school, cooking in a pan, no gadgets, I learnt so much.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
The buzz, the freedom to express yourself and be creative. The industry is highly competitive and the fact that you never stop learning is incredible.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Salt, wild food – preferably foraged mushrooms and cheese.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
My knives, does that count ? If not then I’ll go for my stick blender.
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
Zero waste is massive but I think a lot more dairy and gluten free stuff will come in. I’m all for it, it’s a challenge and a chance to learn.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Smoking – I don’t smoke but I allow my fellow chefs too much time to smoke!!
But a good one is being polite, especially when you’re customer facing, it was one of the many things I learnt at Le Manoir, always be polite and say hello to the customers, sometimes even a smile would break out ; ) the amount of kitchen tours I’ve been on and the chefs just hide behind the stoves.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
I love the autumn, it’s great for foraging and the game season kicks in! Nature’s bounty at its best and a chance to showcase ingredients that people may never have seen, prepared or even tasted.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
The pheasant kiev, braised leg baked beans and straw potatoes was a hit this year. Lots of nostalgia and a great way to keep the pheasant super duper moist.
How do you come up with new dishes?
I’ll come up with a dish in my sleep, whilst out walking or foraging, on my travels and research. I’ve finally learnt to write the idea down and then recreate it in the kitchen. I quite often trial the dish as an appetiser to get a feel for it. If it’s a hit then it makes the menu, if not then it’s back to the drawing board.
Who was your greatest influence?
Believe or not when I was at school I used to be obsessed with the naked chef aka Jamie Oliver, but Gary Rhodes inspired me massively but most recently Raymond Blanc and more so Gary Jones for their infectious passion for produce and flavour before anything else.
Tell us three chefs you admire
Gary Jones, Sean Brock and Rene Redzepi.
What is your favourite cookbook?
Great British Classics, Gary Rhodes. An absolute bible.
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
Dorian Janmaat, soon to take on The Idle Rocks Hotel in St Mawes. I worked for Dorian at Le Manoir : )
Laurence Henry, with his new opening in Nottingham next year. I taught Laurence at The Ashburton Cookery School : )
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
The Mariners, in Rock. Always faultless, great atmosphere and delicious food.
A Celebration of Welsh Lamb at Chapel 1877!
On Monday (13) January, The Chefs’ Forum’s first event of 2020 saw nearly seventy guests gathered at Chapel 1877 in Cardiff. It was great to celebrate the lively Welsh food scene of culinary excellence with so many esteemed chefs and business owners in attendance from Cardiff and beyond.
Chefs in attendance included Mocka Lounge, St David’s Hotel, The Clink, Vale Resort, Stick Fingers Streat Food, Restaurant ETC, Cardiff Metropolitan University and many, many more. There was a great buzz about the room and Ryan and his team proved the perfect hosts!
Head Chef Ryan Mitchell welcomed students from Coleg Gwent and Cardiff and Vale College to create stunning canapés for the chefs and front of house professionals who attended the event. The Chefs’ Forum has also implemented a Chefs’ Forum Academy at Coleg Gwen which involves chefs being sent into the college to teach the students on a weekly basis.
The delicious canapés created by Ryan and the students were:
- Confit and roasted pork belly, black pudding mousse, butternut squash, black cabbage, sage jus
- Smoked duck breast ham, beetroot salsa, orange and watercress salad
- Tart of curried smoked Haddock and spring onion, soft boiled quail’s egg, saffron mayonnaise
- Lemon and thyme brulee
- Dark chocolate and orange nemesis, yoghurt bavoir, mandarin sorbet
Wednesday 29th January 2020 will see a fantastic showcase of culinary expertise, canapés, cookery demos and butchery take place at Marriott St Pierre (Chepstow) to showcase the industry and drive registrations to Coleg Gwent hospitality courses for the coming academic year among 250 GCSE students from local feeder schools.
As Ryan was setting up the demo stage for his lamb dish, Paul da Costa Greaves introduced Koppert Cress and told the chefs about the stunning range of micro greens and micro cresses available to them. The chefs were transfixed with the beautiful array of Micro Greens, Micro Herbs and edible flowers on display at The Chapel.
Paul said
“You can ask your current veg supplier to source Koppert Cress for you and we can support you with it’s use in your menus. Koppert Cress is brilliant to add flavour and beauty to your dishes and can be used to boost nutritional value as well as aesthetic appearance.”
Next, Ryan took to the stage with Coleg Gwent Level two students Harry Marsh and Sian Phillips (both 17) to cook one of his signature dishes of Ras el hanout Welsh lamb with spiced couscous, pomegranate and lime yoghurt. Emily Rees of Hybu Cig Cymru (Meat Promotion Wales) also talked through the reasons why Welsh Lamb has PGI status and why more chefs should be using it in their menus. Market-leading catering butchers, Walter Rose & Son supplied the lamb and can supply chefs with this and any other meat requirements they may have. The award-winning butchers have vans delivering to top chefs in South Wales daily.
Ryan said
“Its great to have the students working with us today, I am really impressed with their attitude. I am a massive supporter of the next generation and have worked with many young chefs who have now gone on to do great things in their careers in some of the leading kitchens in the country.
I’m really looking forward to going into Coleg Gwent to teach next week at part of The Chefs’ Forum Academy and have also pledged my support for the GCSE maths and English attendance rewards scheme in offering a lunch at Chapel 1877, currently running at the college.”
A wine tasting was then conducted by WSET level three qualified Restaurant Manager Karolina Malecka. Karolina expertly presented three Spanish Vina Pomal wines and talked the guests through the pairing notes.
Karolina said
“It’s great to see so many hospitality professionals here today and a fantastic opportunity to showcase what we do here at Chapel 1877. We look forward to welcoming students from Coleg Gwent back for work experience in the future.”
The day finished with an excellent grilling demonstration by Ben Forte on the Kamado Joe ceramic grill. Chefs gathered on the terrace during Storm Brendan to sample yet more delicious welsh lamb cuts from Walter Rose & Son.
Ben showed how a boned-out leg of lamb can be cooked low and slow for a couple of hours to achieve a competition-standard pink ‘fire ring’ once rested. Ben also cooked-up Walter Rose Award-winning Saxon sausages and lamb chops.
Together we are stronger in bridging the gap between education and industry and encouraging more young people enter into hospitality as a career choice. Together we will combat the shortage of chefs and do our utmost to promote our fantastic industry as the brilliant career choice it is. No other industry offers such brilliant mentorship and global employment opportunities and The Chefs’ Forum regularly stages inspirational events to communicate this to GCSE and college students in Wales and all over the UK.
Photography by www.jcampbellphotography.co.uk
Chef of the Week: Ryan Mitchell, Head Chef at Chapel 1877 in Cardiff
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
I have been at Chapel 1877 for seven years.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
I got my passion from watching my dad cook at home, I used to help him and developed my cooking skills. I did my training at The Celtic Manor.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
The thing I most enjoy about being a chef is working together as a team and seeing the joy on the costumers faces, I also enjoy training young chefs and see them flourish.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Tomatoes in season, wild mushrooms and Welsh lamb.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
That’s a hard one as every piece is important but I will say a sharp utility knife.
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
I don’t really follow food trends I like to do traditional dishes with a twist.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Too many young chefs just want to run the pass and put fancy herbs on plates.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
I enjoy the summer and autumn as they both produce great ingredients.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
I am proud of all my dishes I wouldn’t send anything I wasn’t proud of.
How do you come up with new dishes?
I look at what’s in season and try and think how we can incorporate each item to make it all work together on the plate.
Who was your greatest influence?
I would say my greatest influence was my dad as he was always cooking for the family after a long day at work.
Tell us three chefs you admire
Michel Roux Jnr, Gordon Ramsay and Heston Blumenthal, as they all bring something different to the industry.
What is your favourite cookbook?
I don’t know if I could pick one, I like to collect them and they’re all so good and different.
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
The one I’m keeping an eye on is a old trainee (Tom Phillips) who worked for me before moving on to big things he has done really well for himself and I can see it getting better.
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
I haven’t had much time to get out lately so I couldn’t say.
Chef of the Week: Matt Waldron, Head Chef at The Stackpole Inn in Pembrokshire, Wales
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
7 months at The Stackpole Inn.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
Washing dishes in a local hotel and doing buffet prep. I just loved watching what the chefs were doing and came into the industry that way. Went to college for my first year, then did my apprenticeship at The Glen Yr Afon Hotel in Usk before moving to London.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
The creativity, being able to have such fresh amazing produce and turning them into epic plates of food for people to enjoy.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Salt, butter and thyme.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
Pacojet.
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
Food traceability – every one wants to know where there food comes from, this is massive at the moment and will keep growing as the public are becoming more and more interested in provenance.
Wood fired cooking – cooking has gone back to cooking over fire, the use of water baths are fading out and proper natural cooking coming back.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Lack of seasoning.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
I love the end of spring start of summer. The abundance of fresh vegetables and fruit is unreal and flavour combinations are never ending and so is the colours of summer.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
I love all the dishes other wise they wouldn’t go on the menu, but I suppose one that stands out is our John Dory, cauliflower, mussel, caviar and pickled sea herb dish finished with a fennel and tomato sauce.
How do you come up with new dishes?
As a kitchen we look at what is in season, I’ll suggest a meat or fish and we all come up with some ideas and try them out then take elements and ideas from the trials or start the process again if nothing is successful. We all have to like the dish for it to go on the menu.
Who was your greatest influence?
Hélène Darroze, her philosophy of keeping things simple and focusing on the main ingredient has really stuck with me.
Tell us three chefs you admire
- Gareth Ward (Ynyshir Restaurant with Rooms)
- Hélène Darroze (The Connaught, London)
- Bjorn Fratzen (Restaurant Fratzen, Stockholm)
What is your favourite cookbook?
Kokkeriet.
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
Wild Honey by Anthony Demetre.
Chef of the Week: Nathaniel Farrell, Executive Chef at The Crowne Plaza Manchester Oxford Road
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
Since January 2018, from pre-opening.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
As a teenager I loved Ken Hom the American-Chinese chef, I love the speed of Chinese cookery, also cooking with my mum as a child.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
Its not a job – I get to play with food every day, yes there are now stresses and pressures that I didn’t experience as a Chef de Partie or Commis Chef, but essentially the fun from using ingredients and then creating a dish that someone will eat and enjoy is addictive.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Salt, butter and water.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
We have been trialling MenuPilot system, which saves 12 hours a week on labelling, it’s a tablet and printer that prints off perfect labels for all products. It’s completely changed how we work.
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
Vegan, I have a banqueting background, and we normal produce 10% vegetarian dishes for big dinners. I’ve seen over the last 12 months 10% vegetarian and 10% vegan. So, we have removed the vegetarian dishes and have gone full vegan, just to make it easier operationally.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Nowadays its not putting the hours in, the sacrifice is being lost, rightly or wrongly. Young chefs believe they can be on big money in a year or two of leaving college, and sadly that’s not accurate.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
Autumn, just after harvest, so September-October, all the salad and soft berries and fruit have gone, and we move into a more abundant time, as the root vegetables and more hardy foods have grown during the warm summer months.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
I cooked the food at my own wedding, and the soup from the wedding will always be my proudest moment. We called it tomato soup on the menu, but it was clear tomato consume that we poured over different herbs, flowers and tomberries. And 5 years later guests still talk about it, I now whenever its on a menu I dedicate to my wife and call it ‘Mrs Farrell’s Tomato Soup’.
How do you come up with new dishes?
Over the last 18 months, I’ve started using a lot of data to look at what is selling and what’s profitable. I don’t hold emotional attachment to many dishes, so if its not selling we put a new dish out. When actually writing the menu, we use the AA rosette seasonality guide, and if its not on the list its not on the menu, so no asparagus or Jersey Royals in November.
Who was your greatest influence?
I constantly influenced, I believe we are always evolving as chefs and people. One of the many from my career was my Executive Chef in Copenhagen, Steen. He showed me that you can have fun in a kitchen, and that negative, fear-led, aggressive style isn’t the correct way to lead your team.
Tell us three chefs you admire?
Marco Pierre White, I love Marco and as a kid I remember seeing this ‘rockstar’ moody chef.
Marcus Wearing, I love Marcus’ food and know a few chefs who have worked with him and they can’t speak higher of the chef or the man.
Anthony Bourdain, I don’t know many chefs who haven’t read Kitchen Confidential, I remember hearing of his death and it feeling like a death in the family.
What is your favourite cookbook?
Michel Roux, Sauces. I got this book in 1998, its simply the greatest. I’ve used so many times, that when I turn to say the anglaise recipe the pages smell of vanilla or the bearnaise – it smells of tarragon! If you don’t own it, get it. I buy it for the promising Commis Chefs in my brigade as they will learn so much from it.
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
Manchester is going to have a culinary boom now it has finally got a star again, when I first moved to Copenhagen in 2009, Noma had just got 1 star, and within 6 months the standard of food across the city increased tenfold, Manchester will undoubtedly see the same thing happen.
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
One of my old chefs has been working at Pinion in Prescot, he just became Head Chef there. I look forward to hearing about his experiences and tasting the food.
Chef of the Week: Andrew Green, Executive Chef at Hotel Indigo & Mamucium Restaurant in Manchester
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
I opened Mamucium in December 2018, but I was part of the project since June 2018. Within the first year we were awarded 2 AA rosettes for our food.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
My passion for cooking really started at my first Job, I was working in a small authentic family ran Italian restaurant, we made fresh pasta and many original authentic dishes. Dishes I had never even seen before or imagined existed. I was taken to Italy whilst working there with the Head at the time, it was amazing. I ate beautiful meals all day every day and drunk homemade wine. I was really in heaven. From that point forward my application for food and the kitchen grew and grew.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
I really enjoy developing my team, it fills me with so much pride to see them develop and move forward. My current team has so many examples of chefs that have developed and been promoted. My current Junior Sous Chef was originally my Kitchen Porter 6 years ago, he has move to 3 properties with me. This year he won a national young chef of the year competition. When I see things like this it stops being a job but becomes a pleasure.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Butter (I currently use a artisan hand made butter from Goosnargh, its amazing ), salt (I say it is like having a Ferrari but no polish to polish it, salt is you polish, it enhances flavours), garlic (what can I say – who doesn’t like garlic?).
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
My most useful piece of kit is the Rational oven – we have 5 – I’m lucky, I know. Over the years I’ve use so many different brands of oven but what I like about the Rational is it’s versatility – baking, steaming, combination cooking, sous vide, fan adjusting, but best of all for cleaning…. We put all our metal trays with carbon marks in the Rational on a cleaning cycle and everything becomes brand new again.
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
There is always some kind of trend popping up and catches the attention of the public, one thing that really catches the eye is sharing items. Over the festive period I launched a video promoting a 3kg baked Camembert with dunking accompaniments for a group of 12 to share – this attracted 3.5 million views on you tube and created over 1000 extra covers for the restaurant. Sharing is certainly on trend.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
A lot of chefs let themselves down by doing the bare minimum, the beauty about a chef’s career is that the end goal / result is endless, you can just keep progressing into any role. If some chefs realised this, they probably would be more likely to commit more and progress futher. The old common saying but very true is ‘What you put in you get out’
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
Spring, I love the season. I love the smell of wild garlic near my house and the first sight of asparagus, I usually try and get it all over my menu.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
The Lancashire Hotpot that I do a Mamucium has become our signature dish and has been our best-selling dish since we opened. We get the most praise from this dish.
How do you come up with new dishes?
I always start with the season, then look for something that is a guest’s popular choice. I always try to do something a little different or quirky. I try to make dishes look appealing and taste great.
Who was your greatest influence?
My greatest influence was actually my family priest, when I was younger on a regular basis I would go to his house with a group of friends and do summer jobs for him, cutting the grass was my favourite. It really gave me the feeling of working hard and earning my own money. He was a massive influence on me in regard to respecting other people and generally caring about people. He also loved his food. Coming from a council estate as a child we did not have access to the wide variety of food and cuisines however he would always treat us to something special. My first ever Chinese was bought by him, my first fish and chips, my first pasta etc… I ll never forget his influence on my life and I’m very proud to have known him.
Tell us three chefs you admire
- Tom Kerridge
- Marco Pierre White
- Pierre Koffmann
What is your favourite cookbook?
Larrousse
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
Mark Birchall at Moore Hall – he’s amazing (he will get 3 stars soon).
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
Mana in Manchester – won its first star in its first year, amazing achievement.
Chef of the Week: Mark Freeman, Executive Chef at Hilton Cardiff in Wales
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
8 years
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
Watching my mum as a child she baked and I went to work in London at the age of 18 which gave me a good grounding.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
You never stop learning and you get to deal with new ingredients all the time.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without?
Salt, fish and meat.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
Robot Coupe.
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
Small plates, plant based foods and consumers looking for more sustainability and ethical welfare of fish and animal products.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Thinking it’s an easy career to have and not realising you only get out of it what you put in.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
Winter time, more warming and hearty foods, slow cooked meats which can more tasty if cooked correctly.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
Everything I put on a menu I’m proud of.
How do you come up with new dishes?
Eating out a lot and constantly discussing ideas with my kitchen team.
Who was your greatest influence?
Ian Jack & Paul McDevitt, my first ever Executive Chef and Sous Chef and Park Hotel in Cardiff. Paul took me under his wing from the age of 16 and took me to London and then Scotland to work with him.
Tell us three chefs you admire
Jason Atherton, Marco Pierre White and Rick Stein.
What is your favourite cookbook?
Marco Pierre White – White Heat
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months
-Sam Leatherby at Hilton Park Lane in London.
-Tom Heaney at Heaney’s in Cardiff .
-Grady Atkins at Paysan in Cardiff.
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
Heaney’s in Pontcanna, Cardiff.
