Chef of the Week: Timothy Kendall – Head Chef at The Barley Sheaf in Gorran, Cornwall
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
We took over The Barley Sheaf at the end of January; so, 6 months.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
If you could see the size of me when I was younger you could see I liked to eat. I wanted to be a policeman but I have asthma so I was told I would never pass the physical exam, instead I became a chef.
I went to Cornwall College in St Austell, whilst there I managed to get a position at Rick Steins Seafood Restaurant, I then went to London and worked for Marcus Wareing and Michel Roux Junior at Le Gavroche. After working in London for 2 years, I came back to Cornwall to take on stages at St Moritz Hotel with Jamie Porter, Paul Ainsworth at Number 6 and Chris Eden at Driftwood.
In July 2014 I took a break from the kitchen before going back to the Seafood Restaurant in January 2016. In January 2017, I started working for Guy Owen, at The Idle Rocks in St Mawes, Cornwall, where I was promoted to Head Chef in 2019.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
I like being creative even though I am not a creative person, it is also one of the only jobs in the world where you can use all 5 senses. This industry is unique as hard work can beat talent.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
I love aromatics so it has to be thyme, garlic and butter
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
Defiantly a Kitchen Aid – you can do so many things with it, you can even roll pasta with it now.
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
You see a lot of people using Asian ingredient in their dishes, also everything is cooked on a BBQ now. Saves electricity I guess!!
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Young chefs that want to be the next celebrity chef, not being themselves. Always looking for promotion and pay rise before they are ready.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
It must be autumn; it is my favourite time of year also. I love it when the game season starts, and the days start get darker.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
My ice cream and sorbets recipes at Idle Rocks.
How do you come up with new dishes?
Looking through my supplier’s catalogues of ingredients, if they sound tasty I will get a few ideas, then imagine tasting it and go from there.
Who was your greatest influence?
I have two. Stephane Delourme for being a friend, mentor, and master at fish cookery and Guy Owen – an incredible chef, leader and purist. Both have made an impact in my career.
Tell us three chefs you admire
Rick Stein, Daren Velvick and Chris Eden.
What is your favourite cookbook?
I have a big cookbook collection, but I have to say Out of My Tree Midsummer House. Its one of the greatest modern cookery books.
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
– Guy Owen at Karrek
– Chris Eden at Gidleigh park
– Elly Wentworth – The Angel
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
Guy Owen’s plans for Karrek is going to be exiting, I look forward to be eating there.
CHEF LUDO HELPS HCC TARGET FRENCH CONSUMERS
A French chef from Ceredigion has been busy in the lockdown period creating recipe videos featuring Welsh red meat on behalf of Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC).
Chef Ludovic Dieumegard, Head Chef of Aberaeron’s famed Harbourmaster Hotel, has featured PGI Welsh Lamb in exclusive French recipe videos which have subsequently been shared on HCC’s French language social media channels.
The videos come as Coronavirus swept Europe and closed down foodservice sectors across the continent. Mirroring HCC’s UK marketing activity, the videos aim to encourage people to bring the restaurant experience to the home – using a range of different lamb cuts.
HCC’s Export Development Executive Deanna Jones explained ‘Usually a significant portion of Welsh sheep meat is destined for restaurants and hotels in the French market. However, with the foodservice sector shutting down and with international trade shows cancelled, we have switched our marketing focus to targeting consumers directly.’
‘Ludo is a classically trained French chef who now works and resides in rural Wales and appreciates the high-quality foods which Wales produces, including Welsh Lamb. So he is the ideal ambassador for Welsh Lamb fans in France.’
‘We are very grateful to Ludo for helping us create these videos which have proved popular with French families and consumers on social media.’
The four recipe videos Ludo created were filmed at his home in Ceredigion and are a mix of fine dining recipes and easy family meals. They are available to view on HCC’s French social media page.
Ludo is also part of HCC’s ‘Culinary Dozen’ – a network of Wales’ top chefs who have been creating English language recipes and videos for UK consumers during the Coronavirus lockdown.
Go to www.eatwelshlambandwelshbeef.com to see all of the Culinary Dozen’s recipe video creations or follow the Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef channels on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
OPEN KITCHENS: ON A MISSION TO FEED THOSE IN NEED
Open Kitchens: On a mission to feed those in need by bringing together restaurants and their communities whilst helping tackle food waste. Following recent national success, ten children will be doing a sponsored walk of 10,000 steps to help raise money for 10,000 children.
In early April, Open Kitchens was launched to provide free, nutritious meals for those in need.
In the wake of the lockdown, this not-for-profit initiative has been helping UK restaurants to repurpose their kitchens – using furloughed staff volunteering their time, empty facilities and surplus food to cook for vulnerable groups in their local communities.
There are now 45 restaurants across the country that are cooking and fundraising with Open Kitchens. These include fine dining establishments, (such as Michelin star Alchemilla and Frog by Adam Handling) all the way through to local artisan bakeries and coffee shops.
More than £230,000 has been raised nationally and more than 144,000 free meals have been produced. The initiative has also recently partnered with Fare Share, a national network that redistributes surplus food to charitable causes, meaning that restaurants are not only feeding those in need, but tackling food waste.
Hilton Hotels has also joined Open Kitchens in their fight. The global hotel company has offered its freezers as a storage point between when the meals are produced, and when they are distributed to their beneficiaries plus donating meals. This huge development offers a significant expansion for Open Kitchens, allowing Hilton Hotels to become a nationwide hub that helps them to distribute their meals more widely while also using surplus food to produce meals.
The next initiative is to feed 10,000 children across Nottinghamshire, these meals will cost just £1.50 each and the kids themselves are stepping up to help raise money. 10 kids will be taking 10,000 steps to feed 10,000 children. Celebrities such as Gary Lineker, Caitriona Balfe, Sophie Skelton and Penny Lancaster have all pledged their support for the Open Kitchens initiative too.
George Ktori runs Yamas, a popular Greek restaurant in Nottingham city centre that was the first to join Open Kitchens.
“When Open Kitchens came to me, I was immediately on board. It’s important to help in these times and feed those who need it most. We’ve got the equipment and the talented chefs, to volunteer their time and cook fresh meals for those who don’t have access to them.”
When the pandemic began, co-founders Alex Grundy and Adam Roberts re-focused their team’s work-from-home agenda and galvanised as many business contacts as possible to spring Open Kitchens into life.
Adam Roberts says “To get the idea off the ground as quickly as possible, we got the word out to as many organisations as we could think of in order to pool resources and the response from all angles so far has been phenomenal. Now we are putting everything we have into raising the funds required to feed those in need.”
Alex Grundy says “We still have so much to do! Now, we’re on the lookout for more local restaurants to join this incredible community effort, opening up their kitchen space to prepare nutritious meals and help us reach the thousands of people who still desperately need our support. The effort the children are going to take 10,000 steps is very humbling, please dig deep and donate what you can.”
Whilst delivering the meals, the Open Kitchens volunteers have seen first-hand how desperately this support is needed across communities.
“Liam aged 16 comes from a family of 9. The family struggle day-to-day but right now, things are worse. They have no cooker so we took some meals to the family and explained how the Open Kitchen worked, and that all the food was being cooked by restaurants. Liam said he has never eaten at a restaurant or a pub before. He wanted you all to know your food is amazing and that coronavirus isn’t all that bad as he’s now tasted restaurant food. He said it’s made him realise he wants to work hard in life so he can eat at a restaurant in person.”
Please also see below a number of direct quotes from those who have benefited from Open Kitchens.
“Thank you for your kindness and generosity. The chilli really put a smile on our faces which could be seen even through our masks . Thank you” – Ali Rhodes, Midwife at NHS Queens Medical Centre
“We’d like to thank you for your generosity and kindness during this very difficult time. You took the trouble to deliver freshly prepared hot food ready to eat for all the staff. It was greatly appreciated and enjoyed.” – Mamta Juneja, Meadow House Hospice, Southall.
“Rebuilding your life after homelessness is a life challenge in itself, but when money is tight and aren’t able to leave your home, the reassurance of knowing that people care enough to ensure you won’t go hungry is indescribably important for a person’s morale, health and sense of wellbeing.” – Nottinghamshire YMCA.
“The safety of our residents is our absolute top priority, and we are reassured to know these are reputable restaurants with strict health and safety checks in place to reduce risks and maximise support for our community’s most vulnerable citizens. If you are a local restaurant or an individual who can sponsor a meal – you can help this scheme to support even more local people. We can get through this pandemic if we pull together.” said Nick Clements, Housing Operations Manager at Nottinghamshire YMCA.
Donate as an individual or organisation via the initiative’s central Just Giving page. Just £1.85 will provide a hearty adult meal for someone who needs it and £1.50 will support a children’s meal. You can find out more at openkitchens.co.uk.
You can keep up to date with the latest from Open Kitchens anytime on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
City of Glasgow College Supports Regrowth of Vital Industry
As Scotland’s hospitality, tourism and culinary sector starts to reopen, City of Glasgow College continues its role in supporting the industry.
With a well-earned reputation for excellence in hospitality and professional cookery, the college is well placed to help the sector as it adapts to the challenges created by the pandemic.
Gordon McIntyre, Associate Dean of Hospitality and Tourism at City of Glasgow College, said:
“We’re looking at quite a different landscape for our sector as it gets up and running. There were large numbers of businesses out there, and some will be lost. Our college offers the chance for individuals to retrain, re-skill and up-skill, ready for when employers need them most, ready for a fully reinvigorated sector being established.”
Just two weeks before the country went into lockdown, the college held a Hospitality and Culinary Summit attended by industry professionals and specialists from across the country. Its focus was on forging stronger partnerships with industry and working to change perceptions of the sector, and the mind set of influencers.
“Our objective then was to make hospitality and culinary not just a career of choice, but a career of first choice,” explained May Donald, Associate Dean of Culinary Arts and Bakery at the college.
“That is more important now than ever,” she said. “Our industry will always be needed and it is an industry that knows how to regrow, and it will be reborn. We must keep looking to the future and anticipating what is required. Our staff at the college have all worked in the industry, so we have many contacts which offers a huge advantage for students who study with us.”
The college’s Hospitality and Culinary Summit underlined the value of strong partnerships which was backed by Tom Kitchin, Chef Proprietor of The Kitchin Group, who praised the college for holding the event, saying: “It was a great initiative. I am certain many businesses will enter into the practical partnerships launched that day.”
For Gordon McIntyre it is now about continuing to work with industry, the Scottish government and awarding bodies to adapt to the current reality.
“Our industry is full of people who are creative and imaginative, and who seek solutions. And that is very much something that we as a college do also. We don’t see barriers, we see round them, and that is what we will carry on doing as we ease our way through this pandemic.”
Following the success of the Summit, and with the major changes the current crisis has raised, we are keen to hear from industry on how our college can continue to collaborate, support and work in partnership with them.
Please follow this link to view our Hospitality and Culinary Summit report.
WIN A LUXURIOUS HAMPER OF SCOTTISH SALMON & AN ALL EXPENSES PAID TRIP TO THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS!
The Chefs’ Forum has joined forces with the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation to offer you the chance to win a luxurious hamper of the finest Scottish fresh and smoked salmon products, plus a unique, all expenses paid trip to the beautiful Scottish Highlands!
You will spend the day with one of their members and immerse yourself in the incredible environment in which they farm. Experience the trip of a lifetime and see for yourself the exceptional care and welfare standards to which the fish are raised.
Scottish farmed salmon is raised in the cool, clear waters of the country’s rugged west coast and islands. It’s the UK’s number one food export and in just 50 years, has become the UK consumers’ fish of choice. Rich in nutrients, essential Omega-3 fatty acids and high quality protein, it also has a low carbon footprint and the best ‘feed in to food out’ conversion rate of any major animal protein. We know consumers love Scottish salmon but we want to hear from YOU, our Chefs’ Forum Members, THE Professionals.
Click HERE to complete our brief survey and enter this fantastic competition!
Terms and Conditions:
- The promoter is Red Cherry (Bristol) Ltd t/a The Chefs’ Forum.
- The competition is open to residents of the United Kingdom aged 18 years or over except employees of Red Cherry (Bristol) Ltd and their close relatives and anyone otherwise connected with the organisation or judging of the competition.
- There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this competition.
- By entering this competition, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.
- Route to entry for the competition and details of how to enter are via Mailchimp, Facebook, Twitter and www.thechefsforum.co.uk
- Only one entry will be accepted per person. Multiple entries from the same person will be disqualified.
- Closing date for entry will be Friday 14th August 2020. After this date the no further entries to the competition will be permitted.
- No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason.
- The promoter reserves the right to cancel or amend the competition and these terms and conditions without notice in the event of a catastrophe, war, civil or military disturbance, act of God or any actual or anticipated breach of any applicable law or regulation or any other event outside of the promoter’s control. Any changes to the competition will be notified to entrants as soon as possible by the promoter.
- The promoter is not responsible for inaccurate prize details supplied to any entrant by any third party connected with this competition.The prize is as follows: a luxurious hamper of the finest Scottish fresh and smoked salmon products, plus a unique, all expenses paid trip to the beautiful Scottish Highlands for two people.
- The prize is as stated and no cash or other alternatives will be offered. The prize is not transferable. The Prize is subject to availability and we reserve the right to substitute any prize with another of equivalent value without giving notice.
- Winners will be chosen at random by the Promoter.
- The winner will be notified by telephone and/or email and/or DM on Twitter/Facebook and/or letter within 28 days of the closing date. If the winner cannot be contacted or do not claim the prize within 14 days of notification, we reserve the right to withdraw the prize from the winner and pick a replacement winner.
- The promoter will notify the winner when and where the prize can be collected/is delivered.
- The promoter’s decision in respect of all matters to do with the competition will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.
- The competition and these terms and conditions will be governed by English law and any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England.
- The winner agrees to the use of his/her name and image in any publicity material, as well as their entry. Any personal data relating to the winner or any other entrants will be used solely in accordance with current UK data protection legislation and will not be disclosed to a third party without the entrant’s prior consent.
- The winner’s name will be available 28 days after closing date by emailing the following address: catherine@redcherry.uk.com
- Entry into the competition will be deemed as acceptance of these terms and conditions.
- This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook, Twitter or any other Social Network. You are providing your information to Red Cherry (Bristol) Ltd and not to any other party.
CHEF OF THE WEEK: TOM WESTERLAND – CROCKERS HENLEY IN HENLEY-ON-THAMES
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
I’ve worked at Crockers for 4 months. I started 3 days before lockdown kicked in so we had to massively change opening plans to accommodate a takeaway. Previous to Crockers I worked at Lucknam Park for 7 years.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
My passion for cooking started in school, I wasn’t very good to begin with, however I always enjoy a challenge. I trained at Cardiff and Vale College, then moved onto a small restaurant in Penarth called the Fig Tree. I learnt the basic fundamentals of having a seasonal and fresh food ethos here that gave me a grounding for the rest off my career.
After the Fig Tree I spent 7 years at Lucknam Park under the guidance of Hywel Jones. This is really where I developed my skills and knowledge. I also learnt the most important skill from Hywel, that was how to manage and take care of a team of amazing chefs
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
- Trying new food and developing new ideas.
- Meeting new and exciting people.
- Seeing chefs develop.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
- Salt
- Beef fat
- Potatoes
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
- My charcoal grill
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?~
I’m spotting a lot of trends in plant based cookery. This is something that has always interested me. I love creating a dish around a whole vegetable.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Not thinking before acting. I always tell my chefs to slow down and think about what they are doing.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
Has to be autumn, so many exciting and versatile foods.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
That’s a tough one, I am proud of everything that we cook.
How do you come up with new dishes?
I usually use inspiration from old cookbooks and try to put my spin on them.
Who was your greatest influence?
My greatest influence in my career would have to be my parents. The always supported me in everything I have done and are always there when I need them.
Tell us three chefs you admire.
- Callum Franklin
- Hywel Jones
- Tom Kerridge
What is your favourite cookbook?
My current favourite cook book is the Hawksmoor Cookbook, I love there ethos on sourcing there meat.
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
I would watch Dean Westcar and Iain Dixon from Crockers in Henley. I’m defiantly looking forward to eating their food.
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
I’m looking forward to the reopening of every restaurant.
Chef of the Week: Gareth Hope – Executive Chef at St Pierre Marriott Hotel & Spa in Chepstow, Wales
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
18 months.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
My uncle was a chef and taught me some basic cooking from a young age. Always loved cooking, learnt my trade
in busy hotels and a college background.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
I enjoy the high pressure and fast paced environment.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Garlic, lemon and the humble onion!
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
I have a small Oxo cranked fish turner which I have had for years and am very superstitious about. I can’t run a section without it.
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
Im seeing some incredible transformation in how people see vegetarian and vegan meals recently, they are no longer frowned upon across the industry. Forcing some great imagination and use of some simple vegetables.
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Over complicating dishes to the extent that they lose the integrity of the dish.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
I love spring for the lamb and all the fresh pods available. Asparagus season, Jersey royals and great crab are some highlights of the year for me.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
My Junior Sous Chef taught me a yogurt and lime mousse a few years back that was incredible, very simple ingredients and a very powerful impact of flavours.
How do you come up with new dishes?
What’s I’m season, who I am cooking for and I try to do something that I have never done before, either a new playing technique or combination of ingredients.
Who was your greatest influence?
My Dad influences me the most, he has a huge morale compass and regardless of business or personal gain he always encourages you to do what is right. He’s a great man and has always supported me.
Tell us three chefs you admire.
Raymond Blanc, his persona, energy and philosophy about food is inspirational. His food can be simple but extravagant at the same time. I’m a big fan of Michel Roux Jnr, a very pleasant person with enormous talent. Love his books and his passion for food. Kerth Gumbs has caught my eye over the past few years, he is producing some incredible dishes in Mayfair and he keeps sharing and helping others improve themselves. He has massive talent for originality and his food is inspirational.
What is your favourite cookbook?
I bought Gordon Ramsay 3 star chef about 15 years ago for £5 and was the bargain of a lifetime. It demonstrates incredible skill and even now the dishes are holding their own.
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
As mentioned above Kerth Gumbs is doing an amazing job in Ormer of Mayfair. I’d also mention Hywel Griffith of Oxwich Beach House. I’ve had a couple of incredible meals there in a beautiful location too.
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
Not quite in the last year but in 2018 Albert Adria opened Cakes and Bubbles which is incredible, I managed to go in January this year and didn’t disappoint. The cheesecake was the star of the show, well worth a trip.
ConnectedCooking by Rational – The Platform for Digital Kitchen Management
With ConnectedCooking from Rational, networking has arrived in the professional kitchen. Free services for asset, hygiene, quality and recipe management simplify the processes in the kitchen and bring even more safety and efficiency. With the introduction of the new user interface, the specialist for thermal food preparation makes digital access even easier.
Menus, payment systems, purchasing and orders – more and more areas in the professional kitchen are becoming digital. With ConnectedCooking the Rational iCombi Pro, iCombi Classic and iVario cooking systems will become part of the in-house network. Even the start page is an indication on how clear and well-structured the cloud-based networking solution is. Simon Lohse, Managing Director, Rational UK & Ireland explains, “This means that many tasks can be completed easily, regardless of where the cooking systems are located.” With asset management, for example, the user has an immediate overview of what is happening, can intervene with the coooking systems if necessary, thus significantly minimising inspection work.
Lohse continues, “Hygiene is a sensitive issue, which is why we have set high standards for ConnectedCooking in in particular for this area. The HACCP documentation is now digitised, can be saved and downloaded as a table or PDF file. This means that at least part of the obligation to provide proof is in good hands.”
As a third pillar, ConnectedCooking has an extensive recipe management system. This includes a shared library with international recipes, the administration and rolling out of operators individual cooking programs as well as the creation and submission of their own recipes to the shared library. ConnectedCooking thus proves to be a source of inspiration for professional kitchens. According to Rational, all three areas are being continuously expanded.
See for yourself – sign-up to the Rational Live Online event here.
Masterchef Winner, Simon Wood Joins Forces with The Manchester College for a Virtual Hospitality Industry Taster Event!
Following the launch of The Chefs’ Forum in Manchester last year, The Manchester College is to stage a virtual hospitality industry taster event on Microsoft Teams while social distancing restrictions are still in place. Prospective students will be treated to a pre-recorded cookery demo from Simon, as well as an interactive Chefs’ Quiz and a Q&A session with Simon Wood, college lecturers and students.
Simon Wood (Woods Restaurants) is Patron of The Chefs Forum Academy at The Manchester College, which sees top chefs coming into the college on a weekly basis to deliver guest lecturers to students in their usual working environment.
Simon is set to host a session in the College’s ‘Couch to College’ event on Wednesday (15) July, (1-2.30pm). Participants will enjoy a film of Simon’s Steak and Onion Yorkshire Pudding Wrap and enjoy an interactive Q&A session with him, which will follow.
Potential students are invited to join college lecturers as they showcase the college, its world class facilities, course options and The Chefs’ Forum Academy.
This will be a fantastic opportunity for the prospective students to learn all about courses offered at the college in professional cookery, front of house and technical patisserie and confectionary, as well as curriculum enrichment and employer engagement opportunities offered to students at the college.
Simon said
“I am delighted to have been asked to participate in this virtual event. It just shows haw the college is adapting to the ‘new normal’, while continuing to promote its fantastic facilities and courses offered at the college. I look forward to welcoming students back into my restaurant once restrictions are lifted and, in the meantime, I am so grateful to be able to help inspire budding young chefs and hospitality professionals to join our fantastic industry.”
The Manchester College is the only college in the north of the UK to be working with The Chefs’ Forum Academy and this makes it a really attractive choice for any young person wanting to learn from the very best chefs in the industry.
Newly published Government National Achievement Rates Tables (NARTs) position the college as number one for overall achievements rates in Greater Manchester.
Catherine Farinha, Founder of The Chefs’ Forum will present The Chefs’ Forum Academy during the virtual event and talk about why The Manchester College is a fantastic choice for young people hoping to pursue a career in the hospitality industry. She said
“The weekly Chefs’ Forum Academy masterclasses, in normal times, involve top local chefs and front of house experts coming into the college to give a compelling and inspirational course of study throughout the academic year, culminating in work experience opportunities at the participating properties and businesses. This virtual taster event with Simon will showcase the top-level chefs being invited into the college to teach the students from September onwards, whether remotely, or in person if restrictions are lifted.”
Here’s a film of our launch at the college last January so you can see the sort of work we are doing with the college to bridge the gap between education and industry:
All chefs taking part wholeheartedly support The Chefs’ Forum Academy and all have previously worked with students at The Manchester College in the college kitchens as part of The Chefs’ Forum Academy scheme of learning. The chefs come to the college each week and take a three-hour master class to enrich the learning of the students in line with the subjects they are required to learn to achieve their qualification.
At the same time as learning new skills, cooking techniques and recipes, the students are forging relationships with the visiting chefs which will help them in their efforts to find work on leaving college as the chefs will already be familiar to them. Many learners get offered part time work whilst still in college – This serves to make them more work-ready and enables them to get work experience whilst studying – A win-win situation for all involved.
The Chefs’ Forum Academy also operates in West London College, Gloucestershire College, Bath College, Coleg Gwent and Pembrokeshire College with further colleges set to adopt this fantastic programme of curriculum enrichment later this year. The Chefs’ Forum serves to bridge the gap between education and industry, inspiring young chefs and front-of-house professionals.
The Chefs’ Forum Academy will continue to offer ‘virtual curriculum enrichment’ across all colleges whilst social distancing restrictions are in place and look forward to being able to deliver practical masterclasses in the college once permitted.
Any potential students wishing to participate in the virtual Hospitality Industry Taster Event with Simon Wood and the Manchester College should register via the following link: https://www.tmc.ac.uk/couch-to-college/
Chef of the Week – Chris Underwood, Executive Pastry Chef, Belmond Cadogan Hotel in London
How long have you worked at your current restaurant?
2 years this August pre-opening team.
Where did your passion for cooking come from and where did you learn your skills?
Making cakes with nan and mum. Skills learnt mostly on job training.
What do you enjoy most about being a chef?
Seasonality, banter and creativity.
Name three ingredients you couldn’t cook without.
Salt, lemon juice and butter.
Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?
Vitaprep blender.
What food trends are you spotting at the moment?
Street food, minimalism and obviously the obligatory lockdown sourdough!
What do you think is a common mistake that lets chefs down?
Giving up and confidence in their abilities.
What is your favourite time of year for food, and why?
Autumn & winter – the versatility of using vegetables in my desserts.
Which of your dishes are you most proud of?
My creation of pea, dark chocolate & coconut (Masterchef with Adam Handling).
How do you come up with new dishes?
Eat the seasons is a great website and also food pairing websites.
Who was your greatest influence?
Tom Aikens.
Tell us three chefs you admire
-Thomas Keller
-Michael Caines
-Grant Achatz
What is your favourite cookbook?
The Flavour Thesaurus.
Who do you think are the chefs to watch over the next few months?
Including myself…? Ha ha!
Pre lockdown:
-Dom Robinson
-Gareth Ward
-Liam Dillon
What’s been your favourite new restaurant opening of the last year?
Da Terra.
