Cornish Culinary Flair Celebrated at the Mullion Cove Hotel

The Mullion Cove Hotel, Helston was the magical setting for the latest Cornwall meet of The Chefs’ Forum on Monday (13) March. Top chefs from across the county gathered at this stunning costal location for a day of knowledge sharing and a celebration of Cornish culinary flair and produce.

Head Chef Paul Stephens welcomed students from Cornwall College and Truro & Penwith College into his kitchen to prepare and serve canapés showcasing his menu to the celebrated local chefs who attended.  Two Brothers Butchers, Total Produce Cornwall and Kingfisher Brixham sponsored the ingredients for the canapés to showcase fantastic local ingredients available to Cornish chefs.

General Manager, Daniel Thompson proved the perfect host as he told the chefs about the hotel, compered on the microphone throughout the chef demo and laid-on a fabulous Clayzer session for the chefs to relax and enjoy against a dramatic costal background, although it did get quite competitive!

Daniel said:

“It was absolutely delightful to have such a plethora of amazing culinary talent visit us at The Mullion Cove hotel yesterday. Not only was it an extraordinary event for the hotel, but also for The Chefs’ Forum the Cornish hospitality industry – It really is brilliant to be able to bring so many chefs, producers and suppliers together in one place.”

Chef Patron of Austell’s restaurant Brett Camborne-Paynter won the Clayzer competition with a score of 44 points (or clays hit with the laser shotgun), closely followed by Chris Beynon and Anton Buttery with a joint score of 37 points!

To celebrate his victory, Brett Camborne-Paynter won a prize of a bottle of Curio Samphire Gin.

Level 3 student Christian Burrell from Cornwall College really enjoyed his day saying:

“It’s great to get out of college and meet local employers.  I’ve had a great experience today and particularly enjoyed taking part in the Curio cocktail-making competition”.

The Cocktail-making competition was staged by Curio Spirits and it was student Sophie Hooper of Truro & Penwith College who won the competition with her innovative and award-winning ‘Orange Surprise’.

Sophie will enjoy a trip to the Curio distillery, make her own vodka and see her prize-winning cocktail on the drinks menu at Mullion Cove for the next month – She will also win a day’s work experience with Andy Morton, cocktail expert and Bar Manager at The Mullion Cove Hotel.

Cornwall Chefs’ Forum member, Chef Patron Anton Buttery of Langmans Restaurant in Callington said:

“Although rather sore from being robbed of my Clayzer victory, I was delighted to try Sophie’s winning cocktail – It was delicious with a nice taste of thyme on the finish. Another great Chefs’ Forum event for me and I look forward to the next one on the 5th of June at St Ives Harbour Hotel.”

Other highlights of the day included a tutored Curio Spirits tasting by brand ambassador Yohann Thuiller and a fascinating dehydration demo by Paul Stephens showcasing his love for his new dehydration cupboard, bought for him to celebrate his acquisition of his second AA rosette!

Paul showed his peers how he can dehydrate virtually anything to make healthy, raw and preservative free snacks, vegetable treats and beef jerky!

The chefs really enjoyed Paul’s demo and asked lots of questions about this clever method of evaporating moisture and thereby removing the potential for spoilage.

Jobs were offered to students on the day and a great networking event was had by all who attended.

The Chefs’ Forum continues to hold quarterly events in Cornwall, bridging the gap between education and industry.  Any chefs or front of house professionals wishing to attend should contact catherine@redcherry.uk.com

Chefs – Please Attend the Summit to Drive Sustainability in Bristol’s Thriving Food Industry!

Eat Drink Bristol Fashion invites YOU as its guest to come, learn and exchange ideas at a’ Sustainability Summit’ on Wednesday 6^th May.

150 delegates will come together in the conjoined tipis, soon to be erected in Queen Square, to discuss how the food industry can strive to operate more sustainably and position the city as the UK capital of sustainable catering – If you would like to attend, then chefs may do so for FREE by registering your interest with Amelia Twine via the following email address: amelia@eatdrinkbristolfashion.co.uk.

The summit, entitled ‘Building Sustainable Menus’ will see caterers, chefs, restaurateurs, growers, farmers and suppliers gather for the day-long event to hear from industry experts talk about successfully creating a sustainable menu. Chefs’ Forum members are invited to join in with discussions challenges faced by the industry as well as sharing success stories.

The event will be co-hosted by the Field to Fork Foundation (FTFF), a new community interest company set up by the organisers of Eat Drink Bristol Fashion.

Having previously hosted a Sustainable Food Summit at its 2013 Queen Square festival, the Eat Drink Bristol Fashion team have initiated the Field to Fork Foundation to improve sustainability standards in the restaurant and catering trade.

Amelia Twine, co-director, Eat Drink Bristol Fashion commented: “We created the FTFF to realise our vision to make Bristol the UK capital of sustainable catering by 2020. The city’s current title of European Green Capital provides a pivotal opportunity to engage the catering industry and start making some real headway.

“This summit is an opportunity for catering specialists in Bristol and the South West to take the first step and join us on this journey so that this region can lead the way in sustainable best practice.”

The aim is to engage the local restaurant and catering industry on the subject of operating sustainably through a series of events in Bristol and the South West. Each event focuses on one of the many aspects that can help cultivate a ‘field to fork’ ethos in the industry.

The 2015 Summit will focus on three key themes, urban growing, slow meat and waste and will include sessions on Bristol’s good food future with Amy Robinson from Low Carbon South West, ‘What is a Sustainable Menu’ with Tim Maddams from Green Sauce and a panel discussion on direct trade with Barney Haughton, Square Food Foundation, Alice Holden, Growing Communities, Griff Holland, Friska, Luke Hassell, The Story Organic, The Community Farm and Matthew Pennington, The Ethicurean.

Eat Drink Bristol Fashion is a two week pop-up festival tipi village in Queen Square. The main tapas tipi has music and food with a menu designed by Michelin starred chef Josh Eggleton and every night the fine dining tipi will be taken over by different top chefs cooking for 100 people. For the first time this year the weekend will feature an outdoor music stage and local producers market.

Tickets for the fine dining nights are available from www.eatdrinkbristolfashion.com

Control Induction

Control Induction are specialist manufacturers of induction cooking suites.

Offering a range of cost-effective units to suit a variety of different commercial catering needs, the team at Control Induction can offer bespoke buying advice to ensure caterers and operators are choosing the right cooking suites for the right application.

• 30 years of expertise in cutting edge, energy-saving induction equipment
• Improved energy usage boasting impressive energy cost savings
• Precision heating technology for consistent cooking
• Innovative space utilisation for maximum staff efficiency
• Options for under suite built-in appliances, including ovens and refrigeration
• Reduced ventilation requirements
• Improved working environment and safety
• Easy to clean units
• Tailored manufacturing in Kent

Don’t take our word for it, this is what some of our industry’s top chefs have to say about our kit and service:

@chefnick:Love my plancha from @GeoffSnelgrove http://t.co/j7S0bHjOzW

@LumiereChelt @Controlinduction The plancha is the star not me, great piece of kit, wouldn’t be without it!!!

@ChefDanCox: @GeoffSnelgrove @garethchefjones @adschef Nice! It’s an amazing piece of kit

@darrengdwn: @lovesgreatfood @GeoffSnelgrove it has been a game changer, quicker, cleaner, cooler, more versatile. And it all works!

@paulwalshchef: My lovely new stove top @2850restaurant, cheers @Controlinduction

@elliotcafe: Couldn’t have done it without you!

For more information or to speak to the team, call 01622 872821 or visit our website: www.controlinduction.co.uk

Our Cornish Launch Was A Resounding Success!

Academy Nathan Outlaw College Played Host to the Launch of The Chefs’ Forum in Cornwall

Students from the Academy prepared and served canapés for around 50 top chefs from across the County including celebrity chef Anthony Worrall-Thompson.

This was tough audience indeed that was duly ‘wowed’ by outstanding service and excellent food made with locally sourced ingredients:

Total Produce, Cornwall (Bodmin) kindly donated all fresh produce and Celtic Fish & Game (St Ives) donated fish and Rodda’s (Redruth), clotted cream and butter.

It is generous industry sponsorship that facilitates quarterly events organised by The Chefs’ Forum.

The Cornwall launch comes after the creation of a very successful regional model . The Chefs’ Forum works with catering colleges and professional kitchens throughout the South West.
Chefs’ Forum Founder, Catherine Farinha said:

“I was delighted with the level of attendance at the event by some of the best chefs in the region. It is great to see the initiative being so well-received. I really look forward to keeping the momentum going by staging quarterly chef events in Cornwall to showcase the most promising catering and hospitality students, enhance chefs’ skill-sets and share industry knowledge and best-practice”.

Top Cornish Chefs enjoyed a sous-vide demonstration by South West water bath manufacturer Clifton Food Range and a talk on fishing sustainability by Andy Wheeler of The Cornish Fish Producers Organisation. They also gained an insight an into asparagus cultivation by Cornish Grower John Keeler (St Erme).
Stuart Mathieson, Head of Hospitality at Cornwall College is delighted to have hosted the launch of the Chefs Forum in the region. He commented:

“As the largest college for Hospitality training in the county we have always had a strong, and direct, liaison with employers and the link with the Chefs Forum will now make that connection even stronger.

The current rebuild of the Catering complex at the Camborne campus will allow greater possibilities for interaction between employers and students which will have mutual benefits for both. The new development will have a demonstration theatre and new state of the art kitchens which, as a community resource, will be open to all to use.

We look forward to working closely with The Chefs’ Forum to consolidate and strengthen the already high level of catering provision in Cornwall by working directly with employers, students and producers in the region”.

Westcountry Cookbook to launch this Summer

Talented photographer David Griffen has worked tirelessly over the last year to produce a stunning cook book that celebrates not only the South West’s top Chefs, but also the incredible produce we have right here on our doorstep.

Whether because the region’s food scene has, on occasion, been dismissed as provincial, pasties or simply Padstow, or because of its geographical isolation, there’s a special camaraderie amongst the community of cooks in the South West. This book is testament to this collective spirit.

The New West Country Cook Book is a showcase: not of the top names in the business, although it has them; not of expensive or extraordinary ingredients – as the South West can grow, rear or catch them all; but, more, a celebration of the simple beauty and fantastic taste of the best ingredients artfully combined.

With over 250 pages of beautiful photography by David Griffen, this book will make a great present for any Chef or foodie.

A Taste of Success for Family Producers

Pipers Farm a family business run by Peter, Henri and Will Greig has picked up the 2012 ‘Local Food Champion’ award for the UK & Ireland at the Countryside Alliance awards, better known as the Rural Oscars.

In December, the company was named in the Rural Oscars shortlist after winning the title of ‘Local Food’ award for the South West region and this week the Countryside Alliance has confirmed that this multi award winning farm has taken the top spot out of over 5,000 entries.

The Devon based family farm that grows, butchers and retails it’s own meat, has picked up a slew of awards over the years, including BBC Food and Farming producer of the year, The Times Top 10 Butcher, Rick Steins Food Hero and 8 Great Taste awards since 2010 now has one of the most prestigious awards to add to their growing list, a Rural Oscar. The national judging panel included TV cook Clarissa Dickson Wright, the Daily Telegraph’s assistant editor Philip Johnston and writer and Countryside Alliance executive chairman, Sir Barney White Spunner.

Peter Greig of Pipers Farm said “We are absolutely delighted to bring this prestigious award home to Devon. It’s fantastic to be recognised by the countryside alliance who we feel really champion our local community.”

The team at Pipers Farm were particularly impressed with the judges comments “The energy and passion of the Greig family leave you feeling very excited about the future of food and farming – anything is possible here. For 25 years Pipers Farm has been championing not only local food heritage, producing meat that is sensational to eat, but also supporting local family farms that have been the foundations of our rural communities and landscapes for generations. This has resulted in 25 small, family run farms, rearing animals in the same way that their parents and grand-parents would have before them, ensuring that there is a 100% guarantee for Pipers Farm produce.”

The judges went onto say “The passion of this family is inspiring. It is an inclusive and supportive business that reaches out to and supports myriad local suppliers. Not only is the commitment to animal welfare, great taste and the local community paramount, there is also an encouraging glimpse into the future, with young Will bursting with ideas for the business. Pipers is an exceptional blend of heritage, tradition and dynamic enterprise.”

A Chef For All Seasons

Taking the worry out of temporary chef recruitment!

Why are we different?

There is no doubting that the hospitality sector is a people industry. Front or back of house, it doesn’t really matter, people skills count and Ray Brizell of ‘Chef for all Seasons’ has it in spades. The cheery Liverpudlian is as approachable as they come and with his ‘open all hours’ mentality towards his clients, it shows that nothing is too much trouble. Getting a temporary chef at the last minute, thus relieving the pressure, is one such example, as Mr Lundy of Home Farm Hotel, Devon, can testify:
“After e-mailing (Chef for all Seasons) at midnight, I was astonished to receive an immediate reply, followed by a phone call. An excellent relief chef was found without delay. He continues to work for us on an occasional basis to this day and has become an extremely valuable addition to our team at times of high volume and holiday cover. If only all agencies were like this”

Created in 2008, Ray Brizell set up ‘Chef for all Seasons’ because he could see a gap in the market; after spending a large part of his working life in professional kitchens, Ray could visualise the possibilities, and along with his connections in the West country ‘Chef for all Seasons’ started to attract attention. Now five years on, ‘Chef for all Seasons’ has a national presence, supplying local chefs to nearby businesses; reinforcing the right candidate for the job, with local knowledge. The demand for Ray’s services was such that more staff were required. Steve Richards joined Ray at ‘Chef for all Seasons’ in July 2010,  with over thirteen years experience in recruitment.

One of the main things that separates Ray & ‘Chef for all Seasons’ from other temporary chef recruitment agencies, is the way he communicates with chefs. There are no fancy apps etc, but just a simple no nonsense approach. After registration, the chefs may call in but more often than not it’s just a group text when a vacancy is available. Thus ensuring a speedy placement for his clients, who were the first to receive the ‘Chef for all Seasons’ innovative pricing. Ray believes prior to his simple pricing structure, hotels & restaurants were being exploited & chefs not being paid what they should have been. Although some agencies persist with charging clients an hourly rate for their chefs, & paying the chef sometimes only 60% of that fee, Ray does things differently. By charging a flat fee & letting the chef bill directly, Ray’s fee could work out at as little as a pound an hour on top of the chef’s hourly rate; incredible value for money.

Having utilised Facebook for a number of years, ‘Chef for all Seasons’ has recently moved into new territory with a Twitter account (@chef74). Again, Ray’s down to earth personality makes him instantly likeable and interesting chefs, tweeting about: chefs; food; media and his beloved Liverpool football club. Hence the reason award winning chefs such as Adam Grey (Skylon), Matthew Tomkinson (The Montagu Arms) & Eric Snaith (Titchwell Manor) follow him. It is the mantra of doing a simple thing well, coupled with hard work that keeps Ray at the forefront of temporary chef placement.

The Executive chef at Bowood Hotel, Chris Lee, left the following review on the ‘Chef for all Seasons’ Facebook page:

“I have used ‘Chef for all Seasons’ for the last six months and have had exceptional service from Ray. From commis chefs to 2 rosette, the standard has always been good. Ray has a good knowledge of the chefs he uses which helps you get the right chef for the job. I have used other agencies but they do not compare to the service you get from ‘Chef for all Seasons’.”

Again reinforcing the top rate service that Ray & ‘Chef for all Seasons’ provides.

So ultimately you could pick a temporary chef recruitment agency which is interested in the short term game, or you could speak to Ray & ‘Chef for all Seasons’, who is interested in building positive and long lasting relationships. You are guaranteed to get somebody who will listen to you, and make meeting your needs their paramount aim, which will allow ‘Chef for all Seasons’ to partner the right chef with the right job. A winning combination.