Cooking and Coarse Fishing at Old Swan and Minster Mill
Top chefs from the Cotswolds gathered at Old Swan & Minster Mill for a spot of coarse fishing and cookery demos by host chef David Kelman. As a Chefs’ Forum Committee Member, Kelman has always been instrumental in binding together top chefs from across the Cotswolds and Bath area and ensuring opportunity is offered to the next generation in welcoming young chefs and front of house professionals into his kitchen.
Students from Gloucestershire College and City of Oxford College attended in force, which bode very well as they have now finished for the summer. When young people put themselves forward to attend industry events like this one in their own time, the employers and The Chefs’ Forum management team can’t help but be impressed.
The day began with students and teaching staff meeting at the 18th century mill for a briefing by David on the tasks that lay ahead. The first activity on the agenda however, was to harvest 200 crayfish from the River Windrush that borders the hotel’s stunningly manicured gardens.
Gloucestershire College is home to the second Chefs’ Forum Academy. First launched at Weston College in September 2016, Gloucestershire College came on board in January 2017. The initiative sees top chefs from all over the country come into the college to teach various specialisms on a weekly basis, from foraging to game cookery, pastry to menu planning and development. Today’s event was an extension of this, where the students got to visit and work with David in his work environment. Events like this are great to reassure students that although often very grand, venues like the Mill offer fantastic career opportunities to students and that, if they work hard enough, they have every chance of securing a job at such a venue.
Mark Hyde-Catton, Chef Lecturer at Gloucestershire College said:
“Since the launch of The Chefs’ Forum Academy at the college, it has been noticeable how much more engaged and enthusiastic students are about their course. They have nothing but positive feedback about the master classes and opportunities it opens up for them, including securing work experience with high profile employers. I am delighted to say that the students chase me for the next opportunity or details of forthcoming Chefs’ Forum events, gone are the days when lecturing staff have to badger them to attend things”.
He continued
“This year, we are running the new City & Guilds Level 3 Technical diplomas in professional cookery 6100, which requires employer engagement as a crucial element to students achieving the qualification. The Academy offers staff and students the opportunity to fulfil course criteria with minimum stress and without the need to send students off on block work experience”.
Offering accommodation to work experience candidates, The Old Swan is an attractive option for students when considering their options to enrich their learning to become industry-ready.
Beverley Molmans, Regional General Manager at Brownsword Hotels stated:
“Holding events like this here at the Mill really galvanise our links with local catering colleges. It was great to see so many students attending from Gloucestershire and City of Oxford Colleges and I would welcome work experience applications from both. It was great to see David mentoring the kitchen students and I was very impressed with the level of professionalism displayed by the front of house students. I look forward to working with The Chefs’ Forum on future events to further-build on the relationship between Brownsword Hotels and local catering colleges”.
David echoed Beverley’s comments in expressing how impressed he was by the students’ attitude and willingness to get involved in the day.
“It was brilliant to see the students working so efficiently and in groups to create the canapés, harvest the crayfish and assist with the BBQ today. I was overwhelmed with the number of students who attended in their own time, which is a great sign for the future of the industry. I saw some really strong students today and would be delighted to welcome them back into my kitchen in the future”.
Other highlights of the day included a fantastic butchery demonstration by Jack cook of Walter Rose & Son, where Jack showcased various beef steak cuts including rump, sirloin, tomahawk and spider steak. Jack also showcased ways in which off-cuts can be used for other dishes. The Butcher’s Shop of the Year winner 2016 is a major ally of top chefs across the country supplying optimum quality meat and expert advice to chefs as standard.
Jack’s choice cuts were then cooked in a glorious BBQ showcasing the Windrush crayfish and trout on the Rexmartins outdoor modular kitchen. The Chefs’ Forum team then served the delicious morsels to chefs as they received a masterclass in coarse fishing by Stuart Daniels, keen fisherman and also a chef at The Old Swan.
To round off th
e day, Beverly and the team at The Old Swan and Minster Mill kindly laid-on a complimentary ice cream van to serve delicious ice cream to the chefs and students along with stunning afternoon canapés that had been prepared by David and the students in the morning – A perfect end to a very inspiring day!
Photography by: www.andrewplantphotography.com
The Chefs’ Forum had Cause for Celebration at Avery’s Wine Cellars!
Monday (3) July saw the summer Chefs’ Forum gathering celebrated in style at the fabulous Avery’s wine cellars. Perhaps, one of Bristol’s best kept secrets, the perfectly preserved subterraneous cavernous brick cellar, complete with huge wooden barrels, lends itself as the perfect event space and a real draw for Bristol’s hospitality ‘who’s who’.
Mimi Avery, fifth generation wine merchant (the clue’s in the surname) kindly offered to host this quarter’s epic industry event, inviting two top chefs to pair their signature dishes and canapés to carefully selected wines from Avery’s own cava and vast range of fine wines, available to buy in Avery’s well-stocked shop and for delivery to trade across Bristol and beyond.
Chefs’ Forum Founder, Catherine Farinha and Mimi Avery opened the event, telling chefs about the history of the Avery’s brand and cellars. Mimi and her team expertly-matched wines to the food that was to wow the chefs who attended. She said:
“It’s great to be working with The Chefs’ Forum to encourage chefs and students to think carefully about pairing their food with less well-known wines to create an element of intrigue to menus, taking full advantage of their well-developed, expert palates. Today was all about showcasing wines that are a bit different that chefs haven’t previously thought about, like an Argentinian Torrontes that is similar to a French Gerwurztraminer, with which they may be more familiar. Intelligent food and wine-matching also increases spend per guest and ultimately profit.”
Avery’s offer a complete range of wine courses at the cellars, where industry professionals can hone their wine knowledge and gain qualifications.
Front of house learner, Phoebe James of The Duke of Cumberland, Nr Radstock relished the opportunity to perfect her wine knowledge and serve the delicious morsels to the some fifty industry experts who attended. This gave HIT Training the opportunity to showcase the quality of their teaching assessors and learners – A great option for employers to train staff on the job with very little off-site learning, enhancing the skills of their work force.
Alan Jones, Executive chef at Clevedon Hall produced some mouth-watering canapés, with the help of Mike Sharp, an Assessor from HIT Training, one of the Chefs’ Forum’s national sponsors and market-leaders in work based learning.
Alan demonstrated a fabulous fish dish of Fennel poached wild sea trout with jersey royal potatoes,English peas, broad beans, asparagus, samphire and crab veloute, paired with a Puydeval Blanc 2014, Domaine Puydeval from Avery’s Cellars.
Alan said:
“Having worked very closely with a local college over the past year, sadly with mixed experiences, I have decided to undertake the next level of my apprentice’s training with HIT Training as I was very impressed with Angelo Moore and the team yesterday. Work-based learning seems a great option for me as I can help bring my learners onto the next level, whilst keeping them in the business full time and enjoying regular contact with assessors and the training provider”
Executive Chef, Elisabeth Giulienne of The Lazy Dog (Bristol) created some Spanish delicacies in beautiful canapés showcasing Degusta Spanish ingredients. She also demonstrated the fantastic Taurus MyCook in her dish of potato pancakes with onion and crispy bacon.
Elisabeth said:
“It was great to see so many industry people attending today and enjoying my food. I loved working with Alan and invited my 16 year old son, Nagual to join me in the kitchen with the HIT Training team – He did a great job! Huge thanks to Arthur David, Walter Rose and Degusta for supplying such fabulous ingredients. It was great to showcase the Taurus to fellow chefs too – I first used it in Spanish Masterchef as a contestant”.
The Chefs’ Forum holds four events per year in the Bristol area and would welcome local chefs and industry suppliers to get involved. A great day was had by all at Avery’s yesterday, binding together the Bristol hospitality industry, whilst providing a great opportunity to network and share knowledge.
Photography by: www.fayditphotography.com
Fish, Fish, Fish! at Brixham Market with Top Devon Chefs
Brilliant summer sunshine kissed The Chefs’ Forum’s latest Devon event, this time held at Brixham Fish Market. Budding young chefs from HIT Training got the opportunity to cook with International Restaurant Consultant, Peter Gorton and Pattard Kitchen Chef Owner, Bjorn Moen as well as talk to skippers about life at sea. Top chefs from across Devon learnt about commercial scallop fishing and life at the fish market from boat to buyer!
This event celebrated collaboration between industry networking organisation The Chefs’ Forum and Kingfisher Brixham with a common purpose to teach chefs and hospitality students about where the fish they use in their everyday profession comes from and factors facilitating its availability.
Gary Goddard, Sales Director at Kingfisher Brixham said:
“The event at Brixham Fish Market was something that we as a business loved to be a part of. We at Kingfisher Brixham understand the value of having access to one of the UK’s top fishing ports, which fortunately is on our doorstep. Brixham Fish Market gives our business the ability to supply the catering community with the diversity and quality that they expect, while also utilising the capabilities of the industry professionals for their knowledge and expertise. Additionally, witnessing the variety of catering personnel at the event also demonstrated the ability to bring both industries together, without each other long-term collaborative partnerships cannot happen. Great location, fantastic produce, with excellent professionals bringing everything together”.
Peter Gorton, Committee Member at The Chefs’ Forum said:
“These events are all about the chefs and what they want to learn to continually develop their knowledge and skills. Today, it’s all about fish and it’s great to be here in Brixham at the fish market. The young chefs from HIT Training have been excellent today and have showed real professionalism and talent. I urge chefs to contact The Chefs’ Forum and let them know other subjects and specialism they would like to know more about”.
Peter then asked the visiting chefs on the floor and some great suggestions were put forward, from sugar work to molecular gastronomy and everything in between – Plenty of food for thought!
Barry Young of Brixham Trawler Agents stated: “It was great to be able to host The Chefs’ Forum here at the fish market, the market 
was transformed into a kitchen for the day and the HIT Training learners worked with the top chefs to brilliantly showcase Brixham market fish in producing some excellent canapés. We are very pleased that so many chefs throughout the country praise Westcountry fish and it was great to have our local chefs celebrating the wonderful produce we have on our doorstep”.
He continued Inviting the chefs and students to the market was a great way to show them where the fish comes from and a great opportunity to talk to Drew McCloud, skipper of scallop/beam trawler Vanduick BM362, featured on ‘Fish Town’, a televised documentary on Sky Atlantic”.
Bjorn Moen performed a fantastic cookery demo of cured mackerel, then judged a fish filleting competition with the HIT Training learners. Zoltan Sipos won the student competition which secured him a ‘money can’t buy experience’ of a day shadowing Bjorn in his kitchen.
Bjorn said:
“I have really enjoyed working with Peter Gorton and the HIT Training learners today. It has also been a great chance to showcase my food which is greatly influenced by my Scandinavian heritage. I fully opened Pattard Kitchen in April 2017 and it has been non-stop since then! I am very much looking forward to welcoming Zoltan into my kitchen for an experiential day where I can share knowledge with him. He proved himself to be a talented chef in winning the filleting competition”.
The day was rounded off with a fabulous fish BBQ cooked on the Rex Martins modular Al Fresco Kitchen.
Photography by: www.fayditphotography.com
Dorset and Hampshire Chefs learn Butchery, Grill and Chill at Rhinefield House
Top chefs from across Dorset and Hampshire came together to enjoy an afternoon of cookery demonstrations, networking and Clayzer at Rhinefield House, Brockenhurst on Monday (June 19). The event was kissed with glorious sunshine and took place within wildlife-abundant utopia that is The New Forest.
The event gave chefs the chance to network in a peaceful rural location and meet leading suppliers whilst showcasing HIT Training learners currently on work based training programmes at Rhinefield House – A national account for HIT The visiting chefs were treated to a delicious canapé and fizz reception where Executive Chef Byron Hayter and his team of HIT Training learners showcased produce from Chefs’ Forum Sponsors Walter Rose & Sons, Total Produce and Kingfisher Brixham in mouth-watering canapés.
Executive Chef Byron Hayter has been using HIT Training in both his previous role at Eastwell Manor and now at Rhinefied House, part of the Handpicked Hotel Collection CDP Ionut Negrei joined Byron on the demo stage to cook a duo of delicious dishes showcasing Kingfisher Brixham Scallops, Turbot and Walter Rose Pig Cheeks. Byron and Ionut brilliantly executed a dish of Scallops with pomegranate and cauliflower, then Pigs cheek with turbot, beetroot and shallot in front of an audience of forty top chefs who attended.
Byron said:
“I have been using HIT Training for three or four years now and I am very happy with the level of service and support they give my team. Work-based learning enables my brigade to improve and hone their skills on the job, helping me to achieve a well-trained, competent team that is a valuable asset to my kitchen. I had a very proud moment today seeing how confident my HIT learner and CDP Ionut was on the demo stage, managing the surf and turf BBQ on the alfresco kitchen – It was great to see all his hard work paying off. Ionut started his training with HIT and I at Eastwell Manor and has continued with us both, here at Rhinefield – A real success story!”
This was followed by a presentation on beef butchery by Jack Cook of Walter Rose & Sons showing how to cut different steaks and utilise all hindquarter meat from the rib to the rump of the cow.
The fantastic array of steaks: Chateaubriand, bavette, spider, fillet, rump, rump tail, picanha and ribeye all made their way onto the shiny new Rexmartins alfresco modular kitchen where they joined beautiful king prawns , sea bream and sea bass from Kingfisher Brixham. The chefs enjoyed a well-deserved surf and turf BBQ on their day off!
Forth generation, expert butcher Jack Cook said:
“I really enjoy giving butchery demonstrations at Chefs’ Forum events. I have received very positive feedback from chefs here today. It is great to be able to show chefs how to minimise waste and maximise profits through learning butchery and encouraging them to try their hand at it. Chefs are always welcome to visit us in Devizes, free of charge to enhance their skill set and watch our expert team at work. I would encourage any chefs wishing to further their butchery skills to contact The Chefs’ Forum to arrange a day with us.”
The event ended by giving guests the chance to show off their shooting skills by taking part in a game of Clazer shooting with a prize awarded to the chef with highest number of points. The winning chef was Ashley Randle of The George Hotel in Yarmouth on the Isle of White who won a day of butchery with Walter Rose & Sons at the cutting plant in Devizes, Wiltshire.
Catherine Farinha said: “It was great to see Ionut, the HIT learner leading the cookery demo at Rhinefield House today. The Chefs’ Forum is all about showcasing the skills of the next generation of chefs and I think everyone would agree that today’s demo did just that. Highlights of today were the briliant beef butchery from Walter Rose and the fabulous BBQ on the Rexmartins outdoor kitchen – It’s great to introduce professional chefs to top suppliers and showcase advanced culinary and butchery skills from the very best in the business. I would like to thank everyone for coming today, and especially our sponsors without whom these events would not be possible.”
Top Cornish Chefs & Students Gather at The St Ives Harbour Hotel for the ‘Cornish Summer Cheftival’
St Ives Harbour Hotel hosted a Cornish Summer Cheftival that saw over 40 top chefs from across the county gather to celebrate the finest Cornish produce and culinary flair. Catering and hospitality students from Cornwall College and Truro & Penwith College joined Head Chef Anthony Hinds and his team to create a selection of delicious canapes and serve them to the industry experts who attended.
Mark Devonshire, chef lecturer at Cornwall College spoke of his overwhelming pride in his students, he said:
“It is amazing to watch the development of our students throughout the course of their studies. We do our best to nurture them and help them grow their confidence, and be the best they can possibly be. I am very impressed with their performance today – A proud moment for me as their mentor”.
Head Chef Anthony was very pleased with the way students from both colleges pitched in and helped from the moment they arrived. He said:
“The students coped very well with all the tasks set and produced some excellent food as a result. In this industry if you get your head down and work hard you will do very well, and I’m sure these students have a bright future ahead of them”.
General Manager, Peter Holgate welcomed the chefs to the hotel, and as an ex-student of Cornwall College himself felt the day was a great success, binding together the Cornish hospitality sector.
Highlights of the day included a cookery demo by Anthony and his Chef de Partie Rosie Stone, also an ex-student of Cornwall College. They joined forces to showcase their deconstructed fish and chip dish: scallop, pea purée and game chips.
Darren Whelan of Kingfisher Brixham then gave a masterclass on filleting various round and flat fish including gurnard, plaice and sea bass. The chefs and students learnt some excellent filleting tips to minimise wastage and maximise profitability.
VRQ student, Kelynen Hedges (17), of Cornwall College impressed judges Darren Whelan and Anton Buttery of Langmans Restaurant with her mackerel filleting skills. She won herself a fantastic prize of a Flint & Flame Santkou knife, kindly donated by Adande Refrigeration.
The first thing Kelynen said on entering the competiton was:
“I’ll enter the competition, but I’ll never win it”.
She ended up beating three of her peers and bagging herself a wonderful prize. This just exemplifies the fantastic confidence-building opportunities afforded to students by The Chefs’ Forum at its quarterly events.
Kelynen greatly impressed Chef de Partie Rosie Stone and Head Chef Anthony who would like to explore the possibility of her joining their team on a more permanent basis.
Brindisa Spanish fine food and Sharp’s beer proved perfect bedfellows in a beer and food pairing session, a real treat for the chefs on their day off. If that wasn’t enough, expert butcher Gavin Roberts of Two Brothers Foods joined forces with BBQ aficionado Phil Oakes of The Griffin Inn (Newquay) to lay-on a fabulous ‘surf and turf’ BBQ, showcasing the finest cuts of Cornish beef, Kernow sausages and Kingfisher Brixham monkfish and prawns. Total Produce supplied delicious sweetcorn and Tregassow asparagus as the perfect accompaniment.
The chefs gave nothing but positive feedback on the day, and said that they greatly enjoyed the skilful demos, whilst supporting the next generation of chefs.
Many of the students who attended received fantastic job opportunities and an abundance of work experience opportunities – An inspiring and successful day was had by all.
Photography by www.fayditphotography.com
Kent Chefs Chill Alfresco at Crown Lodge!
Top chefs from across Kent came together to enjoy an afternoon of cookery demonstrations, networking and Clayzer at the latest meeting of The Chefs’ Forum on Monday (May 22). The event was blessed with glorious sunshine against a breathtakingly beautiful backdrop, overlooking the Wye Downs.
Held at Crown Lodge, near Ashford, the event gave the county’s culinary talent the chance to network in a peaceful rural location and meet leading suppliers whilst giving learners from East Kent College the opportunity to work in a professional kitchen with renowned Aussie chef Graham Green.
The visiting chefs were treated to a delicious canapé and beer reception where Graham showcased produce from Chefs’ Forum Sponsors Walter Rose & Sons, Wellocks and Brindisa in mouth-watering canapés, savoury and sweet:
- Chorizo stuffed dates wrapped in serrano ham
- Mini kangaroo tarts with cracked pepper mayonnaise
- Slow cooked pork belly with grilled scallop & chutney sauce
- Porcini mushroom & morcilla arancini
- Smoked duck wrapped around wine poached pear
- Mini buttermilk pannacotta with tuilles
- Rich chocolate mudballs
- Gin & tonic jelly shots
- Salted caramel cheesecake
No stranger to the demo circuit back in Australia, Graham came into his own as he introduced the Kentish chefs to kangaroo meat which was extremely well-received. Comments received from the expert palates were that its flavour is a cross between venison, beef and buffalo meat. It was said to have a wonderful gamey taste that adds a lot of flavour without being overpowering.
The kangaroo industry is tightly regulated by the Australian Government’s Primary Industries and the Australian Quarantine Inspection Services (AQIS). Kangaroo is one of the most sustainable, lean and delicious meats that Australia produces. Kangaroo is a 100% natural lean meat that is sustainably and ethically sourced from the open ranges of Australia.
Graham celebrated this fantastic free range meat in performing kangaroo wrapped in parma ham, eggpla
nt puree, choi sum and kangaroo jus.
Well-known Kentish caterer Graham Green came to Kent to retire in 2008. His plan to do a ‘bit of relief cheffing’ didn’t really work out and he ended up joining forces with the team from Chives Catering.
Chives catering is long-term family business cares about what it does, commercial events, family occasions, weddings, themed events and bespoke catering solutions.
Graham said: “It was a pleasure to have these young people working in my kitchen, all of whom showed great potential. The food that they produced was excellent and I am proud to say that it came from my kitchen.”
Rafael Rios Perez and Katy Kiteley from Brindisa fine Spanish Foods conducted a tasting of some wonderful Spanish delicacies including paprika and smoked Catalan almonds, young and aged manchego cheeses, cow’s milk Mahon cheese from Mallorca and iberico ballota cured morcilla and rather delicious sparkling wine crisps.
This was followed by a presentatio
n on beef butchery by Jack Cook of Walter Rose & Sons showing how to cut different steaks from the rib to the rump of the cow.
Two huge freshly-butchered beef rib steaks, complete with bone then made their way onto the shiny new Rexmartins alfresco modular kitchen where they joined beautiful boned-out quail, lamb and duck. The chefs then enjoyed a well-deserved beer and meat BBQ on their day off!
The event ended by giving guests the chance to show off their shooting skills by taking part in a game of Clazer shooting with a prize awarded to the chef with highest number of points. The winning chef was Patrick Simon from Rocksalt Restaurant (Folkstone), who won a day of butchery with Walter Rose & Sons at their cutting plant in Devizes, Wiltshire.
Catherine Farinha said: “It is great to hear such a great deal of positive feedback on the work of the East Kent College students here at Crown Lodge today. The Chefs’ Forum is all about giving opportunities to the next generation of chefs and I think everyone would agree that today was a great opportunity for them. Highlights of today were the comedy beef butchery from Walter Rose and the fabulous BBQ on the Rexmartins outdoor kitchen – It’s great to introduce professional chefs to top suppliers and showcase advanced culinary and butchery skills from the very best in the business. I would like to thank everyone for coming today, and especially our sponsors without whom these events would not be possible.”
Roux Scholar Inspires Young Chefs
On Monday (15) May, Chef Patron Andrew Jones (Chamberlains of London) , winner of the Roux Scholarship 2004 worked with young chefs at Hammersmith & Fulham College to host The Chefs’ Forum. Top hospitality employers from across London attended and offers of apprenticeships and work experience were secured on the back of the industry event.
Top London chefs and food industry people congregated in Taste Restaurant on campus for a day of cookery demonstrations, networking and all things ‘chef’ with a chance to meet young hospitality students from Hammersmith & Fulham college in their quest to show off their skills and secure summer work placements.
Andrew kindly took time out of his busy schedule to mentor young chefs from Hammersmith & Fulham College. The students assisted Andrew in the preparation and service of fantastic canapés including panko crumbed smoked eel fingers with horse radish dip, seared tuna with sesame rice roll, darling smoked mackerel with apple, smoked salmon tartare, chilli squid and strawberry doughnuts, for the fifty top chefs, prestigious employers and College VIPs in attendance. The students displayed great aptitude and professionalism, a real credit to their college.
Founded in 2010 by Catherine Farinha, The Chefs’ Forum now holds regular chefs conventions from London to The Cotswolds, Cornwall and Kent. Its eighth London event was very well received by all involved and Denise Charles, Curriculum Manager proved an excellent host!
Denise said:
“Hosting The Chefs’ Forum was a fantastic event for the College and it was a real pleasure to have the chance to give our students access to such a wide range of industry professionals. The College is making big investments into hospitality through the Southall Manor House project so being able to meet and discuss opportunities with companies like Harrods and Hilton Hotels was a wonderful experience. I was delighted for Maliece to receive her trial with Chamberlain’s, and to watch our students rise to the challenge of working with an industry leading chef.”
Andrew Jones trained with Michel Bras in Laguiole and is now Chef Patron at Chamberlains, Leaderhall Market. Andrew was so impressed by one particular student, Maliece Thomas Payne (18), a level three catering student that he offered her a trial shift at Chamberlains of London.
Andrew said:
“It took me three attempts to win the Roux Scholarship and I would advise any young chef to have a go. The Roux Scholarship offers life-changing opportunity and experience in a three-Michelin-starred restaurant. Being here at the college takes me back to when I was training and I have been really impressed with the standard of the students work today, their positivity and willingness to get on with the job. I am looking forward to welcoming Maliece into my kitchen at Chamberlains as a result of excellent performance in her college kitchen and as my Commis Chef on The Chefs’ Forum demo stage today. She was first in the kitchen this morning which is always a good sign. She had a positive attitude and was a pleasure to work with.”
Maliece said:
“This has been an amazing experience – to work with Andrew in our college kitchen has really encouraged me, I have loved working with fish today as I haven’t done so much to date and have really appreciated being part of this amazing event. I can’t wait for my trial shift at Chamberlains. Andrew was very inspirational and it was fascinating to see how many things he could do at once”.
The finest ingredients for the canapés and demos were donated by The Chefs’ Forum Sponsors Walter Rose & Son, First Choice Produce, Chamberlains & Thelwell and Koppert Cress.
Other highlights of the day included a brilliant demonstration of Nestle Chef stocks by Development Chef Roger Rahaman, a Koppert Cress mini ‘cressperience’ with Paul Da Costa Greaves, a Valrhona Chocolate tasting session with Stephanie Perrot and a beef butchery masterclass and steak cutting students completion with Jack Cook of Walter Rose & Son butchers.
The steak-cutting competition was won by Augustinas Kirijanovas (17) who won a fantastic Flint and Flame Santoku Knife, kindly donated by The Chefs’ Forum sponsor Adande refrigeration and presented by its London representative, Matt Fewins.
Augustinas ‘JJ’ Kirijanovas, Level 1 Culinary Skills Student said:
“The event was very satisfying because I got to talk to several chefs who all taught me different things. It really helped me with my prospects for the future.
“I was a bit nervous standing in front of everyone for the butchery competition, but it was such an amazing moment when I realised I’d won and that the knife was actually for me. This is my first proper knife, and I will always remember winning it.
“After College I plan to travel and learn about as many different cuisines as possible before hopefully making it in a Michelin -starred restaurant”.
Catherine Farinha, The Chefs’ Forum Founder said:
“It’s been a thoroughly inspiring day – one of the most successful events we’ve held in London to date – This is our eighth London event having launched at Westminster Kingsway College in May 2014. The Chefs’ Forum is going from strength to strength seeing 34 quarterly events staged per year in London, Birmingham, Wales, Kent, The Cotswolds, Bath, Bristol, Devon, Dorset and Cornwall, I would urge chefs across the UK to get involved in this extremely positive industry organisation that oils the wheels of communication across the various elements of the industry: Education, professional kitchens and top suppliers”.
This event was above all, a testament to Denise Charles and her teaching team and the talented students at Hammersmith & Fulham College. The next London event will take place this July, where chefs will enjoy more inspirational cookery demonstrations from top chefs and suppliers. The Chefs’ Forum would love to hear from London Chefs wishing to attend and support future events.
Photography by: www.fayditphotography.com
Top Welsh Chefs and Catering Students Enjoy a Michelin-starred Masterclass on Penarth Seafront!
On Monday (24) April, Michelin-starred chef James Sommerin welcomed top Welsh Chefs and catering students from Cardiff & Vale College into his impressive restaurant, situated on Penarth seafront. The Chefs’ Forum event was staged to showcase James’ culinary flair and skill that has acquired him three AA Rosettes, an impressive Good Food Guide ranking (24) and most recently a Michelin Star!
Restaurant James Sommerin boasts nine luxury bedrooms making it a seriously fabulous destination to celebrate any special day or event. Its formal, yet relaxed atmosphere enables guests to enjoy the wow-factor of an intricate fine-dining experience, without being pretentious in any way. James’ hands-on approach is impressive in heading-up and brilliantly coordinating every element of the Michelin-starred dining experience: from Executive Chef and Maitre d’ to table lay-up and reservations.
Catherine Farinha, event organiser and Founder of The Chefs’ Forum stated:
“James’ versatile, personable and expert skill set made him the ideal mentor for the day in inspiring the young chefs who put themselves forward to help out with The Chefs’ Forum event on their day off. The students’ enthusiastic attitude was duly noted by James and the industry guests who attended. The students gave an excellent impression of themselves and in representing their college. We are proud to work with James Sommerin and Cardiff and Vale College in bringing the Welsh culinary industry together.”
Twelve students from Cardiff and Vale College arrived on the day to help prepare canapés and set up the event for sixty culinary experts from across Wales who came to get a glimpse of James’ award-winning set-up and deliciously impeccable, well-thought-out food.
James was very impressed with the college students, he said:
“The students tried really hard today and coped well with some complex tasks given to them. It was clear that they were inspired and that was great to see. I would be more than happy to consider applications from students at Cardiff and Vale based on today’s performance.”
Joyce Harvey, Chef Lecturer at Cardiff and Vale College echoed James’ observations saying:
“Today’s Chefs’ Forum event was an excellent opportunity for our students to experience working in a Michelin-starred kitchen and front of house environment. They thoroughly enjoyed preparing canapés and serving a selection of wines to some of Wales’ best chefs. They were able to showcase their skills learned in college in a realistic environment and it was fantastic to see offers of stages and trial shifts being offered to students by industry guests who attended – The students will now be supported in following these up.”
Sean Willis of Douglas Willis butchers sponsors The Chefs’ Forum and supplies James with top quality Welsh meat served in his restaurant. A good relationship between butcher and chef is crucial in maintaining Michelin-starred standards and consistency and it was lovely to see this perfect partnership in action as James and Sean embarked on a ‘Lamb-off’ in an entertaining, yet highly skilled butchery masterclass. Sean then set two catering students the challenge of French-trimming a rack of lamb.
Catering and Hospitality student Meg Harris (17) won the competition and a fantastic leather knife roll worth £145 which was donated by Chefs Locker. James was very impressed with Meg and has also invited her to come back and undertake a ‘stage’ with him at the restaurant with a view to a more permanent arrangement.
Meg said:
“I really enjoyed my time and experience here today, especially working with James Sommerin. It was great to learn new techniques, flavours and textures in a Michelin-starred kitchen. I was delighted to win the butchery competition and needed a knife roll so it was fantastic to win one!”
Other highlights of the day included a duo of Michelin-starred cookery demonstrations by James; the first utilising the freshly butchered lamb – Loin and breast of lamb, broad beans, turnip and tarragon and the second, strawberries, white chocolate and vanilla, where guests were wowed with the use of balloons and liquid nitrogen – A real show and a delight to watch the master at work!
The day finished with delectable petit fours made by James and the students and a great day was had by all who attended. The Chefs’ Forum continues to hold quarterly events in Wales and is looking forward to the next event to be held at Celtic Manor on the 24th July and our autumn event with Indian culinary ‘superhero’ chef Stephen Gomes on the 30th October at Moksh, Cardiff Bay. Any chefs wishing to attend or get involved should contact catherine@redcherry.uk.com
Photography by www.fayditphotography.com
The Chefs’ Forum Learns Indian Gastronomy at The Mint Room in Bath
The Mint Room Bath was the venue for the latest Chefs’ Forum event which saw a celebration of Indian gastronomy led by Executive Chef Soyful Alom. The first impression of Soyful’s food was of vibrancy and culinary excellence as he showcased his menu, developed with Michelin-starred chef Hrishkesh Desai (Gilpin Hotel & Lake House).
Ever since its launch in 2012, The Mint Room Bath has been a much-talked-about foodie destination as Soyful offers diners ‘a culinary tour of India without a visa!’ The restaurant is very stylish and the food very modern, which has earned the restaurant a Michelin mention.
Soyful invited students from Bath College and Gloucestershire College into his kitchen to prepare Indian canapés for some seventy-odd industry professionals that were to fill this glitzy venue at midday.
Soyful said
“I didn’t realise that the students would be so fascinated by Indian cuisine. I was very impressed with their existing knowledge of flavours and spice combinations, their enthusiasm and willingness to learn was really pleasing.”
Soyful, inspired by his mother’s cooking has been cooking for over 20 years. He really enjoyed working with Hrishkesh to perfect his menu, which certainly proved a real hit with the culinary experts and students alike.
Bridget Halford, Head of hospitality at Bath College said
“It has been really inspirational for our students to work with a group of professional Asian chefs, for many it is their first attempt at cooking authentic, fine dining Indian cuisine and experimenting with such intense and rich flavour.”
Jack cook from Walter Rose butchered a whole lamb showcasing prime cuts of lamb and making use of the whole carcass, minimising wastage and maximising profit. He then jointed a peeking duck, again showing the chefs how to use the whole bird inspiring menu ideas.
Another highlight of the day was Bristol-based Averys wine merchants leading a fascinating and insightful wine and food pairing session. Professional oenophile, Averys Frank Mason teamed up with Abigail Lawley of Brindisa to present three delicious Spanish wines, married with three sublime Spanish cheeses.
The visiting chefs and students relished the chance to have a glimpse of complex Indian cooking techniques, handed down from generation to generation. Soyful performed an excellent cookery demo of Tawa Duck, a roast duck dish with a korma base and Indian spices, one of the most popular dishes on his menu.
Gloucestershire College student Linzi Moulder (18) very much enjoyed her Indian cookery experience, she said
“Working at The Mint Room Today under Soyful and his team has been different and very inspirational. I am really enjoying The Chefs’ Forum Academy sessions at my college, it is great to learn different cooking techniques and skills from local chefs in the surrounding area.”
Soyful’s mentoring also included a samosa making competition in which Bath College student Kyle Lucas (17) won a fantastic ‘Chefs Life’ T-shirt donated by Chefs Locker.
Kyle said
“I am really excited to have won a day in the kitchen with Soyful. Having worked as a waiter in a local Indian restaurant, I am no stranger to Indian cuisine. Today’s event however has inspired me to experiment further in the kitchen, actually cooking Indian food, I am really chuffed to have won the competition today.”
The Chefs’ Forum holds quarterly events in the Bath & Cotswolds area and thirty six chef events per year nationally. Any chefs wishing to get involved should contact catherine@redcherry.uk.com
Photography by www.fayditphotography.com
Bristol Harbour Hotel Hosts The Chefs’ Forum’s Fabulous Fish Event!
The Chefs’ Forum went back to its roots in holding this quarter’s Bristol Chefs’ Forum event in the heart of the City of Bristol, where it first launched in 2011. The Bristol Harbour Hotel is Bristol’s newest and most impressive events space and its opulent Sansovino Hall proved the perfect venue for the prolific culinary gathering.
‘Fabulous fish in the banking hall’ was the title of the event, but this didn’t really do it justice. Once the former banking hall of the Lloyds Bank building, this venue has, until now, been one of Bristol’s best kept secrets. The Sansovino Hall hosts a magnificent skylight with an intricately painted ceiling and can seat up to 300 guests for a diverse range of occasions. The hall, inspired by Sansovino’s 16th century library of St Mark in the Piazzatta at Venice, provided a grandioso back-drop for The Chefs’ Forum Demo Stage which made an outing to maximise on such an amazing venue.
Headline sponsors, Bristol Audi provided a beautiful electric blue Audi Q2 to mark the Corn Street entrance to The Chefs’ Forum in the grand hall, perfectly matching the ‘blue carpet’ leading into the event. The day started with an hour of networking, where chefs and employers got to compare notes and discuss their individual requirements and current industry topics.
Head Chef Christian Wragg worked with HIT Training learners and City of Bristol College students to produce delicious canapés showcasing The Chefs’ Forum sponsors’ ingredients and his delicious menu at the Jetty Restaurant. All ingredients were donated by The Chefs’ Forum sponsors Arthur David, Walter Rose Butchers, Kingfisher Brixham, Koppert Cress and Castell Howell.
The Chefs’ Forum Founder Catherine Farinha welcomed guests to the event and said:
“It is brilliant to be back in Bristol once again, where The Chefs’ Forum began six years ago. Since then, we have grown to hold 36 events a year in nine areas, from Birmingham to Cornwall, Wales to Kent and London. It is great to see so many faces old and new and we are truly grateful for the on-going support offered by the great chefs of Bristol, celebrating such a vibrant and diverse food scene in the newly-crowned Sunday Times Newspaper’s best Place to Live!”
First up to the purpose-built Chefs’ Forum demo stage was Kingfisher Brixham’s Darren Whelan who silenced the room with a series of high-speed, high-yield fish filleting demos. The chefs looked on in awe as he annihilated a flatfish, turned a gurnard inside-out and filleted a ginormous salmon in seconds!
This preceded a mackerel-filleting competition for the students which saw level one student Fenton Partridge (City of Bristol College) pip HIT Training learner to the winning post by a pin bone; Fenton produced some great boneless fillets and bagged himself a fabulous Sakai Takayuki Japanese paring knife, kindly donated by Chefs Locker which he vowed to look after and treasure for life!
Christian performed a cookery demo showcasing his signature octopus starter and talked the chefs through sousvide cookery and the advantages of using frozen octopus over fresh for this type of fish. Christian talked chefs through the prepping, seasoning and vac-packing of the octopus, prior to its submersion in the Clifton Food Range water bath for six hours. He then produced one he made earlier and finished it in the pan on Locher Induction provided by 
Cusinequip.
Christian said:
“It is great to welcome the Bristol chef scene to Bristol’s newest event venue. I have very much enjoyed working with the students from HIT Training and City of Bristol College. I am proud to showcase my sousvide octopus dish, one of our signature starter dishes on the Jetty Bites menu. I look forward to welcoming the chefs back to eat with us and students for work experience very soon!”
Christian then plated the dish for the guests to try.
Next on the demo stage was Convotherm’s development chef Keith Howland. Keith gathered various quality ingredients from the top quality suppliers around the room to produce a sumptuous hake dish with seasonal vegetables using the Convotherm combi oven and induction plancha. Keith plated the dish on Artis tableware and garnished the dish with Koppert Cress micro borage which finished the dish perfectly.
T
he Bristol institution that is Averys led a tutored wine and food pairing session. Fifth generation wine merchant, Mimi Avery captivated the audience of hospitality industry professionals with her expert selection of three wines paired to three of Christian’s canapés. The guests learned rose stands up well to the oiliness of salmon, that goats cheese is well-partnered to a southern French blend that it is indeed very hard to pair a wine to grilled artichoke, but Averys fine Claret Merlot and Cabernet blend 2012 complimented the smoky grilled notes!
A delicious Jetty Afternoon Tea accompanied by finest barista-made Illy coffee rounded off a day of great demos, culinary flare and chef networking and a fabulous day was had by all in the banking hall!
The Chefs’ Forum continues to hold four events a year in Bristol and any chefs interested in attending should contact catherine@redcherry.uk.com
Photography by www.fayditphotography.com
