The Afternoon Tea of Dreams
The Chefs’ Forum and The World of Wedgwood combined to create a magical afternoon tea and factory tour on Monday with top chefs on hand to create perfect savouries and delicious pastries to sit on classic Wedgwood plates and tiered bone china cake stands.
The afternoon event, supported by students from Stoke-on-Trent College, was a showcase of both chef and potter talent. Guests went on a VIP factory tour and witnessed the skill and creativity of creating the world’s finest bone china before enjoying a fabulous spread.
Cherish Finden, Tom Everard-Fairburn, Mark Walsh, Vicky Goodwin and Thomas Leatherbarrow wowed the guests with their creations in the Wedgwood Tea Room.
Lord Mayor of the City of Stoke-on-Trent, Cllr Lyne Sharp, was a VIP and revealed that she once went to Stoke College and studied Large Scale Catering and Housekeeping, so this event was right up her street having worked in the industry.
Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs’ Forum, said: “Wedgwood pulled out all the stops for us. This was a special afternoon and I’m so grateful to the chefs and the students for making everything so perfect. Great china makes afternoon tea what it is and it doesn’t come better than Wedgwood. It was brilliant to see how it is made and decorated.”
Chris Bend, Head of Hospitality Sales at Wedgwood said: “It was a brilliant idea to showcase our wares and our magnificent tearoom. The chefs were brilliant and the students got a lot from it and we were able to show off our best pieces with amazing food and tell the Wedgwood story.”
The chefs
- Cherish Finden – International Pastry Consultant & Bake Off: The Professionals Judge
- Tom Everard-Fairburn – Chef Patron at Two Brothers Bakery & Bake Off: The Professionals Contestant
- Mark Walsh – Freelance Chef
- Vicky Goodwin – Head Chef at World of Wedgwood
- Thomas Leatherbarrow – Chef Patron at The Leatherbarrow Corporation
The afternoon tea
Welcome Drink
Sixtowns gin & tonic
Canapés by Saucery
Panko Aussie sirloin with katsu curry sauce
Chicken with chipotle sauce
Savoury
Mark Walsh
Seared Aussie sirloin, confit onion, watercress emulsion, pickled onions and wild garlic tart
Vicky Goodwin
Scone, strawberry jam and clotted cream
Aussie braised beef sandwich
Egg and watercress sandwich
Cucumber and cream cheese sandwich
Sweet
Cherish Finden
Valrhona chocolate tart, ying and yang sesame brittle, soya sauce ganache and Dulcey caramel
Tom Everard-Fairburn
Pineapple and popcorn choux
Thomas Leatherbarrow
Passion fruit, miso and brown sugar custard tartlet
Produce kindly sponsored by Aussie Beef & Lamb, Dole Foodservice, Town & Country Fine Foods, Classic Fine Foods and Saucery.
Wine sponsored by Brown Brothers – Innocent Bystander Moscato.
A Beacon of Excellence
Bristol, once again, showed why it is one of the UK’s top culinary destinations.
A full house at the Colonnade Restaurant at Bristol Beacon on Monday enjoyed the best of the South West at The Chefs’ Forum Bristol lunch.
Top Local Chefs Cepdia Schrouder (Executive Chef, Bristol Marriott Royal), Dan Rosser (Chef Patron, Noah’s), Matt Gibbs (Head Chef, Colonnade at Bristol Beacon) and Lucy Lourenco Queiroz (Executive Chef, Bristol Loaf) were joined by students from City of Bristol College at a sell-out lunch.
Host Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs’ Forum, said afterwards: “We always love coming back to where it all started. Bristol never lets us down and the chefs put on a showstopper. Lunch was perfect and it was wonderful to see the smiles on the faces of the students. They get such a lot from our lunches and events.
“Just recently we were told by one of our colleges, how much our work improves grades and employability and that was evident today.”
City of Bristol College said: “Our students worked alongside some serious talent today in the kitchen to help put out the lunch and they got a lot from it. They were able to see professional cooking up close and see how they will fit in when they leave. Outstanding.”
The lunch…
Starter – Cepdia Schrouder (Bristol Marriott Royal)
Whipped goats cheese, pickled vegetables, beetroot purée and herb oil
Fish Course – Dan Rosser (Noah’s)
Crisp fried line-caught Cornish haddock, split pea purée and tartare sauce
Main Course – Matt Gibbs (Colonnade at Bristol Beacon)
Pan roasted Aussie wagyu picanha, beef dripping, carrot, wild garlic and Saucery red wine jus
Dessert – Lucy Lourenco Queiroz (Bristol Loaf)
Rhubarb and ginger pavlova with bay leaf cream
Thank you to our sponsors: MCS Technical Products, Aussie Beef & Lamb, Off to Work, Hotel, Restaurant & Catering, Dole Foodservice, Chef Works, Saucery, Brown Brothers, New Wave Seafood, Wedgwood and Carita Coffee.
Photography and film by Carlos Farinha.
Sword of Excellence
Employer Showcase: Andrew Brownsword Hotels
Comprising thirteen properties in countryside settings and city centre locations, Andrew Brownsword Hotels is owned by Christina and Andrew Brownsword CBE DL who strive to create very special places that truly embody their own ethos of great hospitality. The collection includes award-winning Gidleigh Park in Devon, 5 AA red star hotel and spa, The Bath Priory, 900-year-old Amberley Castle in West Sussex, five Cotswold properties: The Slaughters Manor House, The Slaughters Country Inn, Buckland Manor, Minster Mill and the Old Swan plus stylish London pied à terre, Sydney House Chelsea.
ABode Hotels are located in the heart of Canterbury, Chester, Glasgow and Manchester. Each ABode Hotel is individual in design. Their distinctive interiors have been designed to offer unique hotels which embrace the heritage of the building in which they are set, whilst at the same time offering a contemporary experience that reflects their city centre location.
The high-end luxury hotel collection can offer real career progression opportunities and it was our pleasure to work with them to stage a magnificent lunch to showcase the group and its excellent culinary talent.
Four chefs from Andrew Brownsword Hotels put on a masterclass of hotel cooking at The Bath Priory on Monday (4) March 2024 at the latest Chefs’ Forum lunch in a series, showcasing high profile employers across the UK.
Nicholas Chappell from Slaughters Manor, Mark Potts from Buckland Manor, Jauca Catalin from Bath Priory and Paul Peters from Amberley Castle cooked for 100 invited guests from the Cotswolds and Bath area to showcase careers at Brownsword Hotels.
They were joined by students from City of Bristol College and five excellent temps from high-end staffing specialist, Off To Work, who got to work in the kitchen and serve front of house.
Regional General Manager, Gurval Durand, welcomed his industry peers to the event, he said
“Its great to see so many of you here today supporting our local hospitality industry and our chefs here from across Andrew Brownsword Hotels at this fantastic showcase event. I want to thank Bath Priory Hotel Manager Carlotta Pascual-Solera and Jauca for working with The Chefs’ Forum team to pull this all together and I am very pleased with the result. The food has been wonderful and the atmosphere in the room so positive and inspirational for young chefs and hospitality professionals. This is what our industry is all about and it is our pleasure to host you all today, we would be happy to welcome you back to eat with us or visit our spa in the future.”
Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs’ Forum, said afterwards: “Our careers showcase lunches are gathering pace now. It really is an an excellent way to bring together group talent and mix that with outstanding ingredients from our suppliers and keen students from our colleges. The Bath Priory lunch was a cracker.”
Jauca Catalin, Executive Chef at The Bath Priory said: “The lunch was a pleasure to put together and congratulations to The Chefs’ Forum. It’s such a simple idea to get four of our top chefs to cook a lunch but underneath the hood is a lot of work and that’s what Catherine and the team do so well. It was great to be able to showcase our talent to the next generation and promote excellent career opportunities available within The Brownsword Collection.”
The menu in full:
Starter – Nicholas Chappell (Slaughters Manor)
White asparagus, blood orange and sauce maltese
Fish Course – Mark Potts (Buckland Manor)
Charred smoked eel, wild garlic, buttermilk and caviar
Main Course – Jauca Catalin (The Bath Priory)
Aussie sirloin of beef, salsify, smoked Aussie brisket, lovage and red wine reduction
Dessert – Paul Peters (Amberley Castle)
Marinated compressed pineapple, coconut, coriander and piña colada
The lunch was kindly sponsored by Dole Foodservice, Meat & Livestock Australia, Brown Brothers Family Wine Group, Wedgwood, MCS Technical Products, Off To Work, Chef Works, Saucery and the Hotel, Restaurant and Catering Show.
The Chefs’ Forum would like to thank all chefs, students and temps who participated and all of the chefs and hospitality professionals who attended the event ou their day off to support and network with their industry peers and top suppliers to industry.
Iconic Masterclass at Chewton Glen
Three colleges, a whole host of Dorset and Hampshire chefs and top suppliers to industry, all descended on Chewton Glen for a memorable employer showcase lunch on Monday 5th February.
Students from Eastleigh, Brockenhurst and Bournemouth & Poole Colleges were represented in The Kitchen at Chewton Glen, the informal eat, meet, and dine space overseen by TV chef James Martin. Along with chefs from hotels within the Iconic Luxury Hotels collection, Executive Head Chef of Chewton Glen, Luke Matthews and Head Chef of The Kitchen, Luke Phillips ran the show along with Chris Hannon, Executive Chef of Cliveden House and Bradd Johns, Executive Chief of The Mayfair Townhouse.
Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs’ Forum, said: “This showcase of talent from Iconic Luxury Hotels was brilliant. Chewton Glen, Cliveden House, and The Mayfair Townhouse all demonstrating why they are at the top of their field and with exemplary students from three colleges taking part, the chefs created a fantastic lunch for our prized guests. The important work of showcasing the group to the next generation of talent was assured.”
Clive McNish, General Manager at Chewton Glen said: “We were delighted to work alongside The Chefs’ Forum on this impressive event. We were not only able to showcase our kitchens to students, chefs, suppliers, and guests but to give a glimpse of what we can offer at Chewton Glen. It was a memorable day for everyone, and we are grateful to all the chefs who took party in making this event such a success.”
Sue Lyons, Head of Delivery – Hospitality/Travel/Health & Fitness and Public Services at Eastleigh College said:
‘It was a privilege for our students to be invited to this event to work with Chefs from across the Iconic properties, students from the other two colleges as well as two ex-Eastleigh students that are full time Chefs with Chewton Glen. We already have an excellent relationship with Chewton Glen but was lovely to work and meet chefs from the other properties. All of our 6 students had an amazing time and enjoyed the whole experience and days like these are so important to both the students and tutors.
Paul Dayman from Bournemouth & Poole College said: “Chewton Glen and 
Cliveden House Executive Chefs are role models for our student chefs and along with The Mayfair Townhouse it was amazing to be able to see how the Iconic Luxury Hotels collection operates together. The students had a brilliant day and could see an easy route to the level and the standards they must aspire too. Well done to The Chefs’ Forum.”
Cathy McArthur, Catering Lecturer at Brockenhurst College said:
“I was delighted to see two of our students win both Front of House (Imogen Allen) and Back of House (Daisy Boreham) Star of the Day. Industry events like these are so important for students to work with their peers from other colleges and fantastic employers like Chewton Glen. We have built a longstanding and successful relationship with Iconic Luxury Hotels and really enjoyed catching-up with our teaching peers from Bournemouth and Poole and Eastleigh College.”
The lunch in full:
Welcome Drink
Brown Brothers Innocent Bystander Moscato
Canapés by Saucery served on handmade wooden boards by Richkins Woodcraft
- Panko chicken with katsu curry sauce
- Beef fillet with mushroom sauce
Starter – Bradd Johns (The Mayfair Townhouse)
Artichokes with celeriac, shitake, and mushroom ketchup
Fish Course – Chris Hannon (Cliveden House)
Poached cod, parsnip, taramasalata and lime
Main Course – Luke Matthews (Chewton Glen)
Somerset Beef cheek, horseradish, kale, and heritage carrots Luke’s main course was plated on Wedgwood Gio fine bone china dinner plates
Dessert – Luke Philips (The Kitchen at Chewton Glen)
Dark chocolate and amaretto mousse, candied almonds, sour cherry carpaccio, dark cherry, and basil sorbet
Wine Sponsored by Brown Brothers – Innocent Bystander Pinot Gris and Innocent Bystander Syrah
Produce kindly sponsored by New Wave Seafood, La Chasse and Dole Foodservice.
Photography & film by Carlos Farinha.
The Chefs’ Forum Expands Employer Showcases with Chotto Matte Soho Lunch
The Chefs’ Forum is set to continue to expand in 2024 following several successful ‘Employer Showcases’ in 2023. The first lunch of 2024 was on Monday 15th January at Chotto Matte (Soho) with several group chefs involved in showcasing the unique Nikkei or Japanese-Peruvian style of the group.
The employer showcase lunch format is simple. A major restaurant or hotel group plays host to a lunch organised by The Chefs’ Forum. Key chefs from varied group sites “show off” the skills and signature dishes of their restaurants and invited guests and industry professionals sit down to a top lunch. In 2023 The Chefs’ Forum perfected the format with key events for, among others, D&D London, Eden Hotel Collection, Radisson and Hotel du Vin & Malmaison.
Having been privileged enough to visit Chotto Matte’s Miami site last month, we continued our Chotto Matte tour at the Marylebone site, where Team Chefs’ Forum met with Head Chef Santo Pate, who gave a fantastic tour of the venue and created some wonderful dishes to film and photograph. We also had the pleasure of meeting Head Barman Marco Passarella who created a duo of delicious cocktails El Caminho and Wabi Sabi for us to try.
The following day, 70 industry guests attended the lunch at the Frith Street site of Chotto Matte where group chefs from Soho and Marylebone demonstrated the global menu and style of Chotto Matte.
These included:
- Jordon Sclare, Global Executive Chef
- Santo Pate, Head Chef at Chotto Matte Marylebone
- Keita Sato, Executive Head Sushi Chef at Chotto Matte Soho
- Alvin Contawe, Head Sushi Chef at Chotto Matte Marylebone
- Chris Woodford, Head Chef at Chotto Matte Soho
Chotto Matte Founder, Kurt Zdesar took the mic to tell the guests about the Chotto Matte group and global career opportunities if chefs and industry professionals were to join. He celebrated the young talent from West London College who helped cook and serve the special Nikkei lunch.
The students got to work with wonderful Australian beef and lamb, the freshest Royal Greenland prawns and seafood, as well as octopus and truffle, which college budgets don’t tend to stretch to.
First Choice Produce supplied all of the fresh produce for the event, which is always of the highest quality.
Kurt said
“It really is fantastic to welcome so many of our industry peers here to Chotto Matte Soho today and so amazing to see how well these young students are working with our team of chefs. We are growing, with new sites planned for Riyadh and Manchester and more to come. There has never been a better time to join Chotto Matte with our international network of restaurants and the opportunity of travelling for work which I have enjoyed throughout my career. We pride ourselves on a real sense of family and friendship among the team.”
Group Executive Chef, Jordan Sclare has been extremely supportive of The Chefs’ Forum over the years, he said
“Today’s event has been a huge success. My career with Chotto Matte has spanned over a decade and I really enjoy travelling with Kurt to research and open new sites. It is really important that we nurture and support the next generation of chefs and the opportunities we can offer them to work across our sites and hone their skills in Nikkei cuisine. I have been really impressed with the students today and they really have got stuck in and given 100%. We have many success stories across the group of students who have joined us on leaving college and I can’t wait to see if any of today’s students join the team and I once they have completed their courses at West London College.”
Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs Forum, said:
“This lunch was absolutely epic and continued the fine work we started in 2023. Recruitment at the top level in both London and throughout the country is hard work but our employer showcases are an excellent way of demonstrating the unique skills and opportunities that hotel and restaurant groups have. Chotto Matte put on a fantastic lunch, we absolutely love working with them and today showed exactly why they are a leading light in Nikkei cuisine here and across the world.”
The lunch in full:
Royal Greenland Snow Crab Dragon Roll
Salmon, avocado, unagi sauce
California Roll
Royal Greenland Snow crab, avocado, cucumber, tobiko
Chotto Ceviche (served in a Wedgwood Gio bowl)
Royal Greenland Halibut sashimi, leche de tigre, chive oil, sweet potato, Peruvian corn, coriander
Warm Aussie Beef Fillet Tataki
Seared beef, smoked aji panca, passion fruit salsa
Aussie Wagyu Beef Gyoza
Shiitake, sesame, teriyaki veal jus
Royal Greenland Prawn Truffle
Truffled shiitake mushroom, spring onion
Chuleta De Cordero Ahumada
Marinated and smoked Aussie lamb chop, coriander, Peruvian chilli miso
Panela Caramelised Apple Dream
Caramelised Asian pear, vanilla ice cream
Thank you to our sponsors: MCS Technical Products, Aussie Beef & Lamb, Off to Work, Chef Works, Brown Brothers, Wedgwood, Royal Greenland, Saucery, First Choice Produce and Vellamo.
Out with a Bang at Bovey
Photo credit: Carlos Farinha
Award-winning chefs at Bovey Castle teamed up with cooks of the future from two Devon colleges for a special event providing students with a taste of the hospitality industry.
Bovey Castle, on Dartmoor, welcomed more than 30 students from South Devon College and Exeter College to produce a four-course lunch served to 80 lucky guests.
Students cooked alongside Bovey Castle Executive Head Chef Mark Budd as well as four head chefs from the hotel’s sister restaurants within The Eden Hotel Collection, which included Tim Jenkins from Brockencote Hall Hotel, Keiron Stevens from Mallory Court Hotel and Spa, Sai Nathan from The Arden and Abhijeet Dasalkar from The Greenway Hotel and Spa.
The event was hosted by The Chefs’ Forum which connects some of the UK’s finest culinary artists with colleges across the country to inspire the next generation, and celebrated the launch of The Chefs’ Knowledge in Devon – a new book of advice and dishes that are necessary for young chefs to learn at the beginning of their career.
While some students formed part of the front of house team, others helped to cook a menu which consisted of…
Welcome Drink
Brown Brothers Innocent Bystander Moscato and a selection of Frobishers drinks
Canapés by Saucery
Asian infused salmon, stir fried vegetables and Saucery katsu curry sauce
Rocket, chicken, celeriac and Saucery creamy mushroom sauce
Starter – Tim Jenkins (Brockencote Hall)
Aussie lamb cutlet, sorrel, Bovey Castle foraged greens, wild nettle vinaigrette and The Peach fermented tomato salsa
Photo credit: Carlos Farinha
Fish course – Keiron Stevens (Mallory Court)
Roasted fillet of seabream, braised salsify and white bean truffle broth
Photo credit: Carlos Farinha
Main course – Mark Budd (Bovey Castle)
Fillet of Aussie beef, wild mushroom, fondant potatoes, Armagnac sauce, Jerusalem artichoke and The Peach sunchoke and horseradish ferment
Served on Wedgwood Gio
Photo credit: Carlos Farinha
Dessert – Abhijeet Dasalkar (The Greenway) & Sai Nathan (The Arden)
Crown Prince pumpkin cheesecake, muesli biscuit and maple ice cream
Photo credit: Carlos Farinha
Ingredients sponsored by Aussie Beef & Lamb, Dole Foodservice, Saucery and The Peach
Wines Sponsored by Brown Brothers
Innocent Bystander Pinot Gris and Innocent Bystander Syrah
Photo credit: Eden Hotel Collection
The menu also utilised flora from the hotel’s 275-acre estate, drafting in a team of expert foragers from nutritionists The Peach to harvest seasonal produce.
Sorrel leaves, nettle leaves and hogweed seeds were then dehydrated in an Excalibur dehydrator provided by Chefs’ Forum sponsor Mitchell & Cooper and turned into a powder to create a tomato salsa with sorrel and nettle fermentation for Mark Budd and Tim Jenkins to showcase to chefs in their ingenious dishes.
Mark said: “We were delighted to support and coach these young chefs and were thoroughly impressed by their skills and enthusiasm.
“We look forward to following their careers and maybe one day have the opportunity to welcome them to The Eden Hotel Collection.”
Photo credit: Eden Hotel Collection
Jayne O’Malley, Group Operations Director at the award-winning Eden Hotel Collection, added: “Events like this are a fantastic opportunity to provide young people with valuable insights into the hospitality sector and what life is like in a working kitchen and front of house.
“We want to inspire the next generation and give them confidence, and the feedback we have received has shown this event has done just that.”
Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs’ Forum, said. “What an event! Over the years we’ve put on some amazing events but this has to be up there with the best of them and as our last Chefs’ Lunch of 2023, we’re really seeing the year out with a bang.
Photo credit: Carlos Farinha
“The four courses really showcased the talent within The Eden Hotel Collection and all of the guests were impressed with the quality on show. For the local students, it was an incredible opportunity to work alongside these brilliant chefs.”
Aleesah Moulton, level 2 student at Exeter College who won back of house star of the day and a copy of The Chefs’ Knowledge, said: “This was my second time working at a Chefs’ Forum event, it was a great opportunity to work a top kitchen with some of the best chefs in the industry.
“I gained a great deal of experience and advice from all the chefs. It was an honour to win back of house star of the day, I look forward to reading and using The Chefs’ Knowledge throughout my career.”
Freda Francis, level 2 student at South Devon College who won front of house star of the day and a copy of The Chefs’ Knowledge, said: “We felt good about today, and not nervous anymore.
“It’s been nice to work in a professional environment. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, not pressured, and the afternoon just flowed. We learnt new skills and were made to feel at ease.”
Thank you to all our sponsors: Off to Work, Somerset Charcuterie, Dole Foodservice, MCS Technical Products, Chef Works, Wedgwood, Aussie Beef & Lamb, Saucery, The Peach, Mitchell & Cooper, Brown Brothers, Frobishers, Adande and TTW Recruitment.
Sent To Jail
The cream of Cornish chef talent spent the day in jail on Monday 13th November, but it was all in a good cause! The Chefs’ Knowledge Launch tour reached Bodmin to celebrate everything Cornwall with the location being the Bodmin Jail Hotel.
Welcome drinks by Chefs’ Forum Sponsors Brown Brothers Winery (Australia) and Forbishers Juices (Exeter) were offered to guests including chefs, restaurateurs, suppliers and key hospitality professionals from the Southwest followed by the main attraction – a four course lunch.
The Chefs’ Forum gathered together four top chefs from Cornwall (all very smartly-dressed in Chef Works jackets) to work the kitchens and delight the guests – and they did just that, according to Chefs’ Forum Director Catherine Farinha:
“We love coming to Cornwall. There is such a diversity of talent and scrumptious ingredients like Aussie Wagyu from Meat & Livestock Australia, TRUEfoods stock and the finest fresh produce from Dole Foodservice – It’s hard not to have a good time. And it was such fun to come to the Bodmin Jail Hotel. It’s such a cool and breath-taking location, fitted-out to the highest standard and the chefs put on a delicious feast for us.”
The top chefs on show were Gavin Edney from The Headland Hotel, Bruce Rennie from The Shore Restaurant, Dane Watkins from Bodmin Jail Hotel and Darryl Collins from Mullion Cove Hotel with Denis Drame MCA from Classic Fine Foods.
“The Chefs’ Forum always put on a show-stopping event,” said Dane Watkins from Bodmin Jail Hotel. “Today was no exception. It was a pleasure for us to play host and we had a fine lunch and it was great to see so many friends and professionals having a great time. It was also an introduction to us of The Chefs’ Knowledge and we can’t wait to start dipping into this treasure-trove of information.”
The lunch in full:
Starter – Gavin Edney (The Headland Hotel)
Agnolotti of caramelised artichoke, woodland mushrooms, Cornish Gouda and truffle
Fish course – Bruce Rennie (The Shore Restaurant)
Cornish Hake, squash, oyster mushrooms and nasturtium
Main course – Dane Watkins (Bodmin Jail Hotel)
Aussie beef fillet, smoked brisket cottage pie, heritage carrot and sprout
Dessert – Darryl Collins (Mullion Cove Hotel) & Denis Drame MCA (Classic Fine Foods)
Lemon meringue tart
Julio De Carvalho, General Manager at Bodmin Jail loved hosting his industry peers, he said
“It is fantastic to have such a high level of hospitality and catering expertise in one room, the energy is electric and its wonderful to showcase our venue. I believe it is crucial to support each other in the current climate, and this iconic industry event did just that, I’m really looking forward to the next one!”
Steve Snow, Managing Director of MCS Technical Products, a headline sponsor of the event said
“It was great to meet all the Cornish Chefs and showcase CookTek Induction. The chefs showed a great del of interest and it was fantastic to meet Gavin Edney from The Headland Hotel in person to thank him for his recent testimonial on our market-leading FlashGRILL. I really enjoy networking with the chefs and also other sponsors including UK pottery stalwart, Wedgwood who supplied eye-catching Renaissance bone china plates for the main course by Dane Watkins of Bodmin Jail, this really works for everyone who attends, from a brand profile-raising perspective and the sheer enthusiasm from everyone who attended.”
All sponsors are hand-picked and vetted/endorsed by our Patrons and Chef Members for being the very best in the business and we would very-much welcome applications from hospitality-targeted brands who would like to work with us, for more information, please contact catherine@redcherry.uk.com
Film & photography by Carlos Farinha
Winning by a Royal mile
On Monday 6th November Radisson Blu Edinburgh played host to a special culinary lunch, featuring four of the region’s top chefs along with a group of students from two local colleges.
The occasion was the launch of The Chefs’ Knowledge Lunch Scotland, organised by The Chefs’ Forum, one of the UK’s leading hospitality networking platforms. Students from Edinburgh College and West Lothian College were given the opportunity of a unique first-hand hospitality experience, working under the guidance of the finest chefs in the region.
Richard Mayne, General Manager at Radisson Blu, said: “This is a great opportunity for the students from two local catering colleges, and we are delighted to partner with The Chefs’ Forum on such a fantastic initiative. The experience the students will get from this is invaluable.”
The 238-room hotel centrally located on the famous Royal Mile in Edinburgh welcomed a room of 100 top Scottish hospitality industry professional to enjoy a mouth-watering menu created by chefs Andrew Spence, Gary Townsend, Jonnie Ferguson, Barath Kumar and Marco Drummond Nobrega.
“We’re overwhelmed by the star power in the kitchen,” revealed Catherine Farinha, Founder of The Chefs’ Forum. “We’ve come a long way and this year’s lunches have really caught the attention of our chefs and suppliers. Everyone that is contributing is really raising the bar of what we can achieve which is fabulous for the students who come to learn on the day.”
Barath Kumar, Head Chef at Radisson Blu Edinburgh, said: “It was great to welcome the guest chefs and students to our kitchens. This is such an amazing way to celebrate our partnership with The Chefs’ Forum and work alongside some of the best chefs in Scotland. It was wonderful to get such great feedback from the guests and for the students to taste the food. I was proud to showcase Radisson as a brilliant employer, fully invested in ongoing training and development of the team.”
What the guests ate…
Amuse bouche – Andrew Spence (The Boar’s Head)
Andy’s seared Isle of Seil hand dived scallop, pickled shallots, parmesan crisp, sauce blanc, parsley oil, topped with Koppert Cress Moai Caviar & sea herbs
Starter – Gary Townsend (Hotel du Vin One Devonshire Gardens)
Aussie Lamb rump, Red Lentil Dahl – Cauliflower – Onions – Vadouvan Spice – Coriander
Fish course – Jonnie Ferguson (Roux Scholar 2022 & The Glenturret Lalique Restaurant)
Royal Greenland Cod, Fermented Celeriac, Oyster Mushrooms and Kanzuri
Main course – Barath Kumar (Radisson Blu Edinburgh)
Aussie beef mignon, barbacoa brisket, roscoff onion, truffled mash, cauliflower Dubarry, duxelles and port jus
Dessert – Marco Drummond Nobrega (The Bonham Hotel)
Chocolate ganache & raspberry aquafaba Honeycomb & vanilla ice cream
The Chefs elected two ‘Stars of the Day’; one from Edinburgh College and one from West Lothian College, who really impressed on the day.
It was Callum Young from Edinburgh College and Dianne McGowan from West Lothian College who each won a copy of The Chefs’ Knowledge.
Callum said
“I have really enjoyed the day and I am overjoyed to win a copy of The Chefs’ Knowledge. I have seen it at college, but to have my own copy is truly amazing. I really enjoyed working with Roux Scholar, Jonnie Ferguson who I see as a real inspiration, I really have had a wonderful day today.”
Any Scottish chefs wishing to get involved with The Chefs’ Forum or the colleges who participated should contact brogen@redcherry.uk.com
Showcasing Hotel du Vin
The Hotel du Vin in Poole hosted The Dorset and Hampshire Chefs Knowledge launch lunch on Monday 30th October to great acclaim. Chefs from the wider Hotel du Vin and Malmaison Group took over the kitchens to produce a lunch to remember. The whole event was a celebration of the talent across the group as well as working with some of the world’s best ingredients such as Australian Rare Honey and Australian Beef & Lamb. The chefs went classical to showcase the ingredients as a glimpse of the menu reveals:
Starter – Rob Carr (Hotel du Vin Brand Support Development Chef)
Chicken liver parfait, brioche toast and raisin chutney
Fish course – Matt Darby (Hotel du Vin Poole Head Chef)
Severn & Wye smoked salmon classic, treacle soda bread and fromage blanc
Main course – Matt Powell (Hotel du Vin Group Executive Chef)
Aussie ribeye, béarnaise sauce & pomme pont-neuf
Dessert – Darren Rockett (Hotel du Vin Poole Sous Chef)
Pot au chocolat, classic chocolate mousse with crème Chantilly
Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs’ Forum said: “I love Hotel du Vin and it was such a great pleasure to organise a showcase of their talent. The simplicity of the menu, backed up by the quality of the ingredients and the wine, showed why Hotel du Vin is still a great hotel group. The event was a triumph.”
Clare Rockett, GM at Hotel du Vin, Poole said
“We’ve been proud supporters of The Chefs’ Forum in Dorset for nearly a decade, it is great to be hosting this fantastic lunch showcasing our group. Chefs and brilliant Taste du Vin menu. My husband is the Sous chef here and our son, James is also a chef and attended today as a guest, we’re a hospitality family and today really celebrates this!”
Any chefs or hospitality professionals interested in learning more about career opportunities with Hotel du Vin can check out latest vacancies here: https://www.hotelduvin.com/careers/
Film and photography by Carlos Farinha.
Blu Skies for Bristol Lunch
100 invited guests sat down to a fabulous five course lunch at The Radisson Blu on Monday to celebrate the Bristol launch of The Chefs’ Knowledge.
Students from City of Bristol College joined chefs Muraliraj Narashimaraj, Aida Carrasco, Will Dean and Mark Chapman in the kitchen at the lunch to see firsthand how a celebration lunch is put together.
Ryan Fernandes, Chef Lecturer at City of Bristol College said
“It’s really important that we enable the students to come out of their usual training environment and out into industry. It was brilliant to see how much they enjoyed the day and produced an excellent menu with the guest chefs today. The feedback we have had from the local employers has been excellent and the event was very well organised by The Chefs’ Forum and the team at Radisson Blu.”
As The Chefs’ Knowledge Lunch tour reached the West Country Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs’ Forum said
“We’re back where we started! We have such fond memories of the early days of The Chefs’ Forum when we launched in 2010 in Bristol. Now we’re back launching The Chefs’ Knowledge here. Today has been a crazy good event. Brilliant chefs, amazing ingredients, delicious wines and top students in a superb hotel. It was great to catch-up with so many chefs who have supported us since the beginning and wonderful to be working with City of Bristol College for the thirteenth year!”
The menu:
Amuse bouche
Dan Moon (Development Chef at Foie Royale)Foie Royale tartlet with tomato and onion
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Starter
Muraliraj Narashimaraj (Talwar Express)
Fillet of Aussie lamb rump marinated with smoked peppersm & aubergine and minced Aussie lamb thokku chettinad style
Fish course
Aida Carrasco (Radisson Blu)
One Royal Greenland cod for my “bruschetta”, por favor
Main course
Will Dean (The Ox)
Aussie beef ribeye, bourguignon cottage pie and seasonal greens
Dessert
Mark Chapman (Cor Restaurant)
Tarta di Santiago, burnt lemon cream, salted almonds and thyme
Wines Sponsored by Brown Brothers
Innocent Bystander Pinot Gris and Innocent Bystander Syrah
Thank you to our sponsors MCS Technical Products, Lovejoys, Richkins Woodcraft, Chef Works, Aussie Beef & Lamb, Somerset Charcuterie, Adande, Foie Royale, Off to Work, Brown Brothers and Royal Greenland.
Any employers wishing to engage with City of Bristol College should contact brogen@redcherry.uk.com and we will make an introduction.
Film credit: Carlos Farinha
