The International Restaurateurs’ Dinner 2024
A joint fundraising event in aid of: Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, World Young Chef Young Waiter, and The Wine Guild of the United Kingdom.
The third International Restaurateurs’ Dinner (IRD), will take place on Monday 29 April 2024, at Rosewood London, with a sensational menu created by some of the UK’s leading chefs – José Pizarro, Chef Founder of Pizarro, Ian Musgrave, Executive Sous Chef at The Ritz London, Hrishikesh Desai, Chef Patron of Farlam Hall, Cherish Finden, and Mark Perkins, Executive Pastry Chef at Rosewood London.
The International Restaurateurs’ Dinner is a prestigious fundraising event dedicated to advancing education and training within the hospitality industry, formally known as the National Restaurateurs Dinner, founded by Roy Ackerman CBE in 1988. The last NRD event took place in 2019, just before Coronavirus. This time allowed for reflection and revisions to what the IRD could offer. The IRD is built on the foundations of the last 30 years but with your help, we hope to spread the effect further than ever before and reach every aspect of the hospitality industry.
For over three years, the International Restaurateurs’ Dinner has been a beacon of excellence and generosity, raising more than £1.5 million. This year, we aim to surpass all previous achievements by raising more funds than ever before. The funds raised from this year’s International Restaurateurs’ Dinner will be directed towards a variety of education and training programmes produced by our partner organisations and put back into our beloved industry.
The evening will feature a special menu prepared by the following celebrated chefs, including Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Academicians:
- Starter by José Pizarro, Chef Founder of Pizarro
- Fish Course by Ian Musgrave, Executive Sous Chef at The Ritz London
- Main Course by Hrishikesh Desai, Chef Patron at the Newly awarded Michelin Star Cedar Tree Restaurant at Farlam Hall
- Dessert by Cherish Finden and assisted by Mark Perkins, Executive Pastry Chef at Rosewood London
The evening will start with a Bluebell English Sparkling Wine Reception and Caviar by Kings London Caviar, which will be followed by a unique internationally inspired 4-course meal paired with matched wines organised by the Wine Guild of United Kingdom and red wine by Berkmann, which will be announced by award-winning sommelier, Romain Bourger, the esteemed Director of Wine and Beverage at The Vineyard Hotel. Guests will also enjoy a pre and after-dinner lounge with NEFT Vodka. The event will also feature entertainment by the London Performing Academy of Music and an auction to raise funds for the three beneficiaries. The IRD Auction will offer numerous exciting prizes, including a two-night stay at the Rosewood Vienna.
Secure your spot for the highly anticipated International Restaurateurs Dinner in April 2024 by purchasing your tickets through the official link: https://youngchefyoungwaiter.com/product/international-restaurateurs-dinner-april-2024/
Robert Walton MBE, World Young Chef Young Waiter Chairman said: “ Over the years, the International Restaurateurs Dinner has evolved into a culinary celebration unlike any other. I am immensely proud of the work we do at Young Chef Young Waiter, supporting the future stars of Britain’s kitchens and restaurants. The funds raised ensure we continue to provide a platform for these young talented individuals and to sustain the hospitality industry.”
Brian Turner CBE, Director of Royal Academy of Culinary Arts said: “A night with respected chefs and the fantastic team at the Rosewood is always a gastronomic occasion, but with five Royal Academy of Culinary Arts academician chefs on board we are in for a special treat.”
Nick Scade, MBE, Councillor of the Wine Guild of the United Kingdom, said: “It has been my privilege to have worked on the Committee of the NRD, and now the IRD, for some 35 years since its original inception in 1989 and I have been pleased to assist in matching some wonderful wines to the menus created each year by the various teams of Chefs from the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts. This has been achieved with help from some of the UK’s leading Sommeliers. In 2024 I have once again been supported in this process by Romain Bourger, Director of Wine from the Vineyard Hotel at Stockcrossand hopefully we have again found some delicious wines that will interact with the fabulous dishes being created.”
Kevin Sutherland, Bluebell estate winemaker said: “Here at Bluebell Vineyard, we enjoy supporting events and by supporting the IRD we offer a wine produced by us, the 2013 Classic Cuveé, for the reception drink. By attending events such as the IRD it gives us the opportunity to meet many people from different fields of operation.”
Laura King, Owner & UK’s leading caviar expert, Kings Fine Food said: “It is a privilege to be a part of the International Restaurateurs dinner. It is a great opportunity to see the restaurateurs together and to showcase our products. I am most looking forward to catching up with so many friends.”
Aus You Like It!
Eight top chefs and the best of Aussie beef with an Asian twist. That was the idea on Tuesday at South & City College Birmingham for another round of menu development featuring Aussie Beef in association with Meat & Livestock Australia and Trade and Investment Queensland (TIQ)
The special morning of Asian culinary excellence produced a new level of menu ideas and techniques, showcasing the diversity and adaptability of Australian beef.
Each of the chefs were given a different cut of beef to work with. All they had to do was come up with an Asian-inspired dish. And didn’t they do well. L2 students from South & City College were able to join in and enjoy a special beef butchery masterclass.
The chefs worked with: Angus pure rump, Stockyard Angus grain-fed bavette and Wagyu feather blade.
“The chefs really turned on their creativity and it was wonderful to see each interpretation of the Asian-inspired brief!” Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs’ Forum said afterwards. “These menu development days have been super -important for Meat and Livestock Australia to get a sense of how chefs from different regions and cultural backgrounds can take their products and twist them in a different direction. The chefs we brought in for the event created Japanese, Chinese and Asian dishes that really stood out and demonstrated that you don’t have to be traditional with Aussie Beef – you can spice it up, marinade it, make into Thai sticky beef or grill it with Asian vegetables.”
Stephen Edwards, Business Manager EMEA from Meat & Livestock Australia said:
“This was a top morning at South and City College Birmingham and we all learnt a great deal and I enjoyed seeing how much the students got out of it. A highlight was giving a butchery demo with marbling grade 8/9 Aussie Wagyu oyster blade or feather blade as they call it in the UK, the chefs really enjoyed learning Australian butchery techniques. Working in partnership with The Queensland Government, we were able to educate the chefs on the quality, provenance and welfare of Aussie beef and learn from the chefs at the same time. Hats-off to the hugely talented chefs and students for creating such an array of different dishes from so many authentic genres and variations of Asian cuisine.”
What they prepared:
Dilanka Fernando (Executive Chef at Mayan Restaurant) – Cinnamon Marinated Beef Rump and Tempered Lentil
Sudipto Biswas (Senior Sous Chef at Royal Lancester London) – Japanese Gyudon
Vahid Zare (Executive Chef at Yakinori) – Ramen with Bavette Don
Mark Walsh (Executive Chef at Hogarths) – Imperial Chinese Rump of Beef with Pickled Carrots, Coriander Emulsion and Pak Choi
Dirk de Cuyper (Chef Patron at Saucery) – Panfried Asian spiced marinated steak with Sesame lemon Mash potatoes sauteed wild mushrooms and snow peas. Ginger Miso Szechuan pepper corn sauce
Jordan Barnes (Head Chef at The Vicarage) – Thai Sticky Beef with Sticky Rice
Chanaka Fernando (Chef de Cuisine at Buddha Bar Global) – Asian Grilled Sirloin Steak with Peppercorn Sauce with Soy Chilli Garlic Tender Stem Garlic, Teriyaki Mushroom
Aaj Fernando (Executive Chef at The Minstry) – chargrilled Australian wagyu bavette, hacho miso, sneak gourd
Film and photography by Carlos Farinha
Showcasing The Isle of Man Food Producers
On Tuesday 26th March from 6-8pm the best of the Isle of Man ingredients will be on the menu at The Museum of London Docklands for a special promotional event. Chefs and wholesale suppliers are very welcome to join the party and find our why the Isle of Man is such a special place for top quality produce and ingredients.
The Minister for Enterprise, Tim Johnston, will be welcoming guests to celebrate the world’s only entire nation UNESCO Biosphere. If you are visiting Excel for HRC then this special evening is the perfect way of ending your docklands odyssey.
Which producers will be there?
A cooperative of 28 family dairy farms, established in 1917, that produces award-winning aged, flavoured and traditional British cheeses using milk from grass-fed cows. Make sure you try the 18-month grass-fed vintage cheddar and the oak-smoked mature cheddar that won bronze at the World Cheese awards recently.
Island SeafareSuppliers of fine, sustainable, Manx seafood including lobster, crab and scallops – especially the famous Manx Queenies. Island Seafare export significant volumes to the French, Italian and Spanish markets and supply the fish counters of major supermarket chains such as Carrefour. Manx Lobster is caught locally using small pots in the clear waters surrounding the Island’s coast. Isle of Man Half Shell Queen Scallops are incredibly versatile, visually appealing and provide excellent plate coverage. Ideal for starters, tapas and small plates.
Ethically grown and reared on family farms Isle of Man Meats are justly famous with the Wing Rib of Beef and Rack of Lamb both excelling at the Great Taste Awards.
Isle of Man Salt CoHand-harvested from the pristine marine nature reserve surrounding the Isle of Man. After an extremely successful launch period, Isle of Man Salt Co are expanding their production capacity and are seeking to develop relationships with chefs and restaurateurs. Look out for Rosemary Sea Salt and the popular Salted Caramel Sauce.
Davison’s Ice CreamMade with locally sourced double cream and milk. Look out for the Crunchy Honeycomb with Butterscotch Ripple Sauce and crunchy honeycomb pieces and the Raspberry Ripple.
Fynoderee DistilleryA Manx distillery that makes a range of spirits flavoured using local ingredients inspired by the heritage, culture, and folklore of the island. Look out for Fynoderee Manx Dry Gin and Glashtyn Spiced Manx Rum.
Outlier DistillingA creative craft distillery with an innovative approach to rum production that is yielding incredible results. Great Taste Award Winners. Look out for Hoolie Manx White Rum and Hurricane Over-proof Manx Rum. Hurricane is a blend of over-proof Hoolie rum and cask-aged rum which creates a surprisingly smooth over-proof that carries new American oak and Islay whiskey notes. Amazing in bold cocktails (think Zombie) or drunk neat as a sipping rum.
Okell’s BreweryWith a rich history spanning 173 years, this brewery remains rooted in Manx heritage while maintaining a forward-looking focus. Okell’s have received accolades for their incredible “Zero” range. Look out for Zero, Alcohol Free Pale Ale and Nectar a more traditional New World IPA.
Canapés and bowls featuring ingredients from Isle of Man producers will be served during the evening complemented by ales and exclusively-designed Manx cocktails crafted by an award-winning mixologist from the Isle of Man.
If you would like to come and try some of this wonderful produce and ingredients for yourself, just drop us a line and we’ll send you the details.
Please contact brogen@redcherry.uk.com to get your name on the guest list!
Wrexham United!
7 feeder schools sent students for a taster day at Coleg Cambria in Wrexham on Monday and everyone got a full look at what a life in hospitality has to offer. Level 1 college students also took part in the special morning, showcasing The Chefs’ Forum Academy at the college.
Vice Principal of Technical Studies, Victoria Edwards and Curriculum Director for Visitor Economy Natalie Cliffe welcomed the schoolchildren to the college and told them about the wonderful array of courses on offer in Hospitality and Catering.
Martin Thomas, Assistant Principle for Technical Studies said
“Coleg Cambria was delighted to host this event, which has allowed us to highlight the valuable connections we have established with employers through The Chefs’ Forum Academy, we launched in September last year. Our students have greatly benefited from the expertise and guidance of the visiting chefs, who have greatly contributed to enhancing our learners’ knowledge and skills development through the weekly masterclasses. The visiting schools enjoyed the taster day, and we have received positive feedback from both teaching staff and their students. We hope to further our partnership with The Chefs’ Forum Academy and organise similar events in the future.”
Nearly 200 young guests from year 10 all enjoyed a canapé and mocktail reception prepared and service by the students and guest chefs:
- Bruschetta bites by Jordan Barnes, Head Chef at The Vicarage, Holmes Chapel
- Lincolnshire Poacher Cheese Gougere, Lincolnshire Poacher Cheese Custard by Joshua Morris, Senior Sous Chef at Palé Hall and National Chef of Wales 2024
- Lemon & Raspberry Choux buns by Exose Grant, Head Chef at Ikaro Manchester
Mocktail: Wrexham Sunrise
National Chef of Wales 2024 Joshua Morris from Palé Hall kicked off proceedings with the help of level 3 Professional Cookery student, Tom Brookfield.
Joshua and Tom cooked a fantastic dish of pan roasted seabass, with poached mussels, saffron mussel cream, pak choi and chilli salad.
Tom told the audience how much he was enjoying his course at Coleg Cambria and that he gets paid to work in the world class iâl Restaurant situated on campus at weekends.
Joshua was so impressed with Tom’s skills that he offered him a trial shift at Palé Hall, a luxury five star hotel in Snowdonia with a green Michelin star for excellence in sustainability and food.
Joshua said
“All of the produce we use at Palé Hall is sustainable and it’s great to be able to tell the guests where each ingredient comes from. I never thought I would win National Chef of Wales as I felt there were so many chefs in the final who were stronger than me, it was a wonderful surprise and I am overjoyed.
It is wonderful to be here today supporting the next generation of chefs and hospitality professionals.”
This was followed by an interactive cookery demo by Chef Jordan Barnes. Student Callum Pritchard, Year 10, Ysgol Morgan Lloyd was invited up onto the stage to try his hand at cooking and Jordan was also very impressed.
He said
“I really enjoy teaching in this college, it’s always great fun and the students clearly get so much out of it. It is so important to stage events like today’s Taster Day to really champion the industry and all of the exciting opportunities it can offer. It is great to see so many young people engaged in the demos and so keen to participate and taste the food produced.”
Callum won a voucher for CKBK and a £25 voucher for dinner for two in the college restaurant in recognition of him joining Jordan on stage to represent his school – Well done Callum!
Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs’ Forum, said: “We had a great time in Wrexham. The College was buzzing and the students had a really good time. I love these events. They are a great way of introducing school students to catering and hospitality and their smiles and enthusiasm are so refreshing.”
The demos were punctuated by brilliant live performances by Manchester rapper Lowkeylimit (chef Exose’s brother and breakdancer and krumper, Kits Sells and Vincent Maduabueke (both dressed as chefs obviously to add to the theatre).
Jason Pumfrey, Joint Manager at Dole Foodservice Anglesea then gave a fantastic talk on seasonal fruit and veg and we played a guessing game for the students to correctly identify butternut squash, celeriac and physalis – We gave out samples of all and the students really enjoyed them.
Exose finished the show with a fabulous éclair filling and decorating demonstration, showcasing his wonderful skills, creating a trio of eclairs:
- Lemon and raspberry, choux pastry, Craquelin, raspberry powder, lemon curd, raspberry cream
- Chantilly cream eclairs.
Exose said
“I really enjoy these events, especially working with such talented students in the college. I have taught in many different colleges with The Chefs’ Forum Academy and regularly support on a variety of events and marketing activities for various food and equipment brands with the team. The work we do is unique and the best bit about it is seeing students securing work opportunities on the back of events and college masterclasses with The Chefs’ Forum. I myself have employed a student from West London College after seeing his talent at The Game Fair last summer, where we worked with Celebrity Chef James Martin. I can’t wait to welcome students from Cambria College into my kitchen at Ikaro to join him!”
All of the schools competed against each other in pairs to produce a winning éclair of their own, aiming for perfect filling and decoration. All of the guest chefs then judged a first, second and third, who all won a voucher for a meal at the college restaurant and a year’s subscription to CKBK, an online library of over 850 cookery books.
First place:
Charlton Taylor and Cai Roberts from Ysgol Glan Clwyd
Second place:
Lolo Jones and James Grindley from Rhosnesni High School
Third place:
Ruby-May Walker and Sam Jones from Ysgol Morgan Llwyd
Any chefs wishing to get involved with The Chefs’ Forum Academy at Coleg Cambria or any of our other Chefs’ Forum Academy colleges across the UK should contact brogen@redcherry.uk.com
Making the Most of STEM
The Chefs’ Forum put on a special 3 course menu at Bradford College on the 22nd February for their Women in STEM dinner. The Chefs’ Forum organised Manchester-based chef Caroline Martins to create the menu at The Grove Restaurant at Bradford College to celebrate women working in STEM fields, in both education and industry.
The free event was dedicated to celebrating and empowering women in the fields of STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics – and The Chefs’ Forum played an important part in making the evening special.
Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs’ Forum, said: “Our international network of chefs and suppliers can be put to very good use and occasionally we step outside the boundaries of student education and support great causes such as women in STEM. It was a pleasure for us to get Caroline Martins to represent us. She is such an exciting chef having represented the North West at the 2023 Great British Menu. She has worked in all levels of restaurants and her menu was an inspiration.”
Caroline Martins said: “The evening was a great success and it was a total pleasure to cook for the Women in STEM at Bradford College. I have a science background myself and have a phD in Plasma Physics from The Technological Institute of Aeronautics in Sao Paulo, Brazil. I later decided to train to be a chef because I wanted to follow my passion, but my scientific knowledge and expertise greatly helps me 
with many elements of my cooking. I am all for supporting successful women in industry. What a fantastic group of inspiring people! I felt really challenged to create something special with the students.”
Zainab Himdan, Head of School for Computing and Ophthalmics at Bradford College welcomed guests and shared her story from engineering into the world of IT and Science, about her journey into her current role and her role to inspire and pave the way for the next generation. She said “The more I was told I couldn’t do something or wasn’t taken seriously, it propelled me even more to pursue my career and expand my knowledge. Females have a place in all these sectors and can make a significant contribution.”
What was on the menu?
Starter:
‘A Taste of Brazil’:
- Mushrooms & Brazil Nut
- Smoked Salmon & Brazilian Cream Cheese
- Venison Tartare & Smoked Açai Mayo
Main:
- Picadinho de Carne, Buttery Cassava and Brazilian Cheese Bread
Dessert:
- The Mushroom: Dormouse Brazilian Chocolate Cremeux, Passionfruit Sponge, Chocolate & Maldon Salt Crumb and Cachaca Infused Berries
Vegan options:
- Starter: Vegan Falafel and Brazil Nut Houmous
- Main: Vegan Vegetable Stew, Casava and Sourdough
- Dessert: Vegan Chocolate Mousse and Cachaca Infused Berries
A Tribute to Hairy Biker, Chef Dave Myers who has Died Aged 66
The UK has had a love affair with motorbikes and food for what seems like decades. It all started with Two Fat Ladies in 1996 when Jennifer Patterson and Clarissa Dickson Wright famously roared round the British countryside terrifying and delighting everyone in their path. The series was immensely popular but only ran for four seasons and with its passing left a hole in the public consciousness.
Whether The Hairy Bikers was meant to be the replacement is now lost in TV folklore but there is no question that Dave Myers and Si King definitely took up where Jennifer and Clarissa left off. Their first show – a ride through Portugal – was aired in 2004 and the final series is still running.
The delight of The Hair Bikers is that it was not born out of trying to find a replacement duo. Myers was working as a makeup artist on a TV drama where he met King. They became firm friends and shared a love of food, travel and bikes. They were a hit from the start.
Myers never lost his Cumbrian touch. He was born in Barrow-in-Furness in 1957 and had a soft and charming character that warmed the heart of anyone who watched him. The pair became household favourites and travelled extensively together and opened-up many new locations and recipes to audiences who were drawn in by their mix of simple charm and love of good food – and bikes. Together, The Hairy Bikers produced 25 cookery books along with their numerous series. Myers will be much missed and we will miss him, too. He had the ability to reach ordinary people in an extraordinary way.
Dave Myers 8/9/1957 – 28/2/2024.
The Beginning of a New Era – RATIONAL Introduces a New Product Category
The Beginning of a New Era – RATIONAL introduces a new product category: the RATIONAL iHexagon delivers the highest food quality in the shortest possible time.
RATIONAL is starting the new year with a World Premiere: With the new iHexagon, the world market leader has succeeded in coordinating steam, hot air and microwave technology so intelligently that the highest food quality is possible in the shortest possible time, evenly across all racks in the 6-1/1 unit. After introducing the combi-steamer and the iVario, this marks the third instance in the company’s history where it has pioneered a new product category.
At the end of February, Markus Paschmann, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer at RATIONAL, presented the iHexagon in an online keynote speech together with RATIONAL experts from Research & Development and the project team. The focus of the presentation was on the core element of the new model: iClimateBoost. The cooking assistant intelligently adjusts steam, convection and microwave heat to the respective food. This allows operators to produce the highest food quality in the shortest possible time.
Markus Paschmann says: “With the iHexagon, we are the first on the market to succeed in combining hot air, steam and microwave heat in the cooking cabinet so intelligently that the energy is distributed evenly across all six racks.” This means that the user achieves consistently excellent results across all levels and can even simultaneously cook various types of food. Despite our culinary expertise in the market, achieving this milestone presented a formidable challenge for us.”
“We weren’t satisfied with the quality of the food at the beginning,” Paschmann continues. But the product developers quickly found the solution: The microwave has been set against the most powerful heating power that RATIONAL has ever developed. This has restored the balance of power. Together with the fresh steam, the two types of energy are intelligently controlled to produce succulent food with the desired browning and rich roasted flavours. “It fills me with pride to present such a technical masterpiece and launch it on the market. With the iHexagon, we are demonstrating that we recognise our customers’ challenges and are responding to them with innovations,” explains the CEO.
The iHexagon is aimed in particular at customers whose business concept is focussed equally on quality and speed. The iHexagon is capable of generating substantial quantities, it is ideal for preparing meals for large gatherings or catering events, such as buffets. Secondly, thanks to its speed, it is able to quickly serve fresh food or heat up snacks in just a few seconds, even during rush hour. This translates to an end of queues and a boost in sales instead.
The iHexagon is of particular interest for kitchens that are geared towards standardised dishes and processes. This is where ConnectedCooking, RATIONAL’s digital kitchen management system, really comes into its own. MyDisplay, for example, which shows the most important functions individually on the display, can be set up via ConnectedCooking and distributed to all cooking systems, enables operation at the touch of a button and makes life easier, especially in kitchens with lower skilled staff.
The concept of the iHexagon is rounded off by autonomous cleaning with iCareSystem AutoDose. Cleaner and care cartridges are integrated into the cooking system and therefore securely contained. There is no contact with chemicals, and incorrect dosing is prevented. Instead, you’ll experience enhanced workplace safety and reduced costs.
All in all, it makes the iHexagon an intelligent specialist for certain applications; RATIONAL continues to see the iCombi and iVario as the primary solution for all other professional kitchens. For this reason, the company has also decided to employ product and application specialists for sales who can provide expert advice and identify whether the iHexagon is the right choice.
The iHexagon is now available in Germany, the UK and the USA, with other countries to follow gradually.
Markus Paschmann sums up the market launch as follows: “With the iHexagon, we have created a new, intelligent product category with performance features that are unique on the market. We are already speaking of a New Era.” Detailed information is available at rational-online.com, where you can also watch the keynote speech again.
Cheers to Beers: A Brew-tiful Day for an Educational Visit to Attic Brew Co.
This week, level 2 and 3 front of house students at South & City College in Birmingham, proud home of a Chefs’ Forum Academy, visited the largest independent brewery in Birmingham for an in-depth tour of the brewing facilities.
Organised and hosted by The Chefs’ Forum Academy Coordinator and Event Executive, Brogen, the students participated in the day as part of The Chefs’ Forum Academy, now in it’s second year at this fantastic Birmingham College.
Brogen said
“This was a fantastic opportunity for front of house students to learn about how and where beer is made and it was lovely to showcase a local brewery and the beer-making process; from grain to glass. It is wonderful to be able to support our colleges with our national network of producers and manufacturers.”
The Attic Brew Co. site, in Stirchley, currently brews nearly 1 million pints a year, and the students experienced in person the journey from wheat and barley to the brewery’s bestselling ‘Intuition’ 4.4% Pale Ale.
“It was nice to be able to get out of the college and experience the brewery first hand. I found it unexpected and surprising to see the different steps that go into making beer, and very interesting to see the process from start to finish” said Poppy Jane Booth, a Level 2 student.
The Chefs’ Forum Academy delivers masterclasses and sessions that make all areas of the industry accessible to the next generation of hospitality talent, both in the college and off site. This, in turn, shows them that the world of hospitality and catering is truly their oyster, and showcases the many career opportunities that are waiting for them after they complete their education.
“It was great to welcome the students to Attic and give them a tour around our brewery. Hopefully the visit has inspired some students to consider a future career in the brewing industry!” said Harry Gwilliam, Head Brewer, who kindly led the tour on the day.
Sheri Cadwallader, Senior Technician for Hospitality and Catering at South & City College said: “Attic Brew Co. were very welcoming of us and our learners. It was a very informative day and reiterated what the students learn about beer making. It was fun for them to see the process first hand and to experience the sights and smells of a brewery. Thank you, The Chefs’ Forum, for organising another great session for our learners to help them with their qualification and thank you Attic for having us.”
Having recently taken a trip to Birmingham Wholesale Fruit market last month, to yesterday’s brewery trip, the students are now looking forward to a visit to The World of Wedgwood to see how fine bone china tableware is made.
Curriculum enrichment and employer engagement are a top priority for South & City College Birmingham and we know it is making a difference in boosting students’ grades and keeping them motivated and engaged.
Adam Porter, Head of School: Hairdressing, Barbering and Hospitality & Catering said
“The Chefs’ Forum Academy masterclasses, trips and visits have had a massive impact on the development of our students’ technical and wider skills. The masterclasses, menu development days, business market challenges and trips and have added great value to our students’ learning – Our students feel supported, engaged and motivated. The impact has been massive, where students have developed skills, attitudes and behaviours that are valued by employers and we have seen a significant positive increase of higher grades achieved by our students in craft assessments.”
Perfect Pastry & Asian Culinary Excellence on Display at Coleg Gwent
The Chefs’ Forum put on a display of pastry perfection at a taster day for school students at Coleg Gwent this week. 200 school students watched on as Thibault Courtosier of Patisserie Verte, who won Bake Off The Professionals in 2020, put on a masterclass.
However, he was joined by another award-winning chef Jubz al Manna of Grubz by Jubz, who gave an interactive cookery demo. Mocktails made by Mixologist Drew Patley and an interactive cocktail competition completed the ensemble and all the students went home happy.
Thibault said:
“I love events like this and getting young people talking about food and where it comes from. Honey from Dean Magna School really impressed me with her skills in making our vegan Valrhona Amatika chocolate and Sosa passionfruit crispy Tartlette. We had Alex Saunders from Valrhona here today, telling the schoolchildren and students all about where the top tier chocolate comes from; From bean to bag, we also watched a fantastic film on the whole journey. I think the industry needs more events like this and I am really happy to be both teaching at Coleg Gwent in The Chefs’ Forum Academy and participating in the Taster Day today.”
Thibault has invited the patisserie students to come and visit Patisserie Verte HQ in Cardiff for an enrichment visit and the college will make arrangements for this in the near future. He was also very impressed with the CookTek Helios induction hobs from Chefs’ Forum sponsor, MCS Technical Products, where precision and market-leading power come as standard – Exactly what top pastry chefs demand.
Dole Foodservice and Valrhona kindly provided fresh produce and delicious chocolate for the students to create canapés for the young guests, as well as ingredients for the demonstrations.
Our break-dancing chef, Kit Sells was also on hand to give a body-popping masterclass to some of the schoolchildren and their teachers, this was very entertaining indeed and made for an electric and upbeat atmosphere in the room.
Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs’ Forum, said afterwards:
“Our position as the leading chef platform dedicated to education enables us to bring in heavyweight industry professionals across the UK. We are about to embark on our third book – The Pastry Chefs’ Knowledge – and Thibault showed why pastry is so important as part of the chef curriculum. However, he was ably supported today by an outstanding deconstructed Bengali Seabass Curry demo from Jubz al Manna who really captivated the students.”
The schoolchildren were really impressed and engaged with Jubz’ curry and asked lots lots of questions and year 9 student, McKenzie Camp from Caldicot School assisted with the demo. He did such a good job that Jubz awarded him ‘Star of the Day’ and a copy of The Chefs’ Knowledge book.
Helen Lawless, Head of School for Hospitality at Coleg Gwent said: “The Chefs’ Forum really pulled out the stops for us today and it was easy to see how inspired the student visitors were. These taster days are so important for showing school students what they can expect on a catering course at Coleg Gwent.”
The visiting schoolchildren from five local feeder schools had a great time at the event, year 9 student Honey Griffiths from Dean Magna school said:
“I didn’t really know what to expect today, but I have really enjoyed all of the cooking, dancing and live competitions. I’m now really thinking about coming to Coleg Gwent for the next stage in my educational journey and cooking really appeals, it was amazing to discover so many new ingredients and meet such inspirational chefs. Thibault has offered me work experience at Patisserie Verte and I will definitely take him up on it – I really enjoyed making the chocolate tartlettes on stage with him, and have discovered that I’m a dab-hand with a piping bag!”
Bedwas School in Caerphilly was also very impressed by the day, a spokesperson said:
“We look forward to this annual foodie event every year, we have attended for the past three years and have it firmly in our diary going forward. It’s so lovely for the students to have enjoyed such an immersive and interactive event. You could see from the smiles on their faces how much they loved the event and their feedback has been amazing – Thank you to Coleg Gwent and The Chefs’ Forum for a hugely inspirational day!”
Film and photography by Carlos Farinha.
Ground-Breaking New Kit From RATIONAL
The Beginning of a New Era: RATIONAL introduces a world first online.
On 26 February at 3 pm (GMT), RATIONAL will once again demonstrate its innovative strength worldwide: Markus Paschmann, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at RATIONAL, together with colleagues from Research & Development and the project team, will unveil a world first during this online event. The company announces that it will be unveiling something the market has never seen before and promises to introduce a new product category alongside the iCombi and iVario. Markus Paschmann says: “The new product will be faster, more flexible and capable of more than anything we have ever developed before.”
If you want to be one of the first to see how RATIONAL is once again revolutionising the world of professional kitchens, you can watch the free English-language keynote presentation online – with subtitles in many other languages: rat.ag/new-era
Contact:
Vanessa Millard, RATIONAL UK Limited
Tel: 01582 480388
Mob: 07879 552017
E-mail: v.millard@rational-online.com
Web: www.rational-online.com
