Bonzer Announces a Lifetime of Hassle Free Can Opening with Its New Lifetime Warranty!

When you see a red knob in the kitchen, you know it’s an iconic Bonzer can opener, the market leader in professional tin openers, and has been for nearly a century!

From the 1st July 2023 every Bonzer can opener will come with a Lifetime Warranty. This will make UK chefs very happy indeed.

Brave you may think? Mitchell & Cooper are that confident in the top-quality design and manufacturing expertise they pour into Bonzer, that they are willing to guarantee it for life!

Bonzer’s green credentials are seemingly endless, but we must let you know that they really are easy to repair, with a full list of spares available. All parts are sourced in the UK and built in Mitchell & Cooper’s family-owned UK factory, which enables Bonzer to continually strive towards net zero.

Speaking of the warranty, Kat Cooper, Project Director at Mitchell &Cooper, whose family business has manufactured the famous Bonzer range since 1927, said:

“Mitchell & Cooper is 144 years old and our iconic,  Bonzer can opener is 96. To reflect the upcoming milestone of the iconic Bonzer can opener being 100 in 4 years’ time, we thought it was time to offer a lifetime warranty. We know how much the Bonzer is loved. It’s the ultimate chefs’ best friend and Bonzer is the green warrior in our portfolio. We couldn’t be prouder of it.

“However, there’s another reason and it’s something that sums up who we are. The Bonzer typifies the way we do business and the way we manufacture. Every Bonzer can opener is:

• Built to last
• Made from top-quality die-cast stainless steel.
• Built using outstanding British craftsmanship.
• Comes with exceptional aftercare – No quibbles!
• Designed to be timeless with a proven track record.
• Responsibly made – Sustainable and trusted by chefs as a kitchen workhorse
• Bonzer is not a throw-away product – It really is built to last a lifetime

“In a world that’s always trying to sell you more stuff we want to be different,” Kat went on. “We’re committed to changing the way we work with and supply the food service industry, from buying for the short term to buying once.

“When we buy once we build deeper connections with the things we own. When it gets ‘old’ we don’t throw it away – we restore it or fix it. Just like we restored a 70-year-old Bonzer can opener that had been found in the Antarctic having gone out with a British expedition in 1944. We replaced a few parts and it’s now as good as new and on display in a museum about the base where it was found. Incredible, but true and sustainability at its very best!”

Photo credit: John Blackwell

LACA’s School Chef of The Year Final is Taking Place in Birmingham this Week

The regional heats have been held across the country and this week, the best school chefs from across the UK will arrive in Birmingham to compete for the 2023 LACA School Chef of The Year title.

The regional finalists and two wild card competitors will take part in the national final at the LACA Main Event on Wednesday 5th and Thursday 6th July 2023.

With the competition focus on producing nutritious and delicious meals for 11-year-old primary or secondary school pupils, the SCOTY competition is the perfect showcase for passionate school chefs to demonstrate what they do best every day.

Competitors had to use a minimum of one Premier Foods ingredient in both their main course and dessert during their regional heat. Judges were looking for innovative and creative ways that the competitors use the products in the finished dishes.

The regional final judges assessed the entries based on the following criteria: use of Premier Foods products, working practices in the kitchen, creativity and appearance as well as taste and flavour.

The school chefs had just 1h 30 minutes in which to create four portions of their two-course menu.

Dishes produced were inspired from across the globe – and the final is likely to see even more creativity.

Some finalists are back again, competing to see if they can take the crown this year, including Wales’ Joanne Cox who competed in 2017 and London’s Raheem Morgan who will compete in his fourth SCOTY final.

The prestigious school chef competition, School Chef of the Year (SCOTY), is run by LACA, the School Food People and sponsored by Bisto, from Premier Foods. The competition attracts some of the very best school chef talent from across the country.

LACA – the school food people, was established in 1990 and is the leading professional body representing over 1,000 members drawn from across the school food sector representing public sector and private contract caterers and suppliers to schools, academies, and MATs across the UK.

The LACA School Chef of the Year (SCOTY) is now in its 29^th year and has drawn national attention with the annual winners often appearing on TV to showcase school cooking.

The SCOTY regional finalists are:

East Midlands Region:
Lorna Nolan, Derbyshire County Council – Breadsall Primary School

East of England Region:
Brenden Eades, Felsted School

London Region:
Raheem Morgan, Chartwells

North West Region:
Paul Hardy, Midshire Signature Services – Tarporley High School

South East Region:
Mark Kent, Norton Knatchbull

South West Region:
Jennifer Brown, Sarum Academy, part of Atalian Servest

Wales Region:
Joanne Cox, Chartwells – Ysgol Y Graig

West Midlands Region:
Andrew Polymniou, Chartwells – King Edwards VI Aston School

Yorkshire and Humberside Region:
Kirsty McAndrew, Midshire Signature Services – Oakworth Primary School

Wildcards:
Matthew Bennett, Aramark – Alsager School (North West Region)
James Noakes, Maidstone Grammar (South East Region)

A Corking Opportunity for Young Chefs and Sommeliers – Gosset Matchmaker 2023 – Deadline Extension

The days of divide between kitchen and dining room separated by the pass are coming to an end. There has never been a better time for young chefs to step out of the safety of the kitchen and join a growing breed of chefs who understand the art of wine pairing.

Champagne Gosset, one of the world’s best champagne houses, is providing an unrivalled opportunity to learn more about this fascinating field with their Matchmaker competition which is now in its eighth year.

The Gosset Matchmaker 2023 competition represents the pinnacle of champagne and gastronomy pairing and this year’s competition will attract the very best contestants in a continued partnership with Le Cordon Bleu London with new 2023 partners The Sommelier Edit and London Wine Fair.

The whole object of the competition is to pair up and coming chef/ sommelier partnerships who create perfect food and wine pairing in restaurants and other eateries. All you have to be is a chef with less than five years’ industry experience paired with a sommelier from your same place of work. So, join up with your sommelier and enter this fabulous competition. The winners receive an all-expenses-paid visit to Champagne Gosset’s headquarters in Epernay and the title of Gosset Matchmaker 2023.

The great news is that the competition deadline has now been extended for another week, so you have until Friday 7^th July to enter this prestigious competition.

The form on the link below must be submitted by this Sunday at the latest, then you will be sent a personal acknowledgement of entry and your entry pack,

The full entry must be submitted by Friday 7^th July, this isn’t much time, but its well worth it and will give you’re the opportunity to win a culinary trip of a lifetime.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER NOW

If you were unaware of just how influential a sommelier is in a top restaurant a few words from

Georgios Iordanidis, Head of Wine at Annabel’s club, will put you straight. He says:

“The modern sommelier is not just a wine expert, but a cultural ambassador and guide through the intricate world of gastronomy. With refined palates and a passion for creating unforgettable experiences, sommeliers curate extraordinary wine lists, build relationships with winemakers, and craft harmonious pairings.

Their expertise extends beyond wine, encompassing spirits, beers, and even sake, allowing them to cater to diverse preferences and palates. With a deep understanding of production methods, grape varieties, and regional nuances, sommeliers guide guests through a sensory exploration of flavors, aromas, and textures.”

Top Chef Brasil winner, Luciana Berry joins the panel of expert judges this year, she said

“I’m really looking forward to judging the competition, as a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu, it is great to be in a position to support the next generation of culinary talent coming up through the ranks, the bar has been set very high and I can’t wait to meet the entrants and judge the final on September the 18^th.”

The Chefs’ Knowledge is Delighted to Join Forces with CKBK

The Chefs’ Forum, leading UK chef education and marketing platform, is delighted to join forces with ckbk, the only website to offer online unlimited access to a curated collection of the world’s great cookbooks.

The new collaboration will enhance the user experience for members of both ckbk and The Chefs’ Forum. The Chefs’ Knowledge is available in full via the ckbk’s digital platform, including 100 recipes contributed by leading UK chefs.

Commenting on the partnership Catherine Farinha said:

“It’s really fantastic to see The Chefs’ Knowledge go live on ckbk and for us to promote the platform to our members. It’s a great collection of books and we are delighted to be included and to promote chef learning.

“This new partnership is very important for The Chefs’ Forum. The work we have been doing with student and junior chef education is now able to be accessed by a much wider community across the world and now international subscribers can now learn the working secrets of our top chefs.”

Matt Cockerill, co-founder and CEO of ckbk said “We’re thrilled to launch this new cooperation with The Chefs Forum. Chefs and trainee chefs are some of ckbk’s most enthusiastic users, with cookbooks playing a vital and in conveying knowledge from one generation of chefs to the next. The Chefs’ Knowledge – The Modern Culinary Repertoire is a valuable addition to ckbk’s platform as we work with culinary schools and catering colleges across the UK, and beyond.”

ckbk offers instant unlimited access, via its website and app, to the full content of more than 700 cookbooks. Users can post reviews, add private notes, and create their own ‘recipe playlists’. ckbk’s searchable collection includes over 120,000 recipes from trusted authors and top chefs, with more titles added each week.

View CKBK here.

Independent research found The Chefs’ Forum to be the second most recognised chef marketing platform in the UK and is a one-stop-shop for the latest news, menu trends, kitchen gadgetry, top quality suppliers and chef networking.  Inspire the next generation and give-back through teaching in The Chefs’ Forum Academy. Join us in bridging the gap between education and industry.

Merlin’s Magic is Shakin it Up!

Mitchell & Cooper have teamed up with TV bar star Merlin Griffiths to create a premium Bonzer® Barware cocktail kit that will shake up drinks-making this summer.

Merlin, who is on a mission to “Get the nation shaking“, is also launching a campaign to encourage everyone to share their #ShakerFace. Highlights of which will be showcased across Merlin’s Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Tik Tok – with one lucky shaker being chosen each month to receive their very own kit.

The new cocktail kit, customised by Merlin Griffiths and produced by Bonzer® in the UK, is due to be released for sale on June 21, 2023 and includes a two-piece Boston shaker set, Hawthorne strainer, fine strainer, jigger, 30cm bar spoon and a Mexican Elbow (citrus press). All in high-grade stainless steel finish.

“I am genuinely thrilled by what we’ve achieved,” said Merlin. “This is a great set for anyone to start with and even comes with a special Mexican Elbow citrus press which I started to use after learning all about them from Mexican bartenders I’d worked with in London.  I was so impressed with this brilliant little tool, that I’ve customized my own version with Bonzer®. I’m really excited to see how people use the set and what they create.”

Merlin has been bartending since 1996, where he started out shaking, mixing and whizzing up tasty drinks in London’s popular Soho. An instantly recognisable face, he has been mixing drink on our screens for over 10 years.

The premium cocktail kit has been co-created with Bonzer® Barware, owned by global parent company Mitchell & Cooper who was founded in 1879 in East London, and they have been manufacturing since 1927.

Mitchell & Cooper have always been the professional’s choice and have built lasting relationships with top chefs and bartenders at the top of their game – and Merlin is certainly one of them.

Merlin went on: “It’s about time we had professional kit available to enable my industry peers to make amazing drinks at work or play. “I believe everyone should be able to make a tasty cocktail, it’s a life skill! Bringing professional quality cocktail tools to your mixologist’s tool kit is an essential part of this dream. It’s time to get shaking!”

Merlin is also offering an exclusive virtual cocktail masterclass for the first 500 individual orders of the kit. To place your order visit www.merlingriffiths.com

Kat Cooper of Mitchell & Cooper said: “Bonzer® is the perfect partner for Merlin Griffiths. My family have been making barware for close to 100 years and we’re delighted to be partnering with Merlin to create some drinks magic with the new kit.”

Film & photo credit: Carlos Farinha

Come on Now, Let’s Focus on Royal Greenland Fish & Shellfish Species!

Bringing a product to the UK hospitality market can be a tough assignment. A large part of the problem can be knowing what chefs and buyers are looking for, expecting and even how they perceive those needs.

This time it’s all about fish, fish chefs and what they think of top-quality Royal Greenland seafood species, which dishes they’re cooking with them, where they are buying fish…you get the general idea.

That’s where a bespoke Focus Day can help shape marketing, communications and trade advertising campaigns before they even begin.

Randall Jennings, Managing Director of Royal Greenland UK was delighted to host the event held at West London College, he said

“We’re using this as a great opportunity to get high quality seafood products into some great UK kitchens.  At Royal Greenland we pride ourselves on maintaining ocean to fork connection with every element of the supply chain; from our trawlers, to processing, distribution and most importantly our UK chefs who champion our fantastic produce in their menus.”

This is a great example of the way we are assisting with branding strategy and product development for Royal Greenland by utilising our huge chef network to achieve maximum awareness.

We don’t start with an advertising campaign. We start with gathering a focus group of expert chefs in the required market segment to harvest valuable market intel and insight and its very effective.

On the 24th May at West London College we held a special focus group where 25 top fish chefs got together to learn and discuss everything there is to know about Royal Greenland and the species of seafood they supply.

The purpose of the day is not solely to promote Royal Greenland. The purpose is for Royal Greenland to learn about how UK chefs perceive imported frozen seafood and how they use it in their kitchens.

To achieve this, we have to invite the right chefs and create an environment where they can learn and give feedback in a relaxed, but structured way. Our association with leading catering colleges and our Chefs’ Forum Academies are the perfect place for that.

Our specially selected group of chefs from leading seafood chains and upmarket restaurants will get together for a jam-packed day of activity including:

• Getting an understanding on how Chefs & Exec Chefs see/use seafood in their restaurant/chains and what’s important for them
• Engage in a soft introduction to Royal Greenland and seafood species portfolio
• Enjoy a short session on prawns
• Work on a qualitative (focus group) and quantitative data (questionnaire)

Utilise the day as an opportunity to train the current and next generation of UK chefs on the correct preparation methods to serve Royal Greenland fish and shellfish species through serving the culinary guests a fantastic buffet of lobster, crab, prawn, cod and halibut, all made and served by Royal Greenland Development Chef, Jan Zoutenbier, with the students at West London College.

If you are interested in taking part in one of our Focus Groups please let us know.

To book a focus group for your foodservice brand, talk to us! Contact catherine@redcherry.uk.com

Oodles of Pastry Talent on Display at West London College

Private Members Clubs Chefs’ Competition Time

Boodles Club took home the winners prize in the 2023 League of Club Chefs’ Town and Country Fine Foods Pastry Challenge Cup held at West London College on Tuesday.

17 year old Mia Tang beat Lorna Songhurst from White’s and Fern Lawrence from The Garrick Club to win an all-expenses trip to Felchin Chocolate in Switzerland plus money to spend. Two further chefs from the RAF Club and Bucks Club were finalists.

Jerome Dreux, Sales & Development Chef with Town and Country Fine Foods explained why the panel of judges went for Mia’s final flourish.

“The competition required preparing a classic Apple Charlotte and a dessert of choice using Felchlin chocolate. Mia’s dessert showed a lot of skills with some delightful chocolate tempering, was just the right size and would have been a perfect dish to serve in any setting.”

Chef Michael Dutnall, Executive Chef at The RAF Club, who organised the competition, said:

”The level of skill improves each year and this year was no exception.”

If you are interested in a course in hospitality and catering at West London College apply now: wlc.ac.uk/catering

You Heard it Here First – The Chefs’ Knowledge Audiobook – AVAILABLE NOW

In a first for the chefs’ profession The Chefs’ Knowledge has gone audio. We broke new ground with our first ever book for junior chefs and now we’ve gone one step further by releasing a new audio version that takes the project in a completely new direction.

The Chefs’ Knowledge Audiobook is now available to buy on Spotify and Google Play and soon to be many more!

Buy your copy now:

Google Play CLICK HERE
Spotify CLICK HERE

The Chefs’ Knowledge contains interviews, advice and expert knowledge as well as dramatised working professional recipes for the 100 dishes every chef should know. The new audio version is a collection of 100 scenes that brings the book to life, all acted out by 3rd years students from the Arden School of Theatre at UCEN Manchester.

Catherine Farinha, publisher of The Chefs’ Knowledge explained: “We wanted to do an audio version of The Chefs’ Knowledge for a number of reasons. Chiefly because dyslexia is widespread in kitchens and a lot of chefs, especially juniors, can be at a real disadvantage because of it. However, we didn’t want to just record recipes being read out. So, we came up with something new. Our editor, Chandos Elletson, used to work in Film and Television and he wrote a few test scenes that made the recipes into little dramas. We got these acted out by real actors and they came alive. And that became the format for the new audio version.”

Elletson told The Chefs’ Forum: “What we’ve done is very unusual. We took the 100 Dishes that Every Chef Should Know idea and turned it on it’s head. What you have in the audio version are 100 imaginary scenes where junior chefs learn about dishes on the menu of a fictitious hotel. One of the examples I wrote was a scene where two honeymooners wanted to know the recipe for the granola they enjoyed at breakfast. So the head chef goes to their table and explains it. It brings the recipe alive in a way that is relatable and that’s the secret of what we’ve done. We’re hoping this really resonates with listeners who can learn by enjoying some dramatic scenes rather than listening to dry recipes.”

The Chefs’ Knowledge Audio Book is available on all major audiobook platforms at £14.99.

You can also purchase the hard copy of The Chefs’ Knowledge – The Modern Culinary Repertoire HERE.

Chef Tom Green Talks Chef Life and Mental Health at South Devon College

It’s Mental Health Awareness Month and we have begun a campaign to educate the chefs of the future, that it is paramount they get their heads in the right place early in their career. Without a proper mental foundation the life of a chef is hard and tough. With the right mindset the challenges of chef life are easy to spot and simple to navigate.

There was a time in the not too distant past when chefs welcomed the rigour of the job and took pride in the exhaustion and mental toll that came with the badge of being a head chef. Those days are over and a lot of the chefs who went on that journey are either gone from the industry or regret it. Why?

The tough guy image of burnt-out chefs was a familiar sight from the 1990’s onwards but as mental health professionals know only too well you can only keep it up for so long before something cracks. Chef Tom Green knows all about it. He’d been there, bought the T shirt and worn it.

So, how should you approach being a chef when you are just starting out?

Tom Green visited a group of 30 students at South Devon College this week to deliver a guest lecture on his career to date and share with them some ‘lived experience’ mental health tick boxes to be aware of.

Professional kitchens are stressful, fast paced, hot and noisy. It’s good to know that in advance so you know how to prepare. Kitchens are also places full of egos and an environment that can be anxiety provoking, physically and mentally demanding and come with unsociable hours.

Further, the life of a chef messes with your work life balance and can have a serious effect on self-esteem. This is due to having to be as good as your team all the time. Add in the aspects of failure, poor social media reviews and critical press and you’ve got the makings of a downward spiral into substance and alcohol misuse.

Enough to put you off? It’s not the end of the world. Identifying the kitchen and the chefs you want to work with and respect is the first part of the equation of finding lasting jab satisfaction.

Here’s Chef Tom Green’s checklist for success:

• Find a place you enjoy working that aligns with your own values
• Eat properly
• Drink plenty of water
• Sleep
• Fresh air
• Exercise
• Be kind to yourself
• Be kind to others
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help
• Stress/recognise the triggers
• Find a way to deal with that stress, it is never one size fits all
• Minimise alcohol consumption
• Refrain from self medication with pain killers and other substances

Also, and this is really important. Remember that there are kitchens to work in that are far away from the stress, turmoil and heat of battle that are characterised by TV shows.

What type of chef do you want to be?

Find an employer who reflects your personal ethics and working style.

Aside from restaurants and hotels you can work in any of the following areas:

• Events
• Pop Ups
• Private Chef
• Ski chalets
• NHS
• Educatering
• Teaching
• Contract Catering
• Street Food
• Yachts
• Development Chef
• Television

He concluded: “The sky really is the limit, but just make sure you look after yourself and others on the way up there.  If someone had told me when I was sitting where you are now, that I would have cooked for some of the amazing people I have had the privilege to cook for, even King Charles and Queen Camilla, then I would never have believed them, but I did and you can too.”

Film & photography by Carlos Farinha.

A Dream Lunch for Steak-loving London Chefs

We took over Omnino Steakhouse in Leadenhall Street, London on Monday 15th May to introduce London to the joys of Aussie Beef matured in an Italian ageing machine and cooked by a group of Brazilian chefs. 60 invited guests got their fill of some of the best steaks in the world.

It’s the sort of thing we’re becoming known for at The Chefs’ Forum and you can expect an invite to a city near you soon because we’re taking the concept on the road.

Here’s what happened. The Aussie Beef Mates Meat Feast featured an incredible array of steaks from down under:

JBS Aberdeen Black (Angus)

• 120+ Day Grain Fed Ribeye
• 28-day aged 120+ Day Grain Fed Ribeye
  
• 120+ Day grain Fed Sirion
• 28-day aged 120+ Day Grain Fed Sirloin

AAco Westholme Wagyu

• 350-Day Grain Fed Picanha
• 28-day aged 350-Day Grain Fed Picanha

Stockyard Wagyu

• 400-Day Grain Fed Bavette

All these steaks, except for the bavette, were matured in a state-of-the-art Stagionello® dry ageing machine to specific settings. The Stagionello allows chefs to preset maturation to a pre-programmed PH, humidity, temperature and ventilation during the ageing process. It sounds complicated but it really isn’t.

Evandro Bottecchia, Head of Sales at DCI Maintenance Ltd, who supplies Stagionello®, said:

“The Stagionello® machine is a unique system for processing food transformation that uses PH control for meat maturation. It is possible to mature meat in a safe and controlled environment for up to 360 days without the use of any additives throughout the process.

It was great to work with Stephen and team at Meat and Livestock Australia to film the ageing process over the last four weeks and the results on the day were simply delicious.

“It is the only device of its kind which has a cold-flavouring system that uses no heat or combustion. This conserves all the properties of the food and results in zero toxic residues.

“The Stagionello® uses a homogenous ventilation system that can result in a 14% loss of moisture during the curing process and comes with a training course and a scientific consultancy.”

The chefs also got to try a wet-aged version of each cut – The room was split as to which they preferred, but it was an excellent opportunity to showcase the latest technology in dry ageing, compared to the flavour achieved with wet ageing.

The steaks were cooked to perfection by the assembled Brazilian chefs who know a thing or two about how to cook meat. They also knocked up some pretty impressive sides:

Aussie Beef Mates Sides

• Farofa and Arroz Carreteiro by Eduardo Barsotti (Chef Patron, Omnino Steakhouse)
• Esquites by Aaj Fernando (Chef Consultant)
• Brazilian Vinaigrette by Marcilio Da Silva (Chef Consultant)
• Potato Salad by Cesar Scolari (Top Chef Brasil Finalist)
• Black Eyed Beans Salad by Luciana Berry (Top Chef Brasil Winner)

Dessert

• Corn Crème Brûlée by Franciane Tartari (Executive Pastry Chef & International Judge)

Wines were sponsored by Australian Winery, Brown Brothers

• Innocent Bystander Pinot Gris
• Brown Brothers Limited Release Durif

Stephen Edwards, UK Business Manager, Meat and Livestock Australia said:

“This was a great event and it really showed how incredible and versatile Aussie Beef really is. A huge thanks to The Chefs’ Forum for pulling it all together. One of the biggest attributes of Australian beef is its consistent eating quality due to our grading systems and pathways, the various cuts of steak were beautifully cooked by expert Brazilian chefs with some really delicious sides.

“We were also really impressed with the guest list that Catherine and the team assembled for us, they really do have great connections. Not only chefs from Michelin restaurants but also chefs from high-volume steak restaurants who really enjoyed what we have spent years building in Australia. First class. As the AUS/UK Free Trade Agreement comes in on June 1 this year we will see more variety of Aussie beef cuts finding its way to the high-quality foodservice UK market”

Chefs’ Forum Director Catherine Farinha said: “As a business, we are all about education. It was a pleasure to work with Aussie Beef and through our network we were able to assemble a dream team and really show off this incredible product. It went so well we are already working on taking the show on the road.”

Eduardo Barsotti, Owner of Omnino Steakhouse said

“It was a fantastic event and we really loved inviting the guest chefs into our kitchen to cook for 60 London chefs.  There was a real sense of community and the produce was of an amazing standard.  Omnino is a celebration of top-quality steak and our loyal customer base comes here expecting the very best.  We look forward to welcoming the visiting chefs back again soon.”

Photography by New Era.