It’s Black Friday at The Chefs’ Forum!
We love a deal and since everybody’s doing it we thought we’d join in with a cracker of our own. Get a copy of our new bestseller The Chefs’ Knowledge with £5 off when you buy though the website. Details of the offer code and the link are at the bottom of this article.
What is The Chefs’ Knowledge? Well, in a nutshell, it’s the first ever book written for student and junior chefs that is neither a college textbook or out-and-out recipe book. It’s a hybrid volume containing The 100 Dishes Every Chef Should Know.
However, it also contains page after page of excellent advice from some of the most well-known chefs in the country, as well as real working recipes that contain never-seen-before techniques that few ever learn. What’s not to love about that if you know a junior chef in need of an industry handbook?
The Chefs’ Knowledge has been well-received by the industry so far:
Hywel Griffith, Chef Director at Beach House Restaurant, said: “It’s beautifully put together and well thought-out. Top marks.”
Paul Gayler MBE, Chef Consultant said: “A great addition to the chefs library.”
Allister Bishop, Chef Consultant said: “Stunning. Every young chef should have a copy.”
Kitchens and colleges are stocking up on copies for their junior and student chefs. Why not take advantage of our Black Friday offer here:
To purchase The Chefs’ Knowledge CLICK HERE – Use voucher code BFRI5 at the checkout to redeem £5 OFF – Valid until midnight on Friday 25th November 2022.
International Salon Culinaire 2023 Opens for Entries
Historic chef competition International Salon Culinaire has opened for entries for 2023.
Taking place alongside Hotel, Restaurant & Catering (HRC) on 20-22 March at ExCeL London, Salon Culinaire offers chefs of all ages and skillsets the opportunity to compete in over 80 live and static competitions, from meat, cheese and plant-based challenges to desserts and sugarcraft.
Next year’s edition of the competition will see the return of popular categories including the NHS 4 Nations Chef Challenge, the Alaska Seafood Masters, Stadium Experience Chef Team of the Year and Country Range Student Chef Team Challenge, along with popular 2022 additions such as the Apprentice Challenge and Pub Chef of the Year.
Craft Guild of Chef’s National Chef Team of the Year competition, in association with Waitrose & Partners, will also have a new format at the competing chefs are challenged to construct delicious bowl food dishes.
New for 2023 is the prestigious Lumina Lamb Challenge from Official Meat Partner Alliance NZ and a new online training competition for chef lecturers in partnership with The Grande Cuisine Academy.
Steve Munkley, Salon Chef Director, comments: “Next year’s event is set to be another fantastic edition of HRC and International Salon Culinaire, attracting everyone from the UK’s leading chefs to the next generation of culinary superstars. Live competition is a great way for chefs to challenge themselves, meet industry peers and stand out from the crowd and I can’t wait to see what this year’s competitors produce.”
Among the over 70 esteemed chef judges returning for 2023 are Cyrus Todiwala OBE of Café Spice, Gary Devereaux of the House of Lords, Dennis Mwakulua of the Lexington, Nick Vadis of Compass Group UK & Ireland, Matt Owens of the Craft Guild of Chefs, Martyn Nail of the Dorchester Hotel, Yolande Stanley MBE of The Pastry Training Company and Candice Webber of Thomas Franks of London.
“We have seen our students flourish and gain massive confidence to face the world,” says Todiwala “To all chefs: be bold, be brave, face challenges and be competitive, as it is facing an audience and creating the magic that is within you that what will make the difference for your rise and future achievements, and will give you the confidence to succeed.”
New additions to the judging panel include Terry O’Riordan of Ketochefs, Shona Sutherland of the Tastyful and Scottish Culinary team and Wayne Roberts of the Royal Lancaster London.
International Salon Culinaire is working with a number of Official Equipment Partners, including combi ovens from Unox, refrigeration from Liebherr, and induction from Induced Energy. Compass Group UK & Ireland is returning as Headline Partner for 2023, continuing a long-standing partnership with the competition.
Unox will once again be taking all the Live Theatre Best-in-Class winners for on an all-expenses-paid trip to Italy to explore Venice and Padova and enjoy a guided tour around the Unox global headquarters. Read about the 2022 trip here.
International Salon Culinaire will take place on 20-22 March 2023 at ExCeL London. To find out more about all the competitions and challenges at next year’s event, and for information on how to enter, head to internationalsalonculinaire.co.uk.
Harvest will Make it 3 for The Jesse Dunford Wood Stable
First it was Parlour in Kensal Rise. Then it was 6 Portland Road in Notting Hill. Next it will be Harvest, as chef Jesse Dunford Wood continues to expand his restaurant stable.
The 40-seater restaurant on the site of a former Indian restaurant on Chamberlayne Road in Kensal Rise will be open all day from 8 until late, with a changing seasonal menu of British dishes. There will also be space for 30 outside.
Interior design will be led by Ben Masterton-Smith from Transit Studio with wrought iron art by Dunford Wood’s father Hugh.
“It’s going to be a hybrid of our two existing restaurants,” Dunford Wood said: “We’ve got a few months to work out the details, but as it is in the same neighbourhood as Parlour we don’t want to butcher each other’s businesses by offering the same things. However, the Chicken Kyiv will almost certainly make an appearance!”
Jesse is a huge asset to The Chefs’ Forum, often teaching at West London College and helping showcase the industry at our popular Taster Days.
We have also placed students to work with him, gaining vital industry experience.
We wish him all the very best with his third restaurant and are sure it will be another raging success.
18 Gault & Millau Points for “Stéphane Décotterd” Gastronomic Restaurant at Glion Institute of Higher Education
The prestigious Gault & Millau Restaurant guide dedicated to fine dining in Switzerland has once again awarded 18 points to Stéphane Décotterd for his gastronomic restaurant located in the heart of Glion Institute of Higher Education.
“Maison Décotterd” comprises three culinary spaces – the gastronomic restaurant, the bistro and the lounge bar – which together form a truly world-class gastronomic destination in a spectacular setting above Montreux. Chef Décotterd, who has been practicing exclusively local produce-based cuisine for several years, along with his wife, a former sommelier and restaurant manager, jointly manage this establishment, which is a member of Relais et Châteaux and has been awarded a Michelin star.
Salmon from Graübunden with masterwort, chicory given a tangy taste by Granny Smith apples, Lake Maggiore pikeperch with Vulliens Szechuan pepper, Pinot nor juice and red onions, Saddle of Deer from the Jura grilled with juniper wood, Pan-fried wild mushrooms and fingerling potatoes emulsion, along with desserts such as Fellenberg Plums and Meadowsweet as well as Shortbread biscuit and candied prunes: these dishes drawn from the tasting menu testify to the demanding culinary philosophy promoted by the Chef.
This approach embodies an unmistakable signature and an eco-responsible vision resolutely oriented towards promoting producers and high-quality produce, of which Chef Décotterd is also delighted to raise awareness among the international cohorts of first semester Bachelor students at Glion through a four-week internship they undertake at Maison Décotterd – alternating between the gourmet restaurant and its kitchen, the bistro and the bar.
This influence extends far beyond the borders of Switzerland, notably through the Chef’s role as vice-delegate for Switzerland and as a member of the World Culinary Council, which is committed to protecting and promoting the richness and diversity of the world’s culinary and hotel traditions and to ensuring their continuity.
It is the 11th consecutive time Gault & Millau has awarded Chef Décotterd 18 points for “extraordinary culinary excellence and creativity”. He said: “I associate my team with this magnificent distinction; with this beautiful recognition of the constancy of our commitment as well as the quest for excellence pursued by each of us.”
All Change as The 2023 Roux Scholarship Opens for Entries
The Roux Scholarship 2023 is now open for entries with the age for entry raised to 31 for the first time.
The traditional 3-month stage prize has been changed to a choice of either a 2 month stage at a 3 Michelin-starred restaurant, or a bespoke training programme tailored to the winner’s career goal.
However, the biggest challenge the 39-year-old competition faces is that of relevance. In the history of the scholarship there has only ever been one female winner and chairman Alain Roux accepted that the competition “needed to evolve.”
“It’s normal that after all these years people might start to think it’s outdated,” Roux told The Caterer. “We wanted to move things on and get away from having that stamp of being all about French food. Of course, we love it, but you can use those techniques in pretty much every style of cooking around the world.”
The competition wants to attract more female entrants and is actively looking at new ways to create a level playing field for all chefs. A whitepaper on the subject, created by leading female chefs including Sally Abé, disclosed that the perception of the competition is that is a “boys club.”
“You don’t need to work in a Michelin-starred kitchen to enter,” Alain Roux explained. “The Roux Scholarship is a challenging competition and we want people to realise that any style of chef can reach that top level – whether they work in a hospital, pub or a care home. It can be enriching personally and professionally and you can gain so much value from entering, even if you don’t get that far.
“The competition is open to everybody, and we want to spread the word and make sure people are not put off. We want to give everyone the same chance so they can win.”
The new prizes reflect the changing styles and goals of chefs. The tailored prize could include learning Japanese knife skills in Tokyo or chocolate making in France and can be taken at a convenient time in the chef’s work schedule, according to the scholarship.
There has also been a shakeup in prize money. The winner will receive up to £12,000 to support their career development as well as prizes from sponsors. £6,000 of this will be awarded to them on completion of 15 months’ service with their current employer following the competition. But, should the chef move on in that time that money will go to the original employer to develop their existing brigade.
Recipe Challenge
The 2023 competition has asked entrants to create a recipe for four people using the following ingredients and criteria:
- A striploin of dry-aged Heritage beef (without bones), weighing between 800g-900g (maximum 1kg joint) cooked and served either whole or in multiple cuts.
- In addition, use one beef offal (not veal), either heart, tongue, or kidney; together plated with two simple or composed garnishes/accompaniments. One of them must include chicory (Belgian endive) and the other can be a garnish/accompaniment of the contestant’s choice. One of these can be served separately, if preferred.
- A sauce must accompany the dish.
This year the age limit for the competition has been raised to 31-years-old to compensate for the time lost due to the coronavirus pandemic. Chefs can enter if they turn 31-years-old on or after the 1 February 2023.
Chefs have until midnight on 31 January 2023 to submit their recipes, which will be judged blind, via the online application system.
Regional finals will take place at University College Birmingham and the University of West London on 9 March ahead of the national final at Westminster Kingsway College in London on 3 April.
Register NOW: CLICK HERE
Ben Murphy of London’s Launceston Place Wins National Chef of the Year
Chef patron of Launceston Place, Ben Murphy, beat 9 other finalists to win National Chef of the Year in front of top judges including Kenny Atkinson, Gary Jones and Aktar Islam. This year’s final marked 50 years of the competition and a celebration evening was held at The Berkeley Hotel on 31st October.
The winning menu was: butter poached pollock, radish and Oscietra; Lake District young fallow, watercress, onion and batek pepper; and a desert of clementine, honey, tahitensis vanilla and yoghurt.
Murphy told The Caterer: “I’m still in shock. I felt like I had done a good job and I knew I’d worked quick and clean, but to win in the 50th anniversary year of the Craft Guild of Chefs and the 50th year of the Berkeley is incredible.
“It’s validation for me and the team as well, as my competition dishes were essentially what we do every day in the restaurant. The team at Launceston Place do such an amazing job and we’re full every day. There was also a great vibe during the competition, with everyone supporting each other and sharing equipment. It was great to see other chefs finishing on time and succeeding.
“I feel like a weight has been lifted now, winning this one was important to me, and it keeps catching me. I feel humble and grateful, especially to the Craft Guild of Chefs because they have supported me since I was at college and competing in challenges like World Skills and winning Young National Chef of the Year 10 years ago.”
Kenny Atkinson, chef patron at House of Tides in Newcastle, added: “Wow, what a final, with an incredible winner! The brief I set purposely left the menus open to individual interpretation so that we could clearly see each chef’s personality, skill and talent so we’ve tasted some amazing food today.”
Matthew Smith, head chef at Inver Restaurant and Rooms was runner up with April Lily from The Ledbury coming third.
Great British Game Week: What’s on the Cards?
In light of the annual #GreatBritishGameWeek, 7th-13th November 2022, restaurants across the UK are putting game on the menu to celebrate and introduce more people to its healthiness, sustainability, and versatility.
Great British Game Week is a celebration of enjoying wild game, promoted by British Game Assurance’s (BGA) Eat Wild campaign.
The week-long promotion will be a focus for events, dinners and special offers promoting game to consumers around the country. People will be encouraged to taste game for the first time and try new game products such as pies, sausages, burgers, and charcuterie.
William Sitwell, Restaurant Critic, Broadcaster, and Author, said: “Cooking with and eating game isn’t just a sensible, sustainable and natural way of life, it’s a delicious, exciting approach to food with endless and wonderful possibilities. I wish more of us could understand and share this great source of nutrition and pleasure, so I’m delighted that BGA are championing game with the help of Eat Wild; they are the invaluable go-to people for stockists and fabulous ideas.”
William Sitwell will be hosting the Game Week finale ‘Glorious Game’ event at BGA stockist Holland & Holland’s Shooting Grounds on 12th November. The event includes a twelve-course tasting menu with wine pairing. BGA Ambassador Chef Leon Challis-Davies will join Holland & Holland Head Chef, Joshua Hunter, Michelin-starred Mark Kempson and Celebrity Chef Valentine Warner to produce an exquisite tasting banquet, with all game at the event being BGA Assured. To book tickets, visit: Holland & Holland (hollandandholland.com)
Throughout the week, restaurants across the UK will be serving BGA-Assured game to celebrate.
Other restaurants celebrating Game Week include; Boisdale, who will be serving wild venison, grouse goulash, as well as pheasant escalope with cured ham and sage. The Shed, Nutbourne, and Rabbit will be serving roast partridge alongside broccoli, crispy potatoes, and blackberry jus. Sussex will have venison haunch with red cabbage, truffled mushroom duxelles, and red kale on the menu. Holborn Dining Room will have game pie on the menu, and La Tua Pasta will celebrate with tortelloni pheasant, mushroom and truffle with a creamy mushroom sauce in their Borough Market stall, where they do take away / eating in the shared areas of the market.
More pubs and restaurants around the UK embracing Game Week with special menus include: The Red Lion (Burnsall), The Beverley Arms , The Millstone (Mellor), The Bailiwick (Egham) , Lyle’s Tea Building, Brat, Rosewood London, Savile Club, Crown and Anchor (Chichester), The Betjeman Arms (St Pancras), King’s Arms (Wandsworth), Hollywood Arms (Chelsea), The Onslow (Clandon), The Wheatsheaf (Esher Green), The Grantley Arms (Wonersh), The White Horse (Ascombe), The Wheatsheaf Inn (Cotswolds).
If you are not able to get out, then you can order game to celebrate online here.
Winter Afternoon Tea with Wedgwood at The Grand Hotel Birmingham
Wednesday 2nd November will see the launch of Winter Afternoon Tea presented on the Wedgwood Gio Gold Collection at The Grand Hotel, Birmingham. There is great synergy in this collaboration as both Wedgwood and The Grand Hotel embrace the art of entertaining on an iconic and individual level.
Adam Bateman, Culinary Director at The Grand has worked closely with Wedgwood to create the perfect partnership to elevate his new Winter Afternoon Tea menu to a luxurious new level.
Adam recently visited the Wedgwood factory in Stoke-on-Trent to forge a collaboration with one of the oldest potteries in the UK. To this end, Madeleine Bar at The Grand Hotel, Birmingham was appointed as the perfect backdrop for the Wedgwood Gio Gold collection, enhanced even further when decorated with mouth-watering sweets and treats in a brand-new Winter Afternoon Tea available until the end of January.
Adam said
“Launching our Winter Afternoon Tea on Wedgwood’s Gio Gold range was the perfect partnership. A stunning range of tableware, complementary of Madeleine Bar, on which to present our Winter Afternoon Tea. This is also a great opportunity for my talented pastry team to showcase their chocolate and patisserie skills and enjoy a bit of creative culinary fun. It is also an incredible opportunity to work with a world-renowned brand like Wedgwood and partner with them at The Grand to launch our new Winter Afternoon Tea menu.”
Chris Bend, Head of Hospitality Sales at Wedgwood is delighted to be working with Adam to showcase the Wedgwood Gio Gold Afternoon Tea range.
He considers this partnership to be a fantastic way to welcome the changing season, celebrating winter flavours and produce, while adding a festive gold touch to a delicious afternoon tea menu devised by Adam and the culinary team at The Grand Hotel, Birmingham, he said
“The Gio Gold range is stunning, comprising of everything you would need for the ultimate Afternoon Tea experience including a beautiful tea pot, dainty cups and saucers, stylish side plates, milk jug and sugar bowl. We have thoroughly thought every element through for the perfect guest experience – this is a truly fantastic collaboration.”
Winter Afternoon Tea will be served from 1pm – 5pm, Wednesday – Sunday and is priced at £45.00 per person, including a glass of Collet Art Deco Champagne for that decadent finishing touch.
The menu comprises:
SAVOURIES
- Barber Mature Cheddar and Sweet Shallot Pickle
- Holly Farm Turkey and Wild Cranberry
- Cacklebean Egg and Chive Mayo
- Prawn and Fennel Brioche Roll with Caviar
SCONES
- Vanilla and Pain d’Epice Scone
- Earl Grey Raisin Scone
Both served with Whipped Rodda’s Clotted Cream - Blood Orange Curd
- Spiced Plum Preserve
This delicious experience is available to book now and will be served from Wednesday 2nd November until the end of January.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK NOW
Photo credit: Jodie Rose
Prestigious Chef Competition Recognises Top South West Talent
Talented chefs and home cooks have been recognised in the region’s most prestigious chef contest.
The South West Chef of the Year competition, which was founded by renowned chef Michael Caines MBE DL, returned with a bang this week after a two-year break enforced by the pandemic. The winners were announced at a glittering awards ceremony at Exeter Golf and Country Club last night; providing some light in what has been a challenging time for the industry.
The competition was established 19 years ago and is the only culinary competition in the UK that recognises professional chefs, student chefs, junior cooks and home cooks. It is widely regarded as one of the UK’s leading culinary competitions.
The overall winner of the title of South West Chef of the Year is Nathan Johnson from The Royal Crescent Hotel, Bath. Nathan was also awarded Best Young Professional Chef, which is for 19 to 24-year-olds working in any position in the kitchen up to junior sous chef. He also won the awards for Best Menu and Best Fish Dish.
Joe Cotton, from Àclèaf, Boringdon Hall Hotel, Plympton, won the Professional Chef award which is presented to a person of any age working as a sous or pastry chef or above.
Dylan Evered, from The Sardine Factory, Looe, Cornwall and City College Plymouth won the award for Student/Apprentice chef for 16 to 19-year-olds.
Munopa Nhete, 17, an A Level student at Queen’s College, Taunton, won the title of Home Cook for people aged 16 and over.
Syd Yarde, 14, from Torquay Academy, won the award for South West Junior Chef of the Year, an award for students aged between 11 and 16.
Jayden Watson, from Lympstone Manor, Exmouth, and Plymouth High School, won the award for Best Showcase of Regional Ingredients; Andrew Jenkinson, from Lucknam Park in Bath, won the award for Best Meat Dish, Lewis Brown, from Edies, Carlyon Bay, Cornwall, won the award for Best Dessert and Harrison Brockington, from Gather in Totnes, won the award for Best Presentation.
Organisers said the competition provides a platform for the region’s young chefs to build their profiles and an opportunity for the industry to promote the high standards of hospitality in the region.
The competition aims to recognise the skill and creativity of professional chefs and amateur cooks; nurture up-and-coming professional and student chefs and provide a platform from which competitors can highlight their skills and develop their careers. It also works with schools, supporting students to develop culinary skills and an interest in food and cooking, and to inspire those considering a career in catering.
Michael Caines, joint founder and head judge of the competition, congratulated the winners. He said: “The standard of dishes from our participants was exceptionally high, demonstrating the very talented chefs we have here in the south west.
“After a two-year break, it was incredibly rewarding to be back at Exeter College, where we stage the competition, to see the sheer talent on show from the competitors. We’re looking forward to see how their careers develop in the future.”
Michael added: “This event is vital in showcasing our incredible industry, of which we are all so passionate. However, we face some very significant challenges; a combination of issues has created a serious shortage of labour and this has been further compounded by rising energy and other costs.
“Although this competition cannot solve all of those problems, it does offer an opportunity for the industry to promote the high standards of hospitality in the region and a platform for the region’s young chefs to build their profiles.”
Could Wu Cha Become a Sunday Tradition like the Roast?
In the UK the Sunday lunch is all about a roast in a pub. But in Asia families gather for Wu Cha which is a multi-course tea enjoyed throughout Asia.
At Blue Jasmine restaurant on Southampton’s marina the concept of a British Wu Cha has been established by executive chef Daren Liew. The menu known as Asiatique Champage Wu Cha is available every Sunday from 12:00 – 17:00 for parties of two or more.
Special ingredients have been sourced from throughout South East Asia and transformed into seven delicate small plates in a new twist on the Wu Cha ceremony.
The menu starts with “A Glass to Start” which is Champagne Luis Roederer Reserve Collection. This is followed by:
“As Dreams Fly By”
Roasted cordyceps mushroom and truffle duck
“Dances of the Sea”
Spicy butter prawn with edamame and cherry tomato
“The Beckoning of Blossoms”
Traditional Hakka pork belly with pickled vegetable and pineapple
“Sauntering Among The Green Leaves”
Crispy black pepper butter chicken with pine nuts
“Golden Sweet Dreams”
Steamed charcoal Bao with salted egg cream
“To Warm The Soul”
Organic multigrain rice and seaweed butter with Japanese miso
“Sweet Memories”
Chef’s sharing selection of desserts
Chef Daren Liew told The Chefs’ Forum
“It’s a popular concept and we’re thrilled to have it back on the menu. Families love to go out for Sunday lunch here and this is a way that brings a touch of the Orient to the traditional Sunday offering which is different but the sharing concept makes it fun.”
Liew has over 25 years experience working in some of the best Chinese and Oriental restaurants in London’s Mayfair.
“It really was very special,” said Catherine Farinha, director of The Chefs’ Forum. “It’s a clever idea and I can see it becoming more and more popular. We took the family and we really enjoyed ourselves.”
