London Gets a Taste of Brazil
Ahead of Carnival weekend in London a major exhibition will celebrate the best gastronomy, furniture, interior design, fashion and culture that Brazil has to offer. The event, which runs from the 25th August to 7th September, will end on the bicentenary of Brazil’s independence and give visitors a glimpse into 200 years of culture.
Casa Brazil, located at The Stables, Earlham Street in London’s Covent Garden, is open to all and free to all and will transport visitors directly into a traditional Brazilian home, complete with furniture, utensils and décor that evoke a spirit of Brasilidade (Brazilian-ness).
Visitors exploring the interactive experience will discover traditional food and drink such as coffee, açaí, tropical fruit and cachaça, some of which may already be familiar from London’s diverse cafes and cocktail bars.
Wine, cocktail and drink tastings, bartender and barista experiences, a garden market with Brazilian products, cooking shows and demonstrations will feature some of Brazil’s finest produce from across the country’s five regions, while fashion shows and musical performances will complete the sensory experience.
Lucas Fiuza, Business Director, Apex Brasil said: “Brazil is a melting pot of cultures, heritages and flavours, and this celebration will champion the country’s unique fashion and gastronomical creations, mixing the best of indigenous, African, Asian, and European heritages with the country’s rich cornucopia of abundant produce. Casa Brasil will open London foodies’ taste buds to a whole new perspective, with flavours and combinations not often found outside Brazil.”
There will be 16 Brazilian companies present, more than 50 pieces in exhibition, in partnership with 26 sectorial associations. In total, 77 activities are expected – all of which will give London a true Brazilian experience.
In addition to delicious food and drink and eye-opening cultural moments, Casa Brasil will highlight to guests that Brazil is open for business and investment. Networking, foreign export and trade events will all be hosted on the site, where guests can enjoy keynote speeches from sector specialists in food and drink, agriculture, fashion and ornamental stones.
The festival takes place as London’s Notting Hill Carnival kicks off – a celebration of Caribbean culture sharing a common cultural heritage with Brazil’s world-famous Carnaval – and will be the perfect opportunity for visitors who want to experience the vibrancy that the country has to offer.
Lucas Fiuza of ApexBrasil continued: “Casa Brasil will provide visitors a unique opportunity to try our gastronomy, learn about Brazil, its current business environment, and relevance in food and energy security. I can’t wait to raise the curtain on this exciting London experience, introducing our country’s wonderful culture and competitive business environment to global audiences. On the momentous occasion of our bicentenary, this is a celebration of what Brazil truly is: an innovative country that looks to the future built on a rich heritage and culture.”
Food and Drink
The Brazilian superstar chef, Luciana Berry, has curated the event, expertly shaping the vision, tastes and textures of London’s Casa Brasil. As curator, Luciana has created the gastronomical journey that visitors will go on when they drop-in to the festival with the help of headline names in food and drink.
A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu, Luciana was crowned the 2020 winner of Top Chef Brasil and was a semi-finalist on Masterchef Professionals UK. Luciana Berry said: “Casa Brasil is a multisensory journey that begins in this geographical vision, a vibrant Brazil to be discovered and experienced in a unique way.”
Live cooking demonstrations will be directed by MasterChef The Professionals 2020 winner, Alex Webb, and Head Chef of Claridge’s Hotel in Mayfair and Jorge Baumhauer da Silva amongst others. Coffee aficionados, wine specialists and spirits experts will also support Luciana’s creative concept with various tastings and masterclasses.
Casa Brasil will run from Thursday 25 August until Wednesday 7 September at The Stables on Earlham Street, Covent Garden. For more information on the festival’s schedule, please visit https://apexbrasil.com.br/casabrasillondon.
It’s Time to Talk Turkey!
It may be the last thing on your mind, but Christmas is not that far away. On Beechridge Farm on the Somerset/Devon border, the turkey poults – the young chicks that are destined for our tables – are arriving today!
Beechridge Farm don’t just rear turkeys, though. They do duck, geese and chickens as well. It’s a third generation farm that has evolved from rearing a few chickens for a local farm shop into a considerable enterprise.
When it comes to poultry there are a number of choices that chefs can make. It’s easy to turn a blind eye and buy on price. However, an increasing number of chefs are buying on provenance and principle these days and defying price hikes and inflation to continue to support the artisan farmers that are struggling to produce top class, high welfare products.
Goosemoor Foodservice does just this and only supply chefs with this mindset.
Yes, you can source cheaper alternatives, but they don’t taste the same and haven’t been nurtured and grown in a free range, high-welfare environment.
Customers are asking where there food comes from, this traceability story justifies why you may charge more for the dish, the taste is incomparible.
Top chef and Masterchef the Professionals judge Marcus Wareing visited Beechridge recently as part of his Tales from a Kitchen Garden series. He was impressed with the ducks he found at Beechridge and said so on the show: “That has to be the tenderest duck breast I think I have ever eaten straight from the pan,” he said.
So, spare a thought for the farmers who are working in the heat to get the best birds ready for Christmas and shouldering the cost increases at the same time.
The drought conditions are meaning that the farmers need to give the birds extra food, as pastures and meadows are scorched.
We believe that all chefs should take pride in the ingredients they serve and choosing the right turkey, duck, goose or chicken is all part of that.
Why are these birds so different? It’s a good question. The reason is that they are grown for longer which means more feed and more energy for keeping them warm and healthy. Secondly, they are often different breeds that grow more slowly. Modern chickens, the cheap ones, have been bred to put on breast weight quickly and live shorter lives. They are also injected with water to boost weight after slaughter. The flavour profile of a slow grown chicken is very different. It’s no different to sourdough bread that’s made slowly. It tastes better than a cheap sliced loaf.
To order some delicious Beechridge poultry or find out more about Christmas Geese or Turkey availability, call the Goosemoor team today on 01392 873036.
A Level up From a Blind Tasting Set for Casa Brasil – Calling All Wine Buyers & Sommeliers!
The Chefs’ Forum is working on a very exciting project with Luciana Berry and Apex Brasil to assist in staging the biggest ever exhibition of Brazilian ingredients, drinks and culture, ever to take place in London from the 25th August-7th September 2022.
September 2nd will see a special Wine and Cachaça day take place at The Stables, Covent Garden and forty sommeliers, wine buyers and F&B Managers are invited to take part in a fantastic walk around the various producers and a ground-breaking blind tasting and pairing of the wonderful Brazilian wines on offer.
The wine world is used to blind tastings. They’ve become routine since the famous Judgement of Napa in 1976 when American wines beat their French counterparts in a tasting that shocked the wine world.
However, at Casa Brasil, a fantastic Brazilian produce exhibition, taking place the wine world will go one further and indulge wine experts in a completely blind tasting – by using blindfolds. This is being done to examine the unique properties of Brazilian wine and Cachaça – a fiery spirit made from sugarcane.
The Chefs’ Forum is working with UVIBRA Wines of Brazil to ensure that the cream of the wine world attend this exceptional event.
Master of ceremonies will be Dr Hoby Welder a blind chemist from the USA who was named a 40 under 40 Tastemaker by The Wine Enthusiast.
Welder specialises in Tasting in the Dark sessions and as he says: “Nobody can see atoms. Challenge yourself to exceed your own expectations. Everyday.”
The purpose of this session is to see how much we can focus solely on the Brazilian wines when we’re not distracted by our sight.
There is an open invitation to all wine buyers, sommeliers and interested chefs to join a special event at Casa Brasil to taste wine and Cachaça in a new way.
Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs’ Forum and ‘Tasting in the Dark’ organiser at Casa Brasil said:
“It’s a unique chance to take part in something really unique. The best of Brazil’s wine led by a world-renowned chemist who Barack Obama named a Champion of Change.
“Not only will you learn from the experience of working with Dr Welder but there will be items to take home, too. And Brazilian wine is also excellent! Get in touch to find out more and book your place.”
Any wine buyers, sommeliers, F&B managers or restaurant managers wishing to attend Casa Brasil in Covent Garden for the blind tasting session should contact catherine@redcherry.uk.com
Australia Comes Calling for Hospitality Superstars to Move Down Under
Join the team at Australian Venue Co & earn $1,000 Welcome Credit
Register your interest: Click here
Australian Venue Co is the second largest hospitality group in Australia, with more than 180+ venues across the country. They own & operate leading pubs, bars, and restaurants in Sydney, Melbourne, Cairns, Perth, The Gold Coast, Brisbane & more!
Now is the time to move down under with the assistance of a top hospitality company, Australian Venue Co. who are on the hunt for hospitality superstars to join its team.
The hospitality company is passionate about training and development and will help turn your hospitality job into a career. They have a range of front & back of house roles available including Venue Manager, Chef, Cook, Bartender and many more! You can be an existing head chef or a student looking for a new start, Australian Venue Co. is interested in all in all levels of experience.
Executive chef Christian Abbott, who moved to Australia from the UK to join the group seven years ago, explained what they are looking for: “We are looking for recruits from the UK who would consider an opportunity to join us in Australia. We will help you with the process including visas and support with your flights on a case-by-case basis. You’ll be joining friendly and fun workplace culture.
“What I have enjoyed about living and working in Australia is how different the pace of life is. I had to learn to adapt because everything is much slower and more relaxed. There’s much more of a work/life balance. We exercise together and have a walk before work, for example.
“I understand what it’s like to move across the world, but with the Australian Venue Co Welcome Pack, we’re sure you’ll fit in easily.”
Don’t just take Christian’s word, here are what some of the employees at Australian Venue Co have to say:
“The business opportunities and work-life balance here are great – Head Chefs and Venue Managers have the option to work a 4-day week, and the progression opportunities and business-learning aspects of these roles are industry-leading. If someone wanted to manage their own venue one day, they have the opportunity at AVC to pick up those skills on the job. If you’re at a stage where you think you’ve done it all, there’s so much more to learn here.”
Kirra Parsons – Senior Head Chef, Middle Park Hotel
“AVC did a great job of looking after their staff during the lockdown. We made about 30,000 meals for Meals for Mates. That meant AVC staff members who weren’t working were able to put their skills to use with Job keeper,” he says. “AVC was also able to include sponsored workers in that program, which was a nice point of difference from other companies. The level of support we have here with head office and marketing is awesome.
One of the core values at AVC is agility, which is reacting quickly to changes, whether it be a pandemic or otherwise. I’ve learned the importance of understanding a changing demographic, understanding where society is heading, and reacting to those changes,” he says. “I’ve definitely come to appreciate agility as a skill while I’ve been at AVC, and I don’t necessarily think I did in the past.
The best part is, with be opportunities to move into behind-the-scenes roles if you’re proactive and apply yourself. It’s great if you love hospitality and want to stay involved in the industry from a different angle.”
Dylan Hewlett – Venue Manager, The Smith
“I’ve had a great team above me at every venue I’ve worked at. I would always push hard and ask to learn how to do things, and I was always given those learning opportunities as a result. Over the years, people within the company realised all the abilities I’d picked up and helped shift me into more leadership positions. It’s been a lot of hard work, but I’m supported here, and it’s been worth it. Over the years, people within the company realised all the abilities I’d picked up and helped shift me into more leadership positions. It’s been a lot of hard work, but I’m supported here, and it’s been worth it.”
Douglas Halls – Venue Manager, Fargo & Co
Move to Australia and cook with local ingredients and experience the exciting hospitality scene, while working in some of Australia’s most recognised venues. For more information on visa support, click here: Working Holiday Visa – Australian Venue Co. (ausvenueco.com.au)
If you are interested to come and work for The Australian Venue Co. Come and meet Christian and some of the team at the following recruitment roadshows in the UK on the following dates. These are free information sessions:
Register your interest: Click here
- Monday 29th & Tuesday 30th August: LONDON – The Ampersand Hotel, 10 Harrington Road, South Kensington, London SW7 3ER – 10am-3pm
- Wednesday 31st August: BRISTOL – Clayton Hotel Broad Street, Bristol BS1 2EQ – 10am-3pm
- Thursday 1st September: BIRMINGHAM – Clayton Hotel, Albert Street, Birmingham, Birmingham B5 5JE – 10am-3pm
Friday 2nd September: MANCHESTER – Clayton Hotel, Portland Street, Manchester M1 3HP – 10am-3pm
Calling All Chefs de Partie in Manchester – Indeed Flex Recruitment Open Day – 2nd & 3rd August
Looking to fast-forward your experience as a Chef?
Enjoy the challenge of working in different environments? Want the freedom to choose your own work schedule?
Take control of your Chef career with Indeed Flex – no CV required.
We’re Indeed Flex, and we provide jobseekers with the fastest way to find temporary work that fits their lifestyles, giving you the choice over where, when, and for whom you work.
We’re currently recruiting a core team of Chefs de Partie for a variety of UK venues, including cafes, restaurants, hotels, and other big events. You’ll be employed by Indeed Flex with shifts taking place at specific venues, including some of the most prestigious restaurants in the UK.
● Salary: £14.25 – £31.04 – Depending on skills and experience
● Shift Options: Varying shifts available (choose when to you want to work)
● Holiday pay accrued at 12.07%
You’ll be working alongside a team of professionals with the freedom to share your knowledge and help shape the team. You should ideally have experience in cooking dishes on a set menu in a similar environment. This could be in the restaurant or in the banqueting kitchen.
You’ll be proficient and confident working in all sections of the kitchen, as well as helping the junior staff during service.
Role responsibilities:
● Cooking dishes based on a set menu to an exceptional standard in high volume
● Working within a team environment to ensure everything is running smoothly
● Following strict health and hygiene standards, ensuring that junior staff are also following
● Following recipes and providing meals with quality, consistency and within timing standards
● Completing assignments provided by senior staff members
● Learning new skills and methods to improve overall team performance
Not a Chef de Partie? No problem. We’ll ensure that you’re matched to the best roles by assessing your skills and experience during the interview process.
Why join Indeed Flex?
As a Flexer, you’ll receive access to a range of exclusive benefits provided by us free of charge in partnership with Collective:
● Free insurance, from paid sick days to accidents and family leave
● 24/7 digital GP and mental health support
● Savings on food, fuel, technology, and more with dozens of deals and discounts
● Competitive wages are paid weekly
● Refer and earn – £40 for each friend you refer to Indeed Flex*
● Access to a fast-growing community of like-minded Flexers
● Holiday pay (accrued at a rate of 12.07%), sick pay, and pension
*Note: You will need to book a selected time slot to attend the office.
CLICK HERE to register.
Come along for an in-person interview at our Manchester office. Speak to the team and meet other potential Flexers.
Location: Manchester Office, 5 Parsonage, Manchester M3 2HS
Dates: 2nd August and 3rd August
Time slots: 9.30-11.00 / 11.30-13.00 / 14.00-15.30 / 16.00-17.30
The Poll that Shows Why Brands are Teaming up with The Chefs’ Forum
When the Japanese embassy were looking to promote a new cookery show highlighting the best in Japanese ingredients their first choice was The Chefs’ Forum. It was the same with international brand Redefine Meat who chose The Chefs’ Forum as its chef partner promote their New Meat™.
When a brand needs to research its place in the chef market or reach out to professional chefs The Chefs’ Forum has become the leading network to work with. This was underscored recent in piece of independent research that polled 300 working chefs. The Chefs’ Forum was voted the 2nd most recognised chefs association.
“After 10 years we have reached a critical point in the work we do with our partners,” said Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs’ Forum. “We don’t just know chefs – we understand them at every level from student right through to the best chefs in the country and beyond.
“We have demonstrated, again and again, through our academy and our unique chef events that when you highlight education and the next generation then the very best chefs are only too happy to be involved in training up the next generation.
“This gives us a unique platform to assist brands both national and international in their quest to gain recognition and win market share. The independent poll demonstrates how far we have come and to be voted second most recognised chefs association is a real plus for us. It shows that chefs know us and trust us and that’s what we’re all about.”
For more information about working with The Chefs’ Forum please contact catherine@redcherry.uk.com or call Catherine Farinha on 07585 700030.
Engaging The Next Generation of Chefs at Langley College
The Chefs’ Forum was centre stage at the Langley College welcome day on 30th June as college applicants had the chance to get a taste of college life in September.
Future students from the local area were treated to an indoor festival of chefs, music, dancing and cooking in Langley’s event space ‘The Street’, with the hospitality and catering department leading practical cookery sessions in the training kitchens for this September’s cohort of budding young chefs, while guest chefs demonstrated how to make fresh pasta and sushi rolling.
The Chefs’ Forum stand was flanked by a plethora of attractions including a slushie station, sushi-rolling, pasta making, dancing chefs, live music, popcorn cart, doughnut stand and even a huge inflatable basketball shooting game!
“We had everything going on today,” said Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs’ Forum. “We had Chris Hannon, executive chef from nearby super-hotel Cliveden, making fresh pasta and a cracking arrabiatta sauce which was really terrific. He was joined by Keiko Urakawa giving a sushi rolling masterclass. Both chefs will be part of the new Chefs’ Forum Academy which will be up and running for next term.
“Attracting the next generation of chefs has become one of our top priorities and it was great to use dance and music to inspire the students. And one young lady told me she was too nervous to enter the sushi-rolling but I convinced her to stand next to Keiko as she demonstrated and she got a one-on-one lesson. She was delighted. That’s what these days are all about.”
Speaking about the welcome day Gillian May, Group Principal and CEO at The Windsor Forest Colleges Group said: “A special thanks to the whole team from The Chefs’ Forum. We had a super day and so many new students really enjoyed the fun element of it -while learning new food techniques from expert teachers and chefs. I was delighted to see our hospitality team at the centre of activities welcoming their new cohort of students for September.”
The Windsor Forest Colleges Group are still taking applications for courses starting in September to find out more and explore your options visit www.windsor-forest.ac.uk.
Chefs’ Forum Judges School Product Development Competition
In a first for The Chefs’ Forum our editor, Chandos Elletson, was on the judging panel at Ilkley Grammar School for the school’s Enterprise Scheme. The event tested year 8 students who had to create a new sports drink and present it Dragon’s Den style.
The students, who were formed into tutor groups has 2.5 hours to design and present a new sports energy drink. The work was created to demonstrate team building and enable creativity within a framework as well as test students ability to present as a team.
The invitation demonstrates the growing reach of The Chefs’ Forum as more and more schools and colleges take an interest in hospitality and catering.
Catherine Farinha, director of The Chefs’ Forum said of the invitation to judge: “It’s incredibly exciting to be involved much earlier in a student career and start to learn about the choices that younger school students are making.
“We were thrilled to be asked to judge the competition especially as Ilkley Grammar School is one of the feeders into Bradford College where we have a Chef’s Forum Academy.”
Chandos Elletson said: “The competition was fascinating and the level of creativity was very impressive given that each individual group only had 2.5 hours of preparation time in total. The presentations showed how radical some of the students were with the winning groups creating a new energy drink called Joost – a mixture of boost and juice.”
“With Greene King pub boss Nick Mackenzie calling for more and more graduates to consider entering hospitality it is important to get catering on the minds of younger students as they progress through school – and this is one way of doing it. The whole group of students who participated were clearly interested in the subject and took it seriously. We look forward to doing more in this area.”
How The Chefs’ Forum is Breaking New Ground at Casa Brasil
The Chefs’ Forum is growing with new campaigns and fresh initiatives that are enabling international brands, regions and individual countries to reach new audiences. As trade marketing and culinary event specialists, more and more brands and global event teams are approaching us to work with them.
Apex Brasil, the main Brazilian trade promotion organization, is staging Casa Brasil in London’s Covent Garden this summer. This fantastic event is set to be a true celebration of Brazil’s best ingredients and vibrant cultures, working with The Chefs’ Forum to get its message out to chefs, students, the wider hospitality industry as well as buyers and foodservice professionals. The two-week gastronomic extravaganza take place between the 25th August and the 7th September and is being held at The Stables in Covent Garden. It will showcase never-seen-before Brazilian ingredients and cooking methods in a new format that will change the way hospitality members approach the old trade show model.
Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs’ Forum explained: “The business of hospitality is changing,” she began. “We are seeing more and more foreign investment not just in terms of new restaurants but also countries and regions that have targeted the UK for growth.
“Our work with Casa Brasil is not the first work we’ve done in this area. We ran the chef demo stage at the London Produce Show for six consecutive years before the pandemic, as well as working successfully with the Japanese Embassy to promote Japanese products at The Dorchester in 2019. We were also appointed to do the heavy lifting when Redefine Meat™ launched in the UK this year. They are based in Israel.
“However, with Casa Brasil we can see that this trend has legs and we are perfectly placed to partner with brands and embassies to help showcase the best that is on offer. Our unique platform which balances media and marketing with chef education is just the sort of web and event business that foreign brands are looking for.
“We have been tasked with arranging the chef demonstrations and attracting the right suppliers to visit Casa Brasil and we’re excited for the launch. Working with our friend, Top Chef Brazil winner Luciana Berry has been a joy from start to finish.
“We have proven over many years that we can not only deliver world-class chefs but also the next generation of chefs that are just coming through. Our team is well-drilled and our contacts are second to none.
It’s a very exciting time to be working in hospitality and with our content arm growing all the time with the likes of The Great Game Guide and the forthcoming The Chefs’ Knowledge we are in a great position to kick on and break new ground.”
Bubala 2 Heading for Soho
Middle-Eastern restaurant Bubala will open its second site on Poland Street, Soho, on Monday 11th July. The new vegetarian restaurant will be the sister restaurant of Bubala in Spitalfields which was opened by Marc Summers in 2019.
Inspired by the modern cafes of Tel Aviv the 50 seat restaurant will also have an eight seat counter which looks into the kitchen as well as private dining downstairs. Executive Chef Helen Graham is at the helm.
The menu is made up of seven sections: pickles and house ferments; dips; skewers; snacks; mains; sides and desserts. The new menu will include a number of the classic dishes from Bubala Spitalfields.
The snacks and dips section will feature dishes like Baba Ganoush with Curry Leaf Oil and Pine Nut; Smacked Cucumbers with Tahini and Chilli Crunch; Corn Ribs with Black Garlic Pilpelchuma and Labneh with Confit Garlic and Za’atar. The skewers section, from the restaurant’s yakitori grill, will offer the likes of Leeks and Amba; Chinese Cabbage with Preserved Lime and Maple and the ever-popular Oyster Mushroom with Tamari and Coriander Seeds.
Main dishes will include Cauliflower, Bkeila, Velvet tomato with Yoghurt and Braised Hispi, Seaweed, Dried Orange and Sesame. Sides will feature Bubala’s renowned Potato Latkes with Toum and Smashed Cornish Mids with Silken Tofu and Smoked Harissa Salsa Macha. Finally, a dessert section will present a Baklava Semifreddo and Malabi, Sour cherry, Peanut and Black Sesame Brittle alongside Chocolate Truffle and Tahini Fudges.
The drinks list will comprise cocktails such as Blood Orange Margarita and Peanut Old Fashioned as well as Gazoz house sodas, a homemade seltzer combined with natural, carefully sourced fruits, flowers, spices, herbs and syrup inspired by Benny Briga and his cafe in Tel Aviv. The 35-bin wine list will see natural low-intervention wines, as well as five wines on tap with prices starting from £6/glass and £30/bottle.
Website: www.bubala.co.uk
Address: 15 Poland Street, London W1F 8PR
Opening times: Monday-Saturday lunch 12pm-3pm and dinner 5.30pm-10.30pm
