Gordon Ramsay & The BBC Want You!
A prime time series for BBC1, called Gordon Ramsay’s Future Food Stars, is being put together by Studio Ramsay, the brilliant television company created by Gordon himself.
The first series will begin airing in Spring 2022, but the show is already on the hunt for their second series contenders.
The straight-talking TV Chef’s producers are looking for ideal chef candidates with a small food or drink business who will be put through a series of challenges to test character, drive and business acumen.
At The Chefs’ Forum, we know many chefs who have worked for Gordon and far from his TV character of shouting and swearing, he has often been described as very fatherly and nurturing, taking the time needed to ensure practice makes perfect, all the while helping chefs to learn new skills and sharing his knowledge.
During filming, Gordon Ramsay will make a great mentor for the successful contenders and all of them can look forward to enriching their professional knowledge and network as a result of participating in the series.
The winner of Future Food Stars will win a “life-changing” investment opportunity but in order to get it you’ll have to jump through some hoops with some challenging business and culinary tasks and specialist foodie missions!
To apply you must be running your own food truck, stall, small café or eatery. You may, alternatively, have a spin-off product, gadget, have developed a home dining kit or have even developed a private chefs service.
No matter what you are doing, if you are a serious chef entrepreneur and you need investment then the G-Man wants to hear from you. And remember, this is prime time and could be a dream come true. And even if you don’t make it remember that plenty of chefs who didn’t win Masterchef: The Professionals received a significant boost to their career and media profile. Our advice?
Get applying today at www.futurefoodstars.co.uk
Brazilian Super Chef Luciana Berry Follows in the Footsteps of Lloyd Grossman
Remember Lloyd Grossman? Chefs of a particular age will remember him fronting the original Masterchef series before the revamp we know today. To cut a long story short he launched an enormously successful range of tomato sauces into retail that has been copied endlessly ever since. And they are still popular.
Well, fast forward to the present and Brazilian chef Luciana Berry, herself a semi-finalist on Masterchef The Professionals in 2019 (and Top Chef Brazil winner 2020), has teamed up with restaurateur Eduardo Barsotti to launch a range of Brazilian sauces aimed at home cooks who want to add a shot of Brazil into their everyday cooking.
Called The Authentic Brazilian Cuisine the sauces enable the home cook to get a quick introduction to Brazilian flavours. The range is well thought out and covers the three most popular base sauces for cooking in a Brazilian style:
- Pimento – a Brazilian chilli sauce
- Moqueca – an aromatic sauce
- Refogado – a typical Brazilian base sauce
Speaking to The Chefs’ Forum Berry said:
“I created these sauces to make cooking Brazilian food simpler and therefore encourage more and more people to try it or themselves. Simply heat the sauces, add your chosen ingredients and plate up. It couldn’t simpler.”
Our own sales executive Alicia Kember went to the launch at Omnino restaurant in London, run by Barsotti, and she was impressed by the evening.
“The launch was a relaxed and fun evening consisting of cocktails, canapes and a cooking demo by Luciana herself. She demonstrated a variety of simple Brazilian dishes which were bursting with flavour. Guests enjoyed mingling and exchanging ideas about South American dishes in the intimate layout of the bar at Omnino.”
Where to buy:
- Açougue do Gaúcho Ki Carne – 24 Station Rd, Brent Park, London NW10 4UE
- Novilho de Ouro – 74-76 Hermit Rd, London E16 4LF
- Carlos Farm Butchery – 34 Upton Ln, London E7 9LN
Rising Costs Means Raising Quality – At a Price
At Le Gavroche in 1992, during the first Gulf War, a decision was made not to increase prices in a time when the restaurant market was hit with fewer customers and rising costs. Instead, it was decided to increase portion sizes. There would be no “two-for-one” deals to tempt diners back into the restaurant. Le Gavroche knew its customer base and knew what was needed: reassurance.
Today, thirty years later, the restaurant market has changed. There are now customers galore but fewer staff and ingredients and energy costs are putting a squeeze on margins. At some point there will have to be a reckoning. Something will have to give.
In retail supermarkets are keeping basic costs low for essentials but other, less essential, ingredients are seeing steep increases. Retailers understand their customer base as much as Le Gavroche did in the past.
We talked to two operators at the top end of the market outside London to see how they were faring and what decisions they were making. The conversations were interesting and revealing.
First we spoke to Neil Kedward of Seren Collection. The small Welsh-based group runs The Grove of Narberth and the fine dining restaurants The Coast at Saundersfoot and The Beach House at Oxwich.
“It’s not easy at the moment,” Kedward admitted. “But, it’s not easy for everyone. However, we’ve never been so busy. We are beginning to see some softening of bookings in the short term and we are working on a 20% drop at worst case. The staycation business is unsustainable as more and more international travel opens up.
“However, revenue management figures are a cause for optimism. The problem will be the rising costs of ingredients among other things and also rising competition. It’s incredible but there are now pop-up restaurants and catering vans that are charging £13-16 for a burger – and they are busy. The demand for good, local, honest cooking is increasing and customers are prepared to pay. But, at the same time prices for local ingredients are going up as more and more outlets want it.
“We have taken the decision to invest in our staff – all our venues are down to four day weeks and it’s made a huge difference to morale and enthusiasm. But what I see happening is that our prices will rise. We are aiming for higher quality and higher quality of service. That’s our customer base. We believe that quality will survive.
“As this situation worsens there will be a logical fall in volumes – of people going to restaurants. Where it was affordable before it will start to become too expensive as restaurants that worked on extremely tight margins can no longer afford to do so.”
The same focus on quality and service is a high priority for Eden Hotels. We spoke to incoming group Operations Manager Jayne O’Malley.
“We have to focus on the positives,” she explained. “Business continues to pick up with increases in reservations and weddings are back. But, with the current shortage of team members particularly in kitchens and the additional challenges we have this year around legislation, specifically Calorie Labelling Legislation coming in April this can seem quite daunting.
“Our focus is on the creative use of local and seasonal food, minimal waste and sustainability, making sure our chefs and restaurant teams don’t burn out, due to guest demand. The quality and consistency of the service we offer will be the key to the way we move forward, whilst also working with increasing prices, shortfalls in supplies and the challenges of a return to VAT at 20%”
What does this mean for the future? Neil Kedward explained that they were still looking at opportunities but the focus had changed.
“We’re always looking. We’ve been looking since 2016 when we opened our last venture. However, the way we look at opportunity now is based on certain pros and cons. Do we have the right team in place? Are the foundations right? Is there enough business? We’ll have to wait and see how the business as a whole settles down this year.”
How a Restaurant in a Distillery Got a Star in 2022
You can take the chef out of Michelin but you can’t take the Michelin out of the chef. Taking on the mantle of head chef at The Glenturret Distillery in Crieff was a gamble for chef Mark Donald who had held a star at The Balmoral in Edinburgh. It was a away from the safe zone of Michelin-star kitchen and clientele. But six months later and all is smelling beautifully of roses with the award of a first star for the new restaurant.
But, then again, this was no ordinary distillery. Glenturret had been bought by Lalique, the makers of fabulous crystal glass and purveyor of luxury goods – and they had out-of-the-ordinary ambitions. They poached Donald to open a restaurant in the distillery. In Scotland distilleries attract visitors in large numbers so the idea was not outlandish. Add to that Lalique also owns Michelin star restaurants in France such as René Lalique in Alsace, and the one Michelin-starred Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey in Bordeaux.
Donald and Managing Director John Laurie set out to put Glenturret on the map when they opened in the summer of 2021. They billed the restaurant as the first “in-distillery fine dining concept” and took aim at the local “terroir”. It didn’t hurt that Glenturret dates back to 1763 and is reckoned to be Scotland’s oldest working distillery.
The £125 tasting menu doesn’t hold back in its ingredients. It includes:
- Tattie scone, winter truffle, Baerii platinum caviar
- Langoustine, buttermilk, Daurenki Tsar Impérial caviar
- Scallop kedgeree
- Dover sole with white asparagus
- Sika deer, hay smoked celeriac, sour quince
- Maracaibo millefeuille, green coffee and Glenturret Triple Wood
The restaurant also has an extensive international wine list curated by executive sommelier Julien Beltzung, which comprises more than 400 bins.
Donald told The Herald: “I am so proud that Michelin have acknowledged the hard work, creativity and dedication from my team – and everyone at The Glenturret. Our Scottish heritage and surroundings are vital to the heart and soul of the restaurant.”
Simon Rogan’s Long, Slow Climb to a Third Star is a Lesson in Patience
Almost exactly twenty years to the day since Simon Rogan opened his Cartmel restaurant, L’Enclume, in 2002 he finally won the accolade of his dreams: a third Michelin Star. The culinary cognoscenti have long known how good L’Enclume is but fewer know the amount of time and dedication Rogan has put into the journey.
One of the quirks of the Rogan story has been his involvement with the Roux Scholarship. Back in 2000 whilst he was head chef at Addington Place in Croydon his then sous chef, Frederick Forster entered and won The Roux Scholarship. The prize was a 3 month stage at a 3 star restaurant. Forster chose Pierre Gagnaire in Paris.
For Rogan this was also a game-changer. He’d spent two years in the 1990’s working at 3-star chef Alain Senderens at Lucas Carton in Paris and he had seen what it took to get the ultimate accolade.
“I remember what it did for me personally when my first chef I had working for me won (The Roux Scholarship) and that was Freddy Forster,” Rogan remembered years later. “My conversations with him while he was on his stage at Pierre Gagnaire in Paris were a catalyst for me to follow the path that I did – because it was so interesting, so fresh and so new.
“What winning the competition brings is that it takes (the winner) to a new environment, a different way of looking and doing things and sometimes it takes you off in a direction that you don’t expect.”
Forster’s win was not forgotten and over the course of twenty years Rogan has had more Roux Scholarship success than any other chef patron. Both Mark Birchall and Tom Barnes were working at L’Enclume when they won the competition. Birchall went to Spain to do his stage at El Cellar de Can Roca and Barnes chose the Belgian restaurant Hof Van Cleve.
However, other winners of the Roux Scholarship have also had an influential role in Rogan’s restaurants. Dan Cox, who won in 2008, later headed up Rogan’s experimental research kitchen Aulis and Harry Guy, winner in 2016, later became operations manager of Rogan’s London restaurants Aulis and Roganic. Other winners have spent time in his kitchens before entering and winning the competition. Spencer Metzger, who won in 2019, worked as a chef de partie at L’Enclume in 2016.
Whilst it is impossible to say what effect all these winners had on the eventual success on L’Enclume it is clear that they did have an effect. They were inspired by what they learnt elsewhere and brought this learning back with them where it was assimilated into the whole.
Rogan’s twenty-year journey has been a lesson in patience, investment in younger, ambitious, chefs and a willingness to embrace the new. Spending time in different kitchens in different parts of the world really has an enormous effect on young chefs and L’Enclume has become the restaurant it is by harnessing some of that knowledge.
Cyrus & Pervin Todiwala Re-invent Café Spice Namaste in The Docklands
Exactly one year ago this month, Cyrus and Pervin Todiwala began the painful process of emptying the old Victorian magistrate’s court in East London that had served as the home of Café Spice Namaste, their acclaimed Indian restaurant, for a quarter of a century.
Besides taking with them a lifetime of menus and memories – including the recipe for a dish chef-owner Cyrus created for Her Majesty The Queen – the Todiwalas were determined to save as much as they could of the restaurant’s original furnishings, earmarking these for reuse when they rebuilt the family business elsewhere.
That elsewhere is the historic Docklands, where Café Spice Namaste has now officially reopened as a 60-seater restaurant in one of London’s exciting regeneration hotspots, Royal Albert Wharf. The Todiwalas have reinvented Café Spice Namaste as an informal neighbourhood restaurant overlooking the Thames, with views of the Canary Wharf skyline and a glimpse of City Airport’s runway. Both the double height ceilings and floor to ceiling windows enhance the feeling of space and light, instilling a fresh, contemporary vibe. Gone are the starched white tablecloths of pre-Dockland days.
The menu is a feast of small plates evoking the tastes and flavours of Bombay, Kerala, Goa and the Todiwala’s intriguing Parsee cuisine. Customers will be encouraged to order a wide selection of dishes to be served and shared together, rather than the traditional starter, main, side and dessert configuration of the ‘old’ Café Spice Namaste. A generous ‘Tasting Menu’ offers at least 8 courses, including dessert, for £60.
The Todiwalas have stuck to their commitment to sustainability in their choice of seasonal, locally sourced ingredients from suppliers who share their ethos for the environment and the planet. These include Aqua Libra, Rhug Estate, and members of the British Lop Pig Society and the Marine Conservation Society.
Café Spice Namaste loyalists hankering for their favourite dishes will not be disappointed. The classic Parsee Sunday lunch, Mr Todiwala’s Parsee Lamb Dhaansaak, lamb cooked with pureed lentils and vegetables, is firmly on the menu, as are Goan Prawn Curry and a perfectly flavoured trio for meat lovers: Venison Tikka Aflatoon, Goosenargh Duck Sausage and Roast Chicken Cafreal Zambeziana, all much-loved Café Spice Namaste staples. New to the menu is Smoked Cured Duck Breast in Soy Ginger & Honey.
Vegetarians continue to be well catered for, with a luscious Daal Makhani, slow-cooked black urad beans, finished with ginger and garlic, and Paneer Chilli Fry, cubes of whey cheese cooked with peppers, shallots and assorted spices. Vegans too can have their fill with dishes such as Saag Mutter, chopped and pureed spinach sizzled with garlic, cumin and chilli tossed with green peas, and Daal Tadka, the classic Indian lentil preparation. Five Cheese Chilli Toast, a take on a Bombay favourite, makes its first appearance on the menu, having proven a success as Cyrus’ contribution to Michel Roux’s ‘toastie collaboration’ series at The Wigmore in central London last autumn. Amid the kulfis, sorbets and other dessert offerings, Bebinca, a multi-layered Portuguese-inspired warm coconut pancake, served with vanilla ice cream, will be hard to resist.
And while Country Captain, the dish Cyrus once served to HM The Queen, may not be a fixture on the menu, chances are it’s bound to pop up in the specials one day!
Besides the food, easily the stand-out feature of the Todiwalas’ re-invented Café Spice Namaste is the bespoke, tiled wet bar, built from scratch using repurposed materials such as wood stripped from pallets, old scaffolding, planks and poles and other reclaimed and salvaged items from their former premises in Whitechapel. The bar stools have been upcycled (as have the main dining room chairs) from the previous location as well, and now diners can enjoy a lunchtime drink, pre-dinner cocktails or post-prandials in a relaxed, light and airy atmosphere.
With input from design agency Tonik Associates, the Todiwalas have been able to create a cheerful, inspired space signifying a new energy and sense of purpose following the uncertainty of two challenging years.
Since the end of January, Café Spice Namaste has started to host a number of special events, including the popular, monthly Khaadraas (Greedy Pigs) Supper Club — the perfect opportunity for Cyrus, Pervin and head chef Manpreet Ahuja Singh to showcase Parsee and other Asian cuisines. The restaurant also offers an online take-away service.
Café Spice Namaste at Royal Albert Wharf in the Docklands
Cyrus Todiwala said, “It feels great to be back in business in such a vibrant neighbourhood. Moving to Royal Albert Wharf has given Café Spice Namaste a new lease of life. And we wanted to open slowly, to make sure we had everything just right.
“Now we’ve been able to make the final tweaks and Pervin and I are proud to say that Café Spice Namaste has a terrific menu designed to meet the expectations of our loyal customers, who don’t mind travelling to a new destination to enjoy our food. But we also think we’re catering to the preferences of our next generation of customers, which includes the local residents in and around Royal Albert Wharf and the Royal Docks. In fact, ExCel London is just a few minutes down the road from us by car or train.
“Most importantly, we’ve kept true to our sustainability credentials and we are so proud of to be able to showcase our commitment to quality and sustainability not just through our food and service, but also in the materials we used to create this great new space.”
Café Spice Namaste
1-2 Lower Dock Walk, London E16 2GT
Tel.020 7488 9242
Opening Hours
Tuesday 5pm to 10pm
Wednesday – Saturday 1pm to 10pm
HRC Reveals Speaker Line-up for 2022
Hotel, Restaurant & Catering (HRC) has unveiled its 2022 seminar programme, with an all-star line-up of hospitality brands and industry leaders. The event, which takes place on 21-23 March at ExCeL London, will reunite the hospitality and foodservice industry for three packed days of learning, networking and product discovery.
HRC has partnered with EXP101 for this year’s event to curate the programme of content for the Vision Stage, designed by Harp Design, which will be focussing on a range of timely topics and trends affecting hoteliers, publicans, restauranteurs and professional caterers.
After a two-year period which has seen significant evolution in the use of hospitality tech, the show’s Tech X stage will host sessions examining best practice in implementing new technology and where to make smart investments for hospitality businesses.
HRC Event Manager Ronda Annesley: “HRC 2022 is jam-packed with content tackling some of the
most important topics, challenges and opportunities in the world of foodservice and hospitality.
“We’re thrilled to be working with some fantastic content partners who have brought exciting new insights, speakers and talking points to this year’s seminar programme.”
Monday 21 March
Day One of the show will kick off with ‘The return of the pub’ on the Vision Stage, during which KAM, the British Institute of Innkeeping, Louise Maclean of Signature Pubs and Anthony Pender of Yummy Pubs will be discussing the impact that the past two years have had on the pub and bar sector and some of the new opportunities that have emerged since restrictions eased in the UK.
One of the biggest challenges to emerge in recent years has been staffing shortages in the hospitality and foodservice industry, and 21 March will see an all-star panel hosted by Keiron Bailey of EXP101 and featuring Chris Gamm of Springboard, Mark McCulloch, Founder of Hospitality Rising, Abi Dunn of Sixty Eight People and UKHospitality CEO Kate Nicholls take to the stage to discuss the changing approaches needed in recruitment and retention.
Dunn commented: “We’ve seen operators struggling with staff shortages throughout the pandemic at all levels, not just in recruitment but also in retention. Some of the more successful businesses to tackle this have collaborated with marketing teams, made smart use of technology and have understood that there is a need to invest in people.”
Tuesday 22 March
Day Two of the show will see HRC’s Chef Ambassador Michel Roux Jr take to the stage to discuss shifting kitchen cultures with a panel of top UK chefs.
This will be followed by Katie Rose, CFO and COO of Market Halls and Andy Dyson, Business Development Director – New Concepts at Revolution, revealing how diversifying your offering can grow and protect your business.
On the Tech X stage, KAM Founder Katy Moses will be joined by Yummy Pubs Founder Tim Foster and Philip Thorley of Thorley Taverns to discuss how hospitality tech can benefit both pubs and their patrons.
Wednesday 23 March
The third and final day of HRC will be putting people on the agenda with a session from The People Collective featuring John Mason of Sideways, Leanne Tester, Learning & Development Manager at Pizza Pilgrims, Grind’s Head of People Preeya Parker and Avi Collins, Head of People at Tapas Revolution.
Tech on Toast Editor and EXP101 Founder Chris Fletcher will then be joined on stage by pointOne EPoS Founder Steven Rolfe, Dub Lee of Honest Burgers and William Connors of Popeyes for a discussion around all things digital transformation, and how technology has elevated the online offering of leading hospitality brands.
The Staff Canteen Live
Across the three days of the show, the UK’s leading chef’s will be recreating some of their favourite dishes live and sharing their expertise with visitors to the event as part of The Staff Canteen Live.
Cooking on Monday 21 March will be the Head Chef of The Grill at The Dorchester, Tom Booton; followed by Head Chef of Michelin-starred Tony Parkin at the Tudor Room; Chef Owner of Michelin-starred Salt in Stratford-Upon-Avon, Paul Foster; and last but not least, Jean Delport, Head Chef at the one Michelin-starred Restaurant Interlude of Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens.
On Tuesday 22 March Asimakis Chaniotis of Michelin-starred Pied à Terre will be taking to the stage, followed by award-winning Chef at The Conrad London St James’, Sally Abé; Chef Patron of Michelin-starred The Angel at Hetton, Michael Wignall; and famed Chef Patron of Ynyshir, Gareth Ward.
Last but not least, on Wednesday 23 March, The Staff Canteen Live will be joined by Nick Beardshaw of Kerridge’s Bar and Grill; Chef Patron of The Beehive Dom Chapman; newly-appointed Head Chef of three Michelin-starred The Fat Duck, Oli Williamson, and Head Chef at Michelin-starred Ikoyi, Jeremy Chan.
View the full seminar programme, including the chef line-up for The Staff Canteen Live and the agendas for the Better Hospitality Conference and Hospitality’s Talent Conundrum conference, at hrc.co.uk/2022-seminar-programme. Places are limited for these live discussions so ensure you book ahead to secure your place.
The Princess Royal Opens in Notting Hill this March
February 2022: The team at Cubitt House are delighted to announce the arrival of The Princess Royal, located in the heart of Notting Hill, this March. The pub, which dates back to the Victorian era, will be home to a large dining room and bar, along with a walled garden, private feasting rooms and four individually designed bedrooms.
The elegant restaurant menu has been crafted by renowned Chef Director, Ben Tish who takes inspiration from the diverse cooking styles of the Mediterranean and focuses on seasonality and the best British produce, from suppliers including Wright Brothers and Mr Txuleta. Highlights from the menu include; red prawn crudo, rosemary and orange; English Burrata, blood orange, radicchio, coriander seeds and fennel, and Old Spot pork chop, salt roasted beets, new season carrots, walnut picada. Anchoring the pub will be a central bar, offering guests the chance to sample from a dedicated raw menu, including oysters, wild bream crudo and aged beef tartare. To be enjoyed alongside the refined bar menu, guests can also choose from classic cocktail serves, cocktails-on-tap, craft beers and ales, fine wines and Champagnes.
The ground floor will also offer the option for guests to dine in the pub’s private walled gardens, which have been designed by award winning landscape architect and House & Garden’s Garden Designer of the Year 2021, Jinny Blom, to create a stylish and modern outdoor dining space reminiscent of the Mediterranean. Throughout the building the interiors will take inspiration from the pub’s Victorian heritage, highlighting original features and working with British artisans to create the wallpapers, fabrics, bathroom fittings as well as sourcing antiques from across the country and abroad.
On the second floor, The Princess Royal will also be home to four exquisite bedrooms, available for those in search of an informal, urban retreat. Each cosy room will offer a luxurious escape from the city, with plush fabrics, soft mattresses and 100 Acres Apothecary products.
The Brothers Selby Scoop up The Michelin Young Chef Award
Michelin have long been in the trade of highlighting excellence in dining but in a latest move they have put a spotlight on a charming hospitality story. It would have been easy to have given the Young Chef award to Luke Selby who launched Evelyn’s Table last year at the Blue Posts pub in Soho.
Luke, the eldest of three brothers, won the Roux Scholarship in 2017 and did his stage in Japan – the first scholar to do so. He’s an accomplished chef and would have been a valid recipient. However, what is lesser known is that he has been working with his two brothers, Nat and Theo, for the better part of his career – most notably at Le Manoir and then at Hyde.
The trio of chef brothers now work together at Evelyn’s Table and Michelin have rewarded all three with the prize.
“Their infectious enthusiasm for their craft is a joy to witness,” the guide said on announcing the win.
Michelin’s review of Evelyn’s Table says this:
“Hidden beneath the Blue Posts pub, this tiny restaurant has two sittings each evening, counter seats and a subterranean speakeasy vibe. Arrive on time to watch Head Chef Luke Selby and his brothers Nat and Theo as they confidently craft sophisticated dishes using a mix of French and Japanese techniques.”
We congratulate the brothers on what is a brilliant win and for the passion they bring to our industry.
Coleg Gwent Looking Forward to Another Year of The Chefs’ Forum Academy
Coleg Gwent, in Cross Keys Wales, has signed-up with The Chefs’ Forum Academy for another year and cited the amazing CPD opportunities as one of the main reasons.
“It’s great to renew our Chefs’ Forum Academy partnership for the third year” said Head of School – Services to People, Helen Lawless.
“The learners and staff both look forward to the weekly masterclasses and have forged great employer links as a result,” she explained.
“Our teaching staff also benefit from fantastic CPD opportunities including butchery, patisserie and networking with other colleges via Student Pastry Chef of the Year. One of our learners made the final last year and plan to enter more learners into this year’s competition.”
Teaching staff at the college can look forward to stages and butchery masterclasses to update their culinary skills and hone their butchery expertise, enabling them to keep their finger on the industry pulse.
The Chefs’ Forum Academy Founder Catherine Farinha said:
“We’re all thrilled to be working with Coleg Gwent for another year. When we met today at Morels restaurant on campus for lunch the students were brilliant and the food was amazing. We’ve built up a great partnership and have exciting plans for The Chefs’ Forum Academy this year with new initiatives like The Chefs’ Knowledge and Student Pastry Chef of the Year.”
Catherine and National Business Manager Alexandra Duncan were treated to a fantastic valentine-themed menu complete with beautiful packets of handmade chocolates all made and service by the students.
The menu comprised delicious Macaroni & Y Fenni cheese pots, Polenta & Lentil cake, roasted vegetables and cucumber yoghurt sauce to start.
Then The Chefs’ Forum was treated to a sumptuous seafood fish pie containing cod, salmon, king prawns and mushroom sauce, topped with creamy mash potato and gratinated with Tintern cheese.
Apple and rhubarb crumble tartlet with raspberry ripple ice-cream rounded-off the delicious lunch with wonderful barista-made coffees from the front of house team to finish.
This is the second visit to Wales in recent weeks, The Chefs’ Forum also visited Pembrokeshire College to plan a Hospitality Industry Taster Day to take place in April at the college. Coleg Gwent will also host a Taster Day for local feeder schools next month to get secondary school pupils thinking and talking about food and encouraging them to consider studying courses in catering and hospitality when they move on to further education on finishing school.
When The Chefs’ Forum team visited Pembrokeshire College for a show-round, they were treated to a delicious lunch of spicy parsnip soup and a time-honoured favourite of crispy chicken kiev with sautéed potatoes.
Dessert comprised of a delicious trio of afternoon tea delights that the student created in their pastry masterclass on the day with Ashleigh Ferrand, Head Chef of The Kingham Plough via video link.
The Chefs’ Forum Academy curriculum enrichment sessions clearly benefit both teaching staff and students at our Welsh colleges and offer a fantastic opportunity to forge strong employer links going forward.
Alexandra concluded
“Working with Welsh colleges and top Welsh producers really galvanises the rich culinary offering around the prolific chefs for which Wales is renowned on an international level. We have a whole series of events planned for the coming year to celebrate our 10th Anniversary, showcasing various Welsh Assembly-endorsed produce clusters including Welsh Seafood, drinks, sustainability and fine food. We have a Sustainability Lunch taking place next month at The Coast Restaurant in Saundersfoot with The Seren Group chefs and a Welsh Fine Food Cluster showcase at Calcot Hotel and Spa in May – Students from both colleges will be invited to participate, again forging links with top-drawer employers while still studying.”
The Chefs’ Forum really enjoyed both visits and it was lovely to finally be able to visit in person after so long. The students are all very talented as the food was delicious, very well-presented and beautifully served by the front of house students – They are all showing great promise and we can’t wait to showcase their skills at our St David’s Day lunch, showcasing Welsh Seafood and chefs at L’Oscar in London on the 1st March…again an excellent work experience opportunity for the students and a huge nod to the excellent bounty of seafood species available for UK chefs to source from Wales.
All chefs keen to get involved in both The Chefs’ Forum Academy and attending Chefs’ Forum events should get in touch with Chefs’ Forum Event Executive, Alicia Kember.
Please email alicia@redcherry.uk.com for more information.
