How’s Your Head Chef?

Mental health is no joking matter. The last year has had a devastating effect on lives, businesses and the minds of everyone in hospitality. If you are in any way struggling to get back to normal it is important to understand that you are not alone.

Please, whatever you do, do not suffer in silence. If you feel anxious, nervous or panicked about returning to work please let us know if there is anything we can do to help. Equally, if you are out of work due to circumstances beyond your control then we are here for you, too.

Feel free to drop us a line or call us for a chat. We are here for you.

Life has its ups and downs. Times of joy and times of sadness. It’s easy to slip into habits and patterns that can be hard to escape from without sharing what your going through. Chances are there’s someone close to you at work who may be going through the same thing but they are keeping it quiet as well.

Our message to all chefs in the wake of mental health awareness week no matter how experienced is this: it’s OK to be not OK. Your mental health is important to the way you function in a team. If you are struggling and you need help, even if you think you don’t, give us a shout.

We’ll do what we can to help you find what you need. It all starts with a chat. We don’t need to know the details but we will certainly listen and help you to find the help you need closer to home.

Hospitality is a community and as a community we all have a duty to care for each other as much as we care for our guests.

School Taster Day at West London College with the Chefs’ Forum Academy

The Chefs’ Forum delivered an interactive School Taster Day on Wednesday 19^th May alongside the staff of our Chefs’ Forum Academy at West London College and accompanied by some of the industry’s leading chefs.

Catherine Farinha, Founder of The Chefs’ Forum, welcomed the students, schools, and all participants to the taster event. Denise Charles, Head of Curriculum for Service Industries at the West London College, introduced the students to the Hospitality and Catering department, providing an overview of course options and outlining the opportunities for students to enrol onto study programmes at a variety of levels.

Tracy Round-Turner, Assistant Principal at the West London College, supplied an insightful video interview, outlining the strength of the partnership between the College and The Chefs’ Forum. Tracy highlighted the many benefits the College has enjoyed as a Chef’s Forum Academy, including the great work that took place during the restrictions imposed by the pandemic.

In advance of the taster day, all students in the schools were provided with samples fresh strawberries, peaches and passion fruit, generously supplied by First Choice Produce, as well as three varieties of single-plantation chocolate supplied by Valrhona. This enabled the students to try the base ingredients featuring in the exciting demonstrations they were about to view.

After the introductions, we headed to the kitchens of ‘The Grill at The Dorchester’ where Head Chef, Tom Booton took us through a delightful creation of his dish, ‘English Strawberries, Posset & Lemon Verbena Ice Cream’. Tom spoke of the importance of high quality, local and seasonal produce. He also mentioned how the considered treatment of fine ingredients can result in beautiful, elegant, yet simple dishes. Tom went on to emphasise that “…in every mouthful, the guest should get a balance of the flavours and textures incorporated into the dish.” The dessert looked stunning and Tom had a very jealous audience as he tucked in to test out his own creation.

We then flew virtually to Dipna Anand, Chef Proprietor of Brilliant Restaurant, author and celebrity chef, to make two highly refreshing inspired cocktails using ‘Passion Fruit Two Ways’. First up, Dipna demonstrated how to make an alcohol-free ‘Passion Fruit Mojito’. We were taken through the origins of the Cuban cocktail, traditionally made from white-rum and ‘muddled’ mint. Dipna used the same processes that would be used to make a traditional Mojito, but omitted the alcohol, replacing it with beautifully sweet and refreshing passion fruit pulp and juice.

For her second drink, Dipna made a Passion Fruit Lassi, a traditional Indian drink made from a natural yoghurt base. Dipna explained that there are many versions of ‘lassi’, some being sweet, others salty or savoury and even spicy. On this occasion, Dipna made a sweet passion fruit lassi, demonstrating how to finish cocktails with simple fruit and herb garnishes to enhance the visual appeal of the drinks to customers. Both drinks looked thirst-quenching and would provide a fresh fruit lift and sparkle at any meal occasion.

After her demonstration, Dipna said:

“It was great to be taking part in the college’s taster day alongside The Chefs’ Forum, who are always so supportive of students pursuing hospitality and catering. Students got a first-hand virtual experience of what to expect on the course and found the session extremely useful and encouraging. I showcased drinks for a change during this event, which went down a storm. It’s satisfying to know that through my skills and words of encouragement during the online session, students are convinced and positive to join our brilliant industry.”

After a quick break, we returned to the kitchens at One Aldwych with Executive Chef, Dominic Teague.

Dominic produced a delicate dish of ‘Poached Peaches and Vanilla Crème Fraiche’. Dominic explained the importance of trying to utilise fruit when it is at its very best in terms of ripeness. This also led to discussing how important it is to consider the condition of fruits when poaching them.

Dominic explained “If fruits are ripe, they will need very little poaching time, perhaps none at all, and maybe best left to macerate and infuse in a flavoured liquid. Fruit that is underripe, however, will need a longer poaching time and perhaps required some additional sugar to add to the sweetness.”

At the end of his demonstration, Dominic went on to say:

“How great to be able to share some knowledge and insight into our wonderful industry, especially as we come out of this unprecedented year. Full credit to The Chefs’ Forum for facilitating this great initiative. I hope the students enjoyed as much as I did.”

The final demonstration was provided by Chef, Laurian Veaudour (Bake Off: The Professionals Winner 2020). Laurian hosted a chocolate tasting of three chocolates from Valrhona, France, one of the world’s leading single-plantation chocolate producers. The students shared their views on which style of chocolate they preferred, while Laurian produced an exquisite Valrhona Chocolate & Hazelnut Brownie with a Chocolate Whipped Ganache.

At the end of his demonstration, Laurian said:

“It was such a pleasure to be a part of the taster day. It is great to be able to inspire the new generation of chefs and bakers around the country, especially with the wonderful produce with can find on our doorstep.”

It’s such a shame we couldn’t try all the dishes and products, however, recipes cards were sent to the schools for everyone to try at their leisure. We hope the taster day inspired the students and teachers to try making the recipes at school or perhaps having a at home!

Maggie Haddad, Careers Coordinator Kensington Aldridge Academy said:

“The event was super insightful, particularly for our Year 10 pupils who are yet to explore their post-16 options. The live and interactive experience (not to mention the edible goodies!) went down incredibly well and has even inspired a couple of our pupils to set up their own food blogs! All round, a great taster event.”

And Zara Sahir-Ahmed, from Brentside High School said:

“The students really enjoyed tasting the food. We would love to see the demonstrations again in person.”

Nearly 100 students from the following 6 schools participated in the taster day with West London College:

• The Green School for Boys,
• Kensington Aldridge Academy
• Belvue College
• Phoenix Academy
• Brentside High School
• Alec Reed Academy

A Great Opportunity to Purchase an Established Restaurant in North Somerset with Accommodation

Franks is a family run restaurant with 32 covers specialising in modern/European cuisine, situated at the foot of the Cheddar Gorge in Somerset, UK.

The restaurant has been open since 2003 and has gained a reputation for good food, and a wine list to complement.

This is a great opportunity to purchase an established restaurant in North Somerset, with accommodation for a family or guests.

Set in the heart of Cheddar this wonderful property offers a selection of opportunities. The property is currently used as a restaurant and houses on the ground floor a restaurant capable of comfortably seating 34 people. There are a ladies and gents toilet with wash basins and WC, a fully equipped commercial kitchen which is fully fitted with ovens, fridges and work surfaces with a separate area used for washing up with space for dishwashers/glass cleaners.

There is also a fully equipped, licenced bar with a seating area.

The first floor currently houses a L shaped front and rear aspect living room with space for a dining room table. There is also a well designed kitchen with space for white appliances with a selection of wall and base units. There are also two front aspect bedrooms with one currently used as a business store. There is also a good sized family bathroom with sink, toilet and shower cubicle.

The top floor houses three further bedrooms and could quite easily be used as a B and B. The larger bedroom benefits from its own toilet, basin and shower cubicle along with storage facilities whilst the further two bedrooms both benefit from a shower cubicle. There is also a handy cloakroom.

The property benefits from a courtyard garden which provides parking for a couple of vehicles. There is a handy outside store area and steel steps leading up to a decked area which is perfect for enjoying the evening sun.

Asking price: £525,000

Please contact Frank on 07884 288427 or email him frank@franksrestaurant.co.uk to arrange a viewing.

Entries Closing Soon for Tilda Chef Team of the Year 2021

The entry deadline for Tilda Chef Team of the Year is drawing closer, with teams encouraged to enter before the 28^th May 2021 deadline.

With a two night trip to Italy to win, as well as the famous Tilda blue trophy up for grabs, chefs can register for the prestigious title of Tilda Chef Team of the Year now by visiting Salon Culinaire’s website https://internationalsalonculinaire.co.uk/salon-live/.

Along with joining the Tilda Chef Hall of Fame, the winning team will bank an all-expenses paid two-night trip to Italy*, visiting Vercelli and the Piedmont region, for when restrictions are lifted. They will have the opportunity to visit the impressive paddies and mills responsible for the world-famous Tilda rice and discover one of Italy’s oldest cities. Whilst there, the winning team will also experience the fantastic food festivals and delicious local produce that Vercelli has to offer.

Speaking about the upcoming deadline, Annette Coggins, Head of Foodservice, Tilda UK says:

“There is a buzz of anticipation for the final and we’re urging those last few teams to throw their hats into the ring for the chance to be crowned this year’s Tilda Chef Team of the Year and join our winners’ circle! This is a fantastic competition that allows chef duos to really show off their craft and see the full potential of rice.”

Chefs can register for the competition now by visiting https://internationalsalonculinaire.co.uk/salon-live/ by 28^th May 2021, with the live final taking place on Wednesday 9^th June, at the University of West London.

The judging panel will be looking for the chef team who will embrace global cuisines, inspiring trends, exquisite flavours that appear on today’s menus and celebrate creativity, whilst using Tilda rice at their heart of each dish. There will be 45 minutes in the final for teams to prepare four portions of a main and dessert.

Annette adds:

“We can’t wait to see what the competing chef teams come up with this year and how they’ll use our rice! The speciality range is so versatile and will enable chefs to experiment with such a huge variety of flavours and techniques – we’ve seen fantastic entries over the years and we’re so excited for what this year will bring!”

With the deadline looming, chef teams are encouraged to seek Tilda’s speciality range which hosts a wide variety of delicious rice, starting with chef favourite – Easy Cook Basmati with its elegant and natural appeal. The range also includes the nutty and aromatic Easy Cook Basmati and Wild, the naturally Fragrant Jasmine Rice and the deliciously creamy Arborio from Po Valley. The extensive selection offers great tasting rice every time, with the natural ability to absorb and enhance the flavour of a dish.

Tilda’s independent research has found that three quarters of consumers would pay more when seeing a named rice on the menu, versus a non-named variety. To learn more about elevating your plate, visit https://www.tilda.com/professionals/article/make-menu-work/.

Badge Up Your Home Delivery Service

Badge up your home delivery service with bespoke food delivery packs by Global Vending Solutions

Are you doing local delivery from your business or kitchen? If so then there may be an opportunity that you are missing. The new food delivery packs created by Global Vending Solutions (GVS) can be ordered in your colours and feature your logo. That means that whoever is doing the deliveries for you will be visible en route.

Managing Director Joseph Burke said: “It’s an exciting time. We were getting more and more enquiries for delivery systems and so we designed a new version but using new technology to produce a drier kind of heat where the food does not sweat as much.

“But then we started to get enquiries about bespoke packs. The questions we were being asked were about how they can be customised? How can we have our logo? Our brand colours? Interchangeable advertising on the product? It was at this stage we began to speak to our product development team, who came up with a fully customisable range, with an option available for businesses of any size’.

“In recognition of the changing landscape of recent times, this product offers businesses the chance to facilitate their own food delivery service with fully-branded equipment. Not only this but each product from Global Vending Solutions is rigorously tested and approved to ensure the food transportation does not result in a compromise on quality.

‘We have always dealt with our customers directly as what we offer is so bespoke. We listen carefully to their requirements and make it happen – regardless of how challenging it might be. When one client spoke to us about this product we started the development process – and since then the enquiries have kept increasing!’

“In addition, the food delivery sector includes a huge range of specific requirements. Insulated pizza delivery packs need to be a completely different size and shape to one that is designed for burgers or smaller items. Using our experience in this area we were able to produce something to suit every end user – all with diverse customisation options to ensure a professional finish.

‘Restaurants today have the power to accept orders online or over the phone with no problem at all, and this is true today for all cuisine, not just the more ‘traditional’ takeaway items. It’s important that when restaurants do offer this service, the food that arrives has no impact on its quality – and our delivery packs are the perfect solution to achieve this.’

To view the new range of delivery packs from GVS contact Joseph directly on: joseph@thirstsolution.com for help or advice on any vending-related solutions.

The Chefs’ Forum Celebrates a Great Week of Virtual Taster Days

The Chefs’ Forum was very proud to deliver two interactive School Taster Days this week with our Chefs’ Forum Academies at The Manchester College and Pembrokeshire College.

On Tuesday, we started in Manchester with Catherine Farinha, Founder of The Chefs’ Forum, welcoming the students, schools, and all participants to the taster event. Maxine Gunning, Head of Curriculum for Hospitality & Catering and Travel & Tourism at The Manchester College, introduced the students to the Hospitality and Catering department and its staff. A detailed overview of course options was provided, outlining the opportunities for students to enrol onto study programmes at an appropriate level.

The event started with a cheese tasting from South Caernarfon Creameries with artisan cheesemaker, Trystan Povey. All the schools participated in the cheese as samples were sent prior to the event. They compared a Welsh Slate Cavern Aged Cheddar and a Smoked Mature Cheddar cheese.

We then went live to the kitchens of Exose Grant Lopo-Ndinga, Chef Consultant & contestant and finalist on Masterchef: The Professionals 2019 and Dipna Anand (Owner of Brilliant Restaurant in London and regular guest on TV cookery shows – Dipna’s latest appearance was on ‘James Martin’s Saturday Morning’ programme last week!)

Rotating from one kitchen to the next, Exose produced his version of ‘Mac & South Caernarfon Creameries Cavern Aged Cheddar Cheese’, while Dipna made her famous South Caernarfon Creameries Smoked Mature Cheddar Cheese & Onion ‘Stuffed Parathas’. Both dishes looked delicious!

After her demonstration, Dipna said:

“It was great to be taking part in the college’s taster day alongside The Chefs’ Forum, who are always so supportive of students pursuing hospitality and catering. Students got a first-hand virtual experience of what to expect on the course and found the session extremely useful and encouraging. I showcased a recipe video of stuffed parathas which went down a storm. It’s satisfying to know that through my skills and words of encouragement during the online session, students are convinced and positive to join our brilliant industry.”

After a break, we moved onto Cwmfarm Charcuterie with artisan producer, Ruth Davies. Alongside Ruth’s engaging talk from ‘Salami HQ’ as she refers to the company’s manufacturing base, the students sampled Welsh salami and ‘nduja’ – a delicious, spreadable rich and spicy sausage.

We then travelled virtually to the kitchen of Doug Crampton, Head Chef at James Martin, Manchester. Doug demonstrated a great way to utilise the nduja by making a dish of ‘Baked Cwmfarm Nduja, Hen’s Eggs & Wild Garlic’ The dish looked so vibrant and tasty with striking colours, a beautifully simple dish suitable for a breakfast treat or brunch!

The final dish of the day was a sweet treat. The students were sent samples of Wickedly Welsh Chocolate, in which they compared its quality against a highly reputed Belgian chocolate. Chocolatier, Mark Owen took us through the production of the chocolate and the differences between the methods deployed. They were both delicious.

Pastry Chef Laurian Veaudour (Bake Off: The Professionals Winner 2020) provided us with the last dish of the day, producing a delicate ‘Orange & Wickedly Welsh Milk Chocolate Shortbread’. It’s such a shame we couldn’t try one but recipes cards were provided, so there was no excuse for not having a go at making them at home!

On Wednesday morning we travelled, virtually, south-west to the coast of Pembrokeshire to deliver a Taster Day on behalf of The Chefs’ Forum Academy at Pembrokeshire College, Wales.

Catherine again welcomed all the participating schools before passing to Wendy Weber, Head of Health, Childcare and Commercial Enterprise, to introduce the lecturing staff at the college, who provided a talk about the various courses available and the fantastic opportunities for students following their studies.

The students were then provided Marketing bags from Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales, alongside an inspirational talk and accompanying video from meat expert, Rhys Llywelyn. Rhys spoke about the fantastic natural environment in which Welsh meat is reared to create truly world-class produce. Somewhat surprisingly, we learnt that Welsh meat is exported all over the world with only a small percentage of the meat being consumed by the people in Wales. Rhys would like to see this change!

Following the talk, we were treated to simultaneous demonstrations from highly renowned chefs Dougie Balish (Head Chef at The Grove at Narberth) and Matt Waldron (Head Chef at The Stackpole Inn). Dougie took us through his ‘Spicy Welsh Beef, Avocado & Goats Cheese Tortilla’, a mouth-watering fusion featuring great Welsh meat and flavours of Mexico.

Switching from one kitchen to the other, Matt produced a spectacular dish of ‘Welsh Lamb Rump with Potato Puree, Roscoff Onion, Shallot, Peas & Wild Garlic’. Matt discussed the processes he used to produce such fine purees and delicate flavours. The dish looked amazing, if only we could have tasted it!

After a break, we were treated to the sweeter side of the kitchen, although one of the magic ingredients used was salt! Salt is an essential natural mineral we can’t survive without. It also has amazing properties as a flavour enhancer, taste modifier and suppressant of bitterness. That’s why the addition of a little salt makes sweet foods taste even better!

Pembrokeshire Sea Salt samples and jars of salted caramel were again sent to the schools for the students to sample. Josh Wright from Pembrokeshire Sea Salt showed us the methods in which salt is produced and dried from sea water and the award-winning artisan salt from Pembrokeshire is regarded as one of the most flavoursome in the world.

Showcasing the salt and caramel, Lisa Fearn, Chef Proprietor of The Pumpkin Patch Kitchen & Garden and Y Sied Cookery School, produced Brownie Cookies with Pembrokeshire Sea Salt & Salted Caramel, whilst a group of Professional Cookery students from the college baked alongside Lisa. The results were fabulous, getting the thumbs up from Lisa!

The final demonstration was provided by Chef, Laurian Veaudour (Bake Off: The Professionals Winner 2020). Laurian hosted a chocolate tasting of three chocolates from Valrhona, France, one of the world’s leading single-plantation chocolate producers. The students shared their views on which style of chocolate they preferred, while Laurian produced an exquisite Valrhona Chocolate & Hazelnut Brownie with a Chocolate Whipped Ganache.

At the end of the two days, Laurian said:

“It is such a pleasure to be a part of the taster days so we can inspire the new generation of chefs and bakers around the country, especially with the wonderful produce with can find on our doorstep.”

A real treat to finish the taster days and what a refreshing and inspiring way to spend three hours on a Tuesday and Wednesday morning!

Miss Palmer – Hospitality & Catering Teacher at Ysgol Greenhill School, Pembrokeshire added:

“Our students found it extremely beneficial to see the wonderful facilities at the college. They were inspired by the live demonstrations and the use of technical terminology was useful for their upcoming exam.”

Participating schools at the Taster Day at The Manchester College were:

• Co-operative Academy of North Manchester
• East Manchester Academy
• Manchester Academy
• Manchester Communication Academy
• Middleton Technology School
• Sale High School
• Stockport School

Participating schools at the Taster Day at Pembrokeshire College were:

• Ysgol Caer Elen
• Ysgol Bro Gwaun
• Greenhill
• Portfield School
• Haverfordwest High
• ysgol y preseli
• Ysgol Harri Tudur
• Milford Haven School

New HCC Chair Sets Out Priorities

At her first Board meeting as the new chair of Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC), Catherine Smith has laid out the levy board’s priorities for the new financial year.

The Chefs’ Forum was delighted to welcome Rhys Llywelyn to a virtual Hospitality Industry Taster Day (12) May, with Pembrokeshire College today, which showcased Welsh Beef and Lamb.  180 prospective college students from local feeder secondary schools all received a goody bag packed with information and merchandise promoting Welsh produce and farmers.

The board meeting with the new chair, also held virtually due to COVID restrictions – welcomed two new Board members in Jack Evershed and Emlyn Roberts, received analysis of consumer trends as Britain emerges from lockdown, and confirmed the organisation’s priorities for the coming year, the first following the long-awaited reform of the Red Meat Levy in April to secure a fairer deal for Wales.

The levy reform, enabled by the passage of the Agriculture Bill in Westminster and discussions between the three governments, means that producer levy on animals reared in Wales but slaughtered over the border will be transferred to HCC and no longer be lost to Wales.

Catherine Smith said: “The change in the Levy has been long awaited, and will provide greater transparency and equity for farmers here in Wales.

“We have exciting plans for the year ahead, building on the very positive work that HCC has undertaken in responding effectively to the twin challenges of COVID and Brexit.

“Central to our plans are building on the successful consumer engagement and brand building work that’s seen increases in sales of red meat over the past year, and new listings for Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef in major retailers.

“We also plan to work closely with governments and with our partner organisations in England and Scotland to secure access to new markets for our respective products and develop trade.

“HCC will also give a very high priority to promoting the world-leading environmental credentials of how we produce lamb and beef here in Wales, building on our ‘Welsh Way’ vision. We will also undertake crucial work alongside partners elsewhere in Britain to defend and enhance the reputation of our industry. Key milestones are coming up this year such as the COP26 summit in Glasgow. It’s vital that the public understands that not all methods of farming around the world are the same, and that we have a positive contribution to make to sustainability and global food security.”

The Chefs’ Forum Tackles the Shortage of Pastry Chefs – National Finalists Announced

In response to the much-publicised shortage of skilled pastry chefs and the concern over the numbers coming through, The Chefs’ Forum recently launched a national competition to highlight the issue and showcase the great work currently taking place in UK colleges, alongside the opportunities for young people to thrive in this creative and rewarding sector of the industry.

It is well documented that there is a shortage of chefs, especially pastry chefs. Talk to the owners, managers and chefs in industry and it is highly likely they will tell you the same thing. During the lockdown periods, many chefs returned to their home countries and may not return anytime soon, if ever. The implications of Brexit have not helped matters!

A skilled pastry chef is an asset to the kitchen for the good reason that pastry items often have the highest profit margins. However, it is easy to forget that the skills set of a pastry chef goes beyond the dessert menu.

The pastry chef is the scientist in the kitchen and right now food science is of immense value. A pastry chef measures everything down to minute proportions. The temperature of the oven is critical. Volumes, relationships between ingredients and much more all need to be measured. The art of pastry is the last detail. Underpinning everything is the science.

It’s not always the same in the main kitchen, where the chefs are often not so clinical, having more room for interpretation and adjustment, and seasoning is applied to taste. In the pastry kitchen, the opposite is true. From a lack of precision and measurement, poor results follow.

The Chefs’ Forum Young Pastry Chef of the Year, 2021, competition aims to celebrate the creativity of highly skilled young pastry chefs and the abundance of fantastic commodities and produce they have at their disposal to develop mouth-watering products. The first-round entries were collated on Friday 7^th May and were judged over the weekend by Jamie Houghton, Pasty sous-chef at Le Manoir aux quat’saisons and President of the UK Pastry team, and Neil Rippington, Director of Education at The Chefs’ Forum.

Jamie said:

“After reviewing all the entries with Neil, it was great to see that the level of each student’s work was so high. This is going to make a very exciting semi-final. I’m really looking forward to seeing what the students come up with during this stage and reviewing their entries to select those that go through to the final in June.”

The semi-finalists have now been sent details of the next challenge, which will see them design a multi-layered entremet using Valrhona chocolate. The young pastry chefs have been sent samples of five chocolates to choose from and the small equipment they need in a pack, supplied by sponsors Mitchell and Cooper. The students will select one chocolate to take forward to produce the entremet for digital submission. Whichever chocolate the students select to make their entremet, they will be sent the chocolate required, with great thanks to sponsors, Valrhona.

Neil said:

“It was great to see so many colleges enter the competition. We have entries from all corners of the UK and it was reassuring to see the calibre of the entries at this point. We want the competition to be accessible and fair to all students, which is why we designed the semi-final task with tight boundaries but also with great scope for creativity. There are some great prizes, opportunities, and experiences available to the young pastry chefs, so I wish them good luck in the semi-final task over the next few weeks and I look forward to meeting the eight finalists at the final in June.”

The 20 finalist are:

The semi-final task submission deadline is Friday 28^th May at 17:00, with the eight finalists competing for the title on Tuesday 15^th June, live at the West London College.

Judges are:

• Jamie Houghton – Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons and President of the UK Pastry Team
• Luke Frost – L’Ecole Valrhona
• Chris Underwood – Belmond Cadogan Hotel
• Thibault Hauchard- Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester
• Michael Kwan – Hotel Café Royal
• Daniel Pearse – The Savoy

Making Meals that Matter: Rational Launches Care Homes Live online Demonstration

Expert chefs show how iCombi Pro and iVario can enhance care home catering.

Rational’s latest programme of Live online events has been developed specifically for care homes.  The events look at how Rational’s cooking systems can enhance kitchen operations, increase menu diversity and help chefs prepare the variety of special dietary requirements needed in a care home.  During Care Home Live online a Rational chef with specialist knowledge of the market will prepare a wide-ranging care home menu while an expert host is on hand to answer any questions from attendees.

The Rational chefs show how the iCombi Pro combi steamer and iVario multifunctional cooking system can increase a care home’s productivity and reduce cooking times, while producing consistently high quality results.  They’ll also demonstrate the superior energy efficiency of both cooking systems and show how they can deliver a fast return on investment.  And for any operators looking to save time and effort, they’ll show how easy both systems are to keep sparkling clean.  In addition, Care Home Live online will briefly cover Rational’s ConnectedCooking platform, showing how it maximises operational efficiency.

“Our online events are a hit with customers,” says Adam Knights, marketing director at Rational UK.  “The format allows participants to experience the cooking systems, albeit virtually, and is a very efficient use of their time.”

He adds, “We’ve seen a big increase in interest from care homes for both the iCombi Pro and the iVario cooking systems, so we decided to make a Live online specifically for them.  Nutritional meals are incredibly important for care home residents, and we have ensured that all the content is relevant to a care home’s operation.”

The food cooked during the Care Home Live online features a typical day’s menu – including breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner.   For example, highlights for the breakfast menu include porridge, pancakes, croissant and a full traditional breakfast.  Meanwhile the lunch features lentil soup, cottage pie, macaroni cheese, accompanying vegetables and a pudding.

In a special promotion, anyone attending a Care Home Live online and then buying a Rational cooking system will receive free snack & bake starter-kit accessories worth £274.

Each Rational Care Home Live online lasts about 45 minutes.  They are free to attend and can be booked at rational-online.com.  To find out more, talk to your Rational representative or visit the Rational website.

The following dates are available:

• Tuesday 11^th May – 10-11am
• Thursday 13^th May – 2.30-3.30pm
• Monday 17^th May – 2.30-3.30pm
• Friday 28^th May – 2.30-3.30pm
• Wednesday 2^nd June – 2.30-3.30pm

To register for this FREE event please email rebecca@redcherry.uk.com

RATIONAL is the leading provider in hot food preparation equipment and, with the iCombi Pro and the iVario multifunctional cooking system, the company delivers 95% of all conventional cooking applications.  Rational’s ConnectedCooking allows operators to monitor, manage and update their Rational appliances remotely, from a PC, tablet or smartphone.  iKitchen is the combination of the iCombi Pro, iVario Pro and ConnectedCooking – iKitchen delivers the best kitchen management and the best cooking solutions.

Rational Hospital Catering Sector Seminar: A Huge Success

On the 28^th April, The Chefs’ Forum partnered with RATIONAL to deliver a Virtual Hospital Sector Catering seminar, covering the key points raised in the recently published ‘Independent Review of NHS Hospital Food’, chaired by Philip Shelley. The review highlights the essential developments required to ensure a sustainable food provision and service of the highest possible quality over the forthcoming years.

A professional panel of industry experts and stakeholders came together to form a panel of experts discussing headline topics with the aim of providing the vision, the insight and expertise required to meet the objectives of the review.

Over 130 NHS catering managers, chefs, dieticians, clinicians and facilities managers signed up to and attended the virtual event and the feedback was that was expertly planned and executed, paving the way to bring about radical change in hospital menus to improve the patient food offer and enable hospitals to create delicious, locally-sourced menus for patients, visitor and staff 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.

Adam Knights, Marketing Director, Rational UK comments,

“We were not only very pleased with the way in which the hospital seminar was delivered by the experts, but also the extremely positive way it was received by the audience. We have successfully worked in partnership with The Chefs’ Forum to provide a platform for individuals from the hospital sector, including buyers, chefs, kitchen designers, equipment manufacturers, chief executives and catering managers who together can make a change for better hospital catering standards.  We plan to build on this and deliver a series of Hospital webinars and future events to galvanise and support all involved in changing hospital menus for the better”.

A special message by Prue Leith CBE (Industry icon, restaurateur, chef, TV presenter and food writer) making the introductory speech opened the event, then seminar panellists discussed a range of topics covered in the Food Review of areas in the current offer needing special attention, support and improvement.

Dr Rupy Aujla (GP, Founder of Culinary Medicine UK and author of The Doctor’s Kitchen) was very much of the opinion that ‘Food is Medicine’ and the need to engage staff members, especially nurses as they are the ones linking face-to-face with patients.

Mike Ridder (Kitchen Consultant at Dragon Catering Consultancy, Denbigh) has worked in the hospital sector for many years prior to opening his consultancy.

He said

“We need to look at how our hospital kitchens are designed and the sort of equipment that hospital chefs are expected to cook on.  If they call people in like myself in the early stages, they can save a lot of money in terms of wasted energy, reducing carbon footprint and reducing waste – We really need to look after the bottom line, reducing carbon footprint for future generations and waste reduction is of paramount importance.”

This message was reinforced by Colin Parry, Sales Director at Rational UK who said that service and back-up of equipment and integrating the latest energy-saving equipment is crucial to bolstering hospital caterers in hospital kitchens and that Rational UK can absolutely provide them with this level of support.

Nicola Strawther, Chief Dietetic, Nottingham University Hospital echoed Dr Rupy’s comments on ensuring that hospitals can offer fresh and quality food as when people are unwell, as their need for healthy and nutritious food is greater than ever.

Philip Shelley (Chair of the NHS Hospital Food Review) and Craig Smith (Outgoing Chair of the Hospital Caterers Association) both stressed the importance of liaising with the trust as they hold the budget and the need for ensuring that there is enough money in the pot to fulfil all of the objectives identified in the review.

The Seminar was hosted and chaired by Neil Rippington (Director of Education at The Chefs’ Forum and Instructor in Culinary Psychology, Harvard University) who led the debate topics such as the future design of hospital kitchens and how design can contribute to areas such as food quality, sustainability, efficiency and food safety.

Colin Parry, Sales Director at Rational UK concluded,

“We are delighted to have gathered together some of the leading professionals in hospital sector catering for a meeting of minds on how best to action the objectives identified in the recent NHS hospital Food Review.  We very much enjoyed hearing from the various specialists on how the topics discussed related to their various roles and how we can work as a collective to support hospital food and catering operations.”

Discussion topics included: Food as medicine; Tomorrow’s kitchen; Integrating technology; Sustainability; Food & drink standards; Healthy & nutritious menus; Working in partnership and Planning the future.

The Seminar also acknowledged the fantastic contributions of our NHS Food Heroes to date and how the review proposes to ensure the evolution of future Food Heroes by providing the training, development and qualifications to support hospital caterers and their career development in the future.

The event concluded with a clear plan outlined and how these objectives could continue to be measured and reviewed; It is imperative that all stakeholders must work together in partnership to provide the quality of provision that all within the NHS deserve. Rational and The Chefs’ Forum will continue to report on changes made as a result of the seminar and plan to stage future events for the sector.

Any Hospital Sector Caters wishing to know more about the latest Rational technology can register for a Hospitals Live online webinar here.