CHEFS ON FILM – TOP CHEFS FROM THE CHEFS’ FORUM AT WEST LONDON COLLEGE

In January 2020 West London College joined the Chefs’ Forum at a sumptuous launch event at The Dorchester in Central London.

A major benefit to West London College in joining The Chefs’ Forum Academy is the bi-weekly demonstrations from masters of their profession. The Chefs’ Forum also provides opportunities for work experience, leading for some to permanent employment in renowned kitchens and restaurants.

Filmed and edited by our Creative and Media Level 3 work experience students, West London College has created the first series of six master classes, titled ‘Chefs on Film’.

Denise Charles, Head of Service Industries who championed the initiative at the College said:

“The Chefs’ Forum is an excellent resource to be able to provide to our students and we really look forward to the Chef visits. It’s been helpful for us to keep a visual record of the visits and we are very pleased to make these available to other colleges.”

Each episode from the complete first series of ‘Chefs on Film’ can be viewed here. Series Two of ‘Chefs on Film’ will be available late summer.

Episode 1: Chef Dipna Anand at West London College

Dipna Anand is an award-winning celebrity chef, author, restaurateur and teacher. Co-owner of ‘The Brilliant’, a restaurant in Southall voted as part of Ramsay’s Best for Channel 4, most recently won an ITV Award for the best family-run restaurant. Dipna Graduated with first-class honours in Hospitality and Catering from the University of West London.

Episode 2: Making Lemon Dover Sole with Michael Dutnall MCA

Michael Dutnall MCA is the Head Chef of the prestigious Royal Air Force Club in Mayfair, London. He has over 20 years of experience in the industry and has cooked alongside world-class Chefs, Michel Bourdin, Herbert Berger and Jerome Ponchelle MCA. Michael is also one of 25 people to have ever been accredited in the Master Culinary of Arts (MCA) for culinary skills; it is known as one of the toughest disciplines in the industry.

Episode 3: Profiteroles with a Lemon Filling, Meringue Top and a Sparkling Snowflake Decoration

Head Pastry Chef Biju Joshwa at the Palm Court in the Sheraton Grand London Park Lane, has been described as the creative force behind London’s most exquisite afternoon tea. Having begun his career in his native India before moving to London, Biju Joshwa has accumulated a wealth of knowledge coloured by his international experience. Whether he’s devising a sweet or savoury dish, Chef Joshwa knows how to blend fresh ingredients and punchy spices to achieve exactly the right flavour.

Episode 4: Roasted Rump of Lamb and a Side of Vegetables

Andy MacKenzie Executive Chef for the Exclusive Chefs’ Academy at Exclusive Hotels and Venues demonstrated this dish to students. Andy began work in 1986 as pastry chef at Lainston House, progressing to Head Chef in 2000 and Executive Chef in 2006. Andy has a strong track record in education and training in the catering and hospitality industry and initiated the Create and Cook competition which is enormously successful for 12 – 14 year olds in Hampshire, Sussex and the Isle of Wight. He also leads on the Chefs Academy based at Lainston House to take Commis chefs to chef de partie on a two year programme.

Episode 5: Making Passion Fruit Tarts with Gavin Stewart

Gavin Stewart is the Head Pastry Chef at The Cliveden. Situated in Berkshire, Cliveden House is a privately owned 5 Red Star award-winning hotel.

Episode 6: Making Sushi with Keiko Urakawa

Keiko Urakawa is an expert teacher in Japanese cuisine and offers classes in Japanese cooking from Gyoza skin making to dumpling assembling and cooking.

The Chefs’ Forum Attended Inaugural Hospitality & Culinary Summit at Glasgow College

City of Glasgow College held its inaugural Hospitality and Culinary Summit against the backdrop of a new tourism strategy for Scotland, and potentially damaging changes to immigration laws.

The event saw hospitality industry professionals from all over the UK gather at the world class facility to hear from industry peers on a broad range of current topics, from the catastrophic effect the Coronavirus is having on our industry, to career business development stories from top chefs and prolific business owners.

The Chefs’ Forum was delighted to have been invited to attend the event and its was a great opportunity to tour the impressive facility and meet the passionate teaching staff and highly talented students in advance of our Scottish launch to be held at the college this September.

The summit provided a timely opportunity to explore how this vital sector for Scotland remains dynamic in a rapidly changing and uncertain world.

Paul Little, Principal and Chief Executive at City of Glasgow College, said:

“Our college has a well-earned reputation for excellence in hospitality and professional cookery. Together with fellow colleges, we are training the future workforce for an industry that employs over 200,000 and which generates more than 5% of the country’s GDP.

“We produce a talent pipeline of some 8,000 work-ready graduates annually so we can directly respond to a key priority of the new tourism strategy – passionate people – and to the need to attract, develop and retain a skilled, committed, diverse and valued workforce.”

Wilson, Dean for the Faculty of Hospitality and Leisure, said:

“Ultimately, our summit was aimed at forging stronger partnerships with industry as we continue working to change the perceptions of the sector, and the mind set of influencers. Our objective is to make hospitality and culinary not just a career of choice, but a career of first choice.”

“It’s more important than ever that we consider how, as educators and professionals, together with government, we can collaborate to anticipate consumer trends and expectations, while building sustainable and resilient partnerships.”

Delegates heard first hand from industry specialists as they debated areas of opportunity and innovation.

Tom Kitchin, Chef Proprietor of The Kitchin Group, said:

“I was delighted to support the Hospitality & Culinary Summit at the college. A great initiative and what an amazing college. The resources are second to none. Things have changed so much since my time at college in Perth. I feel certain many businesses will enter into the practical partnerships that were launched today.”

Conor O’Leary, Joint Managing Director, The Gleneagles Hotel, added:

“I really enjoyed being part of the college’s Summit, and an amazing team of energetic, highly skilled students. The service was impeccable and the food was both unusual and incredible. Gleneagles are definitely supporting the practical partnerships and we look forward to taking things forward.”

The event concluded with a Culinary Collective, when delegates experienced the college’s professional cookery and hospitality students in action; preparing, cooking and serving a range of high-end, contemporary dishes with a definite edge.

It was a great opportunity to meet the students and teaching team and sample their delicious food stations.

We are really looking forward to returning to Glasgow College this September to launch The Chefs’ Forum in Scotland to bring the industry together and further showcase this fantastic facility and tomorrow’s chefs and hospitality professionals to local employers, creating work experience opportunities, boosting employer engagement and enriching the curriculum as we do with nineteen other colleges nationally and through The Chefs’ Forum Academy.

Any Scottish chefs wishing to participate in The Chefs’ Forum Scotland should contact rebecca@redcherry.uk.com

Photography: Martin Shields

Electric Bath Audi Customer Event with TV Chef Cherish Finden

The Bath Audi Showroom held a spectacular launch event to celebrate the e-tron range!

The theme of the event was sustainability end environmental awareness and its title: ‘Electric has gone Audi’. The electric customer event was all about introducing new e-tron technology to the fifty or so VIP guests who attended, whilst showcasing the finest culinary talent and staging a delicious afternoon tea.

Guests were welcomed to the event by Julian Drew, Head of Business at Bath Audi who stages regular culinary events at the dealership to thank his customers for their continued loyalty, updating them on new technology as it evolves.

Julian Drew, Head of Business at Bath Audi said

“The ‘Electric has gone Audi’ event proved a great success.  Excellence in customer service and product are the Audi brand values and indeed our values at Bath Audi. These are resonated through working with top chefs and front of house professionals via The Chefs’ Forum.  We will be staging regular customer events at our Bath dealership, treating our valued customers to the finest cuisine and service levels. Showcasing top chefs and optimum levels of hospitality really shows our commitment to customers that we really believe in what we do.  The feedback from guests as well as the chefs who took part was really positive and it was great to showcase the new Audi e-tron and hybrid models alongside the finest culinary talent and flair.”

TV Chef Cherish Finden took to the Audi chef demonstration stage to create the Audi gecko in chocolate.  The Bake Off Professionals judge invited guests to assist with finishing the shiny edible Audi geckos with a brilliant pearl dust powder.  Cherish also produced an excellent canape of Bath Audi branded 66% Valrhona Chocolate brownies with Caribe Cremeaux to the delight of the Audi customers who attended.

Cherish added

“I was delighted to take part in the event today and really enjoyed my test drive of the Audi TT. I have had a lovely time today working with the chefs from Thornbury Castle and the students from Bath College.  It was great to invite Lucy Knight onto the stage to assist me with my demo, she was an outstanding student on the day and was a real credit to her college.  The Audi customers really enjoyed finishing the chocolate geckos with pearl shimmer powder.”

The stunning range of new e-tron products was on display and guests enjoyed a show round of the new e-tron and the hybrid models by Bath Audi brand experts Christian and Adam.

Guests enjoyed a stunning menu of savoury and sweet Afternoon Tea canapés, cocktails and mocktails made by the culinary team from Thornbury Castle.  The canape menu comprised:

Blue cheese and pickled walnut tart, parmesan scones and Foie Royale and quince macaron.  Dessert followed with Rhubarb and Custard ring, Paris Breast and Coconut Exotic Cake – all canapès took the form of the four Audi rings to celebrate the style and finesse of Audi Excellence and give the customers a five-star dining and service experience in the showroom.

Head Pastry Chef at Thornbury Castle Tom Everard-Fairburn, gave a plated demonstration of his spring signature dessert of gooseberry mousse with fermented ginger, gingerbread crisps and kaffir lime leaf ice cream.

Bath Audi supports the Bath fine-dining scene in sponsoring The Chefs’ Forum, an industry networking organisation for top local chefs, which bridges the gap between hospitality education and the professional kitchen. Inviting its Member Chefs to cater this prestigious customer event showcased the link between the Audi brand values of ‘Excellence in Product, Excellence in Customer Service’ and Michelin-starred food and five-star service levels experienced in fine dining restaurants, headed-up by the visiting top chefs.

The event set out to communicate that the new Audi e-tron range is at a whole new level of technology and makes for a greatly enhanced driving experience, whilst

The guests had a fantastic afternoon and experienced a true feast for the senses at Bath Audi.

The Roux Scholarship announces its 18 regional finalists for the 2020 competition

As the regional finalists for the Roux Scholarship 2020 are announced, chairmen Alain Roux and Michel Roux Jr are delighted that a new generation of chefs are taking part, having submitted recipes that demonstrate a very high level of talent. In this year’s competition, ten of the 18 regional finalists are first-time applicants and the chefs come from as far south as Jersey and as far north as County Durham.

These 18 chefs were selected from their paper applications and written recipes submitted anonymously to the judges, who took part in the Paper Judging day at The Waterside Inn on Wednesday 4th March. The 18 finalists will compete in two regional finals which will be held simultaneously on Thursday 19th March 2020 at University College Birmingham and University of West London, Ealing.

There are two chefs in reserve (should any finalists not be able to compete):

Connor Wilson, The Traddock, North Yorkshire

Nathan Cornwell, Moor Hall, Lancashire

 The challenge

This year’s challenge was to create a recipe to serve four people using one whole fresh MSC-labelled gutted hake, weighing anywhere between 1.6kg – 1.8kg (maximum 2kg) and 600g of live whole grooved carpet shell / palourde clams (ruditapes decussatus); together plated with two ‘simple’ or ‘composed’ garnishes/accompaniments. One of them had to include leeks and the other was a garnish/accompaniment of the applicant’s choice. One of these could be served separately if preferred.  A sauce had to accompany the dish.For the regional final, competitors will have 2½ hrs to cook their dish, along with a dessert from a mystery box of ingredients given to them on the day.  The judges will be looking for recipes and methods, which demonstrate the best balance of creativity, taste, style and practicality in the finished dish.

Key facts:

• 2020 is a strong year for previous applicants to qualify again, with eight having previously competed:

Ryan Baker from Corinthia Hotel, Scott Braithwaite from L’Enclume, Olivia Burt from Claridge’s, Michael Cruickshank from Bohemia, Benjamin Champkin and Oliver Marlow both from Roganic, Oliver Dovey from BaxterStorey, Curtis Tonge from Northcote having competed before.

• Simon Rogan once again proves his excellence as a mentor with three of his chefs qualifying for the regional finals: Benjamin Champkin and Oliver Marlow both from Roganic, Scott Braithwaite from L’Enclume.
• Michael Cruickshank has the most experience competing in the Roux Scholarship, having reached the regional finals in 2016 and 2018, and the national final in 2017 and 2019.
• Eight finalists come from establishments outside London, ranging from as far south as Jersey to County Durham in the north.
• The range of establishments is also well-represented, with chefs coming from luxury hotels, contract catering, successful local restaurants and even the House of Commons.
• The paper applications are judged blind, so judges don’t know their identity or their place of work.
• The number of entries increased by 18 per cent from the 2019 competition and judges felt they were of a higher standard.
• The judges felt that some of the applicants’ costings were inaccurate and that they should have shown closer attention to how much certain ingredients really cost.
• The judges were also looking at cooking timings of the dishes and whether the chefs had allowed time to prepare the mystery box dessert in the regional finals.

QUOTES FROM THE JUDGES

Michel Roux Jr: “Hake is versatile, sustainable and it ticks all the boxes; you can really cook some interesting dishes with it. Also, clams, hake and leek are a great, classic combination, and you can see how the finalists have used those classic combinations and have brought in something interesting or different, such as a bit of spice, to make their recipes stand out. The ones that got through are really the ones I want to taste.”

Alain Roux: “Hake is a fish that a lot of chefs use in their restaurant, so we chose it because they weren’t going to be scared of cooking with it. If you look at price and quality you can do an excellent fish dish with it, and it’s also sustainable.”

Clare Smyth MBE: “I do think we have to try and develop the chefs of the future, and the head chefs of the future, so it’s important that the chefs have taken the costs of their dish into consideration when creating the recipes.”

Simon Hulstone: “When I’m judging, I always take the dessert into consideration alongside the dishes as well. You have to ask yourself, are they going to be able to get their dessert out at the same time, or are they filling the whole time with just a main course?’.”

Sat Bains: “When you’re looking at the recipes, and reading them, you want to be thinking ‘oh I really want to taste that’ because we’re never going to taste all 18. You’ve really got to want to eat it.”

National final – Monday 6^th April 2020  

Six winners selected from across the two regional finals will go through to the national final, which takes place at Westminster Kingsway College, London. The judges for the final cook-off will be: Alain Roux, Michel Roux Jr, Brian Turner CBE, Sat Bains, Angela Hartnett and the Honorary President of Judges Bjorn Frantzén of Stockholm’s first three-star Michelin restaurant Frantzén.

About the Roux Scholarship

In 1984, Michel Roux OBE founded the Roux Scholarship with his brother Albert to enable a new generation of chefs from Britain to train in the greatest restaurants in the world. Not only has it become the industry’s most acclaimed chef competition in the UK with many scholars having gone on to win Michelin stars themselves, it ranks among the most prestigious competitions for chefs in the world. Since it was established, it has helped British chefs gain the international recognition they deserve. With many young chefs entering the competition each year, it is true to say thousands have been inspired and lives changed by the experience of competing.

Our sponsors

The Roux Scholarship is sponsored by Aubrey Allen, Bridor, Cactus TV, The Caterer, Direct Seafoods, Global Knives, Hildon Natural Mineral Water, Champagne Laurent-Perrier, L’Unico Caffe Musetti, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, Mash Purveyors Ltd, Oritain, Regent Seven Sea Cruises, Restaurant Associates, TRUEfoods, and Udale Speciality Foods Ltd. For more details about our sponsors visit www.rouxscholarship.co.uk

Farm Shop & Deli Awards Finalists Revealed: Walter Rose & Son Makes the FINAL!

The definitive 2020 shortlist of the UK’s finest speciality retailers has been revealed, with the deserving winners of the Farm Shop & Deli Awards set to be announced during an exciting ceremony, held this March (Farm Shop & Deli Show 2020, NEC Birmingham). 

Spanning 11 categories, as well as a coveted ‘Newcomer of the Year’ gong, the Farm Shop & Deli Awards, held in partnership with The Grocer, recognise the very best standards in speciality retail and celebrate the highest levels of service, product knowledge, initiative, innovation and community involvement.

Award-winning catering butcher and Chefs’ Forum Sponsor Walter Rose & Son in Devizes (pictured) has made it to the final!  We would like to congratulate, Jack and Charlie Cook on this fantastic achievement.

The awards culminate on Monday March 30^th at 3.10pm.

An expert judging panel lead by broadcaster and journalist Nigel Barden, have deliberated over and scored almost 90 entries, before creating a shortlist of just 51.

Nigel was joined in the exacting process by food writer and co-chair Elaine Lemm, plus a line-up of judges which included Deputy Editor at British Baker, Amy North, Owner of Wellgate Fisheries and President of the National Federation of Fishmongers, Giles Shaw, Fresh Foods Reporter at The Grocer, Henry Sandercock and Richard Nicholson from Cannon Hall Farm Shop – 2019’s Retailer of the Year award recipients

Nigel comments: “Hard work, long hours, a dedication to artisan quality, to service and locality; these are the tenets that set the ‘great’ apart from the simply good. Each year the bar is raised in terms of quality, making the judging process and deliberation

over the shortlist so difficult. I’m delighted to have had such high calibre team of fellow judges to help create what we now consider to be the defining class of 2020. We now look ahead with great excitement to the awards this coming March.”

Farm Shop & Deli Awards categories include, Baker, Butcher, Cheesemonger, Delicatessen, Farm Shop – Large Retailer, Farm Shop – Small Retailer, Fishmonger, Food Hall, Greengrocer, Newcomer, Online Business and Village Store/Local Shop. For a full breakdown of how each is defined, visit: www.farmshopanddelishow.co.uk/awards

Registration is free and now open for Farm Shop & Deli Show; the flagship event which brings together the great and good of the speciality market to celebrate the very best of British produce, returning this March (30^th March -1st April, NEC Birmingham).

Visitors keen to experience 2020’s most comprehensive programme of demonstrations, interactive live debates and tastings, all focused on improving the bottom line can go to: https://www.farmshopanddelishow.co.uk today to register for their completely free badge.

Young Chef Young Waiter Finals to be hosted in UK Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai

Thanks to a new partnership with The Department for International Trade, Young Chef Young Waiter 2020 will be stepping up to a global audience this year, taking 20 UK semi-finalists to battle it out at the UK Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai in the UAE this November.

They will be joined by judges including Michelin star chef Theo Randall, proprietor of Theo Randall at the Intercontinental and Simon King, Group Ops director JKS Restaurant Group, as well as 2019 Young Chef Young Waiter winners Richard Henderson from Restaurant Hywel Jones, Lucknam Park and Alessandro Calzavacca from Jean-Georges at The Connaught.

The Young Chef Young Waiter of the Year competition, in association with UKHospitality and the Restaurant Association, has been honouring the best young chefs and waiters in the UK since 1979. It highlights the remarkable skills of the finest young professionals building their careers in the industry. Past winners include Raymond Blanc OBE, Heston Blumenthal OBE and Angela Hartnett MBE.

From 20 Oct 2020 to 10 Apr 2021, Expo 2020 Dubai will provide a global platform to showcase British innovation, creativity and collaboration to over 15 million visitors, from students and families to celebrities and heads of Government. Under the UK’s participation theme ‘Innovating for a shared future’ the topic of how we utilise technology and innovation to grow, consume and provide food sustainably will be a key point of discussion across the six months.

The Young Chef, Young Waiter finals and awards will take place in the stunning UK Pavilion, produced by Avantgarde and designed by Es Devlin. Previous UK pavilions at World Expos have featured menus from some of the UK’s top chefs, including Tom Aikens, Angela Hartnett, Ken Hom and Tom Kitchin.

Darren Tierney, Senior Responsible Owner for the UK at Expo 2020 Dubai, comments: “This is a fantastic opportunity for the talented contestants of Young Chef Young Waiter to demonstrate their ability on a world stage. The UK Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai will showcase some of our future stars within the food and hospitality industry – a sector where we have a proud history of excellence and innovation.”

Robert Walton MBE, president of the Restaurant Association and founder of The Nth Degree, Global comments: “As the past Chairman of the competition from 2006 to 2012,  I was delighted  to relaunch the Young Chef Young Waiter concept and give a new generation a fantastic opportunity to excel in the hospitality industry. Young Chef Young Waiter in 2019 exceeded all of our expectations and was a spectacular success last year.

We are especially excited to see that our Young Chef winner Richard Henderson has now moved to London to work with one of the UK’s most acclaimed British chefs, Tom Aikens. Our ambitions for this competition are global and  it is thanks to our new partnership with The Department for International Trade that Young Chef Young Waiter 2020 will be travelling to Dubai this year. Our 20 UK semi-finalists, who will be aged 26 and under, will battle it out in the UK Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai in November. This is a huge step for the future of the hospitality industry and is the perfect opportunity to showcase British creativity and talent, plus expose the semi finalists to a world stage. We can’t wait for entries to open in April and meet the next round of contestants.”

Head chef judge Theo Randall, proprietor of Theo Randall at the Intercontinental: “We are so excited with the prospect of moving the Young Chef Young Waiter competition to an international arena. Dubai is such a modern and fast paced place, it is the perfect environment to put our young semi finalists through their paces. The results last year were phenomenal and our Young Chef winner, Richard Henderson, was a fantastic character and had a really calm persona in the kitchen. He cooked really well under stress and his final dishes were absolutely flawless. We are all amazed by his personality and think he is going to go a long way in the industry.”

Our head waiter judge Simon King, Group Ops director JKS Restaurant Group comments: “For  me being the head judge for YCYW is very special, it’s a completion of my journey as I was fortunate enough to win the competition in 2000. I still remember how it felt, who I competed with and the what I learnt about myself. The idea of going to Dubai is very exciting and will further revitalise the competition from last year. Holding the semi-final in the Pavilion at EXPO 2020 will make it more relevant, engaging, fun and educational, reflecting the modern challenges young professionals now face and showcase the breath of skill and talent they now need to excel in this industry. Our Young Waiter winner from last year, Alessandro Calzavacca, is a credit to the competition. He is clearly very passionate, unbelievably composed and his attention to detail across all our tasks was noted by all our judges. We think he has a very bright future ahead of him in hospitality.”

Richard Henderson, winner of Young Chef Young Waiter 2019: ”Last year was a brilliant year for me; winning Young Chef Young Waiter really has changed my life. I nearly stopped cooking altogether in 2018 and in just over a year I’ve managed to rekindle my passion, creativity and interest, which inspires me to keep learning, it has felt amazing!

This has all been possible because people believed in me when I didn’t. Hywel Jones, who mentored me from 2012, was one of the main people who inspired me to cook again, and from that belief and his encouragement I entered these competitions. Since entering them, I have started to really believe in myself again. After the competition, Tom Aikens contacted me about an opportunity to work in his brand new restaurant in Belgravia. I asked to do a 10 day stage at ‘Muse‘, which I found an incredible experience, so incredible in fact I’ve now moved to London to work full time with Tom.

I’m excited to hear that this year the Young Chef Young Waiter final will be held in Dubai in the UK Pavilion at the World EXPO 2020, what a fantastic opportunity for all the contestants to showcase their skills at such a huge event promoting the very best of UK talent on a world stage.”

Further opportunities to be involved in the UK programme at this major world event are still available. Further information on sponsorship, exhibiting or showcasing innovation in hospitality and catering can be found at: great.gov.uk/expo2020

Chefs’ Forum Member Dipna Anand’s Restaurant, The Brilliant Restaurant Wins at ITV’s First Food & Drinks Awards

Has Veganuary Ve’gone’uary? Nutcellars Macadamia Nuts are Bang on Trend for 2020!

The Chefs’ Forum conducted some market research into menu trends for 2020 at the end of 2019, huge thanks to all chefs who took part!

Unsurprisingly, many of you quite rightly predicted that plant-based and vegan food would be massive this year!  More people than ever signed up to try a vegan lifestyle throughout January, with numbers looking to top 400,000 by the end of the month. It’s estimated now that between 1 and 3% of the population identify themselves as Vegan. Now February is upon us, is it time to reduce the vegan options on your menu?

Well it seems not. According to the Veganuary team, last year 47% of those taking part planned to maintain their vegan diet after the event and 77% said they were likely to try Veganism again in the future. We’re still waiting for the 2020 figures, which according to the Veganuary team should be available by late March.
But what does this mean for industry and the restaurant trade? Is vegan food only for vegans?
In fact, only 8% of plant-based meals sold in the UK in 2018 were consumed by vegans, with the vast majority being eaten by an increasing number of ‘Flexitarians’ – an estimated 22 million in the UK alone.
It’s this group that represent a growing opportunity for the out of home market, with a 388% increase in vegan takeaway meals sold between 2016-2018. While High Street brands like Burger King and KFC are now offering vegan based foods, an opportunity remains for high end Chefs to develop true innovation in plant-based eating.
The driving forces behind these dietary shifts seem to be predominantly our own wellbeing, with 55% signing up for Veganuary 2019 for health reasons. But unsurprisingly, discerning vegan and flexitarian consumers are also increasingly interested in the ethical and environmental impact of their foods so alongside their nutritional credentials, and this is where Nutcellars Macadamia nuts can provide a simple yet original solution.  Ethically and sustainably grown, these quality Macadamia nuts from Malawi provide a source of important micronutrients such as phosphorus, manganese, copper, and magnesium and are made up of over 60% of beneficial monounsaturated fats. Incredibly versatile, with a creamy texture they make a healthy addition to both sweet and savoury dishes.

Coleg Gwent staged ground-breaking Hospitality Industry Taster Day for Local Schools with The Chefs’ Forum Academy

The Chefs’ Forum Academy launched at Coleg Gwent in September 2019 to enhance employer-engagement for catering and hospitality students at the college.  Wednesday (29) January saw a fantastic showcase of culinary expertise, canapés, cookery demos and butchery take place at Marriott St Pierre (Chepstow) to showcase the industry and drive registrations to Coleg Gwent hospitality courses for the coming academic year.

Executive Chef (Marriott St Pierre), Gareth Hope welcomed students from Coleg Gwent into his kitchen to make canapés, Welsh beef burgers and Welsh lamb haute dogs for the 250 school pupils who attended.  All Welsh lamb and beef were kindly donated by Hybu Cig Cymru (Meat Promotion Wales).  The menu really celebrated all the top-quality ingredients available to chefs in Wales.

Rebecca Harris, Human Resources Manager at the hotel introduced the plethora of careers available, from HR, to hotel and event management and front to back of house in an upscale operation such as Marriott St Pierre and the global travel opportunities with the brand.

Newbridge School, St Cenydd, St Martin’s School attended from Wales, with Dean Magna, Forest High, Dean Academy and Newent School all attending from the Forest of Dean across the bridge.

The GCSE students were served delicious canapès and Welsh cheese from Bwyd a Diod Cymru (Fine Foods Wales Cluster) and mocktails on arrival by the front of house students, lead by the Marriott banqueting team.

The canape menu comprised, welsh lamb faggots with pea puree, braised beef shin and Yorkshire pudding with a horseradish crème fraiche, Welsh rarebit with a Welsh bitter ketchup.

Some inspirational demonstrations then followed assisted by the school pupils:

Merguez lamb sausage and Welsh beef burger-making and hand tying by Master Butcher Mark Cardle, with an insight into careers in butchery and meat marketing by Emily Rees of Hybu Cig Cymru.

Then followed a cookery masterclass by Marriott Executive Chef Gareth Hope, as he cooked Welsh lamb cutlets with potato dauphinoise and pea purée and Welsh lamb faggots. This was all finished and plated with a lamb demi-glace (sauce) and expertly plated for all to admire!

Next was Chefs’ Forum Academy guest lecturer Tom Everard-Fairburn (Thornbury Castle) with his fabulous dessert demo of rhubarb and caramel parfait with caramelised puff pastry, poached rhubarb and apple with an insight into becoming a pastry chef.

The day finished with an éclair filling and decorating competition which was won by Ashleigh Thomas and Keira May Morgan, aged fourteen, both of Forest High School who won an afternoon tea for four people at Marriott St Pierre to enjoy with their teacher and a guest!

Chefs’ Forum Founder Catherine Farinha stated

“It was a real honour to be asked to stage this event by the college.  The Chefs’ Forum Academy is going from strength to strength and feedback from teaching staff and students is fantastic.”

“If a handful of students who attend the forthcoming Hospitality Industry Taster Day event are inspired to study catering and hospitality as a result of the fantastic industry experts on show today, then our work is done.  We are collectively combatting the chef shortage and showcasing how fantastic a career in the industry can be!”

The decision was taken to stage an industry taster day for 14-16’s from local feeder schools to raise the profile of careers within the hospitality in Wales and the fantastic curriculum enrichment offered to students studying catering and hospitality at Coleg Gwent.  The College has invested in an enhanced programme of study which sees guest chefs visit the students in their training kitchens and cook with them for a three-hour session each week.

Helen Lawless, Head of School – Services to People concluded

“Our collaboration with The Chefs’ Forum Academy is working very well indeed for all involved; We have received great feedback from our learners, teaching staff and the chefs as guest lecturers. Professional chefs from all over Wales are coming to teach in our college each week, delivering cookery masterclasses in their unique cooking styles – We are currently the only college in Wales to offer such an intensive level of curriculum enrichment with The Chef’ Forum Academy.  Any young person coming to Coleg Gwent can expect to learn from the very best in the business, in their usual learning environment.  Coleg Gwent is proud to invest in its students: The next generation of hospitality professionals.”

The interactive event aimed to showcase how rewarding and exciting a career in the sector could be and inspire young chefs and industry stars of the future.

The budding young chefs were given the opportunity to speak to representatives from The Chefs’ Forum Academy, Coleg Gwent catering and hospitality lecturers and the Marriott Careers team about careers in the industry, learning at Coleg Gwent and the masterclasses they can expect to enjoy if they choose to study hospitality and catering at Coleg Gwent.

For more information on hospitality and catering courses at Coleg Gwent visit: https://www.coleggwent.ac.uk/learning/full-time/catering-hospitality

The Roux Scholarship adds the £6,000 Mentorship Award to its long list of prizes  

With the deadline for The Roux Scholarship 2020 fast approaching, the Roux Family is delighted to announce an additional £6,000 in prize money, doubling the total available to £12,000.

The extra cash will be awarded to the winner on completion of 15 month’s service with their employer following their win. The aim is to encourage the scholar to share with their brigade the new experiences, ideas and skills learned during their three-month stage in a three-Michelin star restaurant. Should they wish to leave their job before 15 months, the £6,000 will be awarded to their employer to support the brigade’s development in other ways.

Chairman Alain Roux said: “When the winner returns to their kitchen after their stage in one of the world’s best restaurants, their experience is of enormous benefit to the whole brigade. This notion inspired our fathers to start the Scholarship 36 years ago.  Our aim with this new bonus prize is to incentivise scholars to share these fantastic skills over the subsequent 15 months to inspire and strengthen their team.  But should the scholar wish to move on sooner, then the fund will go to their employer instead, to support the brigade’s development.”

Fellow chairman Michel Roux Jr said: “The Roux Scholarship’s star prize – a stage in a three-star Michelin kitchen abroad – is a life-changing experience for our winners.  It really opens doors for them. Should they wish to take up new opportunities soon after returning, then this cash award will help the development of the employer’s brigade regardless.”

In addition to the cash prize and three-month stage in any three-star Michelin restaurant anywhere in the world, the winner of The Roux Scholarship 2020 will scoop a long list of prizes from our sponsors and supporters, as follows:

• A Sustainable Meat and Cheese Box, courtesy of Aubrey Allen, as well as a Butchery Masterclass at their butchery training school, Aubrey’s Academy.
• Two personalised, Roux Scholarship, chef’s jackets, courtesy of Bragard UK Ltd to wear at the competition and awards, plus an additional Grand Chef jacket.
• A trip to Paris, courtesy of Bridor, to attend a workshop at the prestigious baking academy the École Lenôtre, which is set on a barge on the River Seine. The winning chef will attend an exclusive day-long course with their MOF Chef (Meilleur Ouvrier de France), and includes breakfast and lunch. The trip also includes dinner, overnight accommodation and transport from the UK.
• A year’s subscription to print and digital editions of The Caterer for one year, plus two tickets to The Caterer’s annual awards, the Cateys. Known as the hospitality industry’s Oscars, the exclusive, black tie event takes place at Grosvenor House on 7 July 2020.
• A classic collection of  Global Knives and a range of accessories; peeler, fishbone tweezers, tongs, scissors and whetstone sharpener, all contained in a chef’s case.
• Courtesy of Hildon Natural Mineral Water: 36 cases of free Hildon water, delivered as three cases per month (delivery to mainland UK only). PLUS: two Hospitality tickets to the Hildon Archie David Cup in June, starting with a private lunch in the Guards Club house, a five- star view of the polo action from your private seat in the Royal Enclosure, followed by afternoon tea in the Royal Box.
• Complimentary membership of the Institute of Hospitality for one year.
• An exclusive Magnum of Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé Brut, signed by the judges at the final cook-off.
• An all expenses paid trip for two to visit the wine cellars of Laurent-Perrier at Tours-sur-Marne, including a guided tour of the cellars and a tasting of the Laurent-Perrier range. Travel by Eurostar and overnight accommodation with dinner, bed and breakfast.
• A day trip with Mash Purveyors’ forager to learn the basics of foraging and how to harvest and cook the foods found in the wild.
• A coffee machine for the home, plus a trip for two to visit the award winning Caffé Musetti roasting factory with flights, transfers and a night’s accommodation in Milan, courtesy of L’Unico.
• An escorted tour with Regent Seven Seas Cruises aboard one of their most luxurious ships while in port in Southampton, to see how they deliver an unrivalled, exquisite dining experience to over 700 guests – while at sea.
• A four-night trip to New York, courtesy of Restaurant Associates, with a senior member of the Restaurant Associates team, to explore restaurants and the food scene, including flights, accommodation and all meals.
• A day at TRUEfoods followed by a gourmet trip to Portland and Seattle USA, with two senior members of TRUEfoods to explore the cities’ most exciting and enticing restaurants, markets and food stores, including flights, accommodation and all meals.
• A day of Game shooting with one night’s accommodation including dinner, bed & breakfast, courtesy of  Udale Speciality Foods Ltd.
• A signed, framed commemorative certificate, signed by the judges.

The Winner’s Establishment will receive:

• Ten kilos of award-winning coffee from L’Unico (Caffé Musetti)
• A sirloin of aged beef from  Udale Speciality Foods, Himalayan Salt Chamber.

The prizes for the Natoinal and Regional Finalists can be found on the website: https://www.rouxscholarship.co.uk/prizes/

Competition details:

Applicants must submit a recipe via the Roux Scholarship website, before 31^st January 2020, that includes:

One whole fresh MSC labelled hake, gutted, weighing anywhere between 1.6kg – 1.8kg (maximum 2kg) and 600g live whole grooved carpet shell / palourde clams (ruditapes decussatus); together plated with two ‘simple’ or ‘composed’ garnishes/accompaniments.  One of them must include leeks and the other to be a garnish/accompaniment of their choice.  One of these can be served separately if preferred.  A sauce must accompany the dish. Up to two and a half hours’ cooking time is allocated at the Regional Final for cooking the dish, as the recipe originally submitted and a dessert to serve four people made from a ‘mystery box’ of ingredients given on the day. Entrants must be in full-time employment as a chef in the United Kingdom and be aged 22 or above, but no older than 30 years of age on 1st February 2020. Further instructions and the rules of the competition, including maximum costings for recipe ingredients, can be found on the website www.rouxscholarship.co.uk

Competition dates

• Closing date for applications – Midnight, 31^st January 2020
• Regional Finals at University College Birmingham and University of West London – 19^th March 2020
• National Final at Westminster Kingsway College, and Awards Ceremony at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park – 6^th April 2020.

Judges: Three-star Michelin chef Björn Frantzén will judge the final as Honorary President of Judges, and some of the country’s best chefs are returning as judges for the regional and national finals: joining chairmen Alain Roux and Michel Roux Jr are Clare Smyth, Sat Bains, James Martin, Simon Hulstone, André Garrett, Rachel Humphrey, Brian Turner and Angela Hartnett.