Masterchef Simon Wood Launches Tutti Frutti Gin!

Shoppers will leave stores feeling sweet this Summer, as Aldi is set to expand its award-winning gin range with the exclusive launch of Didsbury Gin’s Tutti Frutti Gin Liqueur (£13.99). Available from 22^nd August, this vibrant new addition will sit alongside nine new spirits as part of the supermarket’s first ever National Spirits Festival.

Aldi will be the first supermarket retailer to stock a product from the Manchester-based gin brand, which is currently stocked in premium stores including Selfridges and Harvey Nichols. This Tutti Frutti Gin Liqueur not only offers shoppers a taste of luxury for a fraction of the price, but also is guaranteed to satisfy the sweet tooth of any gin fans with a craving for sweet and zesty flavours.

After securing an investment from Dragon’s Den’s Jenny Campbell, Didsbury Gin developed this exclusive liqueur for Aldi alongside MasterChef Champion Simon Wood, who won the title with his famous Tutti Frutti dessert. Combining the dessert’s fresh lemon and subtle tropical fruit flavours with the Didsbury gin recipe created a bright and citrussy gin liqueur with a delicate, smooth and velvet like finish, truly bringing shoppers that refreshing tutti frutti flavour everyone knows and loves.

This sweet refresher can be enjoyed as a sweet twist on the classic gin and tonic served with a generous slice of pink grapefruit and a twist of orange or go the extra mile by concocting a Tutti Frutti Spritz mixed with Aldi’s bestselling Organic Prosecco (£7.99) and fresh grapefruit juice.

Simon Wood, MasterChef 2015 Champion, comments: “We’ve been big fans of Didsbury Gin from day one at my restaurant Wood Manchester. I love to support local brands and when Liam and Mark asked if I wanted to collaborate with them, I couldn’t wait to make Tutti Frutti into a gin! 

Tutti-Frutti literally translates as all the fruits.  My dessert from the MasterChef final is my very own Citrus Tutti-Frutti.  It’s made up of all the citrus fruit, lemon, lime, ruby grapefruit, vanilla & passion fruit. A great mix for a really tasty gin.”

Liam Manton, Managing Director at Didsbury Gin, comments: “We’re delighted to be collaborating with MasterChef Champion, Simon Wood on this exciting new product. Combining two of the nation’s favourite things, gin and dessert. We’ve created something extremely special and can’t wait for it to be enjoyed by gin drinkers across the country in one of Britain’s most loved supermarkets”

Julie Ashfield, Managing Director of Buying at Aldi UK, comments: “As flavoured gin shows no signs of slowing down, we’re thrilled to be partnering with Didsbury Gin to bring shoppers more unique flavour combinations like Simon Wood’s MasterChef winning dessert, Tutti Frutti. This innovative new addition to our gin range reflects our commitment to ensuring our customers enjoy the best quality products, without breaking the bank.”

As well as this sweet treat, the National Spirits Festival will showcase a variety of new and exciting additions to Aldi’s spirits range including the Infusionist Mystical Unicorn Gin Liqueur (£9.99), Greysons Rhubarb & Bramble Gin (£15.99), Crossbones Dark & Golden Rums (both £16.99) and the ultimate spirits of the moment –  Villa Lobos Tequila (£29.99) and Mezcal (£34.99)!

Aldi’s Didsbury Tutti Frutti Gin Liqueur priced at £13.99 is available online and in stores nationwide from the 22^nd August.

Cyrus Todiwala launches Zest Quest Asia 2020

Cyrus Todiwala launches Zest Quest Asia 2020

(London, 5th August 2019) ‘Colleges and aspiring student chefs should seriously consider entering Zest Quest Asia 2020 when they return to college after the summer recess,’ says Cyrus Todiwala OBE DL, announcing that the seventh round of the ground-breaking competition is now open for entries.

Founded by Cyrus and Pervin Todiwala, Zest Quest Asia is the student catering competition that recognises outstanding talent, knowledge and understanding of Asian cuisine.

The competition is open to full-time students with permanent residency status in the UK.  Colleges are invited to field teams of three students (plus their tutor) who vie for a first prize consisting of a 7 to 10-day cultural tour of an Asian culinary capital. Last year’s champions, University of West London, were treated to an unforgettable trip to the Philippines with an itinerary that included a cook-off at the Residence of the British Ambassador to the Philippines, H.E. Daniel Pruce, and a stage and cookery demonstrations at the 5-star Fairmont Makati and Raffles Makati.

Zest Quest Asia was first launched in 2013 to inspire students across the UK to consider Asian cookery as a future career. In so doing, the competition aims to help stem the skills shortage in Asian cuisine threatening the billion-pound Asian food industry, as well as encourage educationists to include classical Asian cookery in the curriculum.

To-date, five colleges and universities have produced Zest Quest Asia champions: Westminster Kingsway College, Farnborough College, Milton Keynes College, University College Birmingham, and current champions University of West London, winners of the competition for two consecutive years.

While the overall winner wins a trip of a lifetime to such cities as Mumbai, Colombo, Bangkok, Tokyo, Osaka, Hanoi and Manila, every year generous sponsors also line up educational experiences that ensure all deserving teams feel like winners. Prizes have included trips to vineyards, farms and state-of-the art food production facilities in Europe and the UK, donated by generous sponsors.

The next winning destination is a closely held secret, to be revealed only at the Gala Dinner and Awards evening held at the Hilton London Heathrow Airport Terminal 5, following a cook-off and knowledge presentation at the hotel’s signature restaurant, Mr Todiwala’s Kitchen. This year the competition and awards evening is set for Friday, 7^th February 2020.

Cyrus Todiwala said, ‘Last year’s Zest Quest Asia competition was one of the best we’d seen, matched by phenomenal prizes that make it more than worthwhile for ambitious students to enter. And competing is only the beginning, with a wealth of experiences and contacts opening up to the students. Being crowned Zest Quest Asia champion gives students not just an edge that helps them in their future careers, but serves as a brilliant badge of achievement for both students and their colleges that no one can ever take away.

‘We’ve seen some previous winners go on to careers in Asian cuisine, and every time they go abroad, they not only learn but become great ambassadors for Britain. We expect to have many great entries this year!’

Nathan Vasanthan, Lecturer at the London Geller College of Hospitality and Tourism at the University of West London, who accompanied the current Zest Quest Asia champions to Manila, said, ‘For the students, I believe the biggest challenge is to keep the authenticity of the dishes as modernity tends to focus more on how the dishes should be presented and served.  Zest Quest Asia, beyond the competition, media exposure and the reputation it can bring, highlights the great but still untapped potential of Asian cuisine in the UK.’

A number of companies have already pledged to sponsor Zest Quest Asia 2019 including Hilton, Tilda, Panasonic, Robot Coupe, Cobra, Regale, Meiko, Bidford and Glengoyne.

To submit expressions of interest and for details of how to enter Zest Quest Asia 2020, colleges should visit www.zestquestasia.com (How to Enter) or contact Nitin Kapoor at assistant.cyrus@gmail.com in the first instance.

The deadline for entries is Friday, 25^th October 2019.  The shortlist will be revealed in early December, with the final cook off and gala dinner to be held on Friday, 7^th February 2020 at the Hilton London Heathrow Airport Terminal 5.

The Dorchester Appoints Youngest Ever Head Chef of The Grill at The Dorchester – Tom Booton

(London) Dorchester Collection’s iconic British hotel, The Dorchester, appoints 26-year-old Essex-born Tom Booton as head chef of The Grill at The Dorchester.

The youngest head chef in the restaurant’s 88 year history, Tom’s arrival marks the next chapter for The Grill at The Dorchester under the direction of fresh talent. Over the coming months Tom will be behind the scenes, making way to put his own stamp on the legendary dining room and its menus, with the unveiling anticipated for early October. More details to follow.

One of London’s finest young chefs, Tom joins from his role as head chef at Michelin-starred Alyn Williams at The Westbury. Beginning his career at the age of 15, Tom’s talent saw him ascend the ranks at leading restaurants including: Le Talbooth; L’Autre Pied and Dabbous.

Regional Director UK & General Manager of The Dorchester, Robert Whitfield comments: “Tom Booton’s talent and energy provide a formidable match in re-affirming The Grill at The Dorchester’s position as a leading London dining classic. 2019 marks a new culinary chapter for The Dorchester, with the recent appointment of Stefan Trepp, our first executive chef in twenty years, and this autumn’s re-launch of The Grill on Tom’s watch.”

Joining in this new chapter of The Grill at The Dorchester, Kieran McLoughlin has been appointed as general manager, joining from Hide restaurant this August, and Adam Nevin has joined to support Tom in kitchen as sous chef.

14 Women of the 15 Finalists to Compete for the Julia Child Scholarship

After an exciting semi-final of the Julia Child Scholarship, Le Cordon Bleu are delighted to announce that 15 finalists to make it through to the finals, 14 are women.

The finals, taking place on 16th September at the institute in Bloomsbury Square, London will see a total of 16 aspiring pastry chefs and food entrepreneurs battle it out for the prize worth over £40,000. The prize will be presented by esteemed Le Cordon Bleu alumna, Mary Berry.

For the first time ever, the 16th finalist spot will be chosen by the general public, who will vote for their favourite candidate of the remaining 17 semi-finalists on YouTube, by liking their 1 minute video pitch. The person with the most votes at 12:00pm on 31st July 2019 will secure the last position in the final 16.

Our future successful entrepreneur might be one of these 14 dedicated women making it through to the finals:

• Dora Popova from Londo
• Daniela Glattfelder from London
• Laurence Hamdan from London
• Bianca Tia Mesuria from London
• Anna Jia from London
• Katharina Bergerhoff from London
• Katie-Poppy Inskip from Kent
• Renuka Lassalle from Kent
• Kirsty Massa from Kent
• Elizabeth Melia from Liverpool
• Melissa Oum from Birmingham
• Michelle Hiller from Devon
• Tiffany Hall from Hampshire
• Andrea Banados from Staffordshire
• Stephanie Lobo from Cheshire

The scholarship starts in January 2020, lasting 12 months, includes a place on Le Cordon Bleu’s Diplôme de Pâtisserie and the Diploma in Culinary Management, an internship at the Savoy Hotel with a 12-month accommodation curtesy of Londonist. Business-related advice will be given by The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and Le Cordon Bleu’s successful alumni Luiz Hara, Georgia Green, Dhruv Mittal and Evelina Ogorzalek. Prizes will also be awarded by Churchill and ZWILLING and tickets to The Business Show.

Syft Rewards Workforce with £100k+ Bonus

The startup is remunerating long-term flexible staff members after joining forces with Indeed, the world’s #1 jobsite.

London, United Kingdom, July 2019 – The UK’s market-leading flexible staffing platform, Syft, is pleased to announce that a one-off cash bonus will be rewarded to its long-term flexible workers, following the company’s acquisition by Indeed in May. Since its launch in late 2015, Syft has verified over 25,000 staff members – Syfters – onto its platform, which is currently utilised by employers in the hospitality, industrial and facilities management sectors.  

To be eligible for the bonus scheme, Syfters must have successfully completed 100 shifts since the app’s launch until 30 June 2019. Syfters will receive £1 for every shift, which means the minimum payout will be £100, with no maximum limit.

Syft strives to put jobseekers’ experience first. The platform is designed to provide choice and flexibility to jobseekers, to find flexible work that suits their schedule. Its mobile app allows easy access to jobs 24/7. The company has championed the provision of employee perks and benefits to its agency workers since the beginning, as well as seasonal bonus and prize draws. Those who joined Syft recently will also be entered into the company’s summer prize draws if they complete 10 shifts by end of July. 

Syft Co-Founder and CEO Jack Beaman comments: “When we launched Syft, it was a core principle to improve conditions for workers and it remains integral to our business. We offer fair wages, perks, control and choice over work scheduling, and a range of bonuses in order to drive motivation. As soon as our recent acquisition was confirmed, we knew that diligent workers should be rewarded, and to show that we’ll continue to offer a top quality service. It’s fantastic news for our clients and the people who have endeavoured to make the app successful: our Syfters.“

Coconut Chilli to Host Pop-up Restaurant on Whiteladies Road in Bristol for the Summer

Street food pioneers, Coconut Chilli will be hosting an exclusive pop-up at the old Rosa Tapas site on Bristol’s Whiteladies Road in Bristol this summer.

Coconut Chilli Executive Chef, KK Anand, formerly of the Cinnamon Club in Westminster, London, has created a bespoke menu inspired by the Hill Station region of Coorg, in Southern India, featuring small plates and bowl food that can be enjoyed with local ales and a selection of fine wines by Raj Soni of RS Wines.

High altitude regions where the air is cooler are known as ‘Hill Stations’ all over the subcontinent and are a legacy of the British Raj who retreated there during blisteringly hot Indian summers and have long been known for outrageous parties flowing with excellent food and drink.

Rosa Tapas, owned by the Zazu’s Kitchen group, closed its doors in December 2018 and the site had remained empty. Coconut Chilli approached a representative of Zazu’s Kitchen and pitched an idea for an all-day, casual Indian dining experience – a good, local neighbourhood restaurant, to be operated by the Bristol based founder.

Navina Bartlett, Founder and Boss Lady, Coconut Chilli states:

“We wanted to bring life back to a site which has a long history of being a foodie destination, having previously been Rocciantes and Barney Haughton’s Quartier Vert. I’ve lived in Bristol for ten years now and I wanted to create a space where locals and food lovers alike can socialise and enjoy fine Indian cuisine in a relaxed, convivial setting.”

Coconut Chilli was prominent in Bristol during the early days of street food way back in 2011. But since then, as event caterers, Navina and KK have been busy working away, mainly in & around London at events like the Diwali celebrations for the Mayor of London, the Financial Times, high-end private weddings as well as food festivals like Abergavenny and Jamie Oliver’s ‘The Big Feastival’.

To book a table email cooking@coconutchilli.com or call 0117 973 9302.

Coconut Chilli is an all day, fast-casual pop-up on Whiteladies Road – open at 12 noon until 11.30pm. Wednesday – Saturday only.

Industry comes out to congratulate Craft Guild of Chefs special award winner Michael Caines

On the 6^th June, an impressive line-up of 750 guests, including Michelin- starred chefs and hospitality luminaires, gathered at the London Hilton on Park Lane for the prestigious Craft Guild of Chefs annual awards.

Michael Caines MBE was awarded the prestigious Craft Guild of Chefs special award for his outstanding contribution to the industry.

Chef Raymond Blanc who attended the event, took to Twitter to show his support;
“Huge congratulations to @michaelcaines – after 3 years with me @lemanoir in 1989! He has gone on to have an incredible career, now Chef Patron of @Lympstone_Manor – last night he was awarded @Craft_Guild Lifetime Achievement. I felt so proud.”

Caines was not the only chef Raymond Blanc congratulated on Twitter. Of Gemma Amor’s Banqueting and Event Chef Award win he said:
“Congratulations to Gemma from @sodexoPrestige – It is 5 years I have now worked with the Sodexo team at #JardinBlanc and soon #RoyalAscot – Gemma was awarded Banqueting Chef of the Year @Craft_Guild awards – well done!”

Of the Craft Guild of Chefs organisation itself, he added:
“@Craft_Guild and @AcadCulArts are two of the most important associations to the future of our industry. They are crucial- to develop the craft and reinvent our industry to attract and welcome the young!”

Michel Roux Snr who also attended the event tweeted:
“What a lovely evening and dinner….Congratulations to all the winners #CGCAwards”

Award winning chef Cherish Finden took to Twitter to praise the food:
“Thank you @ChefMarshall13 @carpigianiUK @Craft_Guild ‘CGCawards for the hospitality. The food was exquisite and the service impeccable.”

The menu was specially created by Hilton Park Lane executive chef Anthony Marshall and his team and included three courses with two alternative desserts. The meal started with a three-colour beetroot with fresh goat’s curd, cherry gel and pistachio and hazelnut granola, followed by lobster ravioli and then Scottish beef served with morels, asparagus and Emmental potato and thyme sauce. The two desserts were a vanilla, Cointreau, raspberry pear and a chocolate cremeux, passion fruit, freeze-dried dark balsamic foam.

Now in its 26^th year, the Craft Guild of Chefs continues to celebrate culinary excellence. Seventeen awards were presented on the night, all of which recognised and acknowledged the remarkable talent across the UK and beyond. Previous winners include household names such as Alain Ducasse, Pierre Koffmann, Angela Hartnett, and Clare Smyth.

Andrew Green, Craft Guild of Chefs chief executive welcomed all guests by saying:

“These awards are the highlight of the Craft Guild calendar, where we all have the opportunity to recognise chefs from all sectors of our industry, whether they be apprentices who have made an impact in the early stages of their career, to the more seasoned professionals that maybe haven’t had the recognition they deserve.”

He added, “It’s also important we recognise the great work so many of the Guild members do. They give up their own time to travel around the country organising competitions year after year, which adds value to a chef’s ambitions and experience and generally raises our culinary profile as a whole.”

The dazzling evening ceremony was hosted by English chef and television personality James Tanner, and the awards were presented by Craft Guild of Chefs vice presidents Steve Munkley and David Mulcahy.

The first award of the night honoured Miller & Carter with the brand-new Chef’s Favourite Branded Group award. Voted for by Craft Guild of Chefs members and other professional chefs, the significant new award recognises restaurant groups demonstrating food quality and consistency, and a menu with variety and originality, accompanied by a suitable wine menu.

Keith Edwards, head of food procurement from Miller & Carter said:
“I’m overwhelmed to pick up this award on behalf of Miller & Carter. It’s a brilliant achievement. I’m so proud to represent Miller & Carter. Craft Guild of Chefs is a great organisation.”

This year’s judging panel consisted of established chefs and professionals across the foodservice industry. These included Steve Munkley from Royal Garden Hotel, Consultant Pastry Chef Sarah Hartnett, Adam Smith from the Dorchester Collection and Craft Guild of Chefs vice president Nick Vadis from Compass Group UK & Ireland.

Following the Chef’s Favourite Branded Group award, 16 additional awards were presented to including the prestigious Craft Guild of Chefs Special Award. This year the Special Award honoured Michael Caines MBE for his outstanding contribution to the industry. Chef patron of Lympstone Manor in Exmouth, Caines is one of Britain’s most-established chefs. He has appeared on television programmes such as BBC 1’s Saturday Kitchen, MasterChef, Sunday Brunch, Great British Menu, My Kitchen Rules and The Great British Bake-off: An Extra Slice. The holder of two Michelin stars for 18 consecutive years, he was awarded a Michelin star for Lympstone Manor just six months after opening. In addition to his cuisine, he was also recognised for his contribution to the community, which is outstanding. His creation of the Michael Caines Academy at Exeter College was hailed as an excellent path to encourage and nurture the future generation of talented restaurateurs, chefs and waiters.

Of the award Michael Caines said:
“I’m extremely proud. It’s most unexpected. It’s lovely to be recognised in this way by the Craft Guild of Chefs. In a room full of chefs celebrating the achievements of others, to receive this award in front of all the other award winners is an extremely proud moment in my career. I’m very honoured to receive it.”

He adds, “The Craft Guild of Chefs does incredible work. What I do contributes and feeds into the wonderful work they are doing. The Guild represents the future of the industry, in terms of making sure people recognise it as a profession that’s full of talent. If we don’t promote or celebrate the achievements of those within the industry, we won’t have a voice and be overlooked. I think it’s important people recognise the contribution that hospitality makes, and the artistic value chefs bring to our industry as a destination experience for people that come and enjoy food. Chefs are centred to that and need to be recognised. And we are doing that, as we do every year.”

The Restaurant Chef Award was awarded to Pascal Canevet of La Maison Bleue in Suffolk, who was rewarded for his French modern cuisine and locally sourced approach.

Canevet said:
“This means a lot because it is nominated by other chefs. I’ve never done any competitions because I didn’t think I would be good enough, so this is absolutely amazing. And especially with the runner up’s, Jean-Philippe Blondet and Kuba Winkowski, whom are both great chefs. Winning against them is absolutely fantastic.”

The Young Chef Award went to Rick Owens. Owens trained at Westminster Kingsway College before becoming a commis chef at Raymond Blanc’s world renowned two Michelin-starred restaurant, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons.

Owens commented:
“It feels good. I’m really proud of myself. The Craft Guild of Chefs are very supportive. They have helped me a lot with competitions and college. They have really helped me progress in my career. I’m really thankful for them.

Owens shares why he thought he won the award, “I’ve done many competitions. I always give my 100% and push myself. I want to thank my work and my parents.”

And the Apprentice Chef Award was awarded to Paige Hill, Royal Garden Hotel

Hill said:
“I am over the moon. It’s unreal. I work so hard and it has all paid off. The Craft Guild of Chefs means a lot to me. I take part in many Craft Guild of Chefs competitions. They’ve mentored me through many competitions. I’m very grateful for them being there for me, not just as a chef but as a person too. It really means a lot to me.”

The people’s choice award was voted for by the organisation’s members and other industry colleagues. Nominations were sought for chefs from any part of the hospitality and catering industry and either for a specific achievement or for commitment over many years. Murray Chapman from First Contact Chefs was presented with this award for his tireless work promoting and encouraging students into the foodservice industry whilst still maintaining his own business.

Chapman said:
“It’s an amazing feeling. The Craft Guild of Chefs is a great organisation that builds towards the development of young people and builds on skills that are sometimes lost in our industry. It’s very important that we grow and we work closely together to achieve more with the Craft Guild of Chefs.”

www.craftguildofchefs.org

Full list of winners

Chef’s Favourite Branded Restaurant 2019 sponsored by Santa Maria
Miller & Carter

Apprentice Chef Award 2019 sponsored by Compass Group
Paige Hill, Royal Garden Hotel

Armed Services Chef Award 2019 sponsored by Vestey Foodservice
Cpl David Davey-Smith, Royal Air Force

Banqueting and Event Chef Award 2019 sponsored by Major International
Gemma Amor, Sodexo, Ascot Racecourse

Chef Lecturer Award 2019 sponsored by Hotel, Restaurant & Catering Show 2019
Andrea Ruff, The Claire Clark Academy

Competition Chef Award 2019 sponsored by McCormick UK Ltd
Cpl Ian Mark, Royal Air Force

Contract Catering Chef Award 2019 sponsored by Kerry
James Larkins, Compass Group

Development Chef Award 2019 sponsored by Essential Cuisine
Laurence Tottingham, Oliver Kay

Innovation Award 2019 sponsored by Quorn Foods
Andrew Clarke – St Leonards

Pastry Chef Award 2019 sponsored by Carpigiani UK
Sarah Frankland, Penny Hill Park Hotel

Pub Restaurant Chef Award 2019 sponsored by Bidfood
Dave Wall, The Unruly Pig

Public Sector Chef Award 2019 sponsored by Rational UK
Ryan Hopper, ESS Defence

Restaurant Chef Award 2019 sponsored by Hoshizaki UK
Pascal Canevet, La Maison Bleue

Young Chef Award 2019 sponsored by De Manincor
Rick Owens, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons

People’s Choice Award 2019 sponsored by Nisbets
Murray Chapman, First Contact Chefs

New Restaurant of the Year Award 2019 sponsored by Jelf Insurance
Alex Bond, Alchemilla Restaurant

Special Award 2019 sponsored by Sodexo
Michael Caines

A Global Fresh Produce Fiesta on The Chefs’ Forum Demo Stage at The London Produce Show 2019!

For the sixth year running, The Chefs’ Forum Demo Stage hosted a series of fabulous cookery demonstrations celebrating fresh produce from some of the best chefs in the country at The London Produce Show on Thursday (6) June.

At the best London Produce Show yet, accomplished chef demo compere, International Restaurant Consultant and Chefs’ Forum Committee Member, Peter Gorton introduced each chef and compared while they cooked their dish.  Show visitors and members of the foodie media were treated to a ’round the world trip of culinary excellence’ from top London chefs as well as a guest appearance by American TV chef Amanda Freitag who demonstrated a perfect Waldorf Salad.

Students from University of West London and West London College helped the guest chefs both back and front of house in preparation and serving of samples to an audience of foodie glitterati.

Winner, Ping Coombes opened the show with some fantastic Malaysian cuisine.  The audience loved her authentic dishes and will no doubt be heading over to her new 4^th Floor restaurant in London’s iconic Selfridges, Ping Pan Asian where Ping offers authentic Malaysian cuisine.

The chefs were all very proud to wear customised chef jackets sponsored by Oliver Harvey, each bearing the chef’s name and The London Produce Show logo.

The demonstrations lead the International exhibition in #CelebratingFRESH by showcasing how many products on the show floor are being used by some of the leading chefs in the UK within a food service environment.

Four more chefs from all over the UK took to the stage to showcase their dishes incorporating fresh produce from the show.  Masterchef: The Professionals winner and Le Cordon Bleu Mentor, Luciana Berry showcased famous Brazilian signature dishes and ingredients from Abrafrutas & Frutas do Brasil which went down a storm with the foodie audience.

Youngest UK Michelin-starred Head Chef, Tom Booton of The Westbury (Mayfair) then wowed the audience with opulent oysters, perfect pork loin and a citrus cream dessert – A veritable three course meal was served to the awe-struck (yet extremely lucky) guests.

Peter Gorton then followed Tom, creating beautiful roses with the finest avocados from ‘The Avocado Company’.  He halved, stoned and sliced the avocados into a dainty column then rolled them into a perfect rose to accompany freshly seared steak and delicious asparagus.

Vegan chef Enzo de Marino concluded the day with a fascinating media masterclass, showcasing the versatility of papaya in a salad, a mojito, breaded papaya and papaya risotto with prosecco and chives.

Enzo said

“As development chef for Wealmoor, I was honoured to be asked to present the Media Masterclass to members of the foodie press at such a prestigious show.  It was a lovely experience to talk about vegan food, fabulous papaya and meet a whole range of great chefs both the guest demo chefs as well as Paul Bates and his team at the Grosvenor House Hotel.”

Grosvenor House, a JW Marriott Hotel was the stunning venue in London’s Mayfair that saw over 1600 fresh produce aficionados and chefs flood into the busy show to enjoy a ‘vegfest’ of pandemic proportions.

The attendee list covered every continent of the world and exhibitors showcased produce from every category. A fantastic range of UK and international produce buyers from the retail, foodservice and wholesale sectors were given unrivalled access to the deliberately limited number of exhibitors, both during the exhibition and at a series of equally well-attended networking occasions.

Educational seminars and workshops, chef demonstrations, an extensivestudent programme and tours to industry locations in and around London provided further opportunities to meet, share and learn from some of the world’s fresh produce thought and practice leaders.

The chef demonstrations were organised by The Chefs’ Forum and took place on our fabulous purpose-built demo stage showcasing Locher , Falcon Foodservice convection oven and a Williams Refrigeration under counter fridge.

The show was an ideal opportunity to involve Chefs’ Forum members and give them a chance to demonstrate their respective cooking styles and menus whilst ‘Celebrating Fresh’, the main ethos of The London Produce Show – many chefs also attended as guests to watch their peers on stage.

Private chef, Andy Dennehy of Bath travelled to London to see the show, he said

“Today was an excellent opportunity to learn more about the provenance of the fruit and vegetables I use every day.  It was great to meet the growers and wholesalers and the quality of the produce was out of this world.  I really enjoyed Enzo’s vegan demo as we are often being asked to think outside the box in creating vegan menus. I cooked a full-vegan menu for a hen party this week as the hen was vegan – it was very informative and inspirational.”

The Chefs’ Forum demo stage is available for hire for any events and Chefs’ Forum members interested in performing paid cookery demonstrations should register their interest with us as we are approached by shows for demo chefs on a regular basis.

If you are interested in hiring the demo stage complete with audio visual equipment and crew for your fabulous foodie event, please contact Catherine Farinha for further information 07585 700030 or email catherine@redcherry.uk.com

Gather & Gather crowns Chef of the Year 2019

Indeed Announces Acquisition of Recruiting Platform & Chefs’ Forum Sponsor Syft

London, Thursday 30 May 2019 — Indeed, the world’s #1 job site, announced today that it has signed an agreement to acquire Syft, a leading recruiting platform for the hospitality, event and light industrial sectors in the UK.

Founded in 2015, Syft’s proprietary technology provides a simple, effective recruitment solution and shift management tool for part-time and flexible work, connecting and matching qualified and vetted jobseekers with available shifts through its desktop and mobile app.

Chris Hyams, CEO at Indeed, commented: “At Indeed our mission is to help people get jobs. Syft’s simple and transparent approach to shift work hiring is an innovative solution to the growing demand for part-time and flexible work. We look forward to supporting the Syft team as they continue to improve the hiring experience.”

Jack Beaman, co-founder and CEO at Syft, commented: “Syft’s vision to build the future of work aligns with Indeed’s core mission. At Syft, we set out to create a win-win platform to better serve jobseekers and employers, underpinned by values of fairness and transparency. Demand for flexible work continues to surge as both jobseekers and employers look for greater control and choice. We are excited to grow with Indeed.”

Syft’s employees, including its founders, will continue to operate from their headquarters in London and regional office locations.

www.syftapp.com