Wow – Emily’s Winterhalter Dream Machine!

When the Kingham Plough’s kitchen was redesigned, to provide more space and capacity, the focus was on quality equipment that could help push this award-winning pub restaurant to the next level.  “We also put a big emphasis on energy-saving,” says chef proprietor Emily Watkins, “both for the environment and the bank balance.”

Winterhalter was the brand of choice for the restaurant’s warewashers.  The company’s PT is the market’s first pass through with energy-saving heat exchangers fitted as standard.  It’s also faster and cleans more effectively than conventional models – and the Energy version at the Kingham Plough saves around 32% in running costs compared to predecessors.

Emily and her team have been amazed by its performance.  “Wow!  This machine is like a dream,” she says.  “It works brilliantly and has made an enormous difference, both in the kitchen and front of house, where staff no longer have to furiously polish plates, because they come out so shiny!  I’m loving the control screen, the filters, the energy saving features and especially the results.”

In a recent film to promote our Winterhalter KP of the year, it is plain to see the high regard in which Emily views her Kitchen Porter, Mike:

Mike definitely has the right tools to do the job he loves and has done for the last 20 years with absolutely no desire to progress to be a chef – A true star of the kitchen!

Winterhalter provides a total solution for warewashing, from pre-sales advice to after-sales service, training and maintenance.  Alongside its market-leading dish and glasswashers, the company’s range includes utensil washers, advanced water treatment machines, cleaning chemicals and detergents.  For further details, call Winterhalter on 01908 359000, see www.winterhalter.co.uk, or www.winterhalter-scout.biz or email info@winterhalter.co.uk.

The Chefs’ Forum’s Cressperience at Koppert Cress, Rotterdam

Catherine Farinha, founder of The Chefs’ Forum, travelled to Rotterdam to visit the headquarters of micro cress specialists, and sponsors of The Chefs’ Forum, Koppert Cress.

We were greeted by sunshine as we arrived in Rotterdam The Hague Airport, which set the tone brilliantly for the day ahead.

Koppert Cress specialises in cresses; seedlings of unique plants, each with its own unique flavour, texture and fragrance and I, along with a dozen chefs from high-end contract caterer Thomas Franks (Oxford), a Greek chef other chefs from around the world, had made the journey to Holland to take part in the “Cressperience.” Masterchef of Great Britain, Paul Da Costa Greaves, has joined forces with chef to the stars and Food Consultant, Franck Pontais to create this special experience, based around pairing the various cresses with different flavours, and offer a day of inspirational cookery demonstrations and menu development to chefs visiting Koppert Cress HQ from all over the world.

It was just a 20 minute drive from the airport to Monster, in the Dutch Westland Area home to Koppert Cress HQ, where we were met by Koppert CEO Rob Baan and some much-needed gorgeous coffee and delicious macaroons dusted with kaffir lime leaf powder. It was an unusual combination, but it worked perfectly!  There was a very cheery mood from the moment we arrived which set the tone for the truly inspirational day that lay in store.

After we were suitably revived, Paul gave a presentation on Koppert in the super-stylish boardroom (complete with cress growing out of the middle of the table). We were then invited to taste various new products and wheatgrass and give our opinion on quality and taste.  Chefs giving feedback is priceless to Koppert as they are the end-users of the produce and represent the future of Koppert’s produce development. It is great to see chefs held in such high regard at Koppert, their feedback is highly valued and they are treated as VIPs!

UK Sales Director, Paul Da Costa Greaves (below) has taken the decision to invite various groups of chefs to Koppert HQ throughout the year and offer them the chance to take part in the famous ‘Cressperience’ he said: “The only way to communicate the excellence of the Koppert Cress range is to invite chefs to come and touch, taste and experience the operation first-hand.  The last cut is always the freshest  cut and the brochure, however well-designed doesn’t do Koppert Cress the justice it deserves – It is far better to cook with it and explore our tasting garden for themselves.  This experience is open to all Chefs’ Forum members and anyone wishing to go should get in touch.”

Franck Pontais (below) captivated the visiting chefs’ attention with dish after dish of perfect flavour combinations showcasing the Koppert Cress range.  The delicious canapé menu began with Shiso green and lychee granite served in a shot glass with coconut milk over crushed ice. This was deliciously refreshing and cleansing for the palate and would be a welcome addition to any tasting menu.

Next up was cold lobster bisque served on a ceramic spoon with Atsina Cress and Blinq Blossom. The flavours were that of a timeless classic, but there was an interesting twist as it was served in gel form, and I thought it was a perfect partner to the cress.

This was followed by Smoked “Beech Wood” Potatoes filled with soured cream and borage cress which turned out to be a real crowd-pleaser being both comforting and incredibly tasty.

The next dish, Cod Ceviche on a pink rock block of salt with Paztizz top and Aclla cress, looked like it should have been at a showbiz party but ceviche for me is welcome any time, anywhere, and I really enjoyed the delicate aniseed flavour from the Paztizz.

The dishes showed no sign of stopping and this was followed by Roasted beetroot served with Shiso purple and red wine syrup. The colours were amazing and it showed just how much you could elevate the humble beetroot.

A Salad of marinated grilled artichoke with Tahoon Cress Mayonaise and sautéed onions was a perfect dish for a summer’s day and the ensuing Salicornia and grape salad with lime juice was light and refreshing.

A Dark chocolate covered crisp with candied clementine, Limon cress and Shiso green was an interesting take on a classic chocolate orange combination, while the Floregano with liquorice butter and orange segment on pancake disc was a flavour senasation.

The final dish, a “Fizzy” Parsnip crisp dried with Sechuan Buttons proved a great finale to the tasting. Only a week ago I was discussing possible uses for these lovely ‘saliva-producing’ balls with one of our chef members at our last Devon event.  We were tasting the various Koppert cresses in a group and discussing possible uses for them.  Had I had the ‘Cressperience’ trip at this point, I would have been well away – I now feel I know enough to hold my in a similar conversation in the future.

Talking about the Sechuan Buttons, Franck said, “The trick is to grate them for a subtle buzz, they shouldn’t really be served whole in any dish as they just take over. In this case, the sugar and parsnip dull down the saliva-producing effect making for a great flavour combination.”

Our day at Koppert Cress was delightful from start to finish and we would urge Chefs’ Forum members to experience it for themselves.  The produce is market-leading with increased longevity and optimum flavour. The general feel at Koppert is of overwhelming motivation and contentment amongst all who work there.  Every day, the jolly workforce at Koppert supply the Dutch traders and wholesalers with a plethora of varieties of cress who in turn distribute the micro cress and vegetables worldwide – It really is a huge operation and to be able to witness it first hand was a remarkable experience.

Any Chefs’ Forum members wishing to have a ‘Cressperience’ of their own should get in touch with Koppert Cress UK Country Manager Paul Da Costa Greaves who will happily book them on to the next trip: Paul@koppertcress.com.

Koppert Cress is available in Wales and the West from our Sponsors Total Produce.  Paul will also be able to help with distributors in other areas.

Charlie Hicks Presents Total Produce’s Market Report July 2015

Total Produce commandeers the legendary costermonger, Charlie Hicks to produce a monthly market report because it believes that good supply is as much about the supply of information as it is about the supply of produce. Total Produce wants to make sure its customers are up to speed on the best produce (and the best value) when they’re putting their menus together.

Charlie Hicks, veg Guru and friend to Gregg Wallace says:

“This is about doing our bit to make menus sparkle and GP’s soar. July is a fantastic month for fresh produce, British cherries, French apricots, runner beans, flat peaches and nectarines, peas and broad beans, gooseberries, currants, petit violet artichokes, spectacular home-grown tomatoes. The list just goes on!”

Total Produce will be uploading a market report to The Chefs’ Forum website each month so make sure you visit next month for Charlie’s take on the best fresh produce for August!
Follow Charlies daily veg-centric ramblings on Twitter @totalcharlie

For more information on Total Produce and how to get your hands on some of its marvellous produce visit: www.totalproducelocal.co.uk

What’s Hot this Season with Fruit & Veg Expert Charlie Hicks of Total Produce

Seasonality might be a bit of a buzz word at the moment. But it’s one food trend that we can really get on board with. After all, it’s only logical that the ingredients that are in season are the ones that are going to taste the best, and give you the best value for money.

We spoke to Total Produce’s resident fruit and veg expert, Charlie Hicks, about what to be looking out for right now. This is what he had to say in his market report for June 2015:

ASPARAGUS
Asparagus is just fantastic right now and it will be in full flow until Midsummer’s Day – which is June 23. When you are choosing your asparagus you want to be looking for plump, firm stems. How you store it is also very important, probably more important than any other veg, because as soon as you pick it the sugars start turning into carbs.

To keep the spears as fresh as possible then treat them like cut flowers. Chop off the ends and put them in water. If you are storing your asparagus in the fridge then wrap it. Fridges are very dehydrating so it will store much better if you sprinkle it with water and wrap it.

The season is very important with asparagus. The spears that are left become the plants next year. You can harvest asparagus longer, but then you won’t get such a good harvest next year.

 NEW POTATOES
Jerseys have been about for a while now, but I’m particularly fond of the Cornish new potatoes which are just coming into season. I personally think they are better than the Jerseys.

Jersey is an island so there is limited space and the growers are under a lot of pressure from the supermarkets to produce more and more. Like so many things, when the volume goes up the quality goes down. Look out for local new potatoes.

The other important thing to remember is that despite what a lot of supermarkets seem to think, a new potato is not just a small potato.

A new potato has the skin that you can push off. Just because it’s small it ain’t necessarily a new potato!

PEAS & BROAD BEANS
I would be keeping a weather eye open for peas and broad beans. Generally they will be coming in from France, Italy and Spain and the freshness is crucial.

 TOMATOES
We have got some terrific English tomatoes. There’ll be plenty of regular, red and round salad tomatoes as well as a whole host of other varieties with an amazingly diverse range of colour, shape, size and favour. These are sometimes called Heritage or Heirloom tomatoes but Exotic or simply Mixed may be more accurate as most of them will be modern varieties.

When you’re choosing your tomatoes, use your nose. If it smells great then it will taste great too. Pick it up and smell it – it’s as simple as that!

STONE FRUIT
We are about to get into the stone fruit season (peaches, cherries, plums etc). We are getting some quite decent stuff through from Spain but the best comes from southern France.

With stone fruit it’s very tempting to just leap aboard as soon they come into season, but these fruits desperately need sun and the early fruit isn’t as good, and will be more expensive. Wait a bit because the later varieties are better.

ENGLISH BERRIES
We are already seeing some decent strawberries from the English growers, but hang fire a bit for the raspberries.

Gooseberries will be coming into season soon too as well.

 GARLIC SCAPES
Garlic scapes are fantastic and are on all the trendy menus. The scape is the flowering stem of the bulb.

They are usually removed by growers, but they are really delicious with a mild garlic flavour. They are only around for about six weeks though.

MELONS
We are beginning to see the first of the European melons. It’s early days but they are definitely on the horizon.

TOP FRUIT
Apples and pears at this time of year are all going to be coming from the southern hemisphere because all the European stuff has come to an end.

People might be concerned about the environmental impact from anything that comes from far away but it comes by boat so you can eat it with a clear conscience.

But when there’s so much fruit closer to home there isn’t any need to get it from further away.

WET GARLIC
Wet garlic is the garlic that has just been harvested. It has got a softer skin and an amazing, sweet, hugely aromatic flavour.

In February and March it comes from Egypt but we have just moved into the time of year when it is the best quality and coming from France and Italy.

 

Cheese, Cows and Curd at Quickes Cheese Farm

Top Devon chefs gathered at the picturesque, family-run Quickes Cheese Farm nestled in the beautiful north Devon countryside.  Mary Quicke MBE was the perfect host and her infectious enthusiasm for cheese fascinated the fifty culinary experts who attended.  The event was  held on the 9^th March 2015 and organised by The Chefs’ Forum in association with Cheese Cellar to raise the profile of Quickes Cheese and cheese making to top Devon chefs.

The Quicke family have been farming at Home Farm, near the village of Newton St. Cyres for over 450 years.  In 1990, Sir John Quicke and his wife Prue built the dairy where their daughter Mary Quicke MBE continues to produce outstanding cheeses today.

The afternoon continued with Mary Quicke providing an insight into how her award winning cheddar is made, followed by Ian Webber’s inventive cookery demonstration for Chicken with Celeriac, Quickes Smoked Cheddar and Thyme. Eight chefs were invited to compete in a traditional butter patting contest under the expert guidance of Quickes own butter patter, Sophie Mitchell.  Attendees also experienced a tour of Quickes dairy and the famous cheese cathedral which can house up to 13,000 27kg rounds of cheese at any one time.

Mary Quicke comments; “It’s great to have so many wonderful chefs visit Home Farm and to see these young students being inspired by more seasoned chefs. There has been a real sense of sharing knowledge today and people have willingly given their free time to attend. As a producer I think it is so important for local chefs to know about the food being grown and made in the region. It was a joy to take everyone on a tour of the Quickes dairy and to impart a better understanding of our cheese’s provenance. There were so many positives to be taken from a day like this – not least that Ian and his protégées for the day really showed us how versatile an ingredient cheese can be.”

Learners from Hit Training worked under Ian Webber and his team from The Five Belles at Clyst Hydon to help create and serve canapés showcasing his menu at the nearby restaurant. The work-based learners all benefitted greatly from meeting some of the top connoisseurs in the restaurant industry and can’t wait to help out at the next Chefs’ Forum event which will take place this May.

Ian Webber commented:
“Chefs’ Forum events enable us to involve trainee chefs and work towards creating great chefs for the future. It is our collective responsibility to indentify and encourage tomorrow’s great chefs.  This will ensure that creativity, talent and passion continue to flow through the catering industry. I found today’s event extremely rewarding and the HIT Training learners were an asset to my team in helping to prepare and serve canapés”

Paul Mannering, Academy Principal for HIT Training added:
“This event was an excellent opportunity for our learners to meet and learn from industry experts who excel in the catering field as well as allowing us to showcase the apprentice chefs’ talent and skill.  Learners who took part said that they had an interesting and inspirational day which was very pleasing to hear.  It was extremely positive to see so many top chefs supporting the next generation of hospitality professionals”.

The exciting event saw top chef equipment, suppliers and local producers come together to showcase new products, techniques and share knowledge among catering industry people.

Cheese expert Owen Davies, Category Manager for Artisan Cheeses at Cheese Cellar stated:
“Mary Quicke is a legend and a true inspiration in the cheese world. It is fantastic to work with producers like her. Mary continually works to improve her product and is currently involved in writing a cheese education programme which will culminate in a professional qualification for the industry.  It is great to be able to bring chefs and learners to the source of such a fantastic local product enabling them to talk confidently about its provenance.  The Chefs’ Forum is a fantastic opportunity to meet chefs and catering students in the South West region.  Yesterday’s event was all about demonstrating the importance of provenance and environmental awareness needed to create award-winning traditional cheese”.

Other top chefs involved in the Devon chapter of The Chefs’ Forum include Michelin-starred chefs Simon Hulstone (The Elephant), Michael Caines (Gidleigh Park) and Mark Dodson (The Masons Arms).  Devon food hero Peter Gorton is a founder committee member of the Devon Chapter.

The Chefs’ Forum stages 32 chef events a year, from London to Cornwall, and Wales to Kent.

 

The next Devon event will take place at Boringdon Hall on the 11^th of May 2015.

Chefs wishing to attend should contact Chefs’ Forum Founder Catherine Farinha: 07585 700030.

Photography by: Russell Brown (Michelin-starred Chef-Patron of Sienna, Dorset)

The Chef’s Directory – “Indispensable & Life-changing” says Michel Roux OBE

Sixteen years of research. 480 pages. Never-seen-before lists. It all adds up to an incredible new look at what it takes to be a top professional chef.

Editor and creator Chandos Elletson is a former chef, food writer (The Times) and chef filmmaker. He was one of the original founders of Restaurant Magazine.

The Chef’s Directory listings are incredibly detailed and offer unique insights into careers and further education. Every listing contains, where available, twitter and facebook addresses alongside key contact details and, in the case of restaurants and kitchens: valuable career details. This level of insight has never been seen before in one volume.

The Chef’s Directory sections have been broken down to make it easy to research key areas of the profession. If you’re looking for ingredients or equipment then our dedicated sections make it very easy to discover who the key players are. In certain cases suppliers and artisans offer courses to further your education and you’ll find details with every listing.

The Chef’s Directory covers every aspect of the chef profession with detailed listings. You’ll find sections on:

• Education
• Working as a chef
• Recruitment
• Restaurants and kitchens in London
• Restaurants and kitchens outside London
• Top London Hotels
• Catering
• Ingredients
• Equipment
• Networking
• The Media

However, The Chef’s Directory is far more than just a bunch of lists. Throughout the book you’ll find over 20 inspirational chef stories and advice by some of the biggest names in the business including:

• Michel Roux OBE
• Pierre Gagnaire
• Sat Bains
• Simon Rogan
• Andrew Fairlie
• James Wilkins
• Bruce Sangster
• And more

What these chefs have to say will revolutionise the way you approach being a chef and how to get the most out of your career.

But that’s not all. We’ve also included interviews with experts on such subjects as:

• Chef’s gardens
• Chef fitness
• Chef psychology
• Using a life coach to enhance your creativity
• How a top critic thinks (Andy Hayler – the man who’s eaten in every 3 star restaurant in the world!)
• How to use twitter
• And more

Buy your copy now: www.thechefsdirectory.co.uk

London Produce Show Announces School of Wok’s Jeremy Pang as 2015 Chef Ambassador

The London Produce Show and Conference today announces School of Wok’s Jeremy Pang as the Chef Ambassador of the second annual show on June 3-5, 2015. Pang will host the show’s Media Masterclass, which will include the exclusive launch of his highly anticipated book Chinese UnChopped (Quadrille Publishing).

The young and talented Chef Jeremy Pang is the owner and founder of School of Wok, a cookery school in the heart of Covent Garden specialising in teaching Eastern cuisine. The recent winner of The British Cookery School’s Best Young Rising Star, Pang will be debuting recipes exclusively for the media from his highly anticipated cookery book, Chinese UnChopped followed by a Q&A session.

As the show ambassador, Pang will also take part in the opening cocktail reception at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane on June 3, before officially opening the show’s main event at the ribbon cutting ceremony, at the Five-star venue’s Great Room on June 4.

The London Produce Show will also present an impressive line up of top UK chefs in its Chef Demonstration kitchen, on the balcony of the Great Room throughout the day.

There will be seven separate demonstrations from nine of the UK’s top chefs, hosted throughout by Masterchef of Great Britain Peter Gorton. Please see below for the full schedule of chef demonstrations.

“A big part of what we want to achieve with the show is to bring the fresh produce industry and the chef community closer together,” said Tommy Leighton, managing director of the London Produce Show and Conference. “Jeremy is hugely passionate about fresh produce and as one of the undoubted stars of the London culinary scene, he is the perfect fit for our event, which brings the world of fresh produce to one of the iconic cities of the world – London.

“We are also proud that Jeremy will launch his first book at our show and that he will be on-hand to sign it for visitors and exhibitors.”

Jeremy Pang said: “I’m extremely excited to be cutting the ribbon at the London Produce Show this year. The last few years setting up School of Wok have been an incredible journey and I’m honoured to start the Chinese UnChopped book launch at the show sharing my passion for food with some of London’s best producers and high quality ingredients. Without our key suppliers London’s food scene could not be anywhere near as exciting as it is today and I am very happy to be part of such a fun and growing industry.”

LONDON PRODUCE SHOW 2015 CHEF DEMONSTRATION SCHEDULE 

 June 4 2015 

10:30 am – Daniel Kennedy – Kent Cookery School – World Cuisine

11:30 am – Hari Ghotra – Indian Cook & Teacher, Entrepreneur

12:30 pm – Matt Budden – Executive Chef of HighCliff Grill– Modern British Cuisine & Gareth Bowen – Executive Chef Gillray’s at County Hall – An English Steakhouse

1:30 pm –  Graham Garrett – Michelin-starred Chef Patron of The West House – Modern British Cuisine  

2:30 pm – Paul O’Neill – Roux Scholar & Head Chef at Hattusa at Berwick Lodge
Hotel – Modern British Cuisine

MEDIA MASTERCLASS 

3:30 pm – Jeremy Pang – Show Ambassador – Owner/Chef School of Wok

4:00 pm – Jordan Sclare – Executive Chef & Michael Paul – Head Chef of Chotto
Matte – Japanese Peruvian Fusion

Members of the trade, consumer and national media are invited to attend the exclusive Media Masterclass hosted by Chef Pang. He will launch his highly anticipated book Chinese UnChopped with exclusive demonstrations of recipes from the book. The Media Masterclass will also feature Executive Chef Jordan Sclare and Head Chef Michael Paul of Chotto Matte – a Japanese Peruvian fusion restaurant in London’s Soho district.

MORE ABOUT JEREMY PANG

The young and talented chef Jeremy comes from three generations of Chinese chefs. Being surrounded by food connoisseurs Jeremy developed his passion for food and soon realised the importance and correlation between basic cooking skills and eating well. He attributes his love of food to his father, who was keen for him to experience exciting flavours and exotic foods whilst he was a young boy.

In 2009 he established School of Wok in London, a mobile cookery school specialising in teaching Eastern cuisine to students in the comfort of their own homes.

Following the success of his mobile kitchen and help from sponsors, School of Wok opened its first permanent professional kitchen in May 2012 in Covent Garden, a well-thought-out location near London’s Chinatown (where Jeremy’s grandfather owned and operated his own Chinese pastry shop years ago) and surrounded by some of the finest restaurants in the capital.

Over the years Jeremy’s expertise in the Chinese food industry has continued to gain recognition, with finalist status two years running in the British Cookery School Awards, reviews in a variety of national publications, endorsement from Chinese culinary expert Ken Hom, and TV appearances on Nigel Slaters Simple Cooking Series in 2012, Nigel and Adam’s Farm in 2013, and Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch in 2014.  Jeremy’s first cookery book Chinese UnChopped (Quadrille Publishing) will hitting book shelves in June 2015.

Jeremy’s ability to bring food to life with his laid back, straight forward approach and delicious recipes has helped him build an ever-growing and thriving school, as well as a rising public profile. With his clear breakdowns of complicated techniques and a penchant for story telling, Jeremy has a unique ability for creating accessible jargon-free lessons that both intrigue audiences as well as give them a bit of confidence in the kitchen.

More about the London Produce Show and Conference

The second edition of the London Produce Show and Conference will take place at Grosvenor House, a JW Marriot hotel on Park Lane, London, on June 3-5, 2015.

The 2015 show will stand out once again as the UK’s produce event of the year, attracting a full house of exhibitors and attendees from around the globe to London for a boutique one-day trade exhibition. The show will be complemented by a series of educational seminars, chef demonstrations, a gala cocktail reception, student programme and a thought leaders breakfast panel hosted by world-renowned Perishable Pundit Jim Prevor.

For more information, please visit: www.londonproduceshow.co.uk

Further information will be released through various media over the coming months, but for background information on the event and to view videos and a flipbook from the 2014 show, go to www.londonproduceshow.co.uk

Like and follow us on Twitter @LondonProduceSh

Big Hospitality Conversation in Bristol – Tuesday 13th January 2015 – You are all Invited!

We are delighted to invite you to our Big Hospitality Conversation event on Tuesday, 13^th January 2015 at the Mercure Hotel in Bristol.

We know a good conversation can lead to great things, this is why we established The Big Hospitality Conversation.

Our event can be seen as a catalyst to bringing together hospitality leaders to pledge their commitment for structured work placements, apprenticeships and a focus recruitment strategy for 16 – 24 year olds not in employment, education or training.

Our objectives are as follows:
1. Deliver 60,000 opportunities for young people by 2016 (20,000 apprenticeships, 20,000 jobs and 20,000 work placements).

2. Engage industry leaders and young jobseekers in meaningful dialogue on enhancing the perception and attraction of hospitality careers.

3. Ensure government recognises the strategic role of Hospitality in creating jobs, developing talent and tackling youth unemployment in the UK.

The newly-established Tourism Council between the government and industry is in part the direct result of our industry’s focus on jobs and skills. The Council’s agenda will major on improving skills, jobs and boosting enterprise in the industry.

We would really appreciate your support by attending our Big Hospitality Conversation event which has proven to transform thousands of people’s lives. To date our event has successfully created over 34,000 pledges, not only have these pledges proven beneficial to young people, but also to businesses themselves. The quality and enthusiasm shown from the people at these events transfers into the working environment, giving you a willing, enthusiastic and long-term employee who will work to the best of their ability and strive for consistent improvement.

So don’t delay, reserve your space now and help the future of your business and our younger generation.

There is limited availability for this VIP event, places will be allocated on a first come first served basis and will go quickly. Please note we will admit only one representative per company. Please book your FREE place HERE

To find out even more have a look at our site HERE

Pictures can be seen HERE 

Videos can be seen HERE

Tuesday, 13 January 2015 from 09:00 to 14:00 (GMT)

Mercure
Redcliffe Parade East
BS1 6SQ Bristol
United Kingdom

Winterhalter helps clean Channel Island’s Banjo Restaurant

Cost effective warewasher delivers big savings

Located in a lavishly renovated former Victorian gentleman’s club next to St. Helier’s historic food market, Banjo is a European-style grand brasserie with two restaurants and a bar along with space for private dining, events and four hotel rooms. With design cues coming from some of the most stylish restaurants and bars from around the world, and with room for 380 people at each service, the foodservice needs to be right first time, every time.

“This is why we chose Winterhalter warewashers,” says Robert Jones, director of Jersey Pottery Restaurants, the company that owns Banjo and six other restaurants on the island. “Our family has been running restaurants for 40 years and we know that Winterhalters are built to last and that results are consistently excellent.”

They recently installed a PT-M passthrough dishwasher, to handle the restaurants’ crockery, and undercounter glasswashers for the bar, with RoMatik XS (RoXS) external reverse osmosis devices installed on all. “The RoXS saves hundreds of hours of extra labour per year – the biggest benefit is the glassware can be removed and used straight away, with no additional hand cleaning or polishing required.

“The water in Jersey is quite hard, which means cleaning can result in spots and streaks being left behind, but the reverse osmosis systems mean all the glasses and crockery come out perfect every time.”

Caterers can often be put off by the initial outlay for top quality warewashers – but, as Robert says, they’ve learned the hard way that inferior equipment doesn’t last. “Plus, with the savings on energy bills through the new Winterhalter, they’ll have paid for themselves in a few years”. Jersey Pottery currently owns four restaurants on the island, all using Winterhalter equipment. Robert estimates that in total they’re looking at energy savings of £20,000 on an annual basis.

“Downtime isn’t an issue any more, the Winterhalters just keep on working and we don’t have to worry about being left in the lurch during busy periods. Buy the best, and you won’t have to worry about replacing it before you need to,” he says.

Gary Fogg from Jersey Deep Freeze advised Robert and supplied the equipment for Banjo. “We were lucky enough to be able to do comparison testing with Winterhalter and some alternative manufacturers, but it became obvious very quickly that Winterhalter was by far and away the best choice. They really do live up to the hype, they do exactly what they’re supposed to, provide efficient and economic cleaning which means big savings.”

The Winterhalter PT passthrough dishwasher can process up to 77 (500mm x 500mm) racks per hour.  It’s the markets first passthrough with energy-saving heat exchange technology fitted as standard. This extracts heat from the waste water, using it to heat incoming cold water and reducing energy costs by up to 10%.

It also incorporates an energy control system that speeds up the washing process, increasing rack capacity by up to 28% an hour and reducing heat-up time by 50%. The patented “full jet” filtration system works in conjunction with Winterhalter’s Mediamat filter to constantly clean the washwater.

The new VarioPower feature allows the operator to optimise the programme to suit the delicacy or dirtiness of the wash items.

The wash arms provide 100% coverage, which combined with the advanced filtration systems and the new VarioPower system, improve the brilliance of cleaning results by 29%.

The UC-M glasswasher is capable of processing up to 48 (500mm x 500mm) racks per hour on a standard program, or up to 77 per hour on its short program.  Its VarioPower washing system uses a special elliptical wash arm that creates a ‘wash-field’ of cleaning power and delivers superb results.  VarioPower also allows the user to adjust the power and pressure to take account of how delicate or dirty the glasses are.  The UC is tailored to the conditions on-site, a process carried out by the installation engineer, so that it works to optimum efficiency for the local conditions of, for example, water hardness.

The UC’s self-cleaning and decalcification programs cover the two main regular maintenance chores, while the error management system uses the touchscreen to warn users if anything goes wrong.

The RoMatik reverse osmosis systems used at Banjo Jersey are the new, mini RoXS.  Reverse osmosis is recognised as the best way to treat water to ensure perfect glass and dish washing results, with no smears or odours.  Water is passed though an ultra-fine membrane which removes nearly all the impurities and particles that cause cleaning problems.

However, traditional systems are large – often too large for the site.  Winterhalter’s new mini-system measures just 469mm (h) x 142mm (w) x 515mm (d), so is easily small enough to fit beside or even on top of the warewasher.  Yet it can process up to 90 litres of water per hour, removing 98% of particles. It combines all the benefits of a full-size system with low running costs and long service intervals.

Winterhalter provides a total solution for warewashing, from pre-sales advice to after-sales service, training and maintenance. Alongside its market-leading dish and glasswashers, the company’s range includes utensil washers, advanced water treatment machines, cleaning chemicals and detergents.

For further details, call Winterhalter on 01908 359000, see www.winterhalter.co.uk, or www.winterhalter-scout.biz or email info@winterhalter.co.uk.

S.PELLEGRINO LAUNCHES INAUGURAL SEARCH FOR THE WORLD’S BEST YOUNG CHEF

 

– S.PELLEGRINO YOUNG CHEF COMPETITION 2015 –

This year sees Italian sparkling water brand S.Pellegrino launch its first ever global talent search in a quest to uncover the world’s best young chef. 20 countries will participate in the inaugural year of the competition, sending a promising young talent (hand picked by a celebrity chef panel in each market) to the global final held in Milan, summer 2015.

The competition also incorporates S.Pellegrino’s exciting 2015 partnership with Vogue Italia, firmly placing the brand at both the heart of fine dining and Italian sophistication.

S.Pellegrino is now welcoming entries for Young Chef 2015 from the UK and Ireland and those wishing to enter should submit their CV, along with details of their signature dish, via the Fine Dining Lovers online platform, by 15^th December 2014.  ALMA, the world’s leading international education and training centre for Italian cuisine, will then select ten candidates from each country to take part in an initial cooking heat.

The criteria, against which the signature dish will be judged, will follow five Golden Rules.  Each chef should:

Successfully select the finest ingredients the market has to offer

• Demonstrate technical skill, transforming the ingredients into a finished dish
• Use their culinary genius to explore new horizons in terms of cuisine style, ensuring creativity shines through in the food
• Deliver a simply beautiful dish
• Communicate clearly to the judges their personal vision and message the dish should deliver

The ten chefs selected will go on to deliver their signature dish to a jury of top celebrity chefs from the UK market, (to be announced shortly), who will select one outstanding individual to represent the UK in the global final in Milan.  The winner of this round will be mentored and accompanied by one of the experienced celebrity chefs on their journey to Milan, and hopefully to victory!

Bringing to life S.Pellegrino’s Italian style and sophistication, Vogue Italia will be adding some fashion flair by partnering up and coming fashion designers with each of the 20 finalists to interpret the chef’s signature dish.  All of the dishes and fashion designs will be showcased at EXPO Milan and judged by an international jury.

The competition is now open for first stage entries. Young chefs seeking an unprecedented international platform should visit Finedininglovers.com to apply.  All applicants should be no older than 30 years old and employed as a chef, sous chef or chef de partie.  To enter upload your CV, signature dish and photos by 15^th December 2014.