Devon Forum event at Lewtrenchard Manor was a blast!
On the 8th April 2013, top Devon chefs attended a clay pigeon shoot and game-smoking demonstration at Lewtrenchard Manor, Oakhampton in preparation for the next game season.
Peter Gorton (Chef/Owner Gorton’s of Tavistock) showcased the plethora of delicious ways that game meat can be incorporated into restaurant menus and how to smoke it using a Bradley Smoker from Outdoor Gourmet. He showcased wood pigeon, partridge, pheasant, and venison in a selection of delicious canapés.
The ‘Smoking Guns’ Devon chef event attracted sponsorship of some great local brands including, Exeter Audi, Total Produce, Owens Coffee, Andrew James Butchery and Hillside Speciality Foods – The Chefs’ Forum champions the use of local Devon produce in the professional kitchen.
Students on VRQ level 2 and BTEC courses at City College Plymouth worked with Peter Gorton in preparing and serving the canapés at the event. These students (young chefs and front-of-house) will be placed in apprenticeships with the attendee chefs over the coming months.
The event was a great chance for City College Plymouth students to demonstrate their impressive skill sets. Guests were extremely impressed with the quality of the canapés and professional service – The industry will go from strength to strength with such remarkable levels of talent apparent at this stage.
BASC and Country Sports South West are organised the clay shoot for the Ivy League of Devonian chefs to raise awareness of the versatility of game with the aim of encouraging more chefs to include it on their menus. For example, it is a sad fact that there isn’t enough demand for pheasant at the current level of supply.
Annette Cole, Senior Manager of Country Sports South West, said:
“Country Sports South West ran a fun clay shooting competition for the great chefs of Devon, to showcase the connection between the sport of game shooting and game meat and hopefully increase the use of game meat in the chefs repertoire for next season. It is great that the students learned about the benefits of game meat whilst training to be chefs – They will take this knowledge on into industry with them.”
The Chefs’ Forum launched in January 2012 in Bristol and has since expanded to include highly accredited chefs, catering colleges and top suppliers on a South West regional level.
Catherine Farinha, Founder Committee Member of The Chefs’ Forum and event organiser stated:
The magnificent Lewtrenchard Manor, owned by the Murray family, was the perfect venue to commemorate an extremely successful first year in Devon; We have forged valuable links between the catering colleges and top chefs in Devon’s outstanding local restaurant scene. Communication between the two entities is now effortless and this will lead to the next generation of top chefs learning from the very best in the business.
The Chefs’ Forum will hold a butchery and sous-vide demonstration for top Devon chefs at City College Plymouth later this month. Forum members Steve Turton (Andrew James Butchery) and Chef Chris Tanner (Tanners Restaurant) will showcase Devon beef. This will further-cement relations between the college, local suppliers and the professional kitchen.
