Chef September 2017 ÂŁ5.00
CITY fOCUS by BERNICE SALTZER
kiev
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hotel Chef Business Against the Grain
Raz Helalat Tried and Tested by Claire Bosi
Blade Runners
Talk to the chef More Birchall Reality at Moor Hall
Mark Birchall
w w w. c h e f p u b l i s h i n g . c o m
magazine
Industry Topic
Talk to the cheF Mark Birchall Chris McCormick
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Ben Tish Eating Habits by Myf Ryan
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Property Kate Taylor, Davis Coffer Lyons
Meet the Supplier
Chef Business Raz Helalat Against the Grain
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JG Bellerby The cream of the Crop
Tried and Tested
In The Kitchen
Claire Bosi Blade Runners
Warewashing the real costs
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k ie v bernice saltzer City focus
Chef magazine
Who Does what
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Front of House
Advertising Sales Claire Bosi claire@chefpublishing.com Tel: 07753687913
WEINVIERTAL WACHAU & WEIN AUSTRIAN WINES
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recipes and books Jacobs Ladder at The Coal Shed by Dave Mothersill Marinated Mackerel with apple, nasturtium and radish by Mark Birchall
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Book of the month FRENCH PÂTISSERIE Master Recipes and Techniques from the Ferrandi School of Culinary Arts 75
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Brighton”s Best Cookbook
Borscht Recipe by Chef Taras, Eleven Mirrors
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MEXICO A CULINARY QUEST Author: Hossein Amirsadeghi
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BABA ISPAHAN by Pierre Hermé
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the science of food An exploration of what we eat and how we cook Marty Jopson
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The Good food Guide Fish restaurant swims to number 1 restaurant
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Transmission by Chef Cyril Gaidella LEMON TART Tarte au Citron from French Pâtisserie White chocolate and vanilla Panna Cotta by Michael Wilkinson
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Published by Chef Publishing Ltd Dormer Road Thame Oxon OX9 3FS Tel:01844 399900
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Writers Andy Lynes Antony Schotelymer Ben Tish Bernice Saltzer Jean Smullen Jo Lamiri Josh Simms Photographers Peter Marshall Paul Cooper Anton Chernov Directors Martyn Keen martyn@chefpublishing.com David Vernau david@chefpublishing.com Consultant Peter Marshall peter@chefpublishing.com Tel: 0207 0971396 Designers Move Design movedesign@graphic-designer.com Printers Micropress England Copy write Chef PublishingLtd The rights of the author have been asserted. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic electrostatic, magnetic tape mechanical, photocopying recording or otherwise, without the prior permission in writing from the publisher. 3
new properties on the market 81 St John’s Road, Battersea,
●● A3 lease for sale in Battersea. Approx. 50 covers, fitted in excellent condition.
●● Glass double fronted unit in a prominent position on St John’s Road, close to the junction of Northcote Road and Battersea Rise. ●● The area is a busy hub and acts as the main through road linking Battersea and Clapham Junction. Local operators include The Breakfast Club, Nando’s, Be at One and The Northcote. ●● 20 year lease at a passing rent of £40,000 pa. Premium offers in excess of £125,000. Staff are unaware.
Bel & Dragon, Godalming, Surrey
79 Powis Street, Woolwich ●● Circa 1,650 sq ft A3 premises available on a new lease.
●● Established local restaurant residing within a stunning 19th Century converted church. ●● Godalming is a picturesque market town, conveniently located four miles south of Guildford and 30 miles south west of London. ●● A primarily residential town in the affluent borough of Waverley, voted one of the best places to live in the UK in 2015.
●● Rent approximately £55,000 per annum with strong rent free periods/incentives on offer. ●● The restaurant is a short walk from Woolwich Arsenal DLR Station and also the Woolwich Crossrail Station, due to complete in 2018 (trains to Liverpool Street; 14 minutes and Bond Street; 22 minutes).
●● Would suit alternative use STPP. Offers invited for freehold interest, alternatively, new free-of-tie lease available.
59 Chatsworth Road, Clapton ●● New A3 lease available for an exceptionally appointed restaurant. 86 cover restaurant arranged over ground floor and basement, plus 20 cover private dining room.
●● One of few remaining authentic Cafés in the East End, full of character, between Homerton and Clapton Overground Stations. ●● The area boasts an affluent residential catchment with local operators including Shane’s on Chatsworth, Venerdi, Eat 17, Pivas and numerous other independent operators and local businesses. ●● Quoting rent £50,000. Premium offers in excess of £125,000.
For more information speak to the DCL Agency Team
Michelin Guide 2017 London
Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester Jocelyn Herland www.alainducasse-dorchester.com Gordon Ramsay Matt Abé www.gordonramsayrestaurants. com/restaurant-gordon-ramsay
Araki Mitsuhiro Araki www.the-araki.com Dinner by Heston Blumenthal Ashley Palmer-Watts www.dinnerbyheston.com Greenhouse Arnaud Bignon www.greenhouserestaurant.co.uk Hélène Darroze at The Connaught Hélène Darroze www.the-connaught.co.uk/mayfairrestaurants/helene-darroze Le Gavroche Michel Roux Jr www.le-gavroche.co.uk Ledbury Brett Graham www.theledbury.com Marcus Umu www.marcus-wareing.com Sketch (The Lecture Room & Library) Pierre Gagnaire www.sketch.london/#gsc.tab=0 Umu Yoshinori Ishii www.umurestaurant.com
Alyn Williams at The Westbury Alyn Williams www.alynwilliams.com Amaya Karunesh Khanna www.amaya.biz Ametsa Elena Arzak www.comohotels.com/thehalkin/ dining/ametsa
Angler Tony Fleming www.anglerrestaurant.com Barrafina Nieves Barragán Mohacho www.barrafina.co.uk Benares Atul Kochhar www.benaresrestaurant.com Bonhams Tom Kemble www.bonhams.com/locations/BS Céleste Florian Favario www.lanesborough.com/eng/ restaurant-bars/celeste Chez Bruce Bruce Poole www.chezbruce.co.uk City Social Jason Atherton www.citysociallondon.com Clove Club Isaac McHale www.thecloveclub.com Club Gascon Pascal Aussignac www.clubgascon.com/about.php Dabbous Ollie Dabbous www.dabbous.co.uk Dining Room at the Goring Shay Cooper www.thegoring.com Ellory www.ellorylondon.com Fera at Claridge’s Simon Rogan www.feraatclaridges.co.uk Five Fields www.fivefieldsrestaurant.com Galvin at Windows Jeff Galvin www.galvinatwindows.com Galvin La Chapelle Jeff Galvin www.galvinrestaurants.com/ section/61/1/galvin-la-chapelle Gymkhana www.gymkhanalondon.com Hakkasan Hanway Place Tong Chee Hwee www.hakkasan.com/locations/ hakkasan-hanway-place Hakkasan Mayfair Tong Chee Hwee www.hakkasan.com/locations/ hakkasan-mayfair
The CHEF BOOK
Inspiration for a Michelin Star Chef
“This book is a treasure-trove of great food. A veritable anthology of some of the world’s best chefs and their recipes including Paul Bocuse, the Roux family , Anton Mosimann and Thomas Keller and many of the new stars of today such as Sat Bains, Jason Atherton and Daniel Humm. In total there are 114 chefs featured in this amazing collection. The photography is a work of art and the recipes are as diverse as the chefs featured.” Nico Ladenis Available from www.chefpublishing.com Harwood Arms Barry Fitzgerald www.harwoodarms.com Hedone Mikael Jonsson www.hedonerestaurant.com HKK Tong Chee Hwee www.hkklondon.com Kai Alex Chow www.kaimayfair.co.uk Kitchen Table at Bubbledogs James Knappett www.kitchentablelondon.co.uk Kitchen W8 Mark Kempson www.kitchenw8.com L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon Oliver Limousin www.joelrobuchon.co.uk La Trompette Anthony Boyd www.latrompette.co.uk Lima Fitzrovia Robert Ortiz www.limalondongroup.com/fitzrovia Locanda Locatelli Giorgio Locatelli www.locandalocatelli.com
Lyle's James Lowe www.lyleslondon.com Murano Angela Hartnett www.muranolondon.com Outlaw's at the Capital Nathan Outlaw www.capitalhotel.co.uk/dining Pétrus Larry Jayasekara www.gordonramsayrestaurants. com/petrus Pidgin www.pidginlondon.com Pied à Terre Marcus Eaves www.pied-a-terre.co.uk Pollen Street Social Jason Atherton www.pollenstreetsocial.com Portland Merlin Labron-Johnson www.portlandrestaurant.co.uk Quilon Sriram Aylur www.quilon.co.uk Ritz Restaurant John Williams www.theritzlondon.com River Café Rose Gray www.rivercafe.co.uk
With over 60 years of butchery experience between them, this is a team committed to supplying high quality meat and sh products to people in Orkney for years to come. The butchers are supported by an experienced and loyal staff, some of whom have been with the business for more than quarter of a century! “What I enjoy most is getting to know the customers and what they want, working with them to find out what best meets their needs” Erik Donaldson
The Salmon has a beautifully firm texture and smoked to perfection Andrew Scott Chef at Sudbury House Hotel
Seven Park Place William Drabble www.stjameshotelandclub.com/ restaurant-piccadilly Social Eating House Jason Atherton www.socialeatinghouse.com St John Chris Gillard www.stjohngroup.uk.com Story Tom Sellers www.restaurantstory.co.uk Tamarind Alfred Prasad www.tamarindrestaurant.com Texture Agnar Sverrisson www.texture-restaurant.co.uk The Glasshouse www.glasshouserestaurant.co.uk The Ninth www.theninthlondon.com Trinity www.trinityrestaurant.co.uk Trishna Karam Sethi www.trishnalondon.com Veeraswamy www.veeraswamy.com Yauatcha Soho Cheong Wah Soon www.yauatcha.com
Michelin Guide 2017 United Kingdom
Cambridge
Bray
Beverley
Alimentum Patron Mark Poynton restaurantalimentum.co.uk
Hinds Head Kevin Love www.hindsheadbray.com
Pipe and Glass Inn James Mackenzie www.pipeandglass.co.uk
Fat Duck Heston Blumenthal www.thefatduck.co.uk
Bath Priory www.thebathpriory.co.uk
Bray
Winchester
House of Tides Kenny Atkinson www.houseoftides.co.uk
Black Rat John Marsden-Jones www.theblackrat.co.uk
Pony & Trap Josh Eggleton www.theponyandtrap.co.uk
Oldstead
Isle of Eriska Paul Leonard www.eriska-hotel.co.uk
Purnell’s Glynn Purnell www.purnellsrestaurant.com
Highland
John's House John Duffin www.johnshouse.co.uk
Red Lion Freehouse Guy Manning www.redlionfreehouse.com
Bray
Waterside Inn "Alain Roux & Fabrice Uhryn" www.waterside-inn.co.uk
Perth
Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles Andrew Fairlie www.andrewfairlie.co.uk
Bath
Black Swan Tommy Banks hwww.blackswanoldstead.co.uk Boath House Charlie Lockley www.boath-house.com
Channel Islands - St. Helier
Newcastle Upon Tyne
Argyll & Bute
Loughborough
Petersfield
JSW Jake Saul Watkins jswrestaurant.com
Highland
Bohemia Steve Smith www.bohemiajersey.com
Kinloch Lodge Marcello Tully www.kinloch-lodge.co.uk
Box Tree Simon Gueller www.theboxtree.co.uk
Kitchin Tom Kitchin www.thekitchin.com
Braidwoods Keith Braidwood www.braidwoods.co.uk
L’Ortolan Tom Clarke www.lortolan.com
Hand and Flowers Tom Kerridge www.thehandandflowers.co.uk
Butchers Arms James Winter www.thebutchersarms.net
Lords of the Manor Richard Picard-Edwards www.lordsofthemanor.com
Cumbria
Bybrook at Manor House Hotel Rob Potter www.exclusive.co.uk/the-manorhouse/restaurants-bars/thebybrook
Martin Wishart www.martin-wishart.co.uk
Martin Wishart at Loch Lomond Martin Wishart www.mwlochlomond.co.uk
Cambridge
Carters of Moseley Brad Carter cartersofmoseley.co.uk
Masons Arms Mark Dodson www.masonsarmsdevon.co.uk
Darlington
Casamia Jon Ray & Peter Sanchez www.casamiarestaurant.co.uk
Morston Hall Galton Blackiston www.morstonhall.com
Cross at Kenilworth Adam Bennett www.thecrosskenilworth.co.uk
Northcote Nigel Haworth www.northcote.com
Crown www.thecrownburchettsgreen.com
Number One Jeff Bland www.roccofortehotels.com
Oxfordshire
Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons Gary Jones www.belmond.com/le-manoir-auxquat-saisons-oxfordshire
Devon
Gidleigh Park Michael Wignall gidleigh.co.uk
Marlow
L’Enclume Simon Rogan www.lenclume.co.uk
Cheltenham
Le Champignon Sauvage David Everitt-Matthias www.lechampignonsauvage.co.uk Midsummer House Daniel Cliford www.midsummerhouse.co.uk Raby Hunt James Close www.rabyhuntrestaurant.co.uk
Port Issac
Restaurant Nathan Outlaw Nathan Outlaw www.nathan-outlaw.com
Nottingham
Restaurant Sat Bains Sat Bains www.restaurantsatbains.com
Wiltshire
The Dining Room at Whatley Manor Martin Burge www.whatleymanor.com/restaurantsand-bars/the-dining-room
City of Edinburgh
21212
Winchcombe
5 North St Gus www.5northstreetrestaurant.co.uk
Birmingham
Adam's Adam Stokes www.adamsrestaurant.co.uk
Highland
Albannach Colin Craig www.thealbannach.co.uk
Ilkley
North Ayrshire
Eldersfield
Castle Combe
Birmingham
Bristol
Kenilworth
Burchett's Green Portscatho
Driftwood Chris Eden www.driftwoodhotel.co.uk
Baslow
Fischer’s at Baslow Hall Rupert Rowley www.fischers-baslowhall.co.uk
Grasmere
Forest Side Kevin Tickle www.theforestside.com
Birkenhead
Fraiche Marc Wilkinson www.restaurantfraiche.com
Windermere
Gilpin Hotel & Lake House www.thegilpin.co.uk
Chew Magna
Birmingham
East Chisenbury
West House Graham Garrett www.thewesthouserestaurant. co.uk
Bath
Wilk's James Wilkins www.wilksrestaurant.co.uk
Restaurant Hywel Jones by Lucknam Park Howell Jones www.lucknampark.co.uk/dining/ chefs-at-lucknam
Horsham
Newbury
Woodspeen John Campbell www.thewoodspeen.com
Pateley Bridge
Yorke Arms Frances Atkins www.yorke-arms.co.uk
Reading
Royal Oak Don Chapman www.theroyaloakpaleystreet.com
Bourton-on-the-Water
Simon Radley at Chester Grosvenor Simon Radley www.chestergrosvenor.com/simonradley-restaurant
Walnut Tree Shaun Hill nfo@thewalnuttreeinn.Com The Whitebrook Chris Harrod info@thewhitebrook.co.uk Sosban & The Old Butchers eat@sosbanandtheoldbutchers.com
West Dunbartonshire
Simpsons Andreas Antona www.simpsonsrestaurant.co.uk
Tyddyn Llan Bryan and Susan Webb mail@tyddynllan.co.uk
Knowstone
Sir Charles Napier Gerd Greaves www.sircharlesnapier.co.uk
Ynyshir Gareth Ward info@ynyshir.co.uk The Checkers Stéphane Borie kathryn@checkerswales.co.uk
City of Edinburgh
Blakeney
Blackburn
City of Edinburgh
Murcott
Nut Tree Mike North www.nuttreeinn.co.uk
Channel Islands - La Pulente
Ocean Mark Jordan www.theatlantichotel.com/dining/ ocean-restaurant Channel Islands - St. Helier Ormer by Shaun Rankin Shaun Rankin www.ormerjersey.com
Port Isaac
Outlaw's Fish Kitchen Nathan Outlaw www.outlaws.co.uk/fishkitchen
Ireland
Bray
Chester
Birmingham
Chinnor
Helmsley
Star Inn Andrew Pern www.thestaratharome.co.uk Fife The Cellar
Denbighshire
Powys
Glamorgan
James Sommerin James Sommerin
Waterford
Leeds
Chapter One Ross Lewis info@chapteronerestaurant.com L’Ecrivain Derry Clarke enquiries@lecrivain.com Greenhouse Mickael Viljanen info@thegreenhouserestaurant.ie Heron & Grey Damien Grey heronandgrey@gmail.com
The Man Behind the Curtain Michael O'Hare www.themanbehindthecurtain.co.uk
Hunstanton
The Neptune Kevin Mangeolles heneptune.co.uk
Fife
The Peat Inn Geoffrey Smeddle www.thepeatinn.co.uk
Ambleside
The Samling Nick Edgar www.thesamlinghotel.co.uk
Whitstable
The Sportsman Stephen Harris www.thesportsmanseasalter.co.uk
Kingham
Thomas Carr @ The Olive Room Thomas Carr www.thomascarrchef.co.uk
Peel's at Hampton Manor Hotel Rob Palmer hamptonmanor.com
Treby Arms Anton Piotrowski www.thetrebyarms.co.uk
Hampton in Arden
Anglesey
House at Cliff House Hotel Martijn Kajuiter info@cliffatlyons.ie
Paul Ainsworth at No.6 Paul Ainsworth www.paul-ainsworth.co.uk
Padstow
Monmouthshire
Torquay
The Elephant Simon Hulstone www.elephantrestaurant.co.uk
Oakham
Harrow at Little Bedwyn Roger Jones www.theharrowatlittlebedwyn.com
Bristol
Restaurant Tristan Tristan Mason www.restauranttristan.co.uk
The Wild Rabbit Tim Allen www.thewildrabbit.co.uk
Marlborough
Biddenden
City of Edinburgh
Patrick Guilbaud Patrick Guilbaud www.restaurantpatrickguilbaud.ie
Hambleton Hall Aaron Patterson www.hambletonhall.com
Birmingham
Turners @ 69 Richard Turner www.turnersat69.co.uk
East Grinstead
Gravetye Manor George Blogg www.gravetyemanor.co.uk
Egham
Tudor Room at Great Fosters Hotel Marc Hardiman www.greatfosters.co.uk/dining/ tudor-room/menus
Ilfracombe
Sparkwell
Dublin
Galway
Aniar Enda McEvoy food@aniarrestaurant.ie Loam Enda McEvoy info@loamgalway.com
Kilkenny
Campagne Garrett Byrne info@campagne.ie Lady Helen at Mount Juliet Hotel Ken Harker info@mountjuliet.ie
Belfast
Eipic Danni Barry info@michaeldeane.co.uk OX Stephen Toman info@oxbelfast.com
Ta l k t o t h e C h e f by A n dy Ly n e s
Mark Birchall More Birchall R e a l it y at Moor Hall
After nine years Mark Birchall has stepped out from the shadow of Simon Rogan to open Moor Hall, the most ambitious restaurant the nor th of England has seen since L’Enclume itself. Andy Lynes travelled to Lancashire to discover the man behind what could be Britain’s next multi-Michelin star winning restaurant. 8
Birchall may be reluctant to shout about himself from the rooftops, but that doesn’t prevent him from being opinionated and driven or having a very clear vision of where he wants to take Moor Hall, the restaurant with seven rooms he opened in March this year with business partners and first-time restaurateurs and hoteliers Andy and Tracey Bell in a converted 16th century manor house that’s set in six acres near the west Lancashire village of Aughton.
To call Mark Birchall understated would be, well, an understatement. He is the antiRamsay. His conversational style is so low energy that it reminds me of cult northern stand-up comedian Ted Chippington who achieved brief fame in the 80’s with his dead pan, spoken word version of She Loves You (dial it up on YouTube). He’s so softly spoken, I boost the volume on my computer so I can transcribe our two-hour long chat that covers his cooking style, career so far, his relationship with Simon Rogan and his future plans. Birchall may be reluctant to shout about himself from the rooftops, but that doesn’t prevent him from being opinionated and driven or having a very clear vision of where he wants to take Moor Hall, the restaurant with seven rooms he opened in March this year with business partners and first-time restaurateurs and hoteliers Andy and Tracey Bell in a converted 16th century manor house that’s set in six acres near the west
Lancashire village of Aughton. He’s also great company, with a nice line in self-deprecating humour and a true passion for food, restaurants and hospitality. ‘I always wanted to have something in my own name. No matter how much you do at a restaurant, if someone’s name is above the door, it’s their name, as simple as that,’ says Birchall, who worked for Simon Rogan at L’Enclume for 9 years and was promoted to executive chef before leaving in 2015. ‘When you’re in a position like that, you always get opportunities but I wanted to wait for the right thing. I’d been offered Relais and Chateaux positions, all these country houses, but you’ve just got to hold your nerve and not just jump at the big wage’. The right opportunity presented itself when Lancashire-based property developer Andy Bell celebrated a birthday at Aulis, the chefs table at L’Enclume. ‘I ended up cooking for him and we just got chatting. Mainly because I’m from Chorley in Lancashire, there was a connection’.
Birchall has very fond memories of his tenure at L’Enclume, calling it an ‘amazing time’ with the restaurant going from strength to strength with the award of 10 out 10 by the Good Food Guide and a second Michelin star. ‘I met some amazing people, I wouldn’t change anything, but I’m not in touch with Simon now unfortunately, he doesn’t speak to me’. During the two years it took to open the doors at Moor Hall (the planning application for the extensive renovations of the grade II listed building, formerly a private residence, was 200 pages long and took six months to be approved), Birchall took the opportunity to travel and work week-long stages in some of Europe’s top restaurants including The Ledbury in London with Brett Graham (two Michelin stars), Azurmendi in Bilbao with Eneko Atxa (three Michelin stars) and De Librije in Zwolle, Netherlands with Jonnie Boer (three Michelin stars). 9
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A review in a national newspaper has described Moor Hall as a ‘temple of gastronomy’, and while Birchall’s food is unquestionably ambitious, everything about the experience, from the charcuterie offered with pre-dinner drinks instead of elaborate canapes to the absence of linen tablecloths shouts informality.
‘I spent nine years at L’Enclume and the last thing I wanted to do was open up and be L’Enclume, it had to be different and I think we’ve achieved that,’ says Birchall whose relatively short CV also includes The Walnut Tree and Northcote Manor. ‘I just wanted to see lots of different things, stuff I hadn’t seen before. Not just looking at food but everything. How the food was delivered, how they look after the rooms, handle guests, breakfast-absolutely everything’. Open for just five months when I visited, Birchall admits that ‘there is still a lot of work to do’ not least finishing The Barn, a two-storey building with a casual 65 cover restaurant and bar on the first floor and development and prep kitchen, bakery, butchery and hanging room, dairy (where they will make their own Gouda-style
cheese that’s currently being produced by Martin Gott in Cumbria), charcuterie room and micro-brewery on the ground floor, all with glass frontages so guests can see the produce and the chefs at work. That said, the place looks stunning with a large kitchen garden that’s already producing a vast array of vegetables, herbs, edible flowers and fruit, and a newly built extension housing a large state-of- the-art kitchen (that will make Birchall the envy of many chefs in the UK) and a modern conservatory 50 seat dining room complete with walk-in cheese room stocked with whole 20 kilo wheels of cheese and display wine cellar. ‘I’ve got big aspirations. I feel like we’ve done it so we can achieve anything,’ says Birchall who works lunch and dinner service Wednesday to Saturday beside his brigade of 11 chefs. ‘It’s
important for me to close two days a week so I can concentrate on the other side of the business. We’re shut for holidays as well so there’s no excuse not to be here’. A review in a national newspaper has described Moor Hall as a ‘temple of gastronomy’, and while Birchall’s food is unquestionably ambitious, everything about the experience, from the charcuterie offered with pre-dinner drinks instead of elaborate canapes to the absence of linen tablecloths shouts informality. ‘The Kitchen’s open and we bring guests in a give them a little treat, we’re trying to stimulate guests. We try to make the wine service a little more fun, rather than, “I’m the sommelier, here’s the wine list, I’m going to make you feel a little bit foolish”. We want 11
The dish is completed with anise hyssop (again, from the garden) and gently heated coldsmoked scallops. ‘It was with asparagus when it was in season and we were doing it with crab last week. When something goes out of season you shouldn’t be using it’.
people to feel comfortable, to buy the wine and enjoy it. And that goes throughout, when you arrive as a resident and relax and sit in the lounge, I want to break down all those barriers’. Birchall says he won’t change his 5 and 8 course menus but will change dishes frequently. He’s already on the third iteration of a Tokyo turnip creation made with roasted baby turnips from the garden, sliced and grated salt-baked turnip and a thickened raw turnip ‘dashi’ made with kombu and Douglas fir. The dish is completed with anise hyssop 12
(again, from the garden) and gently heated cold-smoked scallops. ‘It was with asparagus when it was in season and we were doing it with crab last week. When something goes out of season you shouldn’t be using it’. For Birchall, a la carte was out of the question, preferring to ‘give people the best we could give’ by sticking to tasting menus, but he does offer a choice of main course; Goosenargh duckling with beetroot, gooseberry and elderflower or Herdwick lamb with courgette, anchovy and onions on the night I dined. The main course is also
preceded by an unannounced but related additional course, in my case an intensely flavoured ragu of duck made with the offal, leg meat cooked in whey, pickled beetroot, shallot puree and fermented gooseberry, all topped off with crispy shards of duck skin. It was one of the highlights of the meal. ‘It’s a nice surprise I don’t think your expecting, same as the choice, I don’t think you’re expecting a choice on a tasting menu. And if someone doesn’t want something they can change it, it’s a bit brash to say, that’s it, you’re not getting anything else’.
What won’t come as a surprise to anyone familiar with Birchall’s food from L’Enclume will be the inclusion of ‘Retired Holstein, barbecued celeriac, mustard and shallot’ on the menu. It’s the chef’s take on steak tartare, partly inspired by his three-month stage at El Celler de Can Roca that formed part of his prize for winning the Roux Scholarship in 2011. ‘That’s where the charcoal oil in the dish came from. They used to brush gambas and grilled sole with the charcoal oil afterwards just to accentuate it. The Beef is from Lake District
Farmers. It’s a nice thing to use, rather than seeing some old dairy cow go to the knacker’s yard. It wasn’t so much, oh we’ll use that because that’s what they use at Faviken, we just tried it and it was delicious. It’s got a nice amount of fat in there and you end up with a creamy taste. I try and steer away from using products because they’re in fashion, I want to use them because they’re good’. Currently, the majority of Birchall’s customers come from Lancashire, but with Liverpool
and Manchester airports both well under an hour away, it surely won’t be long before he has the world beating a path to his door. ‘We’ve got guests from literally down the road who have eaten in some of the best restaurant in the world, so we kind of got lucky in terms of guests who are coming through the door and some who have eaten 6 or 7 times which is amazing for a 5-monthold restaurant. We’ve got a good following already. We’ll give our all and see what comes with that. I’ll never stop pushing and driving forward, it’s all I’ve ever done’. 13
I n d u s t r y T o p ic b y B e n T i s h I’m not going to pretend that I haven’t fantasied over receiving a Michelin star in my time. Lets be honest, any chef worth their salt has aspired to one or indeed more of those unassuming little asterix. It’s supposedly the holy grail, the ultimate recognition of greatness in the culinary world, well, at least amongst our peers. And therein starts my thoughts.. October sees the annual Michelin Awards UK- a time of great expectation, angst, frustration, anxiety, happiness and deep sadness.
Weeks before announcements the speculation starts- poten-tial leaks from Michelin HQ, inside hot gossip and social me-dia exchanges. It’s an interesting time in our world and as prolific as when the original “one, two and three star awards were created back in 1936. I would argue that Michelin awards and the others such as AA are more important outside of the London bubble. This is Probably down to a lot restaurants being a “destination” or as Michelin would say (at 3 star level anyway) “worth a de-tour” but also in fairly recent years London has spawned hundreds of informal, mid market eateries that fall below the Michelin star level and are more about good value, vibe, style and trend- I don’t mean this 14
Are you
Star Gazing in a negative or derogatory way- I have, after all, been heavily involved in this sector for 11 years and whilst achieving bib gourmands and 2 AA rosettes for all my restaurants was great it was certainly never was top of the priority listjust a nice little feather in the cap, we had the punters, they were happy and returning. Winning a star is a great thing, no question but by God it’s a double edge sword (second hand info of course as I’ve never won one!) after the initial ecstasy of wining has calmed the realization that you have to maintain it sinks in and this is where the Michelin monsters are born. It can turn chefs into overly obsessive narcissists where it’s the Michelin way or the highway- cooking not necessarily for the guests but to tick the boxes
of the guides criteria. And it can become expensive to keep this up- constant updating of the restaurant and kitchen to stay ahead of the game and of course, if you win one then two must be achievable. Sure, it can make a restaurant and usually the phone rings more with the addi-tion of a star but guests expectations are much higher and if you don’t appear to fit in that Michelin box it can be tough. Loose a star and it can be at best highly embarrassing amongst peers or at worst disastrous for business! When Pe-tersham Nurseries in west London won a michelin star a few years ago under the leadership of Skye Glyngel it was a big surprise. The style of food there was very simple in term of technique and presentation whilst still being delicious. This
unusual choice for a Michelin star eventually took a negative spin on the restaurant with the team being under immense pressure from the stress that the star brings in terms of maintenance and intensity and also new customers coming along for a Michelin star experience and complaining that the food didn’t live up to expectations! A good example of how it can backfire. This was the beginning of a turning point in the guides approach-it has been knocked in recent years for its seemingly antiquated systems and an uncompromising preference to classic French style cuisines. Some might say that Michelin responded to this feedback with some odd and overly off mark inclusions to try and show they have their finger on the pulse in terms of
new trends and excellence in different cuisines. Things have calmed a bit but there’s always a raised eyebrow or two when a particular hot/ obscure new venue is included or excluded. It’s com-plicated. I’m not knocking Michelin- as I said I’ve been as obsessed by it as the next chef and it undoubtedly holds the most sway in the culinary awards world hands down. Its good to have this highly regarded, stalwart come round yearly when there seems to be a different award every week for food or restau-rants. However my point is that getting too wrapped up in it all can make chefs loose focus of the only reason restaurants are there- to cook for and serve customers and make them happy
and then for the customers to come back. Not to cook for the guides and box tick the current culinary buzzwords. Sure push the boundaries, improve constantly and be pro-gressive but do it and listen to your customers. If the awards come along as secondary then that’s fantastic! Its something I’ve always tried to install in my teams and I believe it’s as fundamnetal as polishing glasses or chopping an onion. Now excuse me- I’ve got some serious speculating to do and see if there’s any leaks before the awards- I wonder who got that second star this year? Really?? And that new natural wines and British small plates in Hackney that everyone’s touted for a starsurely not, please! 15
T r i e d a n d T e s t e d b y C la i r e B o s i Photography – Ashleigh Cadet
Blade Runners
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There is an old Japanese belief that, once a Chef begins to use a knife in the kitchen, his or her soul enters that knife and therefore you should treat your knife with the same love and respect that you apply to yourself.
Whilst this may not be a belief that every Chef follows, it does go without saying that the knife is one of the most important tools in the kitchen. A well cared for Chefs’ knife will last a long time, perhaps throughout your career. And we all know how important blade sharpness is. A blunt knife is a dangerous knife. Modern Chefs’ knives are multi-purpose, and usually have a blade length of somewhere around 8 inches. These knives perform well at many tasks, rather than just one. A Chefs’ knife can act as a kind of talisman for some. There is a tradition, particularly in France, of a Head Chef presenting a Chef with a knife as a gift when he or she leaves to go to another kitchen. These knives, aside being a useful addition to a knife collection, also mean a great deal emotionally to the Chef leaving. I
have heard it described as akin to taking a piece of that kitchen with you, wherever you go. A very quick Google search on Chefs’ knives for sale throws up many, many options from Japanese, to British, to German and Spanish. Calling on a favour from Gary Jones, Executive Chef at Belmond Le Manoir aux Quats Saisons, I rocked up at his kitchen on a sunny Friday morning, feeling like a Gangster armed with a cache of weapons. The kitchens at Le Manoir is home to around 35 or so Chefs. Inside those kitchens are one of the most relaxed, happy and healthy brigades I have ever seen. Taking staff
welfare extremely seriously, the brigade at Le Manoir are treated like family. The confidence, and contentedness that this brings to the team, shines through every member of staff. I took Gary a selection of Chefs knives, from Manufactured to Bespoke, to ask his opinion on each one. The knives were tested on fresh fennel from the kitchen gardens and, cleverly, on tomatoes. By upturning the knives, and placing a fresh tomato on the blade then simply shaking the knife, Gary was able to quickly ascertain with how much ease the blade sliced through. Engaged though the Chefs were with their tasks for the morning, when I started to unpack and unroll the knives they all had eyes like Imelda Marcos in a Louboutin store…
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Tramontina 10 inch blade:
I.O Shen 9 ½ inch:
Savernake Chefs knife 8 inch:
Brazilian made. Stainless steel blade. Handle, polycarbonate & fiberglass. Thermally treated blade.
Triplex steel technology, hard steel sandwiched between two layers of softer stainless steel. Japanese made with specialist Tai Tang injection-moulded handle.
British designed. Artisan makers.. Sandvik 14C28N Stainless Steel. Characteristic finger nook. Stabilised and unstabilised woods, Gunmetal matte finish.
“I love the Japanese look this knife has. It feels sturdy, though I would say the blade is a touch too long for me. Lovely handle work, with a smooth finish, though the steel does stand slightly proud at the heel. The blade sharpness is great with a good balance between steel and handle. Much thought has been given to the design and endurance of the handle”.
“I cannot think of many bespoke Chef knife makers in the UK. This is a real treat for me to see. From the outset, I love the matt blade and the Artisanal feel. There is a huge move in the industry toward Artisanal, not only in regard to produce, but also to tableware and knives. The look of these “floats my boat”. These knives feel like genuine Chefs tools. The finish and comfort of the handle is far superior to its competitors. I would like to see the blade a touch sharper but, as these are bespoke made, I guess that is something you discuss “in-house” with the designers”.
“Good usability. However, for me, this blade is unnecessarily long. An eight inch would have been a much better knife. Good sharpness to the blade and standard, but comfortable handle. A great Value knife, and one which would be a good starter knife for a collection” Overall impression: Workhorse
Price £42.25
Wusthof Classic 20cm: German made, forged from one piece of specially tempered high carbon steel. Triple riveted handle, made of synthetic material, hygienic handle fit. “Feeling slightly on the heavy side, you can tell this knife has been solidly made. The handle shape is fine with a good grip, though I feel the finish is a little shiny, it feels ‘processed’. The blade has a standard shape, yet is easy to roll. Great Sharpness on the blade. Slight concern about the spine of the blade standing proud of the handle, this could leak to cracks appearing after a lot of use. All in all, though, a fantastic brand and reliable general purpose Chefs’ knife”. Overall impression: Workhorse Price £86.99
Flint & Flame 8 inch: High quality German Carbon steel, ergonomic handle incorporating “Centre Point Balance” technology & ”Zero Pressure Point” design. British design.
Overall impression: Workhorse Price £120.00
Robert Welsh 8 inch blade: Fully forged German 1.4116 stainless steel. British design, ergonomic handle.
Overall impression: Unique and Aspirational “This knife has a very good, very sharp blade, with a good rocking action. The gentle curve of the blade is quite distinctive, but it means the knife has a smooth, easy cut. The handle is subtle and comfortable, but prone to being a bit slippery. However, the overall fit and finish, for the price of the knife, is fantastic value”. Overall impression: Workhorse Price £48.00
Florentine Three SS wood and leather: Spanish designed and made. Sandvik’s 14C28N 8 inch Stainless steel. High hardness, easy resharpening of blade.
“A very smart looking knife, the tapered end to the handle is surprisingly comfortable, though I would like to see the main body of the handle a little less broad. The blade sharpness is great, it’s a very practical knife. I particularly like the way the steel is attached to the handle. When I first saw the knife, I thought it would be a case of design over usability. I was wrong. This is an extremely versatile knife.”
“My initial reaction to this knife, looking at it from a professional Chefs’ angle, is that I don’t like the handle. Too flashy, prone to be a bit high maintenance in care, and potentially prone to damage. I am not keen on the design. It reminds me of a fishing knife. However, that was before I tested it. What a blade! One of the best blades that I have come across. Superb, precise, and fine. Too over gilded for me, personally – it is a knife that I would happily use in a demonstration situation, or a fantastic gift knife. But, because of the design, perhaps not a knife I would use all day, every day”.
Overall impression: Statement knife Price £170.00
Overall impression: Aspirational Price: £273.00
Price: Core models in the region of £280 £300. Bespoke from £750 To summarise, it appears that many knife manufacturers are using much research and development of their products in order to supply Chefs’ with the best tool available. Clearly, the more you spend, the higher quality the knife. However, the better value knives are by no means falling behind. They may be less intricate, more simply designed and use different steels, but they offer a great knife to sit within a collection. And every chef, at some point in their career, deserves to treat themselves and invest in a statement, or aspirational knife. With thanks to Gary Jones at Le Manoir aux Quats Saisons Ashleigh Cadet Photography Flint & Flame UK Savernake Knives Robert Welsh Florentine I.O. Shen Tramontina Wusthof
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i n d u s t r y t o p ic E a ti n g H a b it s b y M y f R y a n
WESTFIELD
REVEALS
LONDON'S
DINING
HABIT 22
London, a city of generous, tech-hungry brunch addicts Meal time behaviours provide insight into the lifestyle demands of today’s shopper
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The study from the leading shopping and dining destination dives deep into the experience of dining in the UK, interviewing 2,000 foodies, across five key areas eating out, eating in, technology, attitudes and food shopping – that shape the dinner table of today and tomorrow. The Food Edit cements Westfield’s place at the heart of the world’s culinary capital and the destination where world cuisines meet immersive technologies. Simply, London’s diners are more engaged in their food choices than ever before. Key findings from the report include * 23% of space-squeezed Londoners usually eat in their bedrooms * We’re a city of artisan foodies — 30% want to smoke their own fish! ●● Londoners are the bravest diners with over half (56%) eating out alone once a month against only 40% outside the capital ●● 72% of Londoners love cooking ●● The average Londoner spends 35 minutes eating their dinner, 13% longer than the rest of the UK
●● 1.1 million of the capital’s foodies have dropped phones in the quest for the perfect food snap
are more than 60% more likely to order restaurant delivery than any other region versus a national average of 45%.
1. Eating out – chains vs pop-ups
3. Technology – Robots, holograms and dropped phones
70% of Londoners eat out at least once a week - far more than the rest of the UK. While nearly 60% of the nation’s adults cook and eat at home at least 6 days a week, only 48% of Londoners do the same. In fact, driven by smaller kitchens, no space to host, and enticed by greater choice, 7 in 10 Londoners have dinner out at least weekly. Food-venturous Londoners still enjoy chain restaurants, but are twice as likely to opt for a pop-up restaurants than just 14% of the rest of the country.
2. Eating in – tiny flats call for Deliveroo! Almost a quarter of the capital eats dinner in the bedroom! And not for amorous reasons but due to lack of space. A squeezed 37% of Londoners can only fit two people in their kitchens. Lazy London’s use of meal delivery services is also double the national average at 1 in 5. For nights in, we look to bring restaurant flavours home to enjoy quality food in the comfort of pyjamas. Londoners
When it comes to eating out, Londoners are more open to being surrounded by futuristic technologies in restaurants. 40% of Londoners would like to see holographic menus to avoid food envy with only 33% interested around the country. Be it to revolutionise the dining experience or avoid waiters, 39% of aloof London diners would rather order from a robot. Our obsession with mixing food and tech is proving costly; an unlucky 1.1 million phone owners have dropped their devices in food or drink in the effort to get the perfect social post in the capital.
4. Attitudes – Drunch, generous tips and eating insects A city obsessed with the late morning prosecco-and-avocado-fest, 4.2
Your main knife, the workhorse that you use day-in, day-out. We want to make the knife you truly want, not just one that you have to make do with. We take what’s in your head and turn it in to cold hard steel. Once you go bespoke, you’ll never look back: be part of the re-invention of the chef’s knife • Only weeks from concept to completion • A working prototype tested by yourself • The very finest stainless steel from Sweden • Non-permeable, tough and beautiful handles • Limitless engraving options • A bespoke sheath or case for each knife • Made entirely by us in Wiltshire
+44 (0) 1672 870 120 | bespoke@savernakeknives.co.uk | www.savernakeknives.co.uk
The Food Edit cements Westfield’s place at the heart of the world’s culinary capital and the destination where world cuisines meet immersive technologies. Simply, London’s diners are more engaged in their food choices than ever before.
million Londoners enjoy brunch weekly. Evolving the traditional three-meal day, a huge 64% have now adopted Drunch, the new lunch/dinner fusion; more than double the amount outside the capital. Sociable Londoners are quick to publish their food experiences — 35% love to share their food snaps on Instagram before they dig in. In a nation averse to tipping, Londoners are the most generous in the country; capitaldwellers are almost twice as likely to leave a tip regardless of quality of service.
Further proving themselves ahead of the curve, 25% of Londoners have tried the latest high protein ingredient – insects against just 12% of the UK. Over half of us (57%) opt for alternative milks - including almond and goat’s milk - to go alongside our morning caffeine kick, with only 40% outside of London.
5. Food Shopping – Hipsters, coffee snobs and bagel bakeries Additional research found that hipster capital dwellers are most interested in artisan foods, with almost 30% keen to smoke their
own fish and 20% fancying themselves as cheesemakers. They also love local bread stores — 53% want a bagel bakery nearby, and 54% would rather meet in a good coffee shop than a pub. Westfield's Chief Marketing Officer, Myf Ryan, comments: “With two centres in London, Westfield is truly connected to the evolving palettes and demands of the capital’s foodie culture. With 5.4 million meals eaten out in the capital each week, we will be acting upon the findings with our retailers aiming to excite Londoners’ evolving palettes.”
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P r o p e r t y b y K at e T a y l o r , Da v i s C o f f e r L y o n s
Kate Taylor
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Setting up a new restaurant, particularly for the first time can be a daunting process. Whilst the restaurant industry continues to benefit from strong fundamentals, many operators are vying for position in a climate of mounting cost pressures. Demand remains high and competition fierce for good sites, especially in prime and popular locations with plentiful footfall and good transport links; it’s not an easy market to navigate without support. With the stakes so high, one alternative, lower risk avenue available to chefs who have already established a good reputation is to partner with a hotel. The structure can vary from a management agreement where the hotel partner may put in much of the capex, to a more ‘arm’s length’ transaction in the form of a lease, where the accommodation is self-contained, for example, with its own separate access. The prospect of lower fit-out costs and turnoverbased remuneration as opposed to paying a market rent can be compelling, but there are a number of factors to take into consideration when looking at this route. There is likely to be a requirement to provide the hotel’s breakfast offering, and in some cases, room service too. The hotelier is, understandably, likely to take a
close interest in the proposition and business, given the reputational relationship. Chefs are less likely to have free reign in terms of making changes to their style of operation and service as they would have in their own site; choosing the right partner to work with is vital. One very successful example of this has been Marcus Wareing’s The Gilbert Scott at the Renaissance Hotel, St Pancras, a partnership deal Davis Coffer Lyons secured in 2010 and is still going strong. If pursuing premises directly with a landlord, the appetite by the nation’s most prominent property-owners for quality and bespoke restaurant concepts remains insatiable. Everyone is seeking the next big thing in the foodie revolution to cement their focus on place-making and driving footfall through a point of difference. Whilst rent and premiums for the top sites remain high, such is the power of a game-changing restaurant, then depending on the scheme landlords can sometimes be willing to sacrifice covenant and to a limited extent, commercial elements, to secure the most appealing restaurant propositions particularly those with an established fan base or social media following in place (a currency in
its own right). This can open up opportunities for new entrants and creative independents who have proven to be the most interesting part of the market as consumers continue to search for authenticity and innovation. Chefs are increasingly looking at pop-up and shorter term opportunities as a more costeffective entry point to the market. From supper clubs to food trucks to immersive dining experiences, temporary food experiences have become a thriving part of urbanised culture around the world. In some instances, a number of barriers to entry are taken care of in that it may mean ready access to a fitted premises with a kitchen, requiring only cosmetic refurbishment, and even an alcohol licence, or more limited fit out costs than would be attached to a ‘permanent’ site. The opportunities often reside in temporarily vacant units awaiting development, shipping container ‘villages’ like Pop Brixton, or those we have recently let for British Land at Broadgate near Liverpool Street Station. Likewise, supper clubs have opened up the industry by allowing young chefs to experiment with paying guests through using under-utilised kitchens in local pubs, unusual venues or even
homes. It’s paved the way for new players to build a business plan and enter the market who otherwise may have never been able to take the financial risks involved with raising funds, paying rent, paying staff and so on. It also provides the ideal platform to trial a concept but to gain exposure generally, to capture not only public interest but get on the radar of the top landlords. Successful alumni include James Ramsden, who went from running the Secret Larder supper club in his sitting room to launching Michelin-starred Pidgin in Hackney and more recently Magpie in Heddon Street. Perilla now has a permanent home in Stoke Newington following pop ups in Dalston and Dulwich. Foodie thrill seekers will readily travel for new experiences; there are more opportunities in fringe and peripheral locations and the rise of destinations such as Pop Brixton offer environments where a number of operators collectively provide a draw, coupled with events. “Casualisation” has been a theme in recent years, with a number of chefs launching diffusion brands and offers at a lower price points than their fine dining restaurants, and this continues, particularly in retail
environments; with James Cochran N1 launching at the Angel Centre in Islington. We are seeing the emergence of dual concepts that blend an accessible element with a premium experience, for example, the Fitzrovia site that is home to both Bubbledogs and Kitchen Table – offering a ‘saleable’ and very enticing entry point for all consumers, with a more niche, high-end restaurant offering within. However you decide to showcase your concept to a potential landlord, a strong landlord pack is absolutely essential. It needs to look slick, have your pedigree and press, give a good feel for your intended operation, with sample menus and an idea of design. It also needs to prove your credibility; how are you funded, and mention any notable or experienced investors you have working alongside you. Whilst the landlords we work with are generally much more understanding of the need to support and foster the genuine and exciting talent that resides within our industry to prevent homogenisation and customer fatigue, it’s certainly crucial that you do everything you can to showcase your concept’s highest potential and know exactly how and why you will appeal to your customers. 27
Chef Business by Suzanne Lindfors
Ag a i nst the Grain R a z H e l a l at
A s m o r e r e s ta u r a n t s explore their options outside t h e c a p i ta l , o n e s ma l l , i n d e p e n d e n t Brighton steakhouse is e x pa n d i n g t o a n e w, l u x u r i o u s d e v e l o p m e n t at Tower Bridge. A s av v y b u s i n e s s decision or a foolish move? We m e e t t h e ma n b e h i n d the Coal Shed to f i n d o u t w h at ’ s d r i v e n h i m t o ta k e t h i s r i s k y s t e p. 28
Raz’ vision for the Coal Shed was always clearly defined: dry-aged, locally-sourced meat cooked over a charcoal-burning Josper grill – the ultimate chef’s toy. Powerful, tricky to master and expensive, meat, fish and vegetables are grilled at ferociously high temperatures, achieving that characteristic marking while retaining their natural moisture and flavour.
Raz Helalat cuts a confident, enthusiastic figure when we meet at the Coal Shed, his chic, cosy restaurant in an unlikely location down a side street at the edge of Brighton’s Lanes. He happened upon the site six years ago and immediately saw its potential. “This building was never designed to be a restaurant,” he laughs. “For a long time, it was a rundown pub with accommodation upstairs which had been left to rot. I’d been running other restaurants for some time in Brighton but never opened one myself. No agents wanted to take a chance on us. Nobody knew who we were, plus we had a skeletal budget. Luckily, one agent had faith and showed us this place. We renovated the whole building, had to strip everything back. It was a huge learning curve.” Raz’ vision for the Coal Shed was always clearly defined: dry-aged, locally-sourced meat cooked over a charcoal-burning Josper grill – the ultimate chef’s toy. Powerful, tricky to master and expensive, meat, fish and vegetables are grilled at ferociously high
temperatures, achieving that characteristic marking while retaining their natural moisture and flavour. “When we opened in 2011, very few people were using Jospers, and we were certainly ahead of our time in Brighton,” says Raz. “We quickly realised we badly needed more space. This lovely restaurant has served us extremely well, but from very early on we outgrew it. We’ve had to limit our menu to what the kitchen can do, rather than going in the direction we want.” A five-year search for suitable new premises in Brighton had been proving unsuccessful: demand for new development wasn’t huge, nor had Raz managed to find the perfect existing site that ticked all the Coal Shed’s boxes. When an opportunity arose at One Tower Bridge – a prestigious new riverside development of high-spec apartments, commercial and cultural space – he decided to go for it. “Our kitchen in Brighton is one small room - a real struggle on busy nights when we’ve seven chefs on the go – plus we have
no waiting area for customers. With the new place, we’re working on a blank canvas; we’ve been lucky enough to design the kitchen and restaurant exactly as we want it.” Central London had never been somewhere Raz had previously considered. “Everyone’s heard horror stories about opening in central London, so we were always keen to avoid that area. Leave it to the big boys! We had thought about the outskirts – Guildford, Chiswick, Barnes – affluent neighbourhoods with decent commuter links. And if the site at Tower Bridge had been stand-alone, it would have been a definite no. Opening in that location is a huge ask for anyone, much less someone like us. The draw was firstly the developer – Berkeley is one of the UK’s biggest and best. Then there’s the incredible location and sheer size of the place: 400 apartments, the 900-seater Bridge theatre, the luxury Lalit Hotel. The Ivy has already opened there, with Rosa’s Thai and Tom Simmons coming up too. They’ve definitely spread the mix.” 29
Dave Mothersill 30
“Conveying to new staff what style of food you want and how the place needs to feel is so difficult, so we’re promoting Salt Room head chef Dave Mothersill to Group Head Chef. He’ll be overseeing the move to London. He has been crucial in both our restaurant openings to date, and just gets my vision. It’s only right that he should oversee the whole operation along with his amazing protégé Laura Petersen, currently Executive Pastry Chef.
The Coal Shed’s Brighton menu – Modern British with a focus on North Highland steak - will be echoed in London with the inclusion of more rare-breed cuts and fish. “We want to take what we’ve learned both at the Coal Shed and Salt Room (Raz’s seafood restaurant on Brighton’s prom, which opened in 2015) and evolve it. We’re known down here as a Josperled steak restaurant, but in London the Josper will be just one of a few pieces of kit that lends itself to cooking over fire, smoke, charcoal and wood. We’re bringing in Robata grilling, Planchas, smokers, inductions. We’re building a much more serious kitchen.” With recruitment in the industry getting tougher, and agency fees proving expensive if new members of staff repeatedly don’t work out, staff retention is a big deal for Raz. “Staff welfare has always been paramount to us, which is why people stay with us for a long time,” he says. “Conveying to new staff what style of food you want and how the place needs to feel is so difficult, so we’re promoting Salt Room head chef Dave Mothersill to Group Head Chef. He’ll be overseeing the move to London. He has been crucial in both our restaurant openings to date, and just gets my vision. It’s only right that he should oversee the whole operation along with his amazing protégé Laura Petersen, currently Executive Pastry Chef. “We’re also bringing our Coal Shed GM Fiona Graves with us to settle the new team, and head bartender Matt Ottley – voted Best
Barkeep at the 2017 Brighton’s Best Restaurant Awards – will be heading up too. Naturally we won’t take our eye off the ball in Brighton during the first few months either – two-thirds of our business remains here. It’s very rare for someone from a place like Brighton to do what we’re doing – restaurants usually expand outside London. Because of this, we really want our Brighton team to open the new place, and we’ll definitely be shouting about where we come from and flying the Brighton and Sussex flags.” Raz’ excitement and positivity about opening at such an upmarket, iconic location is infectious – but he’s not going into this blinkered. “This is easily our biggest challenge yet. Opening any restaurant is a huge risk – every restaurateur will tell you that. There are no guarantees anything will work out. Look at some chefs: they have immense talent but open in the wrong locations, or price too high, or don’t quite get what their customers want. Despite their track record, they fail.” He’s confident, and with good reason. This is a man who clearly has an eye and instinct for what works – both his restaurants have made it onto Brighton’s Best Restaurants top 20 list for two years running. “When we opened the Coal Shed in 2011, people said – you’re crazy, it’s a rundown backstreet pub, we’re still in recession, who needs a high-end steak restaurant. Same with the Salt Room – it was a derelict site next to the seafront Hilton Hotel which nobody had
made work for a decade, but all I saw was a prime site for a sophisticated, contemporary fish restaurant.” Are there any immediate obstacles Raz predicts for their opening in October? “While the development will bring a lot of people to the area – the theatre will have a couple of shows daily for a start – it’ll be a big job to let diners know who we are and what we do, and to gain their trust. We’re going to have to work bloody hard! There are a lot of restaurants in London, we know we have to step up our game and dig deep. Look, Brighton is small: a half-decent restaurant opens and within a month, everyone knows about it. In London, you can have a restaurant for years and nobody will have heard of you. We’ll be targeting the local area, focusing on those who live and work a 15-20 minute walk away, and if the ripples reach further out – fantastic. “We received the keys in July and memories of opening the Brighton restaurant came flooding back. I was having hot flushes. But this is an amazing opportunity and, as I keep saying to my staff, one we won’t have again, so let’s go for it. People may see us doing steaks on the Josper and presume we’re similar to the Hawksmoor, Goodman, Gaucho – fantastic brands whose success we’d be more than happy to achieve. But they have their own style and hopefully ours will differentiate us from the rest. How will we stand out? You’ll have to wait and see.” 31
T e s t o f T a s t e B y C la i r e B o s i
The E x tended B r i g a de F o r ma n y, ma n y y e a r s , h i g h profile Chefs and kitchens h av e p r o u d ly s tat e d h o w e v e r y t h i n g i s ma d e “ i n h o u s e � . L o n g , l ab o r i o u s h o u r s o f ma k i n g t h r e e d i f f e r e n t t y p e s o f b r e a d , pa i n s ta k i n g e f f o r t s o f c r y s ta l l i s i n g f l o w e r s o r h e r b s , pa s t r y c h e f s t e m p e r i n g a way i n e n v i r o n m e n t s t h at c a n g e t a l i t t l e t o o wa r m , a n d o v e r s i z e p o t s b u bb l i n g a way i n t h e k i t c h e n p r o d u c i n g m e at, f i s h a n d v e g e tab l e s s t o c k s h av e b e e n c o mm o n p l a c e f o r well over a century or two. 32
Whilst all the effort, dedication and hard work that going the extra mile and doing it all yourself, is hugely commendable, there is a now a breed of producers and manufacturers that are taking on the role of “extended brigade”. By working closely with Chefs and ensuring products are delivered to the required consistency and cost, modern thinking Chefs can both ensure that they can rely on their producers and, importantly, begin the process of making their brigades working day that little bit easier. For a while, it has been a widespread industry view that the working hours in a professional kitchen can just be too harsh. Chefs and Restaurateurs are aware of this, and some are taking measures to ease the pressure so commonly associated with working in a kitchen. Executive Chef Gary Jones, at Belmond Le Manoir aux Quats Saisons acknowledges this, “My staff are the family and the heart of this Le Manoir. Gone are the aggressive, shouting days of kitchen managing. Firm, confident control is where it is at. Encouraging your staff to work together, to rely on each other, to be healthy and not exhausted, and to be proud of their work. Anything I can do, to make my staffs’ working day easier and more efficient, provided the absolute quality is there, I will”. TRUEfoods was the vision of Mitch Mitchell. Mitch established his career within the hospitality and the food manufacturing industries. Beginning his career as a Chef (BTH trained), Mitch spent time in Germany & the UK. Working through the ranks to become
Head Chef in country house hotels and larger five star properties, he became the Executive Chef to their majesties King Hussein and Queen Noor of Jordan. Upon returning to the UK he worked for a number of major UK food producers working his way again through the ranks from Development Chef to become Development Director, accountable for product development across a number of sites throughout the UK that produced chilled foods for major high street multiples. With Mitch’s strong culinary background and his on-going passion for good food he wanted to return to a food environment that harnessed culinary craft skills. Ten years ago, with an investment of £50,000, Mitch and Jack took possession of a small unit on an industrial estate in Melmerby, Ripon. Starting the business with a couple of ordinary stock pots and an induction stove, Jack and Mitchs’ self-belief and vision of TRUEfoods, the relentless strive for perfection and complete dedication to the industry are key factors in their success. The company is now in larger premises, on the same industrial estate and turns over multimillion pounds a year. How does a company grow so much, so quickly? Shortly after they took the plunge and launched TRUEfoods, Mitch presented his stocks to a potential client. All went well and following the meeting, he was asked to supply “17”. Mitch jokes that he though they meant 17 litres. He was wrong, they meant 17 pallets. A complete game changer for the company, and
a client they still hold to this day. From a work force of two, to a team of almost 100. Mitch now employs health and safety managers, HR personnel, sales staff and office staff, aside from the guys producing the stocks. The ethic and working practices are uncompromising; one team one business who work hard to deliver the best they can. A kitchen garden has been lovingly tendered, just over the road from the unit. A flock of Hens cluck around it, supplying the staff with fresh eggs to take home and calm environment to hold team meetings and lunch in. Standard and consistency are maintained and regularly challenged. The team are always looking to perfect and refine, and consider efficiencies. Learnings are shared, and successes are celebrated. TRUEfoods motto; ‘fine’ is just not good enough. The stocks are made in the traditional way, as chefs would in their own kitchens. Not made in large mechanised factories, they use large production kitchens. Mitch and Jack have a fan base of some of the most influential 1, 2 & 3 Michelin starred chefs cooking today. Working on bespoke stock recipes for some, supplying core TRUEfoods stock to others. Whereas many producers would be shouting to the hills about the calibre of the Chefs involved with the business, Mitch and Jack are humbled by it. All ingredients are meticulously sourced, where appropriate bones are roasted. Much research has been undertaken in the choice of bones used, to ensure the meat to fat ratio is balanced, only British bones are used 33
and a direct source of Spring water runs to the kitchens. Made slowly, with precision and care, the stocks are never rushed and always passed twice through double muslin. Ingredients come in and are cooked on a daily basis, they carry hardly any stock of produce. The team work on a shift pattern, and the unit is only quiet and non-operational for two hours a day. Guaranteeing consistency in clarity, depth of flavour and quality, TRUEfoods gives Chefs the reassurance that, to excuse the pun, “taking stock” of their products is by no way dampening the end result, the Chefs creations. There are no added flavour enhancers, or life extenders. It is the stock you would make yourselves – without all the lost man-hours, stove space and mess. So a fond Farewell to the days of leaving a stock pot on overnight, or constantly removing it from the stove during service, letting it cool, and then putting it back on the stove postservice. That process is an inefficient use of time and energy, and a potentially harmful way of making stock. TRUEfoods are BRC Double A Grade accredited. In a hospitality world where we now have to document everything and provide full disclosure and clear traceability, that in itself provides safe and legal reassurances. The core of the company is chilled fresh stocks, complimented by sauces, and terrines. More recently, however, Mitch, Jack and the team have created a savoury bakery for pies and tarts. 34
The TRUEfoods hand-crafted artisan Bakery produces a wide range of pies, quiches, tarts and more. Ranging from pies such as ‘Cheeky Beef, Goosnargh Chicken & Ham’ to the outstanding ‘Salmon, Spinach & Saffron Sauce’. Mitch and his team work with you to produce bespoke products using your own recipes. TRUEfoods clients range from High end retail, such as Waitrose, for whom they produce the “HESTON from Waitrose” stocks & sauce. Other clients include wholesale, contract caters, leisure & restaurants, many of whom are Michelin starred. So, with a fully fledged business model, a fabulous list of Michelin starred Chef fans and exposure through businesses such as Waitrose, you would think that the team at TRUEfoods would perhaps take it easy a little. But then they installed their Kitchen Chefs table. Described as the “hottest dining experience in Yorkshire”, the team at TRUEfoods open up their development kitchen to host a twicemonthly chefs’ table. Feeling slightly as though I was in familiar territory, it struck me that I was. TRUEfoods cleverly transported and used the Electrolux Grande Cuisine development kitchen that had been originally been built in Hibiscus. Mitch, Aled Williams and Hugh Carruthers prepare, cook and serve food for up to six guests at a time. Aled cooked a dish for me that much thought had gone into; fried-poached egg with sweetcorn, fennel
and a “muesli” of grains and seeds. I then had his famed “fish and chips’ – dover sole surrounded by spiralised potato, sitting on crushed peas with a tartare sauce beurre blanc and Amalfi lemon. A far cry from the service station sandwich I was expecting on the way home, I then was served a gorgeous vanilla pannacotta, with elderflower jelly and freeze dried raspberries and strawberries. Could this be the first Michelin starred restaurant in a food production unit, on an industrial estate, in the world? If the inspectors can get a table booked, then, in my opinion, absolutely it can. Mitch and Jack are a couple that never stop pushing boundaries, and TRUEfoods a company that delivers what it promises, and then some. But at the heart of TRUEfoods is family. Their own son works for the company, and every member of staff is made to feel like a family member. Even I was. Upon (reluctantly) leaving for my 4 hour journey home, I was given a chocolate bar for the road “in case I got tired” and told to “phone when I get back, just in case”. Thomas Keller is a huge fan of both the couple and their products. Not one to mince his words, or be over flamboyant, Chef Kellers words to his peers considering working with Mitch and Jack? “TRUEfoods stocks are Awesome” There really is very little left to say!
10TH
Anniversary
At TRUEfoods we make stock exactly the same way any high calibre Chef would; without compromise. Bones are roasted where appropriate before a long slow cook, then passed through double muslin twice.
35
T a l k t o t h e C h e f b y J o L am i r i
Chris M c C o r mi c k Given that his kitchen covers a whole square mile across five campuses and caters for 27,000 students from 150 countries, Chris MacCormick looks remarkably unruffled – and uncheffy, in an immaculate pink shirt and grey trousers – when he strides into the reception at Kings College London to meet me. As he spends much time moving from campus to campus, I almost expected him to be wearing state-of-the-art running shoes. He laughs: “Yes, there’s lots of travel, so I’ve got good shoes!” 36
Being high end, Bush House has got to be a different bag, with Asian live theatre, modern European and healthy dishes. We already have massive tenants booked in and, ultimately, my aim is to have the same quality of food on every campus as we will have in Bush House – which will happen but not as quickly as I want it to.
Many chefs find their culinary groove and stick to it but Chris has run the gamut of every genre: seven years of corporate cuisine at Nomura, a short stint at Zebrano, overseeing food operations at 580-room Double Tree at Hilton and now, in his latest reincarnation, executive chef at one of the world’s most prestigious universities. He readily admits that it’s been a diverse journey from his native Scotland to some of the capital’s most challenging kitchens. Although Chris joined KCL as executive chef just two months before this interview, he is already starting to revamp the university’s food offerings – not to mention the forthcoming opening of two high-profile, high-end sites. “There’s a lot going on. I’m really enjoying it – every day is different and it’s never dull. I am doing everything from menus to alumni dinners and, tonight, a dinner for the principal.” Chris patently thrives on variety and a challenge. In 2008 he started working at Nomura, a Japanese investment bank in the City. “That was another exciting project. The client just said, ‘design your kitchen’. Starting the kitchen from scratch gave me carte blanche to do barbecues, market tables, bowl food in a great space with a sixth-floor Thames-side terrace for barbecues and a kitchen garden run by three ladies on the switchboard. We’d sit there in the winter and plan our crops. “Being Restaurant Associates it was all highend executive dining and hospitality, with a great pool of chefs. My food was modern European with wasabi and dashi for umami. A Japanese chef prepped the bento boxes, sushi and sashimi and he’d give us guidelines to avoid offending the traditional Japanese clients! It was a huge operation – which helps me here, even though that was corporate and this is educational. The next stop was a different departure. “In January 2016, the owners of acclaimed
brasserie/bar/club Zebrano in Soho asked me to launch a third branch in the City, setting up my own kitchen again. This time, I took a risk and went all-electric, partly because it’s open plan and if you’re sitting at the chef’s table you don’t want a lot of heat to be generated We had an Athanor, probably the best piece of equipment I’ve ever been involved with: a plancha with five plates and a salamander. The whole place was very high spec – in fact, the architect won an award for best bar in the world – so, being on show with only a wine wall between the stove and the diners, the kitchen had to be very clean, clinical and uncluttered. Having a few trusted, experienced chefs who have worked with you before is invaluable when opening a new venture. One of my favourite innovations was a feast board – big wooden boards in the shape of chicken, cow, pig, sheep. The beef one, for example, had ox cheek doughnuts – a doughnut with savory spice, a bit of sweetness and heat filled with ox cheek and apple puree, malt-braised rump, braised oxtail and short rib and sirloin. Vegetables and starch would be light as it was mainly about the meat.
the South Bank, staff dining, grab and go, theatre, lots of retail. We also have Science Gallery opening in spring 2018. Chris is obviously enjoying the sheer breadth of what’s on offer. “Our Strand site is the flagship but the lunch offer varies from campus to campus. We have lots of Muslim students, so there’s no pork and a lot of the meat is halal, and with 40% Asian students, there are Asian dishes on offer too – I love Asian food and trying new flavour combinations. The techniques are fantastic. When we launch the new menus, there will be raw food diets and we’ve just introduced a couple of fresh smoothies – raw fruit and veg, no sugar – which have really taken off. “Being high end, Bush House has got to be a different bag, with Asian live theatre, modern European and healthy dishes. We already have massive tenants booked in and, ultimately, my aim is to have the same quality of food on every campus as we will have in Bush House – which will happen but not as quickly as I want it to.
Doing his own thing is partly what attracted Chris to KCL after being headhunted. “I wasn’t too sure at first – I was thinking school dinners, frozen, bought-in food, institutional dining. But I was pleasantly surprised. The standard is really good and a lot of management is new so they want to drive things forward. I’ve been brought on board to make it more contemporary and exciting, providing a better quality of food”
Not content with so much frenetic activity, Chris is also adding a cookery school so the students can improve their culinary skills, offering basic knife skills and sauces, then building up to something more elaborate. And to keep his team on their toes, he’s introduced a chefs’ forum, where kitchen staff can network, swap ideas and enjoy some fun cookery challenges. There’s even a street food van arriving in four weeks, serving wine, prosecco, sharing plates, and King’s burgers on the riverside terrace.
It’s going to take a patient approach, as Chris is working to a two-year timeframe. “You can’t change things overnight – but I’ve already implemented new ideas. My more urgent remit is that Bush House is opening across the road from the Strand campus – hospitality: two terraces, one overlooking
But despite such myriad changes, Chris is keeping his feet on the ground. “The challenge right now is that we’ve just employed a couple of sous chefs. Just adapting to this sector has been a challenge but I don’t look at it as education. I love a challenge!” 37
M e e t t h e S u p p l i e r J G B e ll e r b y
T h e c r ea m of t h e C ro p
The year is 1890, the place, Killinghall in North Yorkshire. T h e B e l l e r b y fam i ly, and their ancestors before them, with a herd of around 2 5 F r i e s i a n c at t l e produced milk and c r e am o n t h e i r w o r k i n g fa r m , for the local c o mm u n i t y. 38
Leap forward by 127 years or so, and JG Bellerbys has become, not only a dairy supplier, but a seven days per week, key wholesale supplier to iconic businesses in, and around, Yorkshire. A partnership with Paynes dairies proved a great success and they began to process the milk for Bellerbys, eventually taking over that operation and incorporating milk and cream from other Paynes dairy farms in the local area. Still run from the original family farm site, the company was eventually sold in 2013 when Caroline & Gordon Bellerby decided to take their retirement. Upon negotiation with new owner Charles Payne, the Bellerbys’ had a couple of requests. One, that the company would continue to run the same from the ground level up. This was agreed, and all the original staff stay to this day, with the exception of their one new addition, Luke. The second request, that their 250 strong herd of Holstein Friesian cattle would be retired out onto Bellerby farm pasture.
Keen to give their customers as many products as they require, without expanding too quickly, the 9 strong team at JG Bellerby believe that in order to supply a customer to the full potential, you must first understand their needs and requirements. Much time is taken to work with customers and introduce new product lines. This one-on-one service approach sets aside JG Bellerbys from peer companies. Through their years of supplying the foodservice industry, the team discovered it common that customers wanted a single supplier – a “one stop shop”. Taking note of this, the company began to diversify and keep up with the changes in the industry incorporating fresh produce, dry goods and the famed Northern Bloc Ice Creams. Locally made in Leeds, Northern Bloc is an artisan ice-cream & sorbet producer that is 100% natural, completely gluten free and vegetarian friendly. Their flavours are distinctive and original. Chocolate & Sea
Salt, Raspberry & Sorrel & Sicilian Lemon are currently a few of their best-selling labels. All fresh fruit and vegetables are purchased from a one buyer, who, sources them directly for the company, from local suppliers and farmers. J G Bellerbys hallmark is the service which they consistently deliver. Customer satisfaction is their most important factor and this has resulted in a very stable and long-standing customer base. Bettys Tea Rooms & Taylors of Harrogate have been firm customers for over 30 years. JG Bellerby is a business resembling a 21st Century Purveyor. It feels as though the ancestors of the Bellerby family are omnipresent. The team stick to their core, traditional beliefs and pair this with a steady, ambitious drive and keen attention on quality. Recognition comes in another form other than good figures on the bottom line and happy customers. Consumer and Industry awards for both their milk and their approach to business have come their way, and more are on the horizon… 39
Readers Offer 188mm wide 126.5mm high with 3mm bleed.pdf 1 07/08/2017 13:48:43
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CONNECTED WASH
In an increasingly connected world Winterhalter boosts commercial warewashing to the next level. The new generation UC Series is connected to the internet, allowing you to analyse and evaluate all important operating data. With this data you can optimise the washing process, increase operational safety and minimise running costs – in one venue, or in sites across the world. For perfect wash results and ultimate efficiency, contact your Winterhalter dealer or visit: www.connected-wash.biz
I n T h e Kitc h e n
Warewashing the real costs How much does it cost to run a glasswasher or dishwasher? Winterhalter unveils the facts
How much does washing your dishes or glasses cost? One thing’s for sure – a cheaper machine is going to cost more in the long term. When The Carbon Trust looked into the cost of ownership of a typical warewasher it found that over 90% of the lifetime carbon footprint was energy. Spend extra upfront on a more energy efficient machine, and you’ll save big time in the long run. But it’s not just energy that costs money. A machine that uses less water will save running costs. It’ll also reduce the amount of cleaning chemicals you use – because if it uses less water, it needs less chemicals and rinse aid. A lot of people talk about saving costs, but very few put actual figures to it. Winterhalter worked for 18 months with The Carbon Trust, resulting in the company being the first (and so far only) catering equipment manufacturer to achieve Carbon Labelling. What that means is that Winterhalter can give you an accurate estimate of the lifetime cost of any of its models, based on The Carbon Trust’s calculations. So what’s the nitty gritty? Here are some examples of washing costs, comparing standard Winterhalter machines with models that are the same basic unit, but with extra energy, water and chemical saving features. The cost includes all consumables (energy, water, and chemicals). Undercounter dish and glasswashers: compact undercounter, front-loading machines, as found in bars, coffee shops and restaurants. Model Winterhalter UC Standard Winterhalter UC Energy
Starting List £ 4,855 £ 5,770
Assumed daily usage 60 racks per day 60 racks per day
Cost per rack £0.055 £0.046
So the running cost of a standard model, in a site washing 60 racks per day, is £3.30 a day or £1,205 per year. The same site using a machine with energy features will pay £2.76 per day or £1,007 – a saving of nearly £200 per year, or £2,000 over a ten-year service life. Passthrough or hood warewashers: these are the workhorse of many restaurant kitchens. Winterhalter’s PT machines set an efficiency benchmark – even the basic model is fitted with heat exchange technology that cuts energy use by 10%. Winterhalter PC EnergyLight Winterhalter PC EnergyPlus Winterhalter PC ClimatePlus
£ 10,460 £ 15,065 £ 18,405
150 racks per day 150 racks per day 150 racks per day
£0.068 £0.057 £0.041
So the running costs are £10, £8.55 and £6.15 per day respectively. That means running costs of £2,245 for the year for the ClimatePlus, compared to £3,650 for the EnergyLight model. That’s a saving of £1405 per year, or a whopping £14,050 over the ten year life of the machine. 41
“ONLY THE
BEST HAVE A PLACE IN MY KITCHEN” SIMON HULSTONE The Elephant
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NEWS
GRACE BY NAME, GRACEFUL BY NATURE Artis, has announced the launch of a new range of hand-made glassware As its name suggests, Grace is an elegant collection of long-stemmed glassware. The highly distinctive bowl shape and tall, slender stems make this collection of hand-made glassware a ‘must’ for fine dining establishments. The bowl is subtle and slim, with a distinctive arc, before tapering towards a finely edged brim. The bowl is offset by exceptionally long stems. The shape of the bowl enables the flute to retain both aroma and fizz, making it suitable for all sparkling wines. The champagne flute, white wine glass and martini glass are accompanied by an equally elegant decanter with punt. Practical yet breathtakingly beautiful, Grace is a collection of stemware, where the individual pieces complement each other, or simply look stunning on their own. List prices are as follows: 20cl Flute £4.65; 55cl wine glass £5.45; 24cl martini glass £7.35. The 270cl decanter, in particular, represents excellent value at £14.25. Website: www.artis-uk.com
LIQUIDLINE BRINGS INNOVATION TO JUICE DISPENSER MARKET WITH THE JUICETOUCH In a move that brings juice dispensers in line with technologically advanced coffee machines, market-leading commercial drinks specialist, Liquidline, has launched the Juicetouch. Designed to improve user experience and give hotels, cafes, bars and restaurants a more flexible, easy-to-manage juice dispenser, the Juicetouch’s sleek design, touchscreen and Wi-Fi connectivity makes it the first of its kind. The Android touchscreen interface is intuitive and simple for customers to use, while giving businesses complete control of the system. Management information such as the number of vends, juice levels and maintenance notifications can all be accessed remotely. A login area allows the manager to select juice concentration, from squash to premium full-strength, and set specific times of day that juice can be dispensed. Gavin Pooley, managing director at Liquidline, explains why he’s pushing for innovation in this sector. “There has been very little advancement when it comes to juice dispensers. These machines have been left alone, whereas coffee machines have evolved massively over the past few years, creating a huge gap in the market. https://www.liquidline.co.uk to find out more. 43
Ki
C it y f o c u s b y b e r n i c e s alt z e r
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Pop quiz. What do you know about the Ukraine? One point for knowing it recently hosted the Eurovision Song Contest and another point for remembering that it is the home of Chernobyl – the site of one of the worst nuclear disasters known to man.
If you really know your stuff you may earn another point or two for acknowledging it’s the country of birth of boxer Wladimir Klitschko (more of him later) and that it remains in territorial dispute with Russia, that is the largest country entirely within Europe and has no less than 19 regional dialects. At the heart of the country is Kiev, a city with a troubled history but that today boasts quaint cobbled streets, breathtaking architecture and grandiose buildings which are decorated in decadent style. And that’s providing the perfect backdrop for a new style of cuisine set to excite and enthrall professionals and food enthusiasts alike. If truth be told, the food of the Ukraine is not surprisingly something of a mystery- not unlike the country itself. While cities like Prague, Budapest and Krakow have a firm foothold on the tourist trail, Ukraine simply doesn’t attract visitors. Not because there isn’t plenty to see – but mainly because of an infrastructure that doesn’t see the benefits that tourism can bring.
There’s no doubt that food can play a vital part in helping to put a country on a global stage and thankfully there’s a whole new wave of Ukranian chefs chomping at the bit to showcase the food of their land. At the helm of this food revolution is undoubtedly Yurii Priyemsky, head chef of Odessa restaurant who recognises the role the country’s emerging culinary scene can play in the economy of Ukraine. His restaurant provides the perfect mix of traditional Ukranian specialities, but cooked with a modern twist which makes them even more appealing. Yuri is passionate about the rich bounty that the Ukraine has to offer and the ingredients which are there to be explored by a wider world. Honey, beetroot, wild mushrooms, buckwheat, sorrel, cabbage – staples of every Ukranian home which are now finding their way on to the menus of the country’s most creative chefs. “We have a long tradition of cooking, most of
which we have learned from our mothers and grandmothers,” said Yuri. “These are the ingredients that we have all grown up with, humble ingredients that we are now elevating.” The restaurants interior – with its artfully hung metres of white rope – has found its way into some of the world’s most distinguished design magazines, praised for its style. And that provides the perfect backdrop for a mouthwatering menu which Yuri has created to pay homage to his roots but while embracing the most modern of techniques. There’s more than a nod to Heston Blumenthal with his “meat disguised as fruit” – or “pate is tastier than mandarin” as the menu describes it, a meat paste which at first glance looks like a small orange. There are intriguing dishes which also stimulate the culinary curiosity – for example “Forshmak in a new way” which in fact a minced herring dish served with egg that is ground and prepared at the table. 47
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Kiev also proves to be a rich seam of inspiration for any chef looking for something different. Misha Katsurin, the founder of Chinese Hello and Vietnam Hello with his obligatory back pack, is committed to bringing these new flavours to a very responsive Kiev foodie.
For Yuri creating an interest in Ukranian food is a huge passion, which is why he is currently also working on a cookery book with recipes featuring his favourite ingredients. This crusade by chefs to promote the Ukraine has come at a time where the local people are obviously ready to expand their palate, evident by the fact that the city has recently welcomed its latest oriental restaurants– Chinese Hello and Vietnam hello. Despite the slightly odd names– which perhaps has lost something in its translation –these quirky, cool café-style eateries have clearly struck a chord with the locals. The fact that you dine sitting on garden furniture at Chinese Hello and that Vietnam Hello is situated in the busy food market in the centre of Kiev doesn’t seem to bother anyone, and neither have dishes such as
ducks’ tongues or maggots for those with a real spirit of adventure. This demonstrates that the palate of Ukrainians is hungry for new taste and experience. An unfortunate idiom in Ukraine is that the diner prioritises design and service above food but things are changing the food is becoming the deciding factor. Kiev also proves to be a rich seam of inspiration for any chef looking for something different. Misha Katsurin, the founder of Chinese Hello and Vietnam Hello with his obligatory back pack, is committed to bringing these new flavours to a very responsive Kiev foodie. Shoti is a beyond elegant Georgian restaurant where you can look down from the upper floor and watch delicious bread being made before it’s delivered hot to your table.
Again some of the offerings are probably alien to Western palates – phakali a traditional appetizer made of nuts, chopped vegetables, spices and wine vinegar – and Khinkali, a perogi-like dumpling are just a few of the delights to be explored. Food is also very much part of the Ukranian night life experience – and if more evidence of that was needed then look no further than Avalon. A hotch potch of a building which seems to have had floor after floor added to it, this entertainment complex offers everything from karaoke to dancing to dining under one roof. It’s undoubtedly the place where the beautiful people of Kiev go to see and be seen and dining on the roof top terrace is an absolute must for anyone wanting to 49
At the helm of this food revolution is undoubtedly Yuri Priyemsky, head chef of Odessa restaurant who recognises the role the country’s emerging culinary scene can play in the economy of Ukraine. His restaurant provides the perfect mix of traditional Ukranian specialities, but cooked with a modern twist which makes them even more appealing.
embrace the whole after hours culture. While eating out in a club would normally be an absolutely no no – think soggy chips and greasy burgers – Avalon has cashed in on the fine dining experience. Breathtaking sushi successfully sits side by side on a menu packed with traditional favourites and rocket fuel cocktails. An elegant room which looks for all the world like a theatre is home to a karaoke bar and should you be unable to put the mike down, then you may just be able to stay put and enjoy the breakfast menu. For anyone who prefers to be entertained by others rather than provide the floor show, a trip to the Ukranian National Ballet is worth building into any trip. While the prices in Western Europe might make this an elitest pastime, you can enjoy dance at its finestand still have change out of a tenner. In a world where there is a feeling that there is little more to be discovered from a culinary perspective, the Ukraine complete destroys that myth. Here is a country steeped in its own food traditions which now has a new generation of chefs who are eager to bring it to the fore and let the dishes and the ingredients of their native land take their rightful place in global cookery. Add in a virtual undiscovered tourist destination and you have a city – and a country – which should now come into its own. 50
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11 Mirrors was conceived by Ukrainian sportsman Wladimir Klitschko and real estate developer Ruslan Oleksenko. Combining their international experience, their business acumen, and their passion for one-of-a-kind hospitality experiences, the two have created a hotel unlike anything Kiev has seen before. Olensenko says, “We wanted to show Kiev as a modern city. People think this is a postSoviet City and don’t know about its beauty, its rivers, its old city.” Adds Klitschko, “We decided to make something different that appealed to our lifestyles and personal visions, as opposed to the widest audience. But the risk paid off.”
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It’s fine to go on a culinary adventure but if Kiev truly does want to become a tourist destination then it needs to ensure it has the accommodation to entice visitors. Thankfully is has just that – in the shape of the unspeakably elegant 11 Mirrors hotel. Conceived by Wladimir Klitschko (who we spotted out and about during our stay) this hotel has deservedly had plaudits heaped up on it for its imaginative design and attention to detail.
REFLECTING ON 11 MIRRORS It’s fine to go on a culinary adventure but if Kiev truly does want to become a tourist destination then it needs to ensure it has the accommodation to entice visitors. Thankfully is has just that – in the shape of the unspeakably elegant 11 Mirrors hotel. Conceived by Wladimir Klitschko (who we spotted out and about during our stay) this hotel has deservedly had plaudits heaped
up on it for its imaginative design and attention to detail.“We wanted to show Kiev as a modern city. People think this is a post-Soviet City and don’t know about its beauty, its rivers, its old city.” Adds Klitschko, “We decided to make something different that appealed to our lifestyles and personal visions, as opposed to the widest audience.” An international team of designers worked closely with Ukranian specialists to create
this astonishing hotel, which is also now gaining a reputation for the food in its small but beautifully formed restaurant. Again it offers a range of traditional dishes with a modern edge and the ubiquitous bowl of borscht (Ukranians would argue that the origins of this famous soup are theirs, not Russia’s) which is always accompanied by a shot of vodka. Catering for an international audience,
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While the accommodation is superb, the location perfect and the quality of service exemplary, 11 Mirrors is now determined to also push culinary boundaries and become a destination restaurant in its own right.
there’s no doubt that this hotel is best placed to attract visitors and to showcase just what Kiev has to offer. And if further confirmation was needed of how special this hotel is, it’s the fact that 11 Mirrors won the title of the World’s Best City Boutique Hotel. While the accommodation is superb, the location perfect and the quality of service exemplary, 11 Mirrors is now determined to also push culinary boundaries and become a destination restaurant in its own right. The chef driving this forward is Taras Khrushch, who learned his craft initially as an army chef and worked in field kitchens, firing his passion for a career in the culinary arts.
Taras has as his mantra “local food, local ingredients,” the springboard to create “tasty, beautiful but simple food.” His menu combines uses many of the Ukranian staple, rustic ingredients – think red cabbage, wild mushrooms, duck and quail – but elevated to fine dining standards. Taras is mindful that enticing visitors to eat in a hotel restaurant when there’s a world of options outside means that he has to be ahead of the game, so he is driven by the fact that guests get an authentic, traditional experience – with a twist. His hunger to learn new techniques and to try new dishes is also a driving force, eagerly taking up the constant challenge of
providing a true flavor of the Ukraine in a contemporary way. “Working in a hotel restaurant means you also have to be adaptable,” said Taras. “Which means that we also have to consider the specific requests of the guests and if they want something specially created for them, we do it.” The challenge of putting the Ukraine on the culinary map is something he relishes – working with a small brigade to showcase their country on a world stage. “Our guests come from everywhere,” he said. “And that means that we can show the richness and the quality of our dishes and the fineness of our ingredients.” 55
F r o n t o f H o u s e : b y J e a n Sm u ll e n
A U S T RIA N WINES W EI N V IERTAL W ACHA U & W EI N
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A u s t r i a’ s w i n e e x p o r t s i n c r e a s e d during 2016 to a new record level o f n e a r ly € 1 4 8 m i l l i o n d e s p i t e a s e r i e s o f s ma l l h a r v e s t s s i n c e 2 0 1 1 . T h i s c am e ab o u t t h a n k s t o a c o n s i d e r ab l e s a l e s i n c r e a s e i n m i d priced bottled wines; a volume of 1 . 8 m i l l i o n l i t r e s , w h i c h t r a n s l at e s into revenue growth of €5.2 million. The median price of all exports c l i mb e d a n i m p r e s s i v e € 3 . 0 5 p e r l i t r e .
M
arkets outside the EU are primarily responsible for the growth, with Switzerland, the USA, Norway, Canada, Hong Kong and Australia leading the way. Thanks to growth of nearly 12%, export figures for the USA surpassed the €12 million mark for the first time Austria has 46,500 HA of vineyards, 67% of production is white, most of which is Grüner Veltliner, their flagship indigenous grape variety which accounts for 31% of all white wines produced. Red grapes are 33% of their total production with Zweigelt and Blaufrankisch accounting for at least half of that. There are nine DAC (wine growing regions) they are Weinviertal DAC; Mittleburgenland DAC; Traisental DAC; Kremstal DAC; Kamptal DAC; Leitaberg DAC; Neusiedlersee DAC: and Wiener Gemischter Satz DAC. Another factor contributing to greater global awareness for Austrian wine is the work done by the Austrian Wine Marketing Board, one
of the most professional and organised of the global generic bodies. Headed up by uber marketing genius Willie Klinger, their bi-annual Wine Summit (this year celebrating 20 years in action), invites journalists, sommeliers and key trade guests from 30 worldwide markets to visit the Austrian DAC; this goes a long way towards raising awareness for their wines in key markets. This year Vienna was also the location for the the A.S.I. Best Sommelier of Europe & Africa. 37 candidates from 37 countries took part, 34 from Europe as well as three from the African countries, South Africa, Mauritius and Morocco. The European Sommelier Competition was first established in 1988, until four years ago it was sponsored and organised by Champagne Ruinart, in collaboration with A.S.I. (Association de la Sommeliere Internationale), its aim is to highlight the work of the professional Sommelier and to set a standard of excellence. A.S.I. took over the organisation competition in 2013. Invited by Austrian Wine to sign up for one
of their regional specific trips, I choose to visit the DAC’s of Weinviertel, Wachau and Wien (Vienna). The four day programme also included the opening gala dinner of the European Sommelier Competition at the Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna, sponsored by Wine Austria; as well as the competition itself in the Parkhotel Schónbrunn in Vienna on Thursday 11th May, 2017.
DAC Weinviertel Our first stop was to Winery Hagn in Mailberg near the Czech boarder for a general tasting of wines from the region. Weinviertel is an hour north of Vienna and is Austria’s largest wine region. Here 3,000 grape producers farm 13,500 ha of vines, of which, about half are individual producers. This is the Pannonian plain, where soft undulating fields of wheat and corn stretch as far as the eye can see. Interspersed is the green of the trellised vineyards and the hedgerow, underneath which you will find the white entrance to the small underground winter cellars, a feature of 57
Raimonds Tomsons from Riga Latvia in action at the final
the landscape. These cellars were traditionally used for storing wine and food, but today are used for wine tastings for the growing number of wine visitors who come to explore the peaceful surroundings. This is windmill country, where you can step back in time to the days of efficient farming by small rural communities, who utilised everything they farmed or raised. Weinviertel stretches from the Danube in the south to the Czech border in the north and has Slovakia to the west, you cannot get any more middle European than this. The most important grape here is Grüner Veltliner, a white grape with a very distinctive character that shores up its central European credentials. I would describe Grüner Veltliner as grapefruit meets spice and pepper. The wines are structured and age well, they have an ABV of 13% and are great with all sorts of food styles. 58
The soil here is a mix of loess, loam and granite, there is some sandstone and gravel, the climate is very important though, the flat landscape is very windy and as a result the climate is much cooler than you would expect which makes it ideal for white grapes. Those Pannonian winds sweeping through the region, kept the windmills going and the grapes fresh. The Pannonian climate consists of very hot summers and very cold winters, there isn’t a lot of rainfall and they don’t get a lot of snow in winter. The windy conditions mean that there are huge temperature variations between day and night temperatures which results in intense fruit flavours. The Hagn winery farms 50 HA which is quite substantial for Austria, it was originally founded in 1660 and most of its wines are sold on the home market.
They export approximately 30% of their production, they currently don’t have a UK importer, which is a pity. Winery Hagn are to the fore in terms of wine tourism, they have a small guest house and offer visitors guided visits. www.hagn-weingut.at I was very impressed by the Grüner Veltliner produced by Ebner Ebenauer from Niederosterreich. All their wines are produced from single vineyards from mainly old vines. Their vineyards are anything up to 50 years old. They ferment in foudre (500 litre barrels) using wild yeast and no sulphur and they apply battonage for twelve months. This is natural wine to all intents and purposes but is SO fresh and appealing. Their 2015 Reserve “Black Edition” Grüner Veltliner is outstanding, made from grapes grow in in their Ried Maxendorf vineyard; this is a world class Grüner Veltliner. I also loved their 2015
On to Retz where we visited one of two working windmills left in Austria which dates from 1772. It is the last of more than 40 windmills in the area. There were originally about 400 windmills all over Austria, but sadly today there are only two left, the other one can be found in Burgenland. At a tasting at the Retz Windmill, Willie Klinger, CEO of the Austrian Wine Marketing Board outlined the background to where Austria is today in relation to its wine style.
Ebner Ebenauer Reserve “Alte Reben” Grüner Veltliner made from 60 year old vines grown on gravel soil. The Ebener Ebenauer’s produce about 70,000 bottles annually from about 15 HA and their wines are imported to the UK by independent importers Roberson Wine. www.robersonwine.com On to Retz where we visited one of two working windmills left in Austria which dates from 1772. It is the last of more than 40 windmills in the area. There were originally about 400 windmills all over Austria, but sadly today there are only two left, the other one can be found in Burgenland. At a tasting at the Retz Windmill, Willie Klinger, CEO of the Austrian Wine Marketing Board outlined the background to where Austria is today in relation to its wine style.
Austria joined the EU in 1995 and moved their wine laws away from the German “sugar pyramid” structure to a more regional specific quality wine status. This change allowed this small country to find its niche and to compete on the global wine market. The principal of the DAC (wines of origin) was developed in 1999 and Weinviertel was the first region to be awarded with the DAC status. The success of Austrian wine since then is attributed to this change in focus. It certainly makes the wines easier to understand and the regional specific approach to highlighting the wine styles certainly makes the wines easier to sell.
DAC Wachau Dürnstein a small town on the Danube in Lower Austria is the epicentre of the DAC Wachau. Here 1,344 HA of vineyards are grown on terraced vineyards, with hand built
stone walls in the famous “Cru” vineyards of the Wachau. The Wachau is unique in that it has its own localised category to define their wine styles, that are based both on the ripeness and ABV. The three categories are Steinfeder, Federspiel and Smaragd. It was Steinfeder that put the Wachau on the map, with its low alcohol levels (max ABV is 11.5%) this Wachau trademark style introduced in 1984 quickly became very popular. Make no mistake this is their cashcow and the popularity of Steinfeder shows no sign of abating. Federspiel wines are slightly richer and they have a higher ABV (up to 12.5%); but the daddy of them all and more rare, is the Smaragd, named for the indigenous lizards found living among the stone walls. Smaragd wines have a min ABV of 12.5% and are made from fruit grown in the best vineyard sites. 59
A tasting of 11 wines from the region highlighted the regional style of the wines produced in their three famous Cru vineyards, Acheiten, Kellerberg and Loibenberg. The Riesling all have a delicate white flower aroma and beautiful citrus fruit with balancing acidity. I particularly liked the 2015 Weingut Jäger Riesling Federspiel made from fruit grown in the Achleiten vineyard (the best of the three), sadly not currently available in the UK.
The wines are usually harvested when the fruit is riper and they show the nuances of the regional terroir. A sought after item are the lizard pins worn by the winemakers when promoting their wines, sadly to get one, you have to own or work for a winery! At the Wachauerstube one of the best restaurants in Dürnstein owned by Chef/Patron Gerald Diemt, we enjoyed an evening of superb food, matched with a range of regional wine styles. Herwig Jamek Jnr of Jamek Winery and Tony Bodenstein of Prager Winery presented the wines and gave an interesting insight into the geology of the region. If you wanted to know your migmatite-amphibolite from your paragneiss, this was the place to be! A tasting of 11 wines from the region highlighted the regional style of the wines 60
produced in their three famous Cru vineyards, Acheiten, Kellerberg and Loibenberg. The Riesling all have a delicate white flower aroma and beautiful citrus fruit with balancing acidity. I particularly liked the 2015 Weingut Jäger Riesling Federspiel made from fruit grown in the Achleiten vineyard (the best of the three), sadly not currently available in the UK. www.weingut-jaeger.at The outstanding red for me was the 2013 Domäne Wachau Pinot Noir Reserve which was served with the Saddle of Venison, Peas and Pyramid Cake. This was an edgy wine with a beautiful structure, minerality, soft fruit and beautifully balancing tannin. Domäne Wachau is deeply rooted in the Wachau region. Originally know as the Frei Weingarten
Wachau their 440 hectares of vineyards cultivated by the members of this qualityoriented cooperative, produce 30% of the region’s wines. I first visited Domäne Wachau in 1993 and recently tasted some of their older vintages at a private tasting. The 1995 Frei Weingarten Wachau Riesling Smaragd from 1000eimer-berg (100 Bucket Hill) near Spitz was, twenty two years later, still fresh as a daisy but showing all the glorious minerality of the region’s amazing soil structures. Domäne Wachau is distributed in the UK by Alliance Wine. www.alliancewine.com
Wein (Vienna) The vineyards in the Austrian capital are quite unique. The wines are mostly field
blends and they are drunk in the local Heuriger taverns, so loved by locals and tourists alike.
Restaurant Steirereck 2 Stars in the Michelin Guide, 4 toques in Gault&Millau and holding down 10th place in the hierarcy of the “World’s 50 Best Restaurants” Steirereck was the setting for our final tasting, a blind wine tasting entitled “Austria versus the Rest of the World” which was naturally followed by lunch. How it worked, we were asked to taste blind three wines and guess which one was the Austrian. This meant pitching the 2007 Kremstal “Gutsreserve” Grüner Veltliner Geyerhof against the 2007 Knights Valley “Lac Carriere” Chardonnay from Peter Michael Winery in California, and the
2007 Corton Charlemange Grand Cru Chardonnay from Marc Colin et Fils.. you can of course guess which wine stood out? Yes that Grüner Veltliner showed its stuff… there were other similar flights and in most cases the Austrian wine held its own against some of the greatest producers in the world. The lunch didn’t disappoint either, the Steirereck signature dish of Artic Char with Beeswax, Yellow Carrot, “Pollen” and Sour Cream cooked in hot beeswax was a revelation particularly when matched with the 2015 Wess Riesling Reserve from the Kremstal DAC. That evening we all attended the final of the A.S.I. Best Sommelier of Europe and Africa which took place at the Park Hotel Schónbrunn in Vienna. Four of the original 37 were selected for the final, they were; David
Biraud from France, Raimonds Tomsons from Latvia, Piotr Pietras from Poland and Julia Scavo from Romania. The final consisted of each of them completing a series of challenging tasks set by the international jury, live in front of an international audience of 500 guests.. no pressure so! The eventual winner, Raimond Tomsons works as head sommelier for Vincent’s Restaurant in the Latvian capital, Riga. Since 2007, he has participated regularly in national and international competitions and was outstanding on the night; a fitting finale to a well organised immersion in Austrian wine and a deserving Latvian winner of the ASI European Sommelier championship. For more information about Austrian Wine www.austrianwine.com 61
L L A N L LY R
P R E M I U M WAT E R A N D M I X E R S
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Pure natural water is the essen al ingredient that allows flavour to flourish www.llanllyrsource.com
recipes and books Jacobs Ladder at The Coal Shed by Dave Mothersill Marinated Mackerel with apple, nasturtium and radish by Mark Birchall
Book of the month FRENCH PÂTISSERIE Master Recipes and Techniques from the Ferrandi School of Culinary Arts Brighton”s Best Cookbook
Borscht Recipe by Chef Taras, Eleven Mirrors
MEXICO A CULINARY QUEST Author: Hossein Amirsadeghi
BABA ISPAHAN by Pierre Hermé
the science of food An exploration of what we eat and how we cook Marty Jopson
Transmission by Chef Cyril Gaidella LEMON TART Tarte au Citron from French Pâtisserie
The Good food Guide Fish restaurant swims to number 1 restaurant
White chocolate and vanilla Panna Cotta by Michael Wilkinson 63
Jacobs Ladder at The Coal Shed by Dave Mothersill Serves 4 Ingredients:
●● ●● ●● ●●
4 bone jacobs ladder (short rib) 3lt beef stock 1 head of garlic 2 sprigs of rosemary
Onion ketchup ●● ●● ●● ●●
5 onions 150ml soy sauce 200ml honey 100m red wine vinegar
Coffee glaze ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●●
5 shots coffee 1 chilli 4 garlic cloves 200ml maple syrup 100ml orange juice 200g ginger juice
Brine ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●●
3lt water 500ml beer 200ml cider vinegar 500g salt 100g sugar 10 peppercorns 4 bay leaves 2 sprigs of thyme
This dish has been a firm favourite at The Coal Shed, its bold flavours really make a statement. The beef short rib falls off the bone and the glaze is sticky and rich. 1. First make the brine by placing all the ingredients for in a pan and bring to the boil, making sure the salt and sugar is dissolved then allow to cool and cover. This can be made in advance. 2. Next make the onion ketchup which is going to be the base for the final sauce. Slice the onions very finely and add to a pan with a touch of salt and cook down very slowly for about 2 hours until nicely caramelized. Next add the vinegar and reduce, add the soy sauce, honey and leave to simmer. Transfer 64
to a blender and puree into a smooth paste. Cover and set aside. 3. for the coffee glaze, sweat down the garlic in a touch of oil, add remaining ingredients reduce over heat and strain through a sieve. 4. Next prepare the Jacobs ladder, if bones are all connected, cut down the side of each one to make individual portions. Then remove the membrane from the inside of the rib. (note all this can be done by your butcher). Place the ribs in the brine and refrigerate for 24 hours 5. Make sure the josper has been burning for a couple of hours. Remove the ribs from the brine and pat dry. Brush with an even coat of the coffee glaze on each rib. Place the ribs in
the josper for a few minutes, make sure there is a good amount of charring on each side until the ribs are dark and caramelized. 6. Place the ribs in a medium baking tray with the beef stock and the onion ketchup, garlic and rosemary. Place in the oven preheated to 100oc . Cook for 8 hours at which point the meat should fall away from the bone. 7. Remove ribs from the braising juices and keep warm. Reduce liquor on a high heat until a nice sticky glaze is formed. 8. To serve brush the ribs with the glaze and place back in the josper for a couple of minutes. Serve immediately with some of the reduced cooking juices
Marinated Mackerel with apple, nasturtium and radish by Mark Birchall Serves 4
1 Ingredients: ●● mackerel filleted and skinned ●● 110g smoked water ●● 7g salt ●● 3g sugar
For the nasturtium puree ●● ●● ●● ●● ●●
250g nasturtium leaves blanched. 12g Ultratex 110g grapeseed oil 60g water 30 lime juice
For the Lemon gel ●● 200g lemon juice ●● 100g water
●● 50g sugar ●● 1.5g agar agar ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●●
1 granny smith apple, thinly sliced 3 small cherry belle radishes, thinly sliced 3 baby meat radishes, thinly sliced 100g black radish, thinly sliced 10g small nasturtium leaves 15g small sea purslane blanched dashi vinegar 10g lemon oil
Method Bring the smoked water, salt and sugar to the boil, let cool then brine the mackerel fillets for 6 minutes. Pat dry then slice into small pieces.
Blend all the ingredients for the nasturtium puree together, pass through a chinois and season with salt. Whisk all the lemon gel ingredients together in a pan and bring to the boil, pour into a container and leave to set to a firm jelly. Blend until smooth and pass through a chinois. To finish, cut the radishes and apple into discs with a one-pound size pastry cutter. Season the mackerel with salt, dashi vinegar and lemon oil. Spoon the nasturtium puree onto the plate, sit a spoonful of the mackerel mixture on top. Dress the slices of radish and apple over the top of the mackerel with dots of lemon gel, nasturtium leaves and sea purslane. 65
Borscht Recipe
by Chef Taras, Eleven Mirrors Serves 4
Ingredients:
●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●●
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200 g of peeled and thinly sliced beet 200 g of peeled and sliced into small squares potatoes 2 tbs vegetable oil 1 sliced onion 1 peeled and thinly sliced carrot 1 red pepper peeled and thinly sliced 1 tbs tomato puree 1 fresh tomato 1 small white cabbage Sea-salt, freshly ground black pepper
Pampushka
Preheat frying pan with vegetable oil and cook the beets, after that add onion, carrot and cook at a high temperature for 5 to 7 minutes, stir continuously. When the vegetables are soft and begin to get caramelized add the red pepper and tomato puree to the vegetables and fry for 2 minutes then add grated fresh tomato, mix and reduce the temperature. Simmer the vegetables for 25 to 30 minutes. Add the potatoes and cabbage to the broth and cook until tender. At the finish add the vegetables and cook for about 5 min.
To prepare the broth put meat, onion and laurel leaf in a large pot with water and cook the broth on a slow simmer for about 1 hour.
Borscht traditionally serves with sour cream and chopped dill, salo and pampushka
For broth ●● ●● ●● ●●
500 g of oxtail or fatty beef 1 chopped onion 1 laurel leaf 2,5 l of cool water
For the serve ●● 100 ml sour cream ●● 1 tbs chopped dill
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BABA ISPAHAN by Pierre HermĂŠ Best Pastry Chef in the World, 2016 Serves 6-8
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Extract from French Pâtisserie: Master Recipes and Techniques from the Ferrandi School of Culinary Arts by Ferrandi Active time: 2 hours Rising time: 45 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes Standing time: 48 hours Chilling time: 2 hours and overnight
Storage Up to 24 hours in the refrigerator
Equipment Stand mixer fitted with dough hook and whisk attachments Instant-read thermometer 7-in. (18-cm) savarin mold or Bundt pan Non-stick cooking spray Stick blender Glucose decorating bag 2 pastry bags fitted with a plain ½-in. (14-mm) tip and a Saint-Honoré tip 2 × 8-in. (21-cm) crimped disposable gold plates
Ingredients
BABA DOUGH ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●●
0.75 oz. (20 g) fresh (compressed) yeast 3.5 oz. (100 g) pasteurized whole egg 4 oz. (120 g) fine-milled soft wheat flour 1 oz. (30 g) superfine sugar 2.5 oz. (70 g) best-quality butter ¼ tsp (2 g) Guérande salt
ROSE-FLAVORED MASCARPONE CREAM ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●●
⅔ tsp (3 g) fish gelatin powder 200 bloom 4 ¼ tsp (21 ml) cold mineral water 1.25 oz. (35 g) pasteurized egg yolk 1.5 oz. (40 g) superfine sugar ⅔ cup (150 ml) whipping cream, 35% butterfat 5.75 oz. (165 g) mascarpone 4 tsp (20 ml) rose syrup ⅓ tsp (2 ml) rose petal extract
RASPBERRY AND ROSE BABA STEEPING SYRUP ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●●
2 ½ cups (600 ml) mineral water 9 oz. (250 g) superfine sugar Scant ½ cup (100 g) raspberry purée Scant ½ cup (100 ml) rose syrup ⅔ tsp (3 ml) rose petal extract Scant ¼ cup (50 ml) raspberry eau de vie
STEEPING THE BABA ●● Steeping syrup (see above) ●● 2 tbsp (30 ml) raspberry eau de vie
DECORATION ●● ●● ●● ●● ●● ●●
2.75 oz. (75 g) pieces of lychee 14 oz. (400 g) rose-flavored mascarpone (see above) 7 tsp (35 ml) raspberry eau de vie Clear neutral glaze 4.25 oz. (120 g) raspberries 10 rose petals
Method
MAKING THE BABA DOUGH Dilute the yeast in three-quarters of the egg in the bowl of the stand mixer and add the flour and sugar. Mix at low speed to make a smooth dough. Increase the speed to medium for 5 minutes and add the remaining egg. Continue to mix until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl and reaches a temperature of 77°F (25°C). Add the butter and salt and mix at medium speed until the dough pulls away from the bowl again and slaps against the sides (79°F/26°C). Grease the mold with the non-stick spray. Shape 9 oz. (250 g) of dough by hand, making a hole in the center, and place it in the mold. Tap the mold on a work surface a few times to remove any air bubbles. Cover, and let rise at 90°F (32°C) for about 45 minutes. Preheat the oven on convection setting to 325°F (170°C/Gas mark 3) and bake for 20 minutes. Unmold and put the baba back in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove and let it dry out for 2 days at room temperature. Store in an airtight container.
MAKING THE ROSE-FLAVORED MASCARPONE CREAM A day ahead, soak the gelatin in the water for at least 20 minutes. Whisk the egg yolk with the sugar until pale and thick. Bring the cream to a boil and gradually whisk it into the yolk mixture. Pour back into the pan and heat to 185°F (85°C), as for making a custard. Squeeze excess water from the gelatin and add, along with the mascarpone, rose syrup, and rose extract. Blend until smooth. Press a piece of plastic wrap over the surface of the cream and keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator overnight.
MAKING THE RASPBERRY AND ROSE BABA STEEPING SYRUP Bring the water, sugar, and raspberry purée to a boil. Add the rose syrup, extract, and raspberry eau de vie. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Use at 122°F (50°C) or set aside in the refrigerator.
STEEPING THE BABA In a large saucepan, heat the steeping syrup to 122°F (50°C). Immerse the baba in the syrup, turning it over and basting with syrup from time to time. Once the baba is thoroughly soaked, lift it from the pan with a skimmer and place on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Baste it generously with the raspberry eau de vie. Let drain and chill for 2 hours.
ASSEMBLING THE BABA Drain the lychee pieces thoroughly in a fine-mesh sieve. In the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the whisk, beat the rose mascarpone cream until stiff. Stick the 2 plates together using glucose from the decorating bag. Baste the baba generously with the raspberry eau de vie and chill. Brush the chilled baba with warm glaze, ensuring it is not too hot or the glaze will not be absorbed. Divide the mascarpone cream between the 2 pastry bags. Place the baba on the gold plates and using the pastry bag with the plain tip, pipe mascarpone cream halfway up the inside of the cake. Sprinkle the chopped lychees and whole fresh raspberries generously over the cream. Cover the fruit with cream, creating a slight dome shape. Using the bag with the Saint-Honoré tip, pipe flame shapes on the baba in a circular pattern, working from the outside toward the center of the cake. Arrange the rose petals attractively around the piped cream, and place a fresh raspberry in the center. 69
Transmission
by Chef Cyril Gaidella
winner of the BEST French dessert award 2017
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Shortbread :
Wafers :
●● Unsalted butter - 50 g ●● Icing sugar - 40 g ●● Flour - 50 g ●● Ground almonds - 50 g ●● Egg yolks - 20 g ●● Lime peel - 1/2 ●● Lemon peel - 1/2 ●● Vanilla powder (pinch) - 1 Mix all the ingredients together and spread between 2 sheets of paper Keep in the refrigerator. Cut into moon shapes and circles, bake on a silpain at 170°C.
●● Les vergers Boiron 100% Yuzu puree - 10 g ●● Egg whites - 11 g ●● Icing sugar - 33 g ●● Flour - 30 g ●● Unsalted butter - 17 g Melt the butter, mix it with icing sugar followed by the yuzu puree, egg whites and finish with the flour. Keep in the refrigerator. Shape and bake at 170 °C.
Syrup :
Pecan icing :
●● Water - 150 g ●● Sugar - 110 g Bring the water and sugar to the boil with the used vanilla pods. Add the juice of the used oranges.
●● Whipped single cream - 125 g ●● Milk - 125 g ●● Water - 100 g ●● Pecan praline - 75 g ●● Sugar - 25 g ●● Glucose - 15 g ●● Pectin NH - 3 g ●● Sugar - 25 g ●● Gelatine mass - 24 g Bring the milk, cream, sugar, pectin, glucose and praline to the boil then add the gelatine mass. Mix. Add water if necessary and refrigerate. Ice the dessert at 35 °C.
Caramelised pecans : ●● Pecan nuts - 50 g ●● Maple syrup - 30 g Chop the pecan nuts. Mix with the syrup. Spread and bake at 170°C.
Candied orange peel : ●● Orange - 1 ●● Syrup - 230 g Remove the zest of an orange and cut into thin strips. Blanch 4 times and leave in the hot syrup.
Citrus fruit and spicy yoghurt sorbet : ●● Les vergers Boiron 100% Mandarin puree - 100 g ●● Les vergers Boiron 100% Yuzu puree - 40 g ●● Les vergers Boiron Ginger speciality ●● Les vergers Boiron 100% Lemongrass speciality ●● Orange juice - 50 g ●● Bourbon vanilla pod - 1 ●● Yoghurt - 150 g ●● Sugar - 100 g ●● Atomised glucose - 20 g ●● Superneutrose - 2 g Warm the juice and the purees with the vanilla and pour in the powders. Bring to the boil and mix the syrup with the mixed yoghurt. Churn and set aside in a paco bowl.
Vanilla yoghurt mousse ●● Yoghurt - 150 g ●● Honey - 25 g ●● Réunion vanilla pod - 1 ●● Papua New Guinea vanilla pod - 1 ●● Organic Congo vanilla pod - 1 ●● Gelatine mass - 22 g ●● Whipped cream 35% - 150 g Mix the yoghurt, vanilla and honey with the melted gelatine mass, then stir into the whipped cream.
Orange supreme : ●● Orange - 2 Cut out 20 supremes (segments) from 2 oranges.
Praline insert : ●● Pecan praline - 125 g ●● Grapeseed oil - 8 g Mix the praline and the oil. Keep aside in a piping bag to assemble the cake.
Vanilla Mascarpone Cream : ●● Cream 35% - 135 g ●● Sugar - 20 g ●● Egg yolks - 25 g ●● Tahiti vanilla pods - 1 ●● Gelatine mass - 12 g ●● Mascarpone - 125 g Make a custard with the cream, egg yolks, vanilla and sugar at 84 °C, pour over the gelatine mass and mascarpone. Keep in the refrigerator. Process in paco twice before serving.
Citrus fruit jelly : ●● Les vergers Boiron 100% Mandarin puree - 190 g ●● Les vergers Boiron 100% Yuzu puree - 20 g ●● Les vergers Boiron Ginger speciality - 10 g ●● Sugar - 6 g ●● Agar agar - 1,4 g ●● Glimmering gold leaf Bring the ingredients to the boil together. Pour into the mould and the remaining jelly in a bowl. Set the moulded shapes aside to cool then refrigerate. Mix the remaining jelly and set aside in piping bags.
Roasted pecans : ●● Pecans - 12 Roast in the oven at 170°C for approximately 10 minutes.
Decoration and presentation : ●● Vene cress (bunch) Pipe out a jelly moon shape on the plate. Place the iced dessert on top and coat with caramelised pecans. On the moon, place a shortbread and pipe out dots of vanilla mascarpone cream, jelly, orange strips, wafers, pecan, orange supremes and a quenelle of sorbet. Place the filled moon on top of the dessert and finish with 3 vene cress. 71
LEMON TART Tarte au Citron from French Pâtisserie: Master Recipes and Techniques from the Ferrandi School of Culinary Arts by Ferrandi Serves 6
72
Active time: 1 hour Freezing time: 20 minutes Chilling time: 2 hours Cooking time: 15–20 minutes
●● Scant ⅔ cup (4.25 oz./120 g) sugar ●● 1 ½ sheets (0.1 oz./3 g) gelatin ●● 5 tbsp (2.5 oz./75 g) butter, softened
Storage
●● Clear neutral glaze
Up to 2 days in the refrigerator
GLAZE
Method
soak the gelatin sheets in a bowl of cold water. When the lemon mixture reaches 140°F (60°C), remove the bowl from the heat. Squeeze the water from the gelatin sheets and stir them in until dissolved. Stir in the softened butter and process with the stick blender until smooth.
Equipment
Making the Crust
Assembling the Tart
9-in. (23-cm) tart ring or pan with a removable base Citrus zester Stick blender
Line the tart ring with the dough and freeze it for about 20 minutes to prevent the sides collapsing when the crust is baked. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C/Gas mark 3). Blind bake the crust for 15–20 minutes until golden. Allow to cool and then, using the zester, file down the edges of the pastry so the rim is perfectly smooth.
Pour the lemon cream into the tart crust, filling it to the rim. Smooth the top with a spatula (or palette knife) and leave to set. Brush the warmed clear neutral glaze over the top.
Ingredients
●● 9 oz. (250 g) sweet short pastry (creaming method) (see technique below)
LEMON CREAM ●● ⅔ cup (150 ml) fresh lemon juice ●● ⅔ cup (5.25 oz./150 g) lightly beaten egg (about 3 eggs)
Making the Lemon Cream Put the lemon juice, eggs, and sugar in a heatproof mixing bowl and stand the bowl over a pan of hot water. Whisk continuously until the mixture has thickened. Meanwhile,
CHEFS’ NOTES To ensure the base of the tart crust stays crisp, you can “waterproof” it with a little melted white chocolate or, better still, cacao butter. Simply brush the inside of the cooled crust with the chocolate or cacao butter and leave to set before pouring in the lemon cream.
Sweet Short Pastry, Creaming Method Makes 1 × 9-in. (23-cm) tart base to serve 6 Active time: 15 minutes Chilling time: 2 hours Storage: Up to 3 days in the refrigerator, well covered
Ingredients
●● 3 tbsp (1.75 oz./50 g) butter, diced, at room temperature ●● ⅓ cup (1.75 oz./50 g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
●● ●● ●●
2 tbsp (1 oz./30 g) lightly beaten egg (about 1 egg) ⅛ tsp (0.5 g) salt 1 cup (4.5 oz./125 g) flour, sifted
Method Whisk the butter in a mixing bowl until soft and creamy. Add the confectioners’ sugar. Whisk until the mixture is smooth. Combine the egg and salt and whisk into the mixture. Whisk in the flour.
Turn out the dough onto the work surface and finish combining the ingredients, using your hand and a pastry scraper, until you have a smooth dough. Shape into a flat disk, cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
CHEFS’ NOTES The butter needs to be soft but not melting. Before using the dough, allow it to rest for at least 2 hours.
White chocolate and vanilla Panna Cotta
by Michael Wilkinson The Star Inn The City Serves between 6 & 8 depending on size of moulds.
White chocolate and vanilla Panna Cotta by Michael Wilkinson
Ingredients:
●● ●● ●● ●● ●●
600g whipping cream 100g caster sugar 2 vanilla pods scraped 100g good white chocolate 2 gelatine leaves
Method Soak the gelatine leaves. Boil the cream, sugar and vanilla together. Once boiled add the soaked gelatine leaves enduring to squeeze out the excess water. Stir in the white chocolate. Cool over ice whilst stirring to set slightly. Pour into moulds and place into the fridge to
set for at least 4 hours. Once set to turn out dip in some hot water and agitate slightly they should slide easily out onto the plate. To garnish I used some freeze dried raspberries. A raspberry compote just made with some fresh raspberries and sugar and some foraged flowers and micro lemon balm.
100%
Sea Buckthorn Puree ‌ the treasure from the North!
Book of the month
F RENCH
PÂT I SSER I E Master Recipes and Techniques from the Ferrandi School of Culinary Arts Ferrandi, the French School of Culinary Arts in Paris–dubbed the ‘Harvard of gastronomy’ by Le Monde newspaper—is the ultimate pastry-making reference. From flaky croissants to paper-thin millefeuille, and from the chestnut cream–filled Paris-Brest to festive yule logs, this comprehensive book leads aspiring pastry chefs through every step—from basic techniques to Michelin-level desserts. Starting with advice on how to equip your kitchen, to the essential doughs, fillings, and decorations, the books covers everything from quick desserts to holiday specialties and from frozen ice creams and sorbets to chocolates. Ferrandi, an internationally-renowned professional culinary school, offers an intensive course in the art of French pastrymaking. Written by the school’s experienced teaching team of master pâtissiers and adapted for the home chef, this fully illustrated cookbook provides all of the fundamental techniques and recipes that form the building blocks of the illustrious French dessert tradition, explained step by step in text and images. Practical information is presented in tables, diagrams, and sidebars for handy reference. Easy-to-follow recipes are graded for level of difficulty, allowing readers to develop their skills over time. Whether you are an amateur home chef or an experienced professional, this pâtisserie bible provides everything you need to master French pastry-making. École Ferrandi cooking school opened in 1920 to train culinary professionals. Internationally renowned for excellence, Ferrandi offers courses of all levels to students from France and abroad, including masterclasses taught by celebrated Michelin-starred chefs. Available from www.chefpublishing.com £45.00 Hardback 76
Cooking the Books
Brighton”s Best Cookbook Compiled and edited by Brighton’s Best Restaurants co-founder Andy Lynes, features profiles of all 20 restaurants that are in this years top 20 Best Restaurants list, shedding new light on the chefs and restaurateurs who have made Brighton one of the country’s most important gastronomic cities. The stunning original photography by Peter Marshall brings the food and people behind it to glorious, colourful life.
Restaurants and Chefs featured in the book are listed below 64 Degrees Bincho Yakitori The Chilli Pickle The Little Fish Market The Set Cin Cin Plateau The Salt Room Silo Semolina The Gingerman
Terre a Terre Curry Leaf Cafe Isaac@ The Ginger Pig Fatto a Mano The Urchin The Coal Shed Riddle & Finns Fourth & Church Published by Chef Publishing Ltd and available from www.chefpublishing.com £25.00 Hardback
MEXICO A CULINARY QUEST
Author: Hossein Amirsadeghi Executive Editor: Ana Paula Gerard
Chronicling a journey across the country’s 32 states (including Mexico City) and most picturesque landscapes, and featuring more than 100 entertaining, informative profiles, Mexico: A Culinary Quest captures the essence and spirit of Mexico, its culture, food history and mind-bendingly diverse range of contemporary culinary styles. From Yucatán to Baja California, from Michoacán to Tabasco and from Nuevo León to Chiapas, Mexico:
A Culinary Quest traces longstanding cultural traditions through the medium of food, introducing nuns, grandes dames, campesinos, barrio residents, creatives in the arts, architecture, music and media, businesspeople and – of course – great chefs along the way. The lively profiles are accompanied by specially commissioned photographs of both people and places, focusing on the aesthetic interplay of visual and textual narratives. While food is at the book’s heart, the lure of
these pages is not just the featured personalities – their tables, menus, local specialities and kitchens – but Mexico’s magnificent settings and landscapes. From upmarket watering holes to local holes in the wall, Mexico: A Culinary Quest is a feast for the eyes, the senses and intellect. Available from www.chefpublishing.com £39.95 Hardback
the science of food An exploration of what we eat and how we cook Marty Jopson
Ever wondered what modi ed starch is and why it’s in so much of the food we buy? What do instant mash and freeze-dried coffee have in common? What’s the real truth behind the ve-second rule? And are we - as a world - running out of food? From pressure-cookers to pasteurization, The One Show’s resident scientist Marty Jopson takes us on a mouth-watering tour of the twenty- rst century kitchen and the everyday food miracles that we all take for granted. From mindboggling microbiology to ingenious gadgets, The Science of Food will fascinate foodies. By understanding the chemistry, physics and biology of our food we can all become better consumers and happier cooks.
Marty Jopson has a PhD in Cell Biology and is the resident scientist on BBC One’s The One Show. Marty has been working in television for eighteen years, since his rst job building props, and has been performing stage science around the UK for twenty years. Available from www.Chef Publishing.com £12.99 Hardback 77
Cooking the Books
The Good food
Guide
Fish restaurant swims to number 1 restaurant
New number one The restaurant awarded the top spot in The Good Food Guide 2018 is Restaurant Nathan Outlaw in Cornwall. It has also achieved a perfect score of ten for the second year running. The Port Isaac seafood restaurant has been crowned number one in the UK for being ‘the whole package’, with its relaxed dining room, a menu carefully crafted around the freshest Cornish seafood, along with perfect service which ‘just happens in the most discreet and attentive way’. Outlaw takes the title of Britain’s best restaurant from L’Enclume in Cumbria after their four years at the summit. However, Simon Rogan’s L’Enclume still retains a perfect ten score
Nathan Outlaw
78
for its ‘fiercely seasonal ingredients’ and ‘knockout dishes’.
obviously think he’s a pretty good boss as well as a fine chef.”
Speaking about the newly crowned number one restaurant, Waitrose Good Food Guide Editor, Elizabeth Carter said, “Nathan Outlaw’s food is characterised by the absolute freshness of ingredients and a clear sense of purpose. He has done an enormous amount to educate and encourage the public appetite for fish, driven by his supply of impeccably fine ingredients, and a special talent for creating unique and thrilling fish dishes. Moreover, nobody seems to leave Nathan Outlaw’s staff they just go and work in another one of his restaurants. They
Outlaw says, “We’ve always been proud to have a place in the listings, but to hear that Restaurant Nathan Outlaw has made it to No 1 is phenomenal. I’d say the award has come due to the hard work and dedication of our team who have now been working together for a decade. It just goes to show that if you stay true to yourself, get your head down, look after your customers and use the very best ingredients available to you, you’ll make it to the top.”
Dining discoveries This year’s edition features four new entries housed under railway arches: Umezushiin
Ben Crittenden - Chef to watch
Manchester; Hart’s Bakery in Bristol; and Bala Baya and El Pastor, both in London as well as Vice and Virtue,a Leeds’ restaurant located in a former strip club. With its Art Deco style interior, this venue is now poles apart from its previous life it now serves up three tasting menus, with dishes including ‘perfect’ lobsterravioli and organic apple strudel. In Devon you'll find Ode & Co in a posh holiday park above the sea on the Teign Estuary. Run by husband and wife team Tim and Clare Bouget, this eatery has a real focus on local ingredients, with their pizzas cooked in a recycled oven and made with organic Devon flour, topped with local cheese. Says Elizabeth Carter, Waitrose Good Food Guide Editor, “Once again the readers of theguide have pointed our experts towards some brilliant eating in unexpected places. Whether it’s fine dining in a former strip club, sushi under a railway arch or a fish supper in a shipping container, we find and celebrate culinary flair in all its forms. With this year’s new entries including an ‘ecological canteen’
constructed from renewables in a holiday park, and a former town library playing host to one of Devon’s best new openings, The Good Food Guide continues in its mission to uncover great cooking whatever the venue, wherever the talent. We think that eating out should be fun and that’s something these restaurants deliver in spades.”
Editors› Awards This is the fifth edition of the guide to be published by Waitrose, who has also announced their Editors' Awards from The Good Food Guide 2018. These awards recognise restaurants and chefs for their talent and commitment to excellence. This year Chef of the Year has been awarded to Peter Sanchez Iglesias from Casamiain Bristol, whose restaurant also climbs from no.27 (in the top 50) last year to no.10 this year. This coincides with Bristol also being host to the highest number of new entries of any city outside of London. Chef to Watch has been award to Ben Crittenden, from Stark, located in Broadstairs, Kent. His tiny 12 seater restaurant only has a
galley kitchen tucked in the corner but serves a well prepared six course tasting menu. The restaurant is so small it doesn’t yet have a loo, but a friendly landlady from the pub up the road welcomes Stark’s diners. Restaurant of the Year has been named as The Three Chimneys on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Run by chef Scott Davies, his menus are strongly rooted in the immediate area, with most ingredients sourced from a 20 mile radius. The Three Chimneys has also gone into the top 50 restaurants for the first time, at no 25. Best New Restaurant Entry is crowd funded Salt, in Stratford upon Avon. Best Front of House, which celebrates the best customer service in the UK, has been awarded to Restaurant Sat Bains in Nottinghamshire, while Best Pub Restaurant has been presented to The Crown,in Burchett’s Green, Berkshire. Available from www.chefpublishing.com £17.99 Hardback
Top 50 Restaurants The Good Food Guide’s annual Top 50 restaurant ranking is highly regarded by chefs and restaurant-goers alike, with particular attention paid to those chefs and restaurants who make it into the Top 10. The Top 50 recognises the very best talent in the country; a place on the list represents a huge achievement, with each position earned by its score in The Good Food Guide, editor appraisal and strength of reader feedback. Straight into the Top 50 at no.9 is Claude Bosi at Bibendum (London), while other New entries to the Top 50 are The Three Chimneys (Isle of Skye) at no. 25, Moor Hall (Lancashire) at no.26, The Ritz at no. 28 (London), The Sportsman at no. 42 (Kent) and The Man Behind the Curtain at no 50 (Leeds). A top score of 10 means «Just perfect dishes, showing faultless technique at every service; extremely rare, and the highest accolade the Guide can give. 1 Restaurant Nathan Outlaw, Cornwall (10)
18 The Ledbury, London (8)
35 Restaurant James Sommerin, Glamorgan (7)
2 L’Enclume, Cumbria (10)
19 André Garrett at Cliveden, Berkshire (8)
36 Artichoke, Buckinghamshire (7)
3 Pollen Street Social, London (9)
20 Midsummer House, Cambridgeshire (8)
37 The Raby Hunt, Durham (7)
4 Restaurant Sat Bains, Nottinghamshire (9)
21 Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester, London (8)
38 Whatley Manor, The Dining Room, Wiltshire (7)
5 The Fat Duck, Berkshire (9)
22 The Peat Inn, Fife (8)
39 Restaurant Story, London (7)
6 Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, London (9)
23 The Kitchin, Edinburgh (7)
40 Simpsons, Birmingham (7)
7 Hedone, London (8)
24 Sketch, Lecture Room & Library, London (7)
41 Restaurant Martin Wishart, Edinburgh (7)
8 Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, Tayside (8)
25 The Three Chimneys, Isle of Skye (7) New
42 The Sportsman, Kent (7) New
9 Claude Bosi at Bibendum, London (8) New
26 Moor Hall, Lancashire (7) New
43 Adam’s, Birmingham (7)
10 Casamia, Bristol (8)
27 The Greenhouse, London (7)
44 Freemasons at Wiswell, Lancashire (7)
11 Bohemia, Jersey (8)
28 The Ritz, London (7) New
45 Gidleigh Park, Devon (7)
12 Ynyshir, Powys (8)
29 Castle Terrace, Edinburgh (7)
46 Le Gavroche, London (7)
13 Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, London (8)
30 Forest Side, Cumbria (7)
47 Hambleton Hall, Rutland (7)
14 Fraiche, Merseyside (8)
31 Orwells, Oxfordshire (7)
48 Murano, London (7)
15 Marcus, London (8)
32 Paul Ainsworth at No. 6, Cornwall (7)
49 The Whitebrook, Gwent (7)
16 Le Champignon Sauvage, Glos (8)
33 Restaurant Marianne, London (7)
50 The Man Behind the Curtain, Leeds (7) New
17 Adam Reid at The French, Manchester (8)
34 The Waterside Inn, Berkshire (7) Available from www.chefpublishing.com
79
Letter from Bobby Saunders Chef A little bit about myself I am a London born chef and have a burning passion for all things related to food, a Westminster Kingsway College Pupil, this lead onto crafting under legendary Chef Pierre Koffmann at The Berkeley and to my current adventure with Jean George›s at the Connaught. Growing up as a child with a father, who was a professional chef, was the perfect introduction for me and this is when my passion kicked off. He educated me about produce and food in general and I was immediately transfixed into the world of great tasting food and the phycological aspects that were involved to produce food to a high standard. Westminster Kingsway College, put me in good stead, but I still didn›t feel satisfied in what I was achieving although I highly regard a special lady there who today is a close friend and that is Chef Volta Bushay. She is a fantastic lecturer and person and an asset to the College. I would also like to praise the work and commitment to another favourite lecturer of mine Chef John King who had no gimmicks and had the heart and mindset of a true Chef sadly he is not with us today but he›s name lives on with the fantastic «Kings Caviar». When the opportunity to work with Chef Pierre Koffmann came along it connected me with the dream and the reality of what you can achieve if you put the time and effort in and to fundamentally focus on what can be achieved by cooking from the heart . This is what I learnt from Koffmann, especially starting under him at such a young age. I stayed for almost three years until the closure of the restaurant and I had the privilege to run an array of sections in the kitchen which put me in good stead for the future, For me classic cooking is the fundamental forefront the professional chef .It›s a must know. You can›t skip it, because nearly every technique, and the cooking terms are of french origin, once you have this understanding you can then experiment. I learnt under Chef Koffmann that there are no short cuts, the secret is the simplicity of using good ingredients and extracting every very flavour possible. Personally the knowledge that you get from working with a chef like Koffmann is something money can’t buy. Anyone who has worked for him will say the same. His dedication and commitment and his truly inspiring dishes and kitchen presence are legendary. Personally he took me to hell and back but for me it triggered the desire to commit to my passion and go on further and what he has done for me is something I can never fully thank him for. For me he is the greatest chef to have ever blessed the British food scene no question about it. Since leaving there it›s been a hard act to follow there are so many restaurants especially in London to choose from so to take a step back and really study on the next move is fundamentally important especially if you believe you have a lot to give and have the aspirations to achieve your own goals in the future. The food Scene today especially in London is of a diverse level there are some good and some bad chefs. Some try to hard to give something to customers that is fundamentally fake or misleading and has no connection with the chefs creativity, but for me to truly capture the imagination of the customer is by cooking from the heart and being respectful around Mother Nature and with no gimmicks. And for the Chef starting out put yourself in to the hands of someone who knows there, job prepare to work until exhaustion and if food is what you have a passion for and you want to explore it then go for it. You have to believe in yourself and don’t let anyone knock you down and always give it 110%. You need to show character because only the characters do well in this business. For me to put food on a plate and say it’s my food takes guts and passion. Only the best survive in this business and they do it by being who they are. Take your time don›t run before you can walk take every day as it comes and what ever happens in the kitchen stays in the kitchen don›t take anything personally. You are your own critique nobody else, think of your kitchen career as not only a job but as an adventure, the sky›s the limit. For me food is an emotional attachment when you put it in to context it may sound funny but when you have dreamed all your life of working with great chefs and just being inside a professional kitchen and using wonderful ingredients it›s sheer heaven it makes me feel complete. My current adventure is with Chef Jean Georges Vongerichten at the Connaught Hotel. I heard of Jean Georges when I started working at The Berkeley and learnt of he›s previous residence there with VONG and since then been a follower of he›s work. When I heard the news of the opening in London I was very excited to have the possibility to try he›s food, but to have gone on to be working for him after the closure of Koffmanns is a wonderful feeling, like Koffmann, Jean Georges revolutionised a country›s perception on how you can use flavours and put a few ingredients on the plate and all work in harmony with each other and bringing out the most flavour possible I often contemplate my future, this time last year I would of said I›d still be with Chef Koffmann but a year on I›m on a completely new path. I love being around food and kitchens and who knows where my passion and commitment can take me. I›d love my own restaurant/restaurants but first to I need to completely polish my craft. but I need to walk before I run. I believe this is fundamentally important to be able to progress in this tough but rewarding industry. As a Chef you can start from absolutely nothing and work up to the very top but this comes from within and how committed you are to yourself and the job, but for me I›m completely focused on achieving my life long ambition and feel I›m on the right track to do so. Watch this Space