Stir It Up CRG May 2023

REDESIGNING A CLASSIC: SANDWICHES

WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE SUMMER DISH?

Get set for summer

HAVE YOUR SAY

Are we still creating a stir in your kitchen?

It’s incredibly important to us that we don’t just take for granted that you, our readers, are getting the most out of the content we provide in Stir it up.

Each year we conduct a Readers Survey to find out exactly what support, advice and inspiration you need to successfully operate in your sector. We then utilise this information to plan our editorial focuses, adapt current articles and create new features.

For 2023 we have introduced several new features based on the feedback received in 2022. You told us you wanted cost saving tips, ideas to improve staff retention, more food trend inspiration as well as information around sustainability including how to grow your own produce. As a result we introduced the new Into the Wild, Making Ends Meet, Heads Up and Fresh from the Kitchen features.

We also utilise many of your suggestions for topics you’d like to see covered in our Advice from the Experts, Melting Pot and Category Focus features when creating our editorial calendar for the year – and we welcome you to do the same again this year.

So, your thoughts and ideas really do help shape the future of the magazine!

2022 Reader Survey feedback

91% of you told us that our promotions brochure directly influences what you purchase

84% of you said that the content of this magazine directly influences your menus

67% of you view the Stir it up magazine online and utilise the other content available

With this in mind, please could you spare five minutes to fill out our questionnaire which you can easily access by scanning the QR code with your smart phone. If you would prefer to enter the link into your internet browser search bar the link is https://www.surveymonkey. co.uk/r/SIUSurvey23

Celebrating 15 years of independentsupporting caterers

All questionnairescompleted willbe enteredintoaprizedrawto winupto£300tospendRangewithyourlocalCountry Group wholesaler.

1st Prize £300

2nd Prize £200

3rd Prize £100

win

The foundation of our incredible, resilient industry is our people.

Now more than ever attracting staff, ensuring they are working efficiently and are happy is a mammoth task. As a result, this issue we have a variety of different features focusing on staff. Our mental health focused ‘Heads Up’ feature discusses addiction and over on the Hospitality page we explore the fantastic untapped opportunity of the over 50s age demographic. Also, we have Katy Moses, Founder and MD of KAM, research and insight experts, sharing advice on how you can better engage your employees.

If you would like to get involved in one of our features or have any feedback please contact us at editor@stiritupmagazine.co.uk

The Stir it up team

Fresh KITCHEN FROM THE

To inspire you for National BBQ Week at the end of the month, we look at the latest trends for cooking with fire from thefoodpeople.

GO GLOBAL Cooks are chasing smoke from around the globe – think fragrant West African suya skewers, Filipino lechon (spit-roasted suckling pig), Middle Eastern inspired halva s’mores and American low & slow BBQ flavours.

ASIAN INSPIRED A surging appetite for the food and culture of East Asia has introduced rising popularity for Asian-inspired BBQ. Think Japanese skewers grilled over binchotan charcoal or tableside Korean barbecue, as well as extracting depth of umami flavour using ingredients like soy, dashi, koji, miso and seaweed in marinades, sauces and seasonings.

NOT SO HUMBLE VEG As the plant-based revolution has moved vegetables to centre stage, cooks are taking them to the next level of flavour through fire cooking. They char, smoke, grill and ‘dirty’ roast veg (straight on the embers) to give smoky, bitter depth to versatile veggies like carrots, beets, squash and sweetcorn.

Readers' lives

NAME: Vivienne Jane Lee

JOB TITLE: Owner

PLACE OF WORK: The Chocolate Café – three sites in Henley, Goring and Wokingham.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED IN THE CATERING INDUSTRY? I started at the age of 14 and haven’t left.

PASSIONS OUTSIDE OF THE KITCHEN? Dance, dance and more dance. Salsa is my favourite.

WHICH CHEF DO YOU RESPECT THE MOST AND WHY? Paul Clerehugh – he has two fabulous restaurants in Henley. I have a huge respect for his businesses, his food and him as a person.

WHAT’S THE BEST ADVICE YOU WERE EVER GIVEN AND BY WHOM? An early business adviser said - keep your eyes on the financials. It always stuck so I continue to check my accounts weekly. If you don’t, it’s where issues can escalate.

WHAT DO YOU DO TO SWITCH OFF/ RECHARGE? I have just taken up horse riding, yoga and meditation.

WHAT’S THE WORST JOB YOU HAVE EVER DONE? Being a landlady for rental properties. A thankless task.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE DISH ON THE MENU IN THE SUMMER? We have a new pastry chef so I’m looking forward to some stunning sweets – I’m thinking Victoria sponge with fresh cream and strawberries or a Crème Brulée.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE COUNTRY RANGE PRODUCT AND WHY? The Honey & Mustard Dressing – it’s very versatile and great with our halloumi salad.

CONDIMENTS When thinking about elevating your BBQ don’t forget the condiments. Green herby sauces from around the world find their way onto everything – think chimichurri, wild garlic pesto, coriander chutney or spicy zhug, whilst the Lebanese garlic sauce, toum works with just about anything.

SEASONING Before you put your meat on the grill, make sure it’s seasoned using the very latest flavour sensations. Two Mexican ingredients, tajin (chilli-lime seasoning) and chamoy (fruity, spicy and sour) are gaining particular popularity and can be used on everything. Chamoy was even named the ‘Flavour of the Year 2022’ by Food Network Magazine.

Yakitori Japanese Grilled Chicken Chimichurri Sauce

CALENDAR Cooks

May

6TH MAY – THE CORONATION OF KING CHARLES III

Shake up your coronation menu with this fun Dukes of Chippingdom recipe from Lamb Weston; a posh chippy twist on the classic Eggs Royale.

7TH MAY – LEMONADE DAY

Celebrate this refreshing summer drink with our recipe for fresh cloudy lemonade.

29TH MAY – NATIONAL BISCUIT DAY

Combine the unique taste of Nutella® with a biscuit crunch for the ultimate snack sensation to celebrate National Biscuit Day. Request your free sample by visiting https://www. ferrerofoodservice.com/uk/en/nutella-biscuits

29TH MAY – 4TH JUNE – NATIONAL

BBQ WEEK

This Mexican burger recipe using Garden Gourmet Sensational Burgers is loaded with a fresh hot tomato salsa, chipotle mayonnaise and smoky cheese, served with a fresh and crunchy salad.

June

1ST JUNE – WORLD MILK DAY

It’s iced coffee season! Indulge with the classic pairing of chocolate and strawberries with this delicious recipe from Monin.

2ND JUNE – NATIONAL FISH & CHIP DAY

2ND JUNE – NATIONAL DOUGHNUT DAY

Put a Spanish twist on the doughnut with this KITKAT® Churros recipe, dipped in KITKAT® Spread and coated in KITKAT® Mix ins to give any consumer a truly crunchy churro experience.

18TH JUNE – INTERNATIONAL

PICNIC DAY

A serious upgrade to your average sandwich, this Muffaletta (picnic loaf sandwich) recipe from Opies is packed to the brim with flavour, texture and colour.

Thank you to Lamb Weston, Ferrero, Nestlé, Monin and Opies for sharing their recipes

The full foundrecipescanbe at www.

Independent family-owned business

All-natural ingredients

Made on our farm in Wales

100% recyclable packaging

Two NEW delicious flavours coming soon

Request free trade samples here:

Strawberries

Official Tasting Notes provided by George McIvor, Chairman of The Master Chefs of Great Britain

The strawberry, the harbinger of summer, Wimbledon, strawberries and cream, one of the world’s favourite fruits.

Although eaten by the Romans, official cultivation of the strawberry started in the 1300s in Europe, crossing the indigenous wild strawberry with a Chilean variety. A final twist in the cultivar which was prone to leaf spot and other diseases was the discovery of a variety in Massachusetts, named Howard 17 and this is the father of the current cultivars.

Strawberries are not only delicious but provide numerous health benefits as they are packed with vitamins, fibre and antioxidants, as well as containing no cholesterol. They are packed with vitamin C, containing more than an orange.

Strawberries are one of the first fruits to ripen in the spring and although most think of them as red, they can be white, pink, yellow and gold. With the seeds on the outside the strawberry is not a true berry, such as the blueberry or grapes, and, biologically speaking, belongs to the Rosaceae family which also includes roses. There are 103 species of strawberry and they are cultivated worldwide.

WASTE NOT WANT NOT

If you’re lucky enough to have an abundance of strawberries, there is no reason for any to go to waste. They freeze very well and can be turned into smoothies from frozen. Make jam, compote or syrup for use all year round, or dehydrate to turn into a delicious snack or garnish. You can also make a strawberry powder to flavour yoghurts and creams.

1

/

ROASTING

/ IN SEASON:

Strawberries work well as an ingredient in vegan pesto adding texture and flavour as well as offering a more unusual accompaniment to pasta. Any leftover bread can be made into breadcrumbs for this recipe and mixed with toasted sunflower seeds, strawberries, basil leaves and olive oil in a blender.

Lamb’s lettuce

5/

STRAWBERRY AND ALMOND CROISSANT

/ 3/

Create fresh salsa for your crab tacos by softening strawberries in lime juice, which heightens their flavour, and mix with green chilli.

GIN CURED SALMON

2

4

Nectarine

New potatoes

Also In Season:

EAT THE SEASON

RECEIVING TOP REVIEWS

Marylebone Theatre, London

The Marylebone Theatre opened on the 29th September 2022 and has quickly become one of London’s hottest cross-cultural hubs for performance, art, comedy, music and culture.

Based in the historic Rudolf Steiner House, which is the cultural home of The Anthroposophical Society in Great Britain, the theatre and the building offer a polished programme of spiritually oriented events in a unique and stunning architectural environment. With patrons such as Sir Mark Rylance and Baroness Usha Prashar, the theatre has quickly become a community hero, welcoming everything from performances, plays, concerts, conferences and seminars, right through to lectures, study groups, classes, courses and workshops.

In a quieter stretch, a stone’s throw from the capital’s bustling Baker Street, the new state-of-the-art theatre also features a stylish café and bar,

which like many of the performances, has been garnering some impressive reviews. Brilliant for the daily visitors attending courses, classes and events, it’s also a fantastic destination for the numerous commuters, digital nomads and tourists searching for secluded, peaceful surroundings to eat, drink, work, rest or play.

In charge of the food and drink at the theatre is proud Cumbrian Stuart Connery. A big Manchester United, rugby league and cricket fan, Stuart globetrotted in his youth to Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and even worked on a flower farm in Israel near the West Bank. He’s now scored over 34 years in hospitality, working for leading outlets managing the food and drink at hotels, bars, pubs and student unions.

“It’s a truly historic and awe-inspiring building in which to work and it’s been a great honour to be involved with the project to launch the theatre. We’re still working out a few kinks, but the food and drink

offers serious potential. We don’t have a huge amount of space in which to work in so it’s a ‘less is more’ approach. A smaller menu, but each and every item is visually appealing, great tasting and can be prepared quickly,” comments Stuart.

“We’re open from 10am-4pm so we have great coffee, tea and pastries, enticing cakes and sweet treats, a super selection of sandwiches and paninis plus fresh salads and fruit. We open later and run a bar for the evening performances, comedy acts and gigs, so we also have an impressive range of quality soft drinks, craft beers and biodynamic wines. We use a selection of the Country Range products and we’re always impressed with the quality and value. We have a lot of classes,

courses and workshops where we provide tea and biscuits, so the Country Range Assortment have quickly become our go-to biscuit.”

Above (main left to right)

The Marylebone Theatre Stuart Connery

Below (left to right)

The caf and bar

The theatre

“The new stateof-art theatre also features a stylish café and bar, which like many of the performances, has been garnering some impressive reviews.”

BANK ON THE HOLIDAYS FOR SUCCESS

With a trio of bank holidays plus heaps of other special days, weeks and occasions to inspire your menus and offering, May is an opportune month to kick off your alfresco plans. Here are some tips on how our portfolio can make your menus sing this spring.

A Mexican Fiesta

Cinco de Mayo is an annual celebration commemorating Mexico’s victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla on the 5th May 1962. Not to be confused with Mexico’s Independence Day on the 16th October, Cinco de Mayo celebrations first gained traction in the USA before going on to become an internationally celebrated Mexican occasion, mainly due to clever marketing from tequila, mezcal and beer brands.

With summer creeping closer though, there’s no better time to unleash a wave of Mexican classics for the 5th May festivities to wow your guests and heat things up as the sun starts to shine. Whether it’s Mexican-inspired nibbles, starters, sides, handheld snacks, refined mains, flame-grilled gratifiers or stunning sweets, our spread of tortilla wraps and chips, salsas, seasonings and sauces, red kidney beans and fiery jalapeños have you covered.

“WE LOVE THE COUNTRY RANGE OILS, SPICES, SEASONINGS AND HERBS. THE QUALITY IS TOP DRAWER AND THE SMOKED PAPRIKA IN PARTICULAR IS INCREDIBLE.” - HEAD CHEF, LONDON

If you’re looking for some recipe inspiration, why not try our Salmon Enchiladas, Pulled Pork Tacos or for a unique dessert, give our Lime & Chilli Posset a whirl.

With Einstein bee-lieving that the human race would have just four years left once the last bees had died and worryingly stories already being reported about a decline in bees, it has to be time for us all to act. A vital component for our food, according to the United Nations Environment Programme, of the 100 crop varieties that provide 90% of the world’s food, 71 are pollinated by bees. World Bee Day takes place on the 20th May so there is no better time to show your support and celebrate these busy little life-giving wonders. It could be you have planted some wild flowers to attract and provide habitats for them or you could look to do your talking and supporting in the kitchen through a selection of honey-inspired treats to help raise awareness for the day. Try this Baklava recipe to add a real buzz to the menu.

“Weuseavarietyof the Country Range dressingsseasonings,saucesandinourmenu,which Foraregreatforspringandsummer. dressingexample,theHoney&Mustard isabigfavouriteof mine,especiallywhenlathered onourpopularHalloumi Salad.”HenleyCafé,

Sandwich Week

Providing portable pleasure and sustenance for centuries, the humble sandwich is a key part of our food heritage and one of the mainstays for breakfast, lunch and dinner, not just in Blighty and Ireland but around the world. A classic for convenience, lunchtime pick-meups, buffets, afternoon tea and picnics, over 3 million sandwiches are purchased from retail or catering outlets each year. With over £8million forked out on them, make sure you have a menu that can excite and help you take a slice of the spend.

If you’re looking to launch some new sandwiches or add a little thrill to your menu, May is certainly the month with the weather improving and British Sandwich Week taking place from the 22nd-28th.

While the Ploughman’s was voted the nation’s favourite last year, push the sandwich boat out for this year’s celebration with something a little more extravagant. Here’s a scintillating scampi sandwich, beautifully boosted with our award-winning Tartare Sauce.

Scampi Sandwich

Summer BBQ Range Beer BBQ Ribs

NATIONAL BBQ WEEK 2023

With energy price hikes still a worry for many businesses, make the most of the warmer months, fire up the barbecue and even make it a regular weekly attraction. Cooking over flames continues to be a huge trend and the nation’s chefs are already pushing the BBQ boundaries so the possibilities are endless. Just make sure quality rules as competition is fierce and uninspiring menus, plus poor standard bangers and burgers, will no longer suffice.

Our Country Range Frozen Beef Burgers, Steak Burgers and Aberdeen Angus Burgers are unbeatable when it comes to flavour and appearance to guarantee your reign as barbecue king or Queen.

For those aiming to head off the beaten barbecue track this National Barbecue Week running from the 29th May – 4th June, our selection of Country Range seasonings, spices, herbs and sauces are a god-send for marinating veg, chops, steaks, skewers, fish fillets, shellfish, wings or drumsticks.

COUNCILS NATIONWIDE take positive steps to improve school meals

Several local Councils are forging ahead to improve school meals by working with the Soil Association’s Food for Life programme. This is a national project which promotes healthy and sustainable food in schools.

With 16 schools already enlisted into the 3-year scheme, the aim is to encourage a further 64 schools to join. Participants receive training and assistance with the introduction of nutritious meals throughout the school. A key part of the programme is training for teachers, schools and local authority staff. Last year a group of 21 people including teachers and council staff attended a training session, built around a seasonal recipe and food education.

Emma Heesom from Food for Life explains the advantages of the programme, “The Food for Life recipe is simple,” she says. “We give schools all they need to get pupils growing, cooking and connected to nature. It’s not making more work, it’s about using food and growing to enrich the existing curriculum. Food for Life schools double their likelihood of becoming Ofsted Outstanding. Our awards (Bronze, Silver, Gold) provide excellent evidence for the Personal Development requirements of the new Ofsted inspection framework.

Food for Life provides all the resources to support the awards.”

Bury Council in Lancashire, one of the 16 participants, achieved a “Food for Life Served Here”

Bronze Award for sustainable and healthy meals provided throughout 52 primary schools.

According to Andrew Cowan, Catering Area Manager at Bury Council, advantages of participating in the programme include using more local suppliers, high quality local ingredients and an increased uptake of school meals. It also supports healthy eating at home as pupils learn about the food on their plate. He says, “The ‘Food for Life’ accreditation links into many strategies within the council. Not only does it support reducing our carbon footprint by using organic, local suppliers, it also supports the health and wellbeing of pupils and their families. From a commercial perspective, it supports increased meal uptake, which can contribute to the budget. We’re looking at the silver award from October with our Autumn/Winter menu.”

Bolton Council also achieved the Food for Life Served Here Bronze Award and now confidently assures parents, children and schools “that we care about the food we serve,” says Jane Barber. A total of 77 schools in Bolton participated in the scheme. “We have independent verification of school meal standards and ingredient quality,” she says. “Our school kitchen teams try to promote healthy eating for our young customers, and we believe achieving this award supports their hard work and commitment. It involved assessing our menus to ensure we had over 75% of food freshly prepared. We needed support from our suppliers in providing evidence of food quality accreditations. It felt like a challenge at

first, but we’re glad we persevered!”

Medway Council is one of the most recent additions to the program. Explaining their rationale for joining the scheme, Senior Public Health Manager, Julia Thomas says, “Unfortunately, childhood obesity rates in Medway are higher than the national average and we are taking a whole system approach to tackling this issue. Food for Life has experience of working with schools and delivering cooking, growing and eating projects and their award scheme recognises good practice. We’ve only completed one full term, but so far we are very happy with how it’s going.”

Above and Below: Bolton Council celebrating the Food for Life Served Here Bronze Award

“We give schools all they need to get pupils growing, cooking and connected to nature. It’s not making more work, it’s about using food and growing to enrich the existing curriculum.”

How Easy Is It To Become An Addict

Addiction in the hospitality industry has been well documented, yet still the numbers of individuals addicted to alcohol and drugs are on the rise. Stress at work, the fast-paced environment, rude customers and long shifts to counterbalance low wages are key contributors, but perhaps we have fallen foul of reading so many articles about addiction that we are almost becoming numb to it and are failing to see how truly easy it is to slip into.

Take the man for example, who is covering extra shifts to help pay for the rising cost of living and in the last hour of his day has had a customer hurl unnecessary abuse at him. His colleagues console him with a drink or two to help ease the stress. The next day, he is repaying the favour for a colleague who fell out with the chef. Before long, it becomes all too easy to use alcohol at the end of a shift to wind-down or to keep you going during a long day. With alcohol readily on the premises, ‘supplementing’ a shift with a drink quickly turns a one-off pick-me-up into a habit. Not convinced yet? Let’s look at another scenario – the teenage girl who has just started her first job as a waitress. While teenagers would never want to admit to being impressionable, they are – especially when immersed in an unfamiliar environment with people who are more experienced and blasé in their attitude to alcohol and drugs. Seeking to impress, it’s all too easy to transition

from smoking a cigarette to marijuana. What might start as sharing a joint on a shift with a co-worker, can lead to more frequent use of substances to relax, unwind, and decompress.

The fact remains that people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol are ordinary people. Ordinary people who, in the hospitality sector (in the main), have easy access to alcohol and (for some) drugs, making substance abuse both attractive and

convenient. A survey by The Caterer magazine in 2007 demonstrated just how widespread substance abuse is in the sector, with 40% of individuals having witnessed others taking drugs at work and 89% feeling that alcohol and drug misuse is a problem in hospitality. These results are doing nothing to improve the reputation of the industry’s image, and at a time when staff availability is under pressure, it’s time we faced up to the fact that substance abuse isn’t something that is happening on somebody else’s doorstep.

Substance abuse can lead to workplace accidents and injuries, absenteeism, theft, and a loss in productivity – and then there is the final price - loss of life. It is important to take the

Ordinary people who, in the hospitality sector have easy access to alcohol and drugs, making substance abuse both attractive and convenient.

issue seriously and introduce methods to support your staff and their mental health. For example, rather than continuing with the tradition of buying staff a drink after their shift, put that money into a pot and pay for a quarterly team building event. Managers should also talk openly about the issue, actively engaging with the broad range of charities and support networks available to encourage staff who need help to seek it. Organisations such as Hospitality Action and Hospitality Health not only provide assistance but also understand the causes of addiction in hospitality, or you can speak to charities such as Avenues Recovery, Action

Addiction or We Are With You, who provide

much needed support.

By understanding how easily addiction starts and the deep roots it has within hospitality, as opposed to the broad reasons for addiction in the sector, preventing it becomes achievable.

Despite the rising energy prices, we must all keep the spotlight firmly on addiction, only then can we make a difference to those affected today and save the lives of those who may fall tomorrow.

TOP of the CLASS

| SERVES: 10

INGREDIENTS:

• 40g McDougalls Vegetarian Strawberry Jelly Crystals

• 200ml Boiling water

• 300g strawberries, chopped

• 175ml cold water

• 75g Angel Delight Strawberry Mousse

• 2 litres vanilla ice -cream

• 100g meringue crushed

• 100ml strawberry coulis

METHOD:

1. To make the jelly, add the McDougalls Vegetarian Strawberry Jelly to the boiling water and whisk until dissolved.

2. Divide the strawberries in half, then share between 10 glasses. Top the strawberries with jelly and leave to set.

3. To make the Angel Delight, pour the cold water into a mixing bowl fitted with a whisk. Add the Angel Delight® Mousse and whisk for 30 seconds on slow speed.

4. Scrape down, increase the speed to high, and allow to whisk for 5 minutes (do not over whisk). Once the jelly is set, top with Delight.

5. To serve place two scopes of vanilla ice cream on top of the Angel Delight layer, sprinkle with crushed meringue, remaining strawberries and coulis.

ALLERGENS: (Eggs, Milk, Sulphites)

Please check the ingredients declaration on the products you use making this recipe.

SUITABLE FOR: Vegetarian.

Dougalls

Rather than buying staff a drink after their shift, put that money into a pot for a team building event.

By Katy Moses, Founder & Managing Director of KAM

HOW CAN WE BETTER engage our employees ?

It is generally accepted that a business’s success is all about its people, a sum of its parts so to speak. At the end of 2022 there were 149,000 vacancies in the hospitality industry, according to ONS. With the level of vacancies, the industry is experiencing at the moment, it really puts importance on making sure employees, the parts, are happy, motivated and retained.

KAM has just launched a report in partnership with Growth Partner looking at how businesses can make themselves an attractive place to work by engaging their

employees to ultimately drive recruitment, loyalty and retention, as well as productivity.

No surprise that salary is obviously absolutely key to the vast majority of people, but three other things are also critical when choosing and staying in a job.

Work-life balance has risen sharply up hospitality workers’ agendas, meaning that flexible working and all that it encompasses is here to stay. A common conception within the hospitality sector is the long, unsociable hours, so flexibility around which and how many hours worked is important – 38% of hospitality workers say they’re offered flexible shifts. However, this desire for flexibility is seen in other

NEARLY 1-IN-2 HOSPITALITY EMPLOYEES ARE NOW OFFERED GYM DISCOUNTS BY THEIR EMPLOYER (49%), 1-IN-4 ARE OFFERED ACCESS TO FITNESS PROGRAMMES AND 14% A CYCLE TO WORK SCHEME.

areas too, such as flexibility around perhaps which locations they work in, when they get paid, or with annual leave, be that being able to trade in unused annual leave or more than statutory amounts.

Work-life balance also bleeds into the general trend towards “well being”; nearly 1-in-2 Hospitality employees are now offered gym discounts by their employer (49%), 1-in-4 are offered access to fitness programmes and 14% a cycle to work scheme.

Training and development is also an area that hospitality employees see as important; 59% now have access to online training and 1-in-2 have had face-to-face training courses. More than 1-in-3 have access to apprenticeships.

I recently chatted to Claire Clarke, People Director at Flat Iron Steak restaurants, who gave her thoughts, “it’s all of the above [perks and benefits], but it’s also the environment they work in, the learning and development that we do, it’s how we treat them, even from the interview process,

recruitment, induction, right through the employee journey right to when they decide to leave. If you have an engaged employee along that journey, everything else falls in place.”

I couldn’t agree more!

A restaurant needs to make potential customers aware of the food they offer, the price, offers, or the general experience they will have to market themselves to customers. As an employer looking to attract staff the sentiment is no different. The vast majority of those who work within the sector agree that a business that offers employee engagement services are more attractive places to work, but they need to be told about it. First things first is that 95% of employees want to be made aware of any employee engagement services and benefits PRIOR to making the decision to join the company. We often need to do a better job of communicating our employer brand as well as customer brand.

You can download a copy of the whitepaper here: https://mailchi.mp/ kam-media/employeeengagementservices or via QR code.

THERE’S MORE TO A SANDWICH thanmarmalade

Much under-rated yet loved by so many of us, the humble sandwich often gets overlooked in discussions about food, so this month we are making amends. A sandwich is more than two slices of bread wrapped around a filling – a good sandwich has soul, and we are not the only people to think so! When we opened our square-shaped Tupperware lids on the topic, we discovered a whole underground movement, from poetry and odes to record breaking moments and Tik-Tok influencers going sandwich-crazy.

WHAT MAKES A GREAT SANDWICH?

What’s great about the sandwich is that it is so versatile and the variety of bread at our disposal today means the options are endless, however ignore the classics at your peril! Despite our love of adventure and new flavours, there is something to be said about a well-made cheese and ham, tuna mayonnaise or egg salad sarnie. “I have to say there are reasons the classics work - normally because they are great flavour combinations. I love pastrami and Swiss cheese, with sauerkraut and mustard. Or a cheese toastie with real depth of flavour - we use three different kinds of cheese with chilli and red onions at all our Sam’s Larders,” Comments Sam Harrison, owner of Sam’s Riverside and Sam’s Larders.

Steve Humpherson, co-Founder and Director of CENSE says a good sandwich starts with quality ingredients, fresh bread and well-considered foundations; “I always recommend a lightly salted butter for

TAKING A SEASONAL APPROACH TO SANDWICH FILLINGS DOESN’T NEED TO BE THAT CHALLENGING – IN COOLER MONTHS TRY ADDING TOASTED VERSIONS OF THE CLASSICS, GIVING YOUR DINERS MUCH NEEDED WARMTH AND COMFORT WHILE RETAINING A SENSE OF FAMILIARITY.

IF YOU ARE SHORT ON FRIDGE SPACE AND BUDGETS ARE TIGHT, LOOK TO OPTIONS THAT EXTEND YOUR MENU THROUGHOUT THE DAY. A CROQUE MONSIEUR, BACON BAP, SAUSAGE SANDWICH OR BREAKFAST ROLL CAN WORK JUST AS WELL AT THE START OF THE DAY AS IT CAN FOR LUNCH.

that creamy seasoned finish, and make your own hybrid mayonnaises by adding complimentary components such as lemon zest (or juice), sriracha, pesto, chilli flakes and truf fle oil.”

Taking time to consider textures and layers of flavour is also important. Adding crunch by way of lettuce, pickles or crispy onions makes a soft filling more interesting. “Smoked salmon and cream cheese is my all-time favourite. When paired with cucumber for added crunch and served in a bagel or in a wrap, it makes for a delicious lighter bite” says Joel Carr, Development Chef at Young’s Foodservice.

To create layers, use thinly sliced meat stacked with fresh ingredients that add colour and contrast. Let’s face it, in the world of Instagram, the “money shot” is always the first look at a freshly cut sandwich, so layers of meat and clearly defined fillings serve a hunger that doesn’t always originate from your customer’s stomach!

However, it is important to think of your audience too. An overfilled sandwich for a care home resident would be too much for them to handle and could get messy very quickly. In this instance, perhaps an open sandwich served at the table with cutlery would work better, or reduce the quantity of filling to make finger-sandwiches that can easily be picked up and consumed.

GETTING EXPERIMENTAL

Breaking away from the classics to offer more interesting options and satisfy an audience with different dietary needs will always serve you well. Whether you introduce new flavour combinations via a weekly specials board, or change your menu seasonally for your guests, promoting your latest creation is a must.

“We try new combinations regularly based on customer requests, so recently we did a houmous, avocado, roasted chickpea and sweet potato option and a chicken and harissa slaw on artisan sourdough. It sounds unusual, but there were so many layers

of flavour! We have a wide range of customers and also cater to a variety of dietary lifestyles, so we try to mix up our offer to include both traditional favourites and more contemporary choices to suit everyone’s taste buds” comments Emma Louise Taylor, owner of Planks Kitchen. “We recently did a weekend special of BBQ pulled jackfruit topped with a creamy avocado slaw on either a vegan roll or sourdough for the end of Veganuary. We love listening to our customers about what they would like to try so are always happy to create new filling combinations.”

Your sandwich menu can also be inspired by using leftovers to minimise food waste. Today’s chicken tikka masala can quickly become tomorrow’s sandwich filling when combined with layers of lettuce, deconstructed onion bhaji, mango chutney and minted yoghurt. Leftover vegetables can be grilled and paired with halloumi, honey, thyme and chilli flakes for a great Mediterranean pita, and fish can be battered and fried or baked for a fish goujon sandwich.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TRENDS

Yes, we said it – there are sandwich trends! Not too long ago, the sandwich became London’s hottest food trend, with meal-deals and delis popping up everywhere. At the heart of the scene was Bodega Rita, inspired by the corner stores found in New York City. Owner Missy Flynn enticed guest chefs from Chris Leach to Tomos Parry through the doors each week to make their own unique stacked sandwiches for the menu.

“YOUR SANDWICH MENU CAN ALSO BE INSPIRED BY USING LEFTOVERS TO MINIMISE FOOD WASTE. TODAY’S CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA CAN QUICKLY BECOME TOMORROW’S SANDWICH FILLING”

Below Sam Harrison owner of Sam’s Riverside Larder

Today, with the digital era well and truly upon us, Tik-Tok is where the trends are forming and SandwichTok (yes, it’s a real thing) involves influencers rolling dice to decide what bread and fillings to use in their next creation. From the sublime to the ridiculous, the platform is full of inspiration and for the tech savvy, linking your menu or concept into digital trends can be great for promoting your brand and giving your operation a unique voice.

A LITTLE EXTRA ON THE SIDE

Like all good food, sandwiches work well with accompaniments – be that a side salad, crisps or something more adventurous. The team at Planks Kitchen take their sides seriously, integrating their deli counter into their menu and changing the options weekly to keep customers coming back for more. “Some of our deli sides include gunpowder potatoes, spiced cauliflower bites, Balela salad, harissa slaw, gochujang carrots and Cajun spiced sweet potato wedges. We find that customers love adding a deli side as they can’t decide between a sandwich and a deli bowl – so why not combine both!” Comments Emma Louise Taylor.

Arrabiatta Sandwich by Delifrance

Sides are not there just to make the sandwich look pretty, they can increase the average sales value of an order if offered as an added extra. Sam Harrison recommends choosing your sides wisely “I always try to think what will complement the sandwich & add to the experience. For example, pickled cucumber on the side of our three cheese toastie or gherkins and salted crisps alongside the pastrami & cheese give that added bit of crunch and flavour that you crave to round off your lunch,” he says.

RESEARCH CONDUCTED BY DÉLIFRANCE REVEALED THAT A CHOICE OF SANDWICH FILLINGS WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT CRITERIA WHEN SELECTING WHERE TO BUY A SANDWICH, CLOSELY FOLLOWED BY THE TYPE OF BREAD USED AND HOW FRESH IT WAS (57% AND 56% RESPECTIVELY). THE TWO MOST POPULAR SANDWICH FILLINGS WERE CHEESE (28%) AND BACON (28%).

IF YOU THINK THAT SANDWICHES ARE A LOWCOST MEAL, TAKE A LOOK AT SERENDIPITY 3’S QUINTESSENTIAL GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH. MADE WITH DOM PÉRIGNON, GOLD FLAKES AND TRUFFLE BUTTER, IT WILL SET YOU BACK OVER $200!

As the summer months start rolling in, sandwiches will come into their own, packing picnic hampers full of handheld delights or playing a starring role in street parties, tea parties and events, so give the humble sandwich a bit of extra love this year and see where it takes you!

Sourdough Roll Baguette

Sourdough Bloomer

Ciabatta

1. Bake the twist for 18 mins at 175°c

2. Let the twist cool down for 45 mins

3. Slice the twist in two and fill it with ham

THE SMART CHOICE True value for money with no need to compromise

The quality, consistency and affordability of our products makes the Country Range brand widely regarded as the best in foodservice.

Range of Choice

Our range of over 700 products have been specifically developed for use in a professional kitchen and are tested to deliver consistent performance. Whether it’s essential store cupboard items or premium finished products, you will find everything you need in order to run a successful kitchen.

Making the Grade

We’re passionate about our brand and its heritage so we have a watertight procedure in place to ensure the products we provide you meet the high quality standards you expect when buying Country Range. All our suppliers are BRC (British Retail Consortium) accredited and we have full traceability on all our products.

“We pretty much use the Country Range Products across the board. The quality is excellent and provides a fantastic base for the majority of our dishes.” Catering Manager, Residential Care Home

No Bake Coconut, Banana and Passion Fruit Cream Pie

Makingendsmeet

TURN IT DOWN

This month, Country Range development chef, Paul Dickson shares his top tips for reducing energy in the kitchen.

TREATS WITHOUT THE HEAT

You can still provide decadent sweet treats whilst reducing the energy you use in the kitchen. Providing more fully finished desserts is one solution, particularly if you add your own decoration and garnish, like here with the Country Range Baked Salted Chocolate Torte. There are also some great recipes that don’t involve using the oven at all, like these delicious grab-and-go Coconut Chocolate Bars, or for a full dessert, this No Bake Coconut, Banana and Passion Fruit Cream Pie is a real crowd-pleaser in the summer months.

Country Range

Baked Salted Chocolate Torte

Chocolate Coconut Bars

A Souper Energy Saver

The summer months are the perfect time to turn the oven down and provide more no-cook options on your menu. It’s surprising how much energy you can save by making changes to your recipes, menu and cooking methods. And it’s not just the savings you make, your staff will also thank you for turning the oven off more and keeping the kitchen cooler at this time of year!

Paul is a Home Economist and Food Stylist working in London and the North West, creating exceptional visual stories in film & tv, on social media and in print. All of the recipes and videos featured in the article can be accessed online at www. countryrange.co.uk/recipes or by scanning the QR code.

MICROWAVE MAGIC

Mug Cake

When it comes to saving energy in the kitchen, don’t forget about the humble microwave, which is seeing a rise in popularity recently and with good reason. For some recipes, the microwave can achieve in seconds what would take an oven at least 20 minutes. Take this Mug Cake using Country Range Cookie Pucks, for example. A delicious dessert ready in less than a minute.

We all know that soups are a dream when it comes to wastesaving, using seasonal ingredients and being easily adapted to suit all sectors and budgets. A perfect way to save energy in the summer is to switch your soup option to a refreshing and zingy Gazpacho. My recipe doesn’t require any cooking and the result is fresh and flavoursome. Garnish with as much or as little spice as you like, making it an adaptable option for all.

Hit the Salad Bar

Summer is the perfect time to include some no-cook options on your menu, and it’s the salad’s time to shine. Whilst the classic salads always have a place on any summer menu, it’s also nice to add some fresh new options. Buddha Bowls are still on trend and enable you to be creative with a range of textures and flavours. Using frozen prawns is a great idea for a generous and luxurious salad, with no need to cook the protein, like this Prawn Caesar Salad. And don’t be afraid to pair the number of ingredients right back to hero a seasonal ingredient, especially during summer when there is an abundance of fresh produce available, give this Heirloom Tomato Salad a try and you won’t be disappointed.

Heirloom

Tomato Salad

Prawn Caesar Salad

Let’s partner up for good

® When you choose NESCAFÉ , you get more than the UK’s favourite co ee brand* that your team knows and loves.

You also get one step further on your sustainability journey. That’s because our beans are 100% responsibly sourced and our tins are fully recyclable.

Recently, Jamie Clews, Key Account Manager for Product Solutions and Training at Robot Coupe, gave a presentation on how to use 100% of raw ingredients to reduce waste and save money at a conference of the National Association of Care Catering (NACC).

A dedicated champion of waste reduction, Jamie says, “Everyone is struggling with the increase in food costs, so rather than reduce the quality of the food, keep the same quality but find more interesting and fun ways to use as much of the ingredients as you can.”

“Ways have been found to use every single aspect of a cow, for example, but as soon as we pick up a cauliflower, all we see is the white bit in the centre and we dismiss the leaves and stalk as ingredients. The cauliflower stalk can be steamed and puréed, and the leaves diced and used in stir fries which adds more colour and texture.”

JOIN THE ZERO WASTE BRIGADE

JAMIE’S TOP TIPS FOR REDUCING FOOD WASTE ARE:

• FOR POTATO PEELINGS, roast off and serve as a starter or snack. “Soak the potato peelings in water overnight and the next day, place in a roasting tray with rosemary, salt and olive oil and bake,” he says.

To start looking at fruit and vegetables differently, Jamie recommends introducing a bucket in prep stations, and as vegetables are prepared, put the peelings in it rather than the bin.

“The tendency can be for staff to peel potatoes over the bin and so they’re not noticing what’s going in there and they are thrown away. If you use a bucket, you can have a look and see what ingredients you have. So, if there’s a pile of potato peelings, have a look on the internet and see what recipes you can make.”

• PROCESS THE CORE OF CABBAGES through a 3mm grater on your food prep machine. “If you make coleslaw, you’ll be slicing cabbage and grating carrots. Cut the core out and put it through the veg machine on the grater which you’ve already been using for the carrots and mix into the coleslaw. The core is valuable – if you don’t use it, it’s the same as taking eight cabbages, picking one out and throwing it away,” says Jamie.

• BLEND CHICKPEA WATER (aquafab) to make vegan mayonnaise or vegan meringues. “If you’re making meringue, whip it for much longer than for mayonnaise,” he adds.

• BLEND AND DRY EXCESS FRUIT to make “fruit leather”. “I worked with juice bars and looked at ways to use the pulp from juicers. We blend it, add maple syrup, place on a flat tray and put in an oven on a low heat. As the moisture comes out you get this fruit “leather” – it’s a chewy sweet snack.”

• MAKE VEGAN ICE CREAM from over-ripe bananas. “Slice them, freeze them in pieces on a tray and blend. Add coconut milk if needed and it becomes ice cream. Flavour with walnuts.”

• TURN EXCESS BREAD INTO BREADCRUMBS using a grating disc or bowl cutter.

“Find more interesting and fun ways to use as much of the ingredients as you can.”

Over 50 and fabulous? WE THINK SO!

Historically, the over 50s age bracket has been under-represented in the hospitality industry, however it represents untapped potential which can help fix the industry’s staffing issues. With an additional one million workers over the age of 50 in the UK workforce by 2025* attracting this age group into the sector will become increasingly important.

National pub chain J D Wetherspoon, recognised as a Top Employer for the 18th time by the Top Employers Institute, encourages recruitment of all ages for all roles and works with Rest Less, the UK’s digital community for the over 50s. Michelle Crooke, Recruitment and Qualifications Manager says, “Many over 50s were typically in long term employment and many chose to take early retirement or redundancy during the pandemic and sadly many lost their jobs. There is an audience available to hospitality that wasn’t previously there.”

Groobarbs Field Kitchen restaurant in Cheshire has a diverse team of all ages. David Fryer, co-founder says, “It sounds like a cliché to say we’ve built a family, but I can’t think of a better way of describing it. Everyone brings something different to the table and that benefits everyone. We have several people over 50 working in front of house and in Groobox, our veg box delivery business. The individuals were new to the industry and trained from scratch.”

“The over 50s age bracket has been under-represented in the hospitality industry, however it represents untapped potential which can help fix the industry’s staffing issues.”

STEP UP

forsummer

It’s heating up in the kitchen this year, starting summer early with the King’s Coronation which will hopefully attract tens of thousands of visitors to the country to witness the auspicious occasion. Over the next few months, there’s still plenty of opportunity to have a sizzling season and to get you started, our panel of experts tell us all about their favourite dishes. Whether you are going big on BBQ, or simply keeping it seasonal with the freshest ingredients, it’s time to step up and get inspired!

summer

Young’s Foodservice’s Fish Tostadas

Young’s Foodservice’s Fish Tacos

ANETA JARZMIK General Manager, Hard Rock Cafe Manchester

When it comes to our most popular summer dishes, it’s probably the Grilled Salmon Noodle Bowl as a refreshing option, and a personal favourite too. It’s a perfect combination of healthy and delicious, making it the ideal choice for summer; it went down really well in 2022.

For drinks to cool customers down on a hot day, our Blackberry Sparkling Sangria and Passionfruit Mai Tai are great – a fruity and refreshing twist to traditional cocktails. If you have a sweet tooth and want something other than just an ice cream, our homemade Hot Fudge Brownie is sure to satisfy your cravings –warm chocolate brownie topped with vanilla bean ice cream, hot fudge, chocolate sprinkles, fresh whipped cream, and a cherry. Naughty but nice.

JOEL CARR Development

Chef, Young’s Foodservice

Summer dining is all about fresh food, lighter meals, and creating delicious dishes that utilise all those seasonal fruits and vegetables that we miss in the colder weather. A great opportunity for caterers to offer the perfect summer dish is by making delicious barbecued Mediterranean fish kebabs!

Featuring Young’s MSC Certified Wild Alaska Pollock and Salmon pieces marinated in lemon juice, paprika, garlic and chilli flakes before being skewered with peppers, courgettes and tomatoes and finally popping on the BBQ. These kebabs are not only delicious but are simple to create and perfect for the summer dining experience.

Freakshake Raspberries & Cream

REBECCA

MANFREDI

Managing Director, Suncream Ice Cream

For those needing an alternative to milk-based or lactose free ingredients but without having to compromise on taste and texture, there’s the dairy free Love Vegan range from Suncream Ice Cream available in 3 well-loved classic flavours: Natural Vanilla Bean, Strawberry with Strawberry Ripple sauce and Chocolate with Chocolate Ripple sauce. There are so many ice creams out there, which although vegan, still contain at least one of the major allergens such as soya, there seems little point in removing one allergen ingredient and replacing it with another, so we are proud that ours is free from all 14 declarable allergens. Our Love Vegan ice cream is something everyone can enjoy and still delivers a great flavour and a lovely creamy texture.

KAREN GREEN Marketing Manager, Aimia Foods

Summer is all about the sweet refreshing taste of a creamy ice cream or milkshake. With the wonderful concoction of different flavours to add to the already existing palate of summer, children, adults and anyone with a sweet tooth look forward to their favourite sweet drink while basking in the sun. A favourite among customers in those summer months is the Raspberry and White Chocolate Shmoo Thickshake, an ideal combination of those sweet summer berries and the creamy succulence that white chocolate can bring. Watch sales fly as you combine it with a frosted doughnut or marzipan blanket.

DANIEL HEFFY

Chef, NORD

I have a really sweet tooth, so I love to make homemade ice creams. At NORD, we will be producing all our ice creams in house. For me, ice cream is a great opportunity to use up large amounts of strawberries in the summer when they’re cheap and at their best, the same goes for all summer berries.

Baked Alaska will be a staple on the NORD dessert menu, it’s perfect for sharing and if you have a good ice cream, it’s very simple to make. Then, all you need is a cake base and creamy Italian meringue and you have the perfect dessert for all occasions.

Brioche Style Bun

1/3 of consumers describe themselves as Flexitarian

Cater for all dietary requirements with Kara’s

Joe McCullough sealed his dream transfer to the Premier League in 2006. He has to be considered one of the league’s best ever signings with over 20-years’ experience in the kitchen

Running the show since 2018 and responsible for fuelling the people working tirelessly behind-the-scenes of the world’s biggest football clubs, Joe is passionate about offering incredible choice and ensuring each and every dish hits the back of the net.

You would think Joe would have enough on his plate feeding the 250-plus staff members and guests each day, but when he’s not in the kitchen, Joe is also a growing social media star. Focusing on his passion for gardening, Joe specialises in the weird, wonderful and tropical. Instead of the standard courgettes, spuds, kale and cucumbers, Joe’s YouTube channel – Joe’s Tropicals – shot from his home in south London, focuses on growing fruits such as melons, pineapple, guava, persimmons, figs

“I just love food, so when I’m not devising and creating in the kitchen, you can always find me outdoors covered in mud, planning and working on my next growing projects. You would be so

Pork Tenderloin and Chestnut MushroomStroganoff

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp Country Range

Smoked Paprika

• 1 tsp Country Range

Dried Oregano

1 tbsp Country Range

Dijon Mustard

• Country Range Olive Oil

• 1 pork tenderloin fillet

• 10 chestnut mushrooms (medium sliced)

METHOD

1. Season the pork and seal it in a frying pan before setting aside for later.

2. In the same pan, on a low heat cook the onions until soft and translucent, then add the garlic.

3. Now add the chestnut mushrooms and allow to soften for at least 1 minute.

4. Add some dried oregano and a generous amount of smoked paprika, stir and add a splash of white wine.

JOE MCCULLOUGH

Rising Star

LARA LEE

FOUNDER, KIWI & ROO

Raised in Australia but bursting onto the scene in London with her acclaimed Antipodean-inspired catering business Kiwi & Roo, Lara Lee is a Chinese-Indonesian and Australian chef and food writer. Her first book Coconut & Sambal was released in 2020 and is followed by her latest out 27th April - A Splash of Soy: Everyday Food from Asia. A regular contributor for the New York Times, Food & Wine, Bon Appetit and the Guardian, we caught up with Lara to chat beginnings, books and being punched in the face by food!

What were the key steps in your development and career?

My hospitality career started when my friend Fi and I set up a food stall in an East London market called Kiwi & Roo, where we sold an epic Antipodean and Asian-inspired steak sandwich. The buzz was instantaneous, and we quickly generated a fan base, so I decided to pack in the day job and enrolled at Leith’s School of Food & Wine. After graduating, I completed stages at The Fat Duck and The Ledbury before Fi and I branched out into supper clubs, and then catering at weddings and other larger events. We soon became a preferred caterer at the Australian High Commission, and catered events for Qantas, the Natural History Museum, the Royal Academy of Arts, and even cooked for Harry & Meghan twice.

Describe your cooking style?

Electrifying, accessible Pan-Asian food that punches you in the face. There is always lots of chilli, ginger, lime leaves, shallots, and lemongrass. I love good home cooking. I used to do a lot of fine dining when I catered at Kiwi & Roo, but that’s not my style at home.

What ingredients are you loving right now? What should we be trying?

Avocados, and I don’t just mean on toast. I’m talking sweet smoothies, desserts and ice cream. They work beautifully in sweet applications because of their creaminess and light flavour, and they're used extensively in Indonesian dessert culture. Avocados are definitely worth some experimentation in 2023.

What about cooking techniques?

It’s all about fire for me in 2023. Get the barbecue ripping. The smoke and flames do magical things to vegetables, meat and fish.

Tell us about the new book

They are the kind of recipes I can cook any day of the week, whether it's after a long day at work (or parenting!) or the days when I'm full of energy. It also shares the rich stories and history behind the recipes, like how cheese and kimchi became a popular pairing or the importance of larb in Thailand and Laos.

Who would you most like to cook for?

It has to be Barack Obama. He spent parts of his childhood in Jakarta and he loves Indonesian food. I would cook him and Michelle gado-gado and bakso, an Indonesian meatball soup, which is his favourite childhood food.

Do you have a favourite seasonal recipe for May?

For the late spring, the recipe I recommend from my new book is my Lemongrass Pork Burgers. Seriously punchy and great for a barbecue. My husband calls it the best burger he has ever eaten (and he is a burger fiend!).

INGREDIENTS

• Pork patties

• 500g pork mince

• 1 lemongrass stalk, woody outer layers removed, finely chopped, or 1 tbsp lemongrass paste

• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed, or 4 tsp garlic paste

• ½ small onion or 1 medium shallot (60g), peeled and finely chopped

• 1 egg, beaten

• ¼ tsp ground white pepper

• 2½ tsp fish sauce

• 10g fresh ginger, peeled and grated, or 2 tsp ginger paste

• pinch of fine sea salt

• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce

• 2½ tsp caster sugar

• ½ long red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

by Louise Hagger @laraleefood

• 2 tbsp flavourless oil (such as

sunflower or grapeseed) or coconut oil

TO SERVE

• Cucumber, garlic and chilli pickle

• 4 brioche buns or hamburger buns, halved

• 2 eggs

• sriracha, to taste

• tender lettuce leaves, such as cos or baby gem

• 1 tomato, thinly sliced

• 4 tbsp Kewpie or ordinary mayonnaise

• ½ long red chilli, thinly sliced, deseeded if you prefer less heat (optional)

• crispy fried shallots

• handful of tender herbs, such as coriander leaves, Thai basil leaves or mint leaves

• bamboo skewers or cocktail sticks

METHOD

1. Combine the ingredients for the pork patties, except the oil, in a large bowl and mix well with your hands for 1–2 minutes, or until the liquid has been fully absorbed. Dampen your hands and divide the mince into 4 patties, about 2–3cm thick; they should be the same size as the burger buns.

2. Toast the burger buns, cut-side down, in a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat for 1–2 minutes until golden, then set aside.

3. Heat the oil in the pan on a medium heat. Add the patties, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for around 7 minutes on each side, or until browned, caramelised and cooked through. Remove from the heat and set aside. Fry the eggs to your liking.

4. Drain the pickle, then assemble the burgers. Squeeze a generous amount of sriracha on the bottom of each bun. Lay the lettuce on top, then a burger, tomato, fried egg, some pickle, chilli, fried shallots and herbs. Spread 1 tablespoon mayonnaise on the top half of each bun and place on top. Pierce each burger through the centre with a skewer (trimmed if necessary) or cocktail stick to hold it together. Serve immediately, with any remaining pickle on the side.

A Splash of Soy: Everyday Food from Asia by Lara Lee (Bloomsbury Publishing, £22, Hardback) is out 27th April. Photography

You can also

earth-shatteringlyturnthepattiesintogood meatballsbycooking 35gballsfor5–6 minutesona highheat.

Jelly Crystals USE WAYS TO

First recorded by English cookery writer Hannah Glasse, who used the term jelly in a trifle recipe in her book ‘The Art of Cookery’ first published in 1747, jelly continues to be an iconic favourite, much loved by kids and also restores nostalgic memories in adults.

Our Country Range Jelly Crystals are the ultimate when it comes to flavour, versatility and wobble. A lactose-free and gluten-free dry blend made using natural colours and flavourings, the crystals quickly dissolve to produce fantastically firm yet wonderfully wobbly jelly in strawberry, orange, or raspberry flavours. Each case contains 4 x 3.5kg bags, with each bag containing 77 portions.

ABOUT: CHRIS BASTEN

Former Chairman of the Craft Guild of Chefs, Chris Basten worked as Executive Chef for the likes of the Great Foster Hotel and Marriot International before concentrating on ushering through the next generation of talent as a lecturer at Westminster Kingsway. Through his work for the Craft Guild of Chefs, and as an active member of the culinary team, Chris competed at the Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg in 2002, 2006, 2010 and the Culinary Olympics in Erfurt in 2000, 2004 and 2008, taking silver medals in each event. As Culinary Team Captain in 2007, he led the team that represented England at the Chef Ireland competition in Dublin, returning home with two gold medals. Passing on his competition knowledge and experience this past decade, Chris continues to nourish and encourage college chefs through his role as Head Judge for the Country Range Student Chef Challenge.

1/ Rainbow cheesecake

Vanilla cheesecake is always a classic, but I elevate it with several different flavours of set jelly cut into cubes and placed inside. It creates a rainbow of colours and produces a dazzling dessert.

2/ Popping popcorn jelly combo

Using the raspberry jelly, I add melted dark chocolate and then let it set. This is then served with a caramel popcorn.

3/ jellyBerrycup

Simple but done well it can be a star of the show. An assortment of winter or summer berries set in different jellies and served with whipped lemon cream.

Country Range

Jelly Crystals

Pack size: 3.5kg

4/ Jelly and cake

A delicious way of using your sponge cake and adding a jelly element. Simply cut out globes of sponge, dip them in liquid jelly and then leave to set. Once set, dust the balls with desiccated coconut for some divine jelly and coconut bites.

5/ Rainbow oranges

A visually stunning fruity treat. Cut an orange in half, scoop out the inside and pour in a mix of the different flavours. Put it in the fridge to set and once very cold, cut the jelly into wedges.

“Jelly continues to be an iconic favourite, much loved by kids and also restores nostalgic memories in adults. Our Country Range Jelly Crystals are the ultimate when it comes to flavour, versatility and wobble.”

30% Reduced sugar*

Natural flavours

Makes 42 portions

Suitable for vegetarians

Lighter, fluffier and Gluten free.

HOW TO MANAGE Rude Diners

With over 20 years’ experience in the industry working within operations and building brands for the likes of Mitchells & Butler, Carluccios, Fishworks, Giraffe and Marstons, Caroline Hoyt has faced her fair share of difficult customers. Her talent for spotting a

potential situation before it becomes a problem has helped her staff at all levels become more confident with handling complaints and rudeness. We caught up with Caroline for some advice and to share what she has learnt over the course of her career.

HAVE YOU SEEN AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER

OF DINERS TREATING YOUR STAFF BADLY?

We haven’t seen an increase recently, I think there has always been an element of occasional challenges where hospitality is concerned. The customer’s choice is increasing and with that comes an increase in expectation, so when this isn’t met or dealt with correctly, then it can occasionally result in challenges towards the team.

WHAT IS THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF THIS BEHAVIOUR ON TEAM MEMBERS?

A lot of teams find handling complaints or conflict situations difficult to manage, so it’s important we increase the

training we provide to give them the confidence in this key area. Without help or support, it can negatively impact their mental health and let’s face it – a rude customer can turn a good day into a bad one very quickly.

WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU GIVE FOR INDIVIDUALS FACING A RUDE CUSTOMER?

Every situation is different, so I don’t believe necessarily in a step-by-step process that works for handling all situations - that said, it is good that teams have a framework to follow which will help them. Overall, it’s important to stay calm and don’t react. Responding in kind is only going to make matters worse. Often, customers just want to vent their frustration, so listening is really key here to enable you to solve the problem – and that is your ultimate goalto solve the problem. Sometimes all it takes is an apology, sometimes it takes a lot more diplomacy and patience, but your team needs to know when to escalate the problem up the chain before rudeness turns into aggression.

HOW CAN MANAGERS SUPPORT THEIR STAFF BETTER IN THESE SITUATIONS?

It is critical that managers are present to support their team. Whilst training and encouragement to handle these situations better is important, it is always imperative that the team feel they have their managers working alongside them and can go to them should they need assistance. It’s really important to trust the team to make the decisions they believe are best, as long as that is leaning towards providing a positive resolution and does not escalate the issue. If, for example, a team member gives a customer a free dessert in a situation where you wouldn’t have – take a balanced view and support them in that moment because ultimately the issue got resolved. You can always address it with positive feedback later when everything is calmer.

Whether you employ professional training services or find a home-grown solution, it is important that training provides your team with the knowledge, skills and confidence to manage situations where they feel comfortable to do so.

Alotofteams findhandlingcomplaints orconflictsituationsdifficult tomanage,soit’simportant weincreasethetraining weprovidetogivethem theconfidenceinthis keyarea.

Bisto launches new Southern Style Gravy Granules

With consumers seeking internationally inspired sauces and condiments, Bisto is launching new Southern Style Gravy Granules.

Sarah Robb, foodservice marketing manager, Premier Foods Foodservice said, “Consistently reliable and quick to prepare, the product enables operators to elevate dishes and capitalise on the growing demand for American-style dishes. The flavour-packed gravy is the perfect partner for fried chicken dishes, meat sharing platters, plant-based alternatives, savoury biscuits, and fries”.

The versatile new gravy is low in fat and sugar, meets 2024 government salt requirements and is suitable for vegans. Bisto Southern Style Gravy Granules are available in 1.8kg drums, which are 100% recyclable. Each produces approximately 13 litres, or 275 portions, of rich, flavourful southern-style gravy.

YOUNG’S FOODSERVICE LAUNCHES NEW GASTRO SCAMPI

The UK’s largest seafood brand has launched its new Gastro Scampi for Foodservice.

Sourced from the coastal waters of Britain and Ireland, Gastro Scampi is wild caught from hand peeled Langoustine tails and coated in light golden breadcrumbs.

“This delicious scampi is best served deep fried, straight from frozen.” says Joel Carr, Development Chef at Young’s Foodservice. “It’s just perfect to give a modern twist to the classic prawn cocktail and tastes great with our recipe for prosecco mayonnaise.”

Young’s Foodservice Gastro Scampi is available frozen in 10 x 454g bags which can be kept in the freezer until needed and then individual portions can be cooked on demand. Versatile and quick to cook, it can be used within an entrée, main course or even as a bar snack. Perfect for caterers looking to refresh their fish range and offer something new to customers.

– what has been your favourite experience thus far?

They are very different operations, but both are amazing in different ways. Obviously the Michelin restaurants give me the most satisfaction with the creativity and consistency of producing incredible food day in and day out. However the large scale operations are always full on, 24/7 large volumes of covers and no two days the same.

After partnering with photographer Julian George for “Made You Look” to draw attention to the underrepresentation of BAME people within hospitality, do you have any further collaborations in the pipeline?

Made You Look was a great project to be part of and to be able to shine a light on so many unsung heroes within the industry was a real highlight. In the same year of this event I actually became an advisory board member of Be Inclusive Hospitality, which is a not-forprofit organisation with a mission to accelerate racial equality in the hospitality sector. It is an incredible organisation lead by founder Lorraine Copes where our vision is simply to create a hospitality sector that is equitable and inclusive for Black, Asian and Ethnic minorities at all levels.

FIELDMike

CHEF & TV PERSONALITY

Mike Reid is a British chef who lives for food and cooking. As busy as he is talented, Mike splits his time between television shows, running his 3 London restaurants and fulfilling his role as Executive Chef for the Gaucho Group. Trained as an apprentice by Gordon Ramsay and Michel Roux Jnr, Mike has built an international career, working with some of the world’s finest chefs.

What inspires you about working in hospitality?  My love of food. I was born to cook and from a young age I was always drawn to the kitchen. It wasn’t until I started professionally though that I realised cooking would become my creative outlet. I’ve been a musician most of my life and always loved performing on stage, but cooking became my new stage. Now nothing beats the thrill of a service, the joy of cooking and seeing the happiness of your guests in your restaurants. At the end of the day that’s what we are there for.

You have run large restaurant groups and Michelin starred independent restaurants

How would you like to see the industry change in the future?

First and foremost, as I said earlier, I would like the sector to be equitable and inclusive for all. This doesn’t just relate to ethnicity, I am also referring to gender and those with health conditions or impairments. I met a deaf chef recently and listening to some of his stories of the challenges he has faced in some top kitchens throughout his career is just sad, he is an exceptional chef and this should be all that matters.

What are your future plans and ambitions for M?

We have recently opened M Canary Wharf which was about 6 years in the making. It is a stunning 180 seat restaurant in the Newfoundland building which has incredible 360 views of the water. It feels like you have been transported to the French Rivera from the moment you walk inside. Our menu reflects that, with a nod to Provençal, the food has the same innovation and flair you would expect from an M but with my French classical training also being showcased.

How do you achieve a work/life balance given your hectic schedule?

This is always the challenge for anyone in the industry but for me it is always a matter of your priorities in life, if you prioritise spending time with your family or friends and build this into your work culture and routine then it is achievable. I have kids now and they are very much my number one priority so I make it work, there was a period of adaptation for sure but we made it work.

Having worked in Australia, UK and Dubai, what synergies and differences are there about the industry?

The biggest difference was probably the culture of the people and how each country works differently. In Dubai you are managing so many different cultures within your team, so it forces you to become a better manager. Australia again, they work hard and have a strict system about apprenticeships, so they have a really good level of chefs in their country.

When did you introduce M Raw and what was the driving force behind it?  M Raw was launched when we first opened M Threadneedle St in 2014, we were definitely ahead of our time and wanted to showcase the most sustainable and ethically sourced fish in the UK. We spent time with suppliers and fisherman teaching them the famed Ikejime method of fishing, so we could have locally sourced fish but caught in the most humane way delivered to us exclusively. We still celebrate M Raw on our menus today with a wide range of Sashimi and Tartare on our menu.

Katsobushi Duck Leg Bao

INGREDIENTS

1 Confit duck leg

15g Plain flour – Seasoned with salt

30g beer batter (recipe below)

10g Katsuboshi

20g Pickled cucumber

20g Fermented daikon (recipe below)

40g Hoisin sauce

Bao Buns

For the Fermented Daikon:

200g Daikon – peeled and julienne

2g Lime leaf

10g Peeled whole garlic cloves

18g Maldon salt

SERVES 1

For the batter:

230ml Hop house lager

130g ‘00’ Pasta flour

5ml Saffron water

3g Maldon salt

METHOD

1. Whisk all batter ingredients together

2. Pat the duck leg dry

3. Roll the duck leg in flour and pat dry, then dip it in the batter

4. Next, roll the duck leg in the katsuboshi and fry at 190°c until nicely browned, crispy and hot inside

5. Steam the baos for 30 seconds

6. Assemble and serve with the hoisin sauce, pickled cucumber and fermented daikon

FOOD & INDUSTRY news

Rowse Honey Shows a World Without Bees

To raise awareness of the importance of bees, Rowse Honey has launched a visual of a pollinator-free picnic and an apprenticeship scheme to train the next generation of bee farmers.

The thought-provoking picture shows how beige and bland our plates would be without bees, as three-quarters of crops that produce food are reliant on pollinators. The number of British beehives has declined by nearly 75% over the last century and the UK is missing 40% of beehives needed to future-proof honey sustainability.

Rowse have estimated that the UK needs to increase bee farmer counts by a minimum of 33% - 1,000 farmers – in the next decade. Developed in partnership with the Bee Farmers Association, they have launched their ‘Bee a Bee Farmer’ apprenticeship scheme to inspire, recruit and train the next generation of young British bee farmers. It’s part of their wider mission to help protect honeybees through their Hives for Lives programme, which also includes funding research and regenerating over 50 acres of pollinator

“THE THOUGHT-PROVOKING PICTURE SHOWS HOW BEIGE AND BLAND OUR PLATES WOULD BE WITHOUT BEES, AS THREE-QUARTERS OF CROPS THAT PRODUCE FOOD ARE RELIANT ON POLLINATORS.”

habitat at Blenheim Palace and offering beekeeping as a sustainable pathway out of poverty in Ethiopia.

Picnic without Bees Picnic with Bees

Greatvegantastingrecipe.

• 100% of ingredients from natural origins.

• Absolutely no preservatives, artifical colours or flavours.

• For cooking, baking, frying and spreading.

• Approved by The Vegan Society.

“Great taste for all applications.”

HOSPITALITY CAREERS

NESTLÉ PROFESSIONAL LAUNCHES ‘CHOOSE HOSPITALITY PLEDGE’

Nestlé are leading an industry alliance urging hospitality ambassadors to step forward and promote the industry to young people.

The ‘Choose Hospitality Pledge’ has been created by Nestlé with Choose Hospitality, CareerScope, Springboard, and a growing number of hospitality and industry leaders, following research revealing that young people have negative perceptions of the hospitality sector. To address this, the alliance is issuing a call for passionate people from the industry, keen to share their experiences and advice with young people in secondary schools across the UK.

Katya Simmons, managing director at Nestlé Professional says, “Hospitality businesses are more than twice as likely as other industries to experience challenges filling vacancies. The Choose Hospitality Pledge is all about inspiring the next generation of hospitality superstars. Helping us to get young people excited about our industry again and showcasing hospitality as an incredibly rewarding career with a wide array of roles and progression opportunities.” Gourmet

Future Menu Trends Report 2023

Unilever Food Solutions released its first Future Menu Trends report 2023, developed in collaboration with more than 1,600 chefs in over 21 countries

Alex Hall, executive chef at Unilever Food Solutions UKI, added: “The Future Menu Trends Report 2023 offers chefs a fantastic insight into what’s going on within the hospitality industry, not just in the UK but right across the globe.

“The eight trends outlined in the report reflect so much of what we’re seeing hospitality innovators already doing. Tom Kerridge is a great example of modernised comfort food playing out in the UK market too – and we’re delighted that he’s recently joined our Knorr Professional brand as creative director.”

THE TOP EIGHT TRENDS IDENTIFIED ARE

- irresistible vegetables

- modernised comfort food

- low-waste menus

- wild & pure

- flavour contrasts

- feel-good food

- the new sharing

- mindful proteins

WIN a Panasonic Bread Maker

The Country Club

EXCLUSIVELY FOR CUSTOMERS OF THE COUNTRY RANGE GROUP

USE YOUR LOAF

With this month’s Category Focus celebrating sandwiches, we’re giving away a Panasonic Bread Maker to help you to take your bread to the next level!

With up to 30 automatic settings you can bake almost any kind of bread, as well as cakes, pizza and pasta dough. The only limit is your imagination. What’s more, settings include those for creating gluten-free recipes, allowing you to leave out allergens without compromising on the end result.

The machine replicates the kneading techniques of an artisan baker, to deliver the best-tasting bread

with the ideal texture. What’s more, if you’re adding ingredients into your mix, the raisin / nut dispenser automatically adds these for you at just the right time, ensuring consistent and tasty bread every time.

Dual temperature sensors determine both internal and external temperatures, meaning that you always get the best quality results, and you can choose medium, large, or extra-large up to 1.1kg, with various shades of browning. Use the timer function to set it to work in the evening, so that you can arrive in the kitchen in the morning to freshly baked bread. What could be better?

For your chance to win, send an email titled ‘Bread Maker’ along with your name, contact details and the name of your Country Range Group wholesaler to competitions@stiritupmagazine.co.uk