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The Magazine for the Professional Chef

MASTERING THE GRILL SINCE 1969

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BERT’S RESTAURANT Australia

Leading the pack Darron Bunn TALK TO THE CHEF

Alpine Advertures

A Seat at the table Bangkok CITY ROUND-UP

Nicolas Hesinger

Michael Baum A Nerd in the Vineyard

Recipes 4

TALK TO THE CHEF

FRONT OF HOUSE

The Rise of the Vegetarian INDUSTRY TOPIC

Ba’thali A pearl in the Indian Ocean

AREA FOCUS

Real Kombucha FRONT OF HOUSE

Yes! CHEF Issue 7

PUBLISHED BY Chef Media

Yes Chef! Formerley Chef Magazine

PUBLISHER Peter Marshall peter@chefmedia.co.uk Tel: 0044 0207 0971396

Welcome to the first issue of 2020, and I hope all readers and followers enjoy a prosperous year In this issue we interview Executive Chef, Darren Bunn about the challenges of managing the kitchens at the Goodwood estate, famously home to three of the biggest sporting events in the world.

ADVERTISING SALES peter@chefmedia.couk

Nick Harman talks to Chefs about the rise of plant-based eating and finds out how Chefs are responding to the ever-increasing demand from this sector of diners, as Gordon Ramsay recently said, “Veganism is on the rise, we’ve got to adapt and eat a slice of humble pie.”

WRITERS Nick Harman Bruce Scott Josh Sims Namai Bishop DESIGNED BY Chef Media Copyright Chef Media United Kingdom www.chef-magazine.com Chef Magazine is published for Professional Chefs Published 6 times a year and available in both electronic and printed format.

Yes! CHEF Issue 7

The Magazine for the Professional Chef

This months cover is Gordon Ramsay featured in our article about the rise of the vegetarian

Namai bishop has sent in a report from the Alps having interviewed Nicholas Hesinger, Chef at the private chalet of the elite Family Rothschild, no less, now one of Four Seasons Hotels’ most coveted ski addresses. Namai also visits what is regarded as possibly the only fine dining Maldivian restaurant in the Maldives and interviews Chef Ahmed about his unique restaurant. Josh Sims talks with Nicholas Baum, an entrepreneur, philanthropist and, more recently, the owner of Chateau Pommard, the French winery and estate established 1726 - making him the first American to own such an estate in Burgundy - silicone valley meets the history of french wine production And finally, Nick tries to master the art of making Kombucha, and fails, but has a great time trying to hone his skills We also include a selection of Recipes from around the world. But as in the best kitchens, we want your feedback. So do let our team know if you would like to see specific content included in Yes Chef! – the magazine for the professional. Enjoy Peter Marshall Publisher 7

Yes Chef Magazine published for the Professional Chef 8

To celebrate the re-launch of Yes Chef Magazine, formerly Chef Magazine, we are pleased to offer our readers range of specially commissioned napkins at amazing prices

2 Ply White 40 x 40 Napkin 2000 per case

1-20 Cases £18.00 per case 20-40 Cases £17.00 per case 40 Cases £16.00 per case Priced include delivery to one UK addressAvailable as a limited offer whilst stock is available

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Restaurant

Chef

Location

3 Michelin Star Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester Fat Duck Gordon Ramsay Sketch (The Lecture Room & Library) Waterside Inn

lain Ducasse Heston Blumenthal Gordon Ramsay Pierre Gagnaire Alain Roux

Jean-Philippe Blondet Edward Cooke Matt Abé Johannes Nuding Fabrice Uhryn

Mayfair Bray Chelsea Mayfair Bray

Michelin Listing for 2020

2 Michelin Star Aimsir Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons Claude Bosi at Bibendum CORE by Clare Smyth Dinner by Heston Blumenthal Greenhouse Greenhouse Hand and Flowers Hélène Darroze at The Connaught Kitchen Table at Bubbledogs La Dame de Pic L'Enclume Le Gavroche Ledbury Midsummer House Moor Hall Patrick Guilbaud Raby Hunt Restaurant Nathan Outlaw The Dining Room Restaurant Sat Bains Umu

Jordan Bailey Stevie McLaughlin Raymond Blanc Claude Bosi Clare Smyth Ashley Palmer-Watts Mikael Viljanen Chenge of Chef Tom Kerridge Hélène Darroze James Knappett Ann-Sophie Pic Simon Rogan Michel Roux Jr. Brett Graham Daniel Clifford Mark Birchall Patrick Guilbaud James Close Nathan Outlaw Niall Keating Sat Bains Yoshinori Ishii

Gary Jones

Rachel Humphrey

Guillaume Lebrun

Celbridge ROI Auchterarder Oxford/ Chelsea North Kensington Hyde Park Dublin Mayfair Marlow Mayfair Bloomsbury London Cartmel Mayfair North Kensington Cambridge Aughton Dublin Darlington Port Isaac Malmesbury Nottingham Mayfair

1 Michelin Star A. Wong Adam's alchemilla Allium at Askham Hall Alyn Williams at The Westbury Amaya Angler Aniar Artichoke Aquavit Barrafina Bastion Beach House Black Rat Black Swan Blackbird 10

Andrew Wong Adam Stokes Alex Bond Richard Swale Alyn Williams Sanchit Kapoor Gary Foulkes JP McMahon Laurie Gear Henrik Ritzén Carlos Gomez Paul McDonald Jon Marsden-Jones Tom Banks Dom Robinson Dom Robinson

Victoria Birmingham Nottingham Askham Mayfair Belgravia Finsbury Galway Amersham St. James's Soho Kinsale ROI Oxwich, Wales Winchester Oldstead Newbury

Restaurant

Chef

Location

1 Michelin Star continued Stephen Smith Keith Braidwood Tomos Parry George Livesey Robert Potter Garrett Byrne Brad Carter Peter Sanchez-Ingelsias Steeven Gilles Ross Lewis Rob Krawczyk Bruce Poole Paul Walsh Fred Clapperton Pascal Aussignac Conor Toomey Ben Wilkinson Adam Smith Simon Bonwick Richard Galli Michael Deane Simon Hulstone Phil Howard Taylor Bonnyman Dan Smith Kevin Tickle Marc Wilkinson Jeff Galvin George Blogg Mickael Viljanen Karam Sethi Tong Che Hwee Seng Han Tan Aaron Patterson Sally Abé Ollie Dabbous Peter Gray Martijn Kajuiter Kenny Atkinson Hrishikesh Desai Takachi Miyazaki Takashi Miyazaki Jeremy Chan Jean Delport James Sommerin John Duffin Alex Chow Mark Kempson Tom Kitchin

St. Helier Newbury Shoreditch Bristol Castle Combe Kilkenny Birmingham Bristol Belgravia Dublin Ballydehob Wandsworth City of London Ripley City of London Edinburgh Braithwaite Ascot Burchett's Green Victoria Belfast Torquay Chelsea Chelsea Canterbury/Fordwich Grasmere Birkenhead Spitalfields East Grinstead Dublin Mayfair Bloomsbury Mayfair Oakham/Hambleton Fulham Mayfair Bray Ardmore Newcastle upon Tyne Windermere Isle of Eriska Cork St. James's Horsham Penarth Mountsorrel Mayfair Kensington Edinburgh/Leith

Michelin Listing for 2020

Bohemia Braidwoods Brat Bulrush Bybrook Campagne Carters of Moseley Casamia Céleste Chapter One Chestnut Chez Bruce City Social Clock House Club Gascon Condita Cottage in the Wood Coworth Park Crown Dining Room at The Goring Eipic Elephant Elystan Street Five Fields Fordwich Arms Forest Side Fraiche Galvin La Chapelle Gravetye Manor Greenhouse Gymkhana Hakkasan Hanway Place Hakkasan Mayfair Hambleton Hall Harwood Arms Hide Hinds Head House House of Tides HRiSHi Isle of Eriska Ichigo Ichie Ikoyi Interlude James Sommerin John's House Kai Kitchen W8 Kitchin

Restaurant

Chef

Location

Michelin Listing for 2020

1 Michelin Star continued L'Ecrivain L'Ortolan La Dame de Pic La Trompette Lady Helen Le Champignon Sauvage Leroy Loam Locanda Locatelli Loch Bay Lyle's Lympstone Manor Marcus Mana Martin Wishart Masons Arms Matt Worswick at The Latymer Mews Morston Hall Murano Northcote Number One Nut Tree Opheem Olive Tree Outlaw's Fish Kitchen OX Oxford Kitchen Paco Tapas Paul Ainsworth at No.6 Peel's Pensons Pétrus Pied à Terre Pipe and Glass Pollen Street Social Pony & Trap Portland Purnell's Quilon Red Lion Freehouse Restaurant Hywel Jones Restaurant Tristan Ritz Restaurant River Café Rogan & Co Roganic 12

Derry Clarke Derry Clarke Tom Clarke Luca Piscazz Rob Weston Ken Harker David Everitt-Matthias Sam Kamienko Enda McEvoy Giorgio Locatelli Michael Smith James Lowe Michael Caines Mark and Shauna Froydenlund Martin Wishart Mark Dodson Matt Worswick Ahmet Dede Galton Blackiston Angela Hartnett Lisa Goodwin-Allen Jeff Bland Mike North Aktar Islam Chris Cleghorn Tim Barnes Stephen Toman Paul Welburn Dave Hazell Paul Ainsworth Robert Palmer Lee Westcott James Petrie Asimakis Chaniotis James Mackenzie Jason Atherton Josh Eggleton Merlin Labron-Johnson Glynn Purnell Mr A Sriram V Aylur Guy Manning Hywel Jones Tristan Mason John Williams Ruth Rodgers Tom Barnes Oliver marlow

Dublin Reading/Shinfield City of London Chiswick Thomastown Cheltenham Shoreditch Galway Regent's Park Isle of Skye Shoreditch Lympstone Belgravia Manchester Edinburgh/Leith Knowstone Bagshot Baltimore Blakeney/Morston Mayfair Blackburn/Lango Edinburgh Murcott Birmingham Bath Port Isaac Belfast Oxford Bristol Padstow Hampton in Arden Tenbury Wells Belgravia Bloomsbury South Dalton Mayfair Chew Magna Regent's Park Birmingham Victoria East Chisenbury Bath/Colerne Horsham St. James's Hammersmith Cartmel Marylebone

Restaurant

Chef

Location

1 Michelin Star continued Nieves Barragán Paul Foster Wiiliam Drabble Simon Radley Luke Tipping Paul Hood Steve Drake Stephen Stevens Fergus Henderson Andrew Pern Ben Crittenden Tom Sellers Agnar Sverrisson Michael Wignall Biily Boyter Isaac McHale Tom De Keyser Adam Bennett Niall Keating Gregory Wellman Michael O'Hare Gareth McCaughey Kevin Mangeolles Jun Tunaka Mike Tweedie Geoffrey Smeddle Steve Harris Clément Leroy Chris Harrod Chris Harrod John Campbell Thomas Carr Tim Allen Adam Byatt Karam Sethi Douglas Balish Keelan Higgs Uday Salunkhe Shaun Hill Tom Parker Aidan McGrath James Wilkins Colin McGurran Frances Atkins

Jonathan Woolway

Mayfair Stratford-upon-Avon St. James's Chester Birmingham Soho Dorking Anglesey Clerkenwell Helmsley/Harome Broadstairs Bermondsey Regent's Park Hetton Anstruther Shoreditch Marlow Kenilworth Malmesbury Kew Leeds Belfast Hunstanton Bloomsbury Adare ROI Whatcote Peat Inn Whitstable Mayfair Monmouth Newbury Ilfracombe Little Dunmow Clapham Common Regent's Park Egham Dublin Mayfair Abergavenny Fence Lisdoonvarna Bristol Winteringham Machynlleth

Michelin Listing for 2020

Sabor Salt Seven Pak Place Simon Radley at Chester Grosvenor Simpsons Social Eating House Sorrel Sosban & The Old Butchers St John Star Inn at Harome Stark Story Texture The Angel The Cellar The Clove Club The Coach The Cross at Kenilworth The Dining Room The Glasshouse The Man Behind The Curtain The Muddlers Club The Neptune The Ninth The Oak Room The Royal Oak The Peat Inn The Sportsman The Square The Whitebrook The Woodspeen Thomas Carr @ The Olive Room Tim Allen's Flitch of Bacon Trinity Trishna Tudor Room Variety Jones Veeraswamy Walnut Tree White Swan Wild Honey Inn wilks Winteringham Fields Ynyshir

Industry Topic: Talk to the Chef: Darron Bunn Words: Nick Harman

Leading the pack 14

The Goodwood estate in West Sussex doesn’t have to go far to find the finest organic meats for its restaurants, a few hundred yards in fact. Executive Chef Darron Bunn knows just how lucky he is. 15

“This is called Tower Field,” Conor tells me as we bounce up the steep hill in his 4x4, wheels slipping on the wet grass and startled Southdown sheep flying off in all directions, “it’s the highest point on the Goodwood estate” The views from up here are spectacular; rolling low hills in every direction and even now in December they look lush and inviting and just the sort of place I’d like to live 16

if I were a sheep. In fact, the only blot on the landscape is the reason for the field’s name, a massive mobile phone mast located at the very highest point of all. Farmer Conor points out that because you always have your back to it, admiring the view, it’s the last thing you look at. No doubt it’s useful to the community too and I presume the phone company pays good rent to have it there. A modern es-

tate needs all the income it can get, even when it’s owned by a Duke, the Duke of Richmond and Gordon to be precise. The Duke’s Goodwood estate is famously home to three of the biggest sporting events in the world: the Festival of Speed, the Qatar Goodwood Festival and the Goodwood Revival. It’s the animals I’m here to see though, the ones featuring in nearly all the estate restaurants.

At 12,000 acres overall, Goodwood stretches almost as far as the eye can see and it has had the same family in charge for over three hundred years. “It’s one of the only self-sustaining organic farms in Europe,’ Conor tells me as we lurch back onto the road, “4,000 acres run on strict organic principles to produce the best-tasting certified organic beef, pork and lamb possible”. Not to

mention milk from the ancient breed of Dairy Shorthorn cows that goes to make the estate’s own award-winning cheeses - Charlton, Levin Down and Molecomb Blue. “The current Duke’s mother, Susan, Duchess of Richmond, who is 87 now, was converted early in her life to organic, sustainable farming methods and she brought that passion to the estate when

she came to it in the 1950s”, Conor adds, hopping out to open a farm gate We plunge off-road again into muddy fields dotted with tiny Nissan huts as if an army of midget soldiers were barracked there. These structures are home to the estate pigs; Gloucester Old Spots and Saddlebacks, around 500 of them, and they’re enjoying the sunshine after the very heavy rain the day before, the piglets 17

Pink peppercorn crumb braised lamb shank with a spiced carrot puree and salt baked carrot

Goodwood’s Executive Chef Darron Bunn

chasing each other through the puddles like kids who’ve had too much sugar. “These pigs are hardy breeds, happy in the cold and wet,” Conor reassures me as we circle around, not stopping in case the car bogs down. Like the Sussex Red cattle and the estate sheep, the pigs are taken only a short distance from the farm for slaughter and then returned for butchery on site and then on to the estate restaurants. If anyone knows how good all this meat from the estate is, it’s Darron Bunn Group Executive Chef, who looks after all eight 18

kitchens with six head chefs and a core brigade of fifty people. As soon as we arrive back at base, I seek him out at the Goodwood Hotel’s main restaurant, ‘Farmer, Butcher, Chef’. Attached to the original farm building, once the estate workers pub, it’s a pretty space, airy and barn-like in a good way. Unpretentious, welcoming and warm and cosy. It’s how Darron wants it and, as he explains, it’s how the Duke wants it too. Darron’s a highly experienced chef; at just 25 he was Head Chef at The Criterion Restaurant, Piccadilly working for

Game Pie, warm endive salad with raisins and onion, shaved chestnut mushrooms, game sauce We layer a pie mould with venison mousse, seared pigeon breast & pheasant mousse, all wrapped in blanched Savoy cabbage and secured with caul fat.

the demanding Marco Pierre White. He then co-owned and ran The Greyhound in Stockbridge earning them a Michelin Star, before heading off to Devon and another Michelin star at Orestone Manor. A few other cheffing jobs later and he came here and could not be happier. “The thread of the farm and the estate runs through everything we do here, especially with the food,’ he explains as we head into the large kitchen, “the Duke was very firm about that right from the start. Before I got here there was a certain degree of different chefs doing what they wanted, which was fine, but it wasn’t

keeping to the central theme of the farm.’ He greets the staff in the kitchen cheerfully and they laugh and joke back; it’s clear that while Darron demands nothing but the very best from his team, he’s a boss who leads through example and clear direction and not harsh words. ‘All the orders the chefs make here, or in The Kennels our ‘white tablecloth’ restaurant, or The Goodwood Bar & Grill, our all-day bistro, go through me. That way I can see what they are doing and if they go a bit off piste I just reign them in a bit,” he says, inspecting a giant pot of bones ready to make stock.

“I never want to stifle the chefs' creativity,” he adds as we wander back to the main room, “but we’re primarily a British restaurant and I do need to make sure they stick to our identity and stay within our parameters. I don’t want the Duke coming in and seeing the wrong kind of dish on the menu because it’s going to be me he’ll be calling up to have words about it.” So how does menu design work? Darron explains: “Head Chef Ben, and Luchi the sous chef, write down new ideas for menus then we meet up and bounce thoughts off each other. Once we’ve agreed on the 19

Ash Crusted Slow Cooked Goodwood Beef

changes, we then go to see John Hearn our head butcher and discuss what we plan to do. John then advises if the cuts are available and offers alternatives if availability is limited, but always giving ‘Farmer Butcher Chef’ absolute priority.” And the menu is a great read. Darron’s ‘Butcher’s Boards’, which he proudly calls the ‘story of our farm’, are front and centre allowing diners to try various and unusual cuts of lamb, beef and pork in a sharing manner. For example, the Sussex Red beef sharing board has tongue and cheek stew with oxtail dumplings, beef shin and onion 20

pressing, smoked ox heart, glazed brisket, beef dripping chips and a roasted gem salad with crisp onions, Molecomb blue cheese and buttermilk dressing. For those with pork on their mind, there’s Chef ’s cut of Goodwood’s Saddleback pork with tail and trotter, smoked beans, pork faggots, grilled pork liver, white pudding, baby back ribs, beetroot and kale slaw with crispy pig’s ear and burnt apple ketchup. This is serious meat eating done in a fine dining manner, but presented without fuss and which introduces diners to won-

derful meats they might not normally eat. That evening, as part of an outstanding meal, I tried the main of Slow Cooked Goodwood Beef. First coloured over the charcoal grill, using estate made charcoal of course, it’s then smoked for six hours before being cooked sous vide. The meat is then picked down and the liquid reduced to make a syrup that binds the meat into a ballotine. For service it’s reheated, glazed with red wine, topped with an ‘ash crust’ and served with horseradish mash and wild mushrooms and a black treacle hollandaise. It was ridiculously good.

Beetroot and dark chocolate cake with blackberry and buttermilk ice cream

Farmer Butcher, Head Chef Ben Hammett

My partner tried the Game Pie, made with venison mousse, seared pigeon breast and pheasant mousse, all wrapped in blanched Savoy cabbage and secured with caul fat and. wrapped in rough puff pastry. Her only criticism was that it was too big for her to finish, they have hearty appetites in West Sussex. Speaking of which, our breakfast the next day was a proper belter of porky estate sausages, perfect bacon, bright yellow eggs and fresh estate milk. It all tasted how these things always used to before modern intensive farming made things

bland, and it was another tribute to the effectiveness of the estate’s and Darron’s field to fork philosophy. Leaving soon after for London, I remember something Darron said to me in passing the day before, “You don’t have to remortgage the house to come here and eat fantastic meat and know exactly where it’s come from. We think people should be able to eat good food in a relaxed atmosphere any day of the week”. And together with his farmer, his butcher and his chefs, he’s certainly achieving that goal at Goodwood. 21

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Industry Topic: The rise of the Vegetarian Words: Robin Banks

Hold the Meat Not so long ago a vegetarian in the restaurant was about as welcome as a cockroach in the kitchen. Now they’re fast becoming key to creativity and profit. ‘What’s vegetarian on the menu?’ If you’d asked that question a few years back the waiter would have pointed to the omelette. If you’d followed up by asking what was vegan, you’d have been pointed to the door. Vegetarians were a nuisance, while vegans were simply weirdos and restaurants didn’t need any of them. As they tended to be students, or other low-income customers, it was no great loss to turn them away. Back then, most chefs didn’t even know how to make a decent vegetarian or vegan dish. If forced they’d either make some 1970s horror from an ancient cookbook, or cook their usual dishes and simply take the meat out. How times change, vegetarian and vegan is now definitely a ‘thing’ and the value of the vegetarian food market is growing fast. Even Gordon Ramsay, previously no friend of vegans, posted a tweet last year ““Going to give this #vegan thing a try ... Yes guys you heard that right. Gx”. Can this be the same man who, when interviewed by the Daily Mirror in 2007, said that if his children went vegetarian it would be his “biggest nightmare”. Never one to do things by halves, he followed up by saying he would “sit them on the fence and electrocute them”. 24

“Veganism is on the rise, we’ve got to adapt and eat a slice of humble pie.” Gordon Ramsay March 15th 2019

Now you won’t find many restaurants in, that don’t have something tasty and creative on offer for vegans and vegetarians alike. What fuelled this change? Well social media may be to blame, as it is for most things. Young people, always the first to get food balls rolling, started raving and boasting about their vegan and vegetarian lifestyles and posting their dish pictures online. Tasty looking food too, not a nut roast in sight. And the fact that the people posting were invariably cool and good-looking helped as well. The old image of a veggie as a grubby social worker was tossed out like yesterday’s unsold main and suddenly it was hip, and not hippy, to be a veggie. 26

Today there are over 57 million #vegan posts on Instagram, and even the label has changed; don’t call it ‘vegan’ or ‘vegetarian’ you boomer. You should now call it ‘plant based’. Of course, as animals such as cows eat nothing but grass, you could argue that a steak is plant-based too, but don’t try flying that idea on social media. Kim Woodward, Executive chef of 100 Wardour Street, a large and very fashionable restaurant and bar in the middle of London’s Soho is a convert. She has to cater for all kinds of tastes across three floors and while she’s a big fan of the steaks they serve from the Josper, she enjoys the challenge of plantbased cooking, coming as it does after her previous role as Head

“Vegetarian menus are very much what people want now'' Kim Woodward, Executive chef of 100 Wardour Street 27

Texture of Cauliflower Onion bhaji tomato chutney cheese coriander

Chef at the very meaty Savoy Grill. “Vegetarian menus are very much what people want now,'' she says. “I design dishes that will suit them - today we are doing a cauliflower steak where we confit cauliflower in a truffle oil, then add a truffle crumb, pickled walnuts and fresh truffles on top. For me it’s all about flavour and seasonality. As a chef I am really happy when I’m creating amazing new dishes that I’ve never made before.” And it’s not just trendy Londoners who are embracing plant-based cooking. “The way people interact with food is changing around us, there is a greater understanding” says Executive Head Chef Richard Phillips of Thackerays, a 28

fine dining restaurant in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, “not just of the flavour and enjoyment of the dish – but also the ethical, sustainable nature of the food that is served. Here we believe that no one should be excluded, regardless of dietary requirements.” Of course, Eastern cuisine has always had an advantage when it comes to plant-based eating and catering for vegans, as Krishnapal Negi, Head Chef of 1947 in London, a new modern Indian restaurant that’s fast becoming a haunt of young celebrities, explains. “Indian food has always been seen as veggie friendly,” he says, “but we were not half as geared to serving vegetarians and

“I have a simple food philosophy: to create contemporary seasonal dishes using fresh and sustainable produce, locally grown where possible. We created the Veganuary menu to offer everyone an opportunity to enjoy a plant-based fine dining experience”. Nitin Pawar, Head Chef at The Cavendish London

Now we spend a lot of time planning non-meat and fish dishes, as well as gluten-free and dairy-free ones, because customers are more discerning, more demanding and more knowledgeable than they have ever been in all my time as a chef.” Krishnapal Negi, Head Chef of 1947

We get a lot of veggies / vegans come in now and it’s not a case of embracing them – it just is what it is. We do a bespoke veggie and vegan menu, which change just like our normal menu and feel like an extension of what we are offering. For me, it’s all about crafting a menu and dealing with a customer so they enjoy it just as much as everyone else. It’s normal service! Tommy Heaney – Chef Proprietor of Heaney’s and Uisce

vegans as we are today. Now we spend a lot of time planning non-meat and fish dishes, as well as gluten-free and dairy-free ones, because customers are more discerning, more demanding and more knowledgeable than they have ever been in all my time as a chef.” Even so, all these chefs and restaurants wouldn’t embrace plant-based if it didn’t work for their bottom line. The spending power of vegans and vegetarians, as well as their numbers, is important. According to a survey by finder.com in 2019, the number of vegans in the UK will rise by 327% by 2020. Of the 2000 adults surveyed, nearly 1% are currently vegan – translating to around 30

700,000 people UK wide. The poll results suggest that over the next year, 2.2. million UK people will adopt veganism, increasing the vegan population to around 2.9 million. That’s a lot of covers from people who are often repeat diners with high disposable incomes. And with the new year typically a time for new resolutions and diet change, January 2020 should see a big uptick in new-born vegetarians and vegans coming hungrily through the door. Meat may not be murder, but ignoring the fast-increasing demand to have more and more plant-based options on the menu is looking like a good way to put even the best restaurants on the endangered list.

'Vegans and vegetarians have had a significant impact by campaigning for plant-based food to be the new normal. The restaurant industry needs to continue to respond to that which is why we’ve created atis – we lean heavily on plant-based food but also want to give people the flexibility to choose animal products, it’s about small steps to move in the right direction.' Eleanor Warder, co-founder of Atis in Shoreditch

Dahl-ing

Habibi Tahini1

City Round-up: Bangkok Words: Paul Bearer

A Seat at the Table Bangkok’s boisterous, chef-driven dining scene

In the food world, Bangkok has definitely become the cool kid’s table in the school cafeteria and everybody who’s anybody wants a seat there The number of celebrity chefs staking their place in this manic metropolis just keeps growing year after year, and any new hotel restaurant opening has to include at least one star-studded kitchen talent on the roster – with those stars preferably being of the Michelin variety. In the food world, the year 2019 will be remembered in Bangkok for a lot of things but perhaps the biggest upset was 32

the sudden closure of Gaggan, a restaurant that was awarded multiple Michelin stars and always found highranking status on the various 50 Best Restaurant lists. The restaurant’s overwhelming success definitely turned chef Gaggan Anand into an international celebrity amongst foodies, which partially accounts for the restaurant’s sudden demise. When Gaggan found himself at loggerheads with the restaurant’s team of owners he simply resigned, knowing he could take his star power with him wherever he wanted.

He also took with him virtually all the staff he’d so expertly trained, and within a few months he’d opened a new eponymously named venue. Gaggan Anand, as the new restaurant is known, is located on Sukhumvit Soi 31 in a twostorey building that looks as though it’s being swallowed by the massive amounts of greenery that obscures its front façade. It has become – to no one’s surprise – massively popular from the moment it opened its doors. The updated tasting menu is still bursting with wildly imaginative, occasionally

mind-boggling delicacies, but gone from Gaggan’s orbit this year are any Michelin stars, since his new restaurant opened far too late in the year to be included in the 2020 Thailand guide, which was unveiled in November of 2019. Speaking of the little red book, the amount of Michelin muscle making its way to Bangkok continued to swell this past year. Back in March the doors finally swung open at Chef’s Table, a restaurant purposebuilt for the acclaimed 3-Michelin-star maestro Vincent Thierry, who now makes his home in Bangkok.

Chef Martin Blunos

riverfront shopping complex that unabashedly targets the city’s well-heeled hordes. Ducasse handcrafted the contemporary French menu here, but he isn’t making Bangkok his full time home just yet. Instead he has Wilfrid Hocquet – a chef with 20

Chef Vincent Thierry

Located in a newly opened rooftop section of the lebua at State Tower, the nascent restaurant went on to be awarded a star in the 2020 edition of Thailand’s Michelin Guide. Another Michelin legend

now with a foothold in Thailand’s capital city is Alain Ducasse, the man whose restaurants hold the most Michelin stars of any living chef. In December he opened Blue by Alain Ducasse in the IconLuxe at IconSiam, a

Alain Ducasse years experience in many of Ducasse’s Michelin-starred restaurants – manning the stoves on a full time basis. Amongst the Michelin calibre chefs who have chosen to be full-time residents in Bangkok,

UK-born Martin Blunos took a leap of faith in opening Baltic Blunos, a high-concept dining spot that fuses Latvian culinary technique and influences with Asian recipes and ingredients. It’s an odd mix, and it’s safe to say that the restaurant is still finding its feet, but taking chances is part of the game in Bangkok. You’ve gotta go big or go home if you want to compete in the fine dining scene here, where flash, cash, and panache are prerequisites for any aspiring restaurateur. More successful from the get go was the launch of The Allium Bangkok, where Dutchborn chef Roxanne Lange’s modern French focussed menus have been generating quite a word-of-mouth 33

following. Another female tour-de-force riding the modern French bandwagon is Jay Sangsingkaew, the chef at Stage. Having just opened

Chef Joshua Cameron 34

in the fall, Stage (pronounced sah-taj) features many of chef Jay’s fellow ex-alumni from Bangkok’s now defunct L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon.

While many top players in the city’s food scene reached new heights in culinary terms, the gorgeously designed Mahanakhon Bangkok SkyBar reached new heights in other ways. Located on the 76th and 77th floors of the King Power Mahanakhon building, just one level below the 314 metre rooftop observation deck, this restaurant now ranks

as the highest in Thailand. Since opening in July, USborn chef Joshua Cameron – whose resume includes a stint at the 3-Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park (topranked on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2017 list) – has been the star power in the kitchen here. And while his initial menu offerings didn’t have quite the same wow

factor the restaurant’s sky high views did, he’s definitely been “upping” his game as of late. Another notable 2019 opening with top international

cred was Shun by Yanagiya, the first overseas venture by Yanagiya, one of Japan's top-ranked restaurants. This omakase sumiyaki restaurant

Chef Masashi Yamada serves Ayu fish

in the heart of Thonglor has only been open a couple of months, but already dishes like their skewer of smoked quail eggs have become the stuff of foodie legend. Finally, filling one of the last remaining seats at the cool kid’s table for 2019 is Sri Lankan chef Dharshan Munidasa, who now has a franchise of his award-winning Ministry of Crab smack dab on Sukhumvit Soi 31. While it’s always fascinating to take note the many non-Thai chefs peppering the Bangkok dining landscape, the real action lies with the Thai chefs themselves, many of whom are accomplishing amazing things by reinterpreting, reinventing and, in many ways, reclaiming their own cuisine. The 2020 edition of Thailand’s Michelin Guide certainly made a point of recognizing the country’s considerable homegrown talent, even though only one restaurant outside of greater Bangkok – PRU in Phuket, led by Dutch chef Jimmy Ophorst – has received a star so far. As for the Bangkok star brigade, chef Chumpol

Jangprai from R-Haan and chef Supaksorn ‘Ice’ Jongsiri of Sorn both had their singlestar establishments bumped up a notch, thus joining the elite corps of 2-Michelin starred venues in the city – and becoming the first Thai restaurants to do so. While the gorgeously plated set menus at R-Haan take inspiration from traditional royal Thai recipes, incorporating tastes and ingredients from all over the Kingdom, Sorn sets it sights on exploring the wealth of flavours, spices, and ingredients native to Thailand’s southern provinces, aided by the expertise of chef Yodkawan U-pumpruk, chef Ice’s talented collaborator. New to the crowd of Bangkok’s 1-Michelin-starred restaurants this year is chef Andy Yang’s exclusive but superb Table 38, and the reconceived 80/20, where chef couple Napol Jantraget and Saki Hoshino continue to let loose with their adventurous and innovative creations, albeit now with a more refined, upscale ambience. Also finding herself in the Michelin 1-star line-up 35

Chef Jutumas

this year was chef Pim Techamuanvivit, who in late 2018 took over the reins at Nahm following 36

the departure of chef David Thompson. As for David, he just opened Long Dtai, a

southern Thai cuisine restaurant that is part of the Cape Fahn private island hotel just

off the coast of Koh Samui. Stepping away from the glare of the Michelin spotlight for a moment it’s important to also recognize the city’s talents who are not in the star circle… yet! At Taan, perched on the 25th floor of the Siam@ Siam design hotel, chef Monthep Kamolsilp has been making waves this year with his hyper-local, innovative

Thai cuisine tasting menus where each course includes the number of kilometers the main ingredient travelled to arrive on your plate. Over at Mia restaurant, which just opened up this past summer, culinary duo Pongcharn ‘Top’ Russell and Michelle Goh have been doing some truly wonderful things. Top’s dynamic and always delicious

modern European creative cuisine, coupled with Michelle’s to-die-for desserts, made this funky bistrostyle venue one of the most refreshing new openings of 2019. Also new on the scene and generating quite a buzz are Karmakamet Conveyance, chef Jutamas Theantae’s bold and very

eclectic Thai fine dining restaurant on Sukhumvit Soi 49, and Supanniga Eating Room Charoenkrung, which differs from Thanareuk Laoraowirodge’s other Supanniga outlets by including a special heritage menu that’s full of incredibly tasty but normally hard to find Eastern and

Northeastern Thai recipes. And last but not least, it was nice to see some recognition – in this case a Michelin ‘Bib Gourmand’ in the 2020 guide – given to Klang Suan and chef Nattawut ‘Tum’ Mandrananda, a native of Chumphon province. Tucked away on a small street off Sukhumvit Soi 22, the look and feel of

Chef Nattawut ‘Tum’ Mandrananda

his restaurant is hip and modern but the dishes themselves are steeped in tradition and blazing with fiery flavours (you’ve been warned!). There is a veritable

avalanche of talented chefs currently operating in Bangkok, and you’d be snowed under trying to name and qualify them all. As for what lies ahead in 2020, tongues are already wagging about Côte, superstar chef Mauro Colagreco’s yet-to-be-opened restaurant at the (as of press time) yet-tobe-opened Capella Bangkok hotel. And that, as they say, is just the tip of the iceberg. 37

Talk to the Chef: Nicolas Hesinger Words: Namai Bishop

Chef Nicolas Hesinger Bonding the Brigade

Nicolas Hesinger is a Chef in his element in the mountains of Megève, where he heads Prima restaurant, earning it a Michelin star in 2019 after only its first year of opening. At home he may feel here, though no ordinary residence is this that he works at: it’s the private Chalet of the elite Family Rothschild, no less, now one of Four Seasons Hotels’ most coveted ski addresses. A Chalet comprised of a cosy labyrinth of three traditional wooden residences, Prima sits at the heart of the establishment and reflects the essence of Alpine chic. Heritage abounds here at France’s original ski resort established by Baroness Noémie de Rothschild Rothschild a century ago, and heritage, hearth and home is at the heart of Prima. Yet despite the history and prestige of this lavish private abode, the Chef turns his attention instead of inside, outwards: to the extensive mountain range, lying in the shadow of the mighty Mont Blanc itself. The freshness of the Alpine mountains are not just an invigorating source of inspiration for the Chef’s menu, nor just the source of freshest ingredients and traditional cooking techniques that the Chef amply employs. Beyond that, for Chef Nicolas Hesinger, the magic of the Megève mountain range provides an opportunity for team building his Brigade! 38

with Alpine adventures!

Foraging as Bonding “It’s Team Building!” says the Chef of his mountain escapades with his staff. “The mountains that surround Megève have always amazed me. Foraging for flowers, plants and herbs is a crucial element of my cuisine. But not only for the textures and flavours - also because the experience provides an opportunity for the kitchen team to spend time together and away from the kitchen” I spoke to the Chef, during a dinner overlooking the log fireplace that was a central feature of the restaurant, not just visually, but that was also being used to cook a chicken, scented with fresh truffle under its skin and moistened with careful and constant basting, this being done in turns by members of the kitchen brigade. “My team work together. We experience the mountains together too, so we understand the

locale but more importably, each other.” He describes a typical experience: “In the summer we hike for hours; we pick plants and mountain herbs that we can then pickle or dry for use in the winter. We use “Genepi” flowers (elderflower), herbaceous hints are key in our cuisine, so we like to work as much as we can we these. Our mountain excursions are throughout the year, the ingredients last a long, becuase of our preservation techniques - but the real lasting benefits are in our teambuilding” What happens on the mountains clearly has a positive impact on what happens in the kitchens, in terms of camaraderie. Chef Nicolas Hensinger draws his inspiration both from nature: alpine herbs, mountain bushes, shoot and roots - and metaphorically too ,his family roots and the close ties to his kitchen family. Nicholas, under the supervision of Julien Gatillon, Executive Chef of the eight restaurants at the Domaine du Mont d’Arbois and 2-star Chef at the Four Season’s hotel Le 1920, always tries to focus on regional products. This positive working environment behind the scenes ensures each dish is created with a warmth and humble charm. Born in Colmar, the Chef is putting the alpine region on the culinary map and being amply rewarded for 39

it: in 2014, he won the Tattinger Switzerland prize, in 2016 the Tattinger France prize and like the lofty ski cables in view of his kitchens, he continues his ascent when in 2018 he was a finalist at the Meilleur Ouvrier de France. Lovingly Local The Prima menu is replete with dishes that showcase the finest local ingredients all lovingly referencing their individual producers. The signature dish of Marinated Rainbow Trout notes on the menu title that it is “from Mr Murgat”. Line caught fish is prepared gravlax style, served with with spinach relish and zesty kumquat. His hay smoked egg was given a mountain barnyard smokey depth, again using local produce (noted as Grandfather’s eggs!) as well as such regional cooking techniques such as hay smoking, here “using fresh hay from Mr. Morand’s farm”! . Another signature fish dish is a succulent grilled sea bass was warmed with “Garlic and Grenoble walnut

sauce, coloured carrots from Colmar and roots sauce with fir tree flavour”. The Chef thus transports the fresh aromas of the swaying fir trees outside right onto the diner’s plates. Refined Rusticity The juxtaposition of a refined, formal setting with rustic, rural ingredients, provides interest, contrast, layers and texture to the entire dining experience as well as to the dishes themselves. He uses local farm produce, simple ingredients and old fashioned cooking techniques that the Chef modernises and elegantly presents. Thus the Chef delivers the appropriate level of sophistication, yet swerves a culinary path well clear of any pretentiousness that would be tempting to a lesser Chef graced with a 5* establishment managed by one of the worlds top hotel companies (Four Seasons) and previously owned by the elite Rothschild family. This is a Chef who keeps his feet firmly on solid mountain ground.

Rothschild Finance to Farm! Interestingly, the Chefs’ menu features ingredients not just from local farmers, but also from the farms and estates developed by the Rothschild family. Patriarch Edmond de Rothschild was himself a renown gourmand, with both a refined palate and respect for authentic and traditional. Case in point, when he could not find a simple, pure Brie de Meaux to his exacting taste, he decided to commission his own, at his very own farmhouse in Brie! The privilege of product development and the refinement that renders is taken full advantage of here in the Rothschild Chalet kitchens. The reference to Rothschild produce extends to their wines too: pairing with the exquisite flavours on the plate, a wine list with an eye-watering list of top labels. The vineyards of Edmond de Rothschild himself are emphasised, and themselves provide a journey for diners, taking them on a unique tour of top class vintners and topography, stretching far, from the vinyards of

Bordeaux to Spain and across to New Zealand. The Rothschild production has Baron Benjamin and his wife Ariane themselves at the help, and this dynamic duo have expanded the financial activities of the Edmond de Rothschild group to encompass an ambitious wine, farming and hotel business. Dine, wine and fine art! The art on the plate is not all that inspires: on the walls, the remarkable art of Baroness Benjamin de Rothschild’s personal collection. Dedicated to preserving the enviable family collection, the family showcase here why they are active patrons of the arts and the famous French ‘Art de Vivre’. Artwork is curated as carefully as the Chef selects his menu’s ingredients, in a setting replete with stone fireplaces and rare antiques not to mention Four Season’s legendary prime service: all reflect here the premier nature of this Prima establishment!

Area Focus: The Maldives Words: Namai Bishop

Ba’thali

A pearl in the Indian Ocean.

The only fine dining Maldivian restaurant in the Maldives - as fine as the Maldivian sand! In the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean, the Atolls of the Maldives have an abundant supply of freshest fish that form the mainstay of the diet, not just for the locals but also at the fine dining tables of top luxury resorts dotted on its pristine islands. International Editor of Chef Magazine meets a Maldivian Chef who is causing waves as the creator of the only Maldivian fine dining restaurant in the entire region. A collection of island clusters, nestled between Indian and Africa, and only two hours flight from Sri Lanka, it is no surprise that Maldives enjoys the eclectic and exotic influences of its nearest neighbours - albeit the nearest land is an entire Ocean away! 43

It is this diversity, of island spices, aromatic flavours and multi-cultural cooking methods, from curry’s to beachside grills, that forms the basis of the local cuisine. The cuisine takes advantage mostly of the abundant supply of glisteningly fresh seafood on its own shores and for which it enjoys a world class reputation: melt in the mouth Maldivian lobster, luscious line-caught white and red snapper, and succulent skip jack tuna are just some of the jewels plucked daily from its rich harvest of sea life. No better way then to sample the seafood delicacies than aboard an authentic Maldivian boat, or “Ba’theli” that is the 44

name of Chef Ahmed “Sea bass” Sivath’s fine dining cuisine. The restaurant and its own kitchens sits within a sailing boat docked in an azure lagoon. Boats such as this were the vehicles used to transport cargoes of cinnamon, cardamom, turmeric, cloves, ginger and pepper along the Maldivian Spice Route. Locals bartered coconuts, sun-dried fish and shells, once used as currency for rice, silks and ceramics. The setting resonates as powerfully as the flowing aroma of the spices as they transport you as smoothly as the ocean current on an alluring voyage of flavour, steered capably by Chef Seabass. His tasting menu entitled “Maldivian

Heritage Degustation “ includes fish poached in freshly tree-cut coconut, delicate dumplings, creamy currys, as well as some familiar, but more subtly flavoured sides such as masala aubergine pastes, onion pakoras and yogurt raita. “In Maldivian cuisine all ingredients are fresh or dried and we barely use oil. Ingredients are poached, lots of gravytype dishes (e.g. curries) and consommés, such as clear tuna broth. So the Maldivian cuisine is actually very healthy and natural.” I asked the Chef how the Spice Route plays a role in Maldivian food? “Back in the days, the original food our ancestors ate was obviously lots of fish

and seafood, plain and grilled. The spices only came later, from the surrounding countries such as India and Sri Lanka. We traded dried or smoked fish for spices and vegetables. Even Japati is inspired by those countries. Our old people got to see Naan bread, took the idea back to Maldives and made their own version of it. We still eat it today. We have created our own version of fusion cuisine!” What are the must haves to cook a Maldivian dish I ask the Chef. “I would always recommend some kind of curry or gravy based dish. This is just most authentic. You would need the 5 spices, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and coriander, you can use them all together

or at least one in a dish - also pandas or rampa leaves and curry leaves. The curry leave is for us what the basil is for the Italian cuisine. It is everywhere. Barely a dish without curry leaves. Besides the spices and leaves, there would be a need for coconut, if possible fresh coconut.” He continues “Side dishes are rice, sweet potato, yam potato or breadfruit. The last three have actually been eaten in the Maldives for long. Only rice came later once the trade began. Especially Yam potato has been part of our staple food for hundreds of years. Then there is fish and seafood. Obviously, everybody knows the Maldives are famous for tuna, and that’s for a 45

reason. If fresh tuna is available, I would for sure recommend to incorporate tuna in the dish back at home, to get the real Maldives flavour.” Each course is elegant in its delicacy of flavour and is plated equally elegantly - not surprising given the emphasis on fine dining here. And fine indeed was the standout dish: Havaadhuli Mas, a lightly seared loin of that day’s catch, yellow fin tuna rubbed with an island spiced Maldivian mix and served with Kulla Fila (a local mustard leaf plant) and Copra essence. As I tasted the delicate flow of flavour imbued by the spice mix, I asked the Chef to tell me how he achieved the powerful taste yet delicacy of taste. “It’s all in the grinding of the spices! Traditionally Maldivians used a stone roller to achieve a good spice mix texture. I use a method that gets the mix as powdery as possible. It’s not all in the ingredients, although of course I am using the best Kashmiri peppers, the finest cinnamon from India and the most fragrant

cardamom, ginger and cumin. The secret is to get your specie mix fine, extra fine, as fine as the Maldivian sand!” He beams as brightly as the blazing sunshine on the turquoise waters we sit above, as we sample together dishes he is devising for his brand new menu at Ba’theli. “We have loyal clients who return often and after several years of great success I am just developing new dishes to add to the long-standing favourites our guests know and love.” He tells me. “I would say 70% of the Ba’theli Menu are Maldivian dishes, what we really eat on a daily basis or also for special occasions. We just added few ingredients and ‘modernized’ the dishes. Initially we worked together even with local women from nearby islands, who showed us the real, traditional dishes and how they were prepared. From there we tasted around and finalized

today’s Ba’theli menu.” Indeed, with some guests paying up to $10,000 a night and who may well stay on an island hardly larger than a couple of soccer pitches, F&B has to function as entertainment as well as a pleasurable culinary addition to a luxurious holiday. “My inspiration is to live up to what Milaidhoo stands for, to create island-inspired, credible and genuine experiences for our guests. a great part of my job I enjoy is actually the interaction with the guest. To explain the menu and flavours, how the dish is put together and to find out what dish they would enjoy most. It is a pleasure to see some guests experiencing those kind of flavours for the first time and they are actually surprised that they love it. It is always exciting for me to create culinary memories for our

well-travelled guests.” Entertainment and interactivity comes in bounds as the able sommeliers do an equally fine job of pairing the food with an eye wateringly large selection of wines, given the diminutive size of the island in comparison. It is a feat indeed to implement such an extensive wine room and storage! Also no easy task as in any establishment pairing robust spices with wine, and more so given the temperature challenges posed by eating outside on a balmy star filled night. But the Sommelier here did a splendid job of playing with flavours and surprising contrasts to best balance and enhance the flavour profiles of what could be overpowering flavours in less able hands. But then at Milaidhoo, probably one of the finest dining islands in Maldives, kid gloved hands are exactly those that greet and treat you, and at Ba’thali, more so given the rarest pearl of the Indian Ocean: an authentic restaurant that draws on the rich heritage of traditional cooking methods to bring you flavours that take you on a voyage above and below the Indian Ocean.

Dr. Johann Siegert

It all started in 1824, when founder Dr. Johann Siegert first produced Aromatic Bitters as a medicinal tincture designed to alleviate stomach ailments. Originally known as “Amargo Aromatico” Angostura® Aromatic Bitters has now become a by word for Chefs and Mixologists alike as an integral ingredient in food and cocktails.

Recipes Maldivian Grilled Lobster and Red Snapper Fish: Chef Ahmed Bombay Bhel: Chef Krishnapal Negi Massaman Curry Ash Crusted Slow Cooked Goodwood Beef: Chef Darron Bunn Pondicherry Boulliabaise: Chef Deepanker Khosla Salmon Trout: Chef Monsieur Murgat Texturew of Cauliflower: Chef Nitin Pawar 49

RECIPE

Texture of Cauliflower

Nitin Pawar, Head Chef at The Cavendish London Ingredients:

Method:

Cauliflower Puree 500g cauliflower (trimmings) 500ml water 50g sunflower butter (vegan) A pinch of salt

Cauliflower Puree In a sauce pan cover roughly sliced cauliflower with water, sunflower butter and pinch of salt, cover with lid and cook on a high heat. Reduce the heat once it begins to boil, cooking on a low heat until the cauliflower is softened. Blend the cauliflower in a blender. Once smooth, taste to check the seasoning and consistency of the puree.

Pan roasted Cauliflower A pinch of turmeric Salt Water 1 large head of cauliflower florets Onion Bhaji 1 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp cumin powder 1 tsp turmeric powder A pinch of garam masala A pinch of baking soda A pinch of fresh coriander Cooking oil 150g chickpea flour 250g white onion Tomato chutney 2 tbsp oil 1 red onion 3 cloves of garlic 25g ginger 5 large tomatoes finely chopped 2 tsp red chilli powder 50ml cider vinegar 150g dark brown sugar Salt to taste Purple cauliflower Couscous 200g purple cauliflower 20g raisins A pinch of chopped coriander 2 tbsp extra virgin rapeseed oil Lemon juice To serve Swipe the puree on a plate. Arrange the pan-fried cauliflower, onion bhaji’s and tomato chutney, and sprinkle with purple cauliflower. Serve with coriander, cress, rice crackers, edible flowers, vegan creamy cheese.

Pan roasted Cauliflower Boil the water in a sauce pan with turmeric and salt. Once boiling, add cauliflower florets and cook until tender. Pan-fry the florets with a little oil and add herbs and pinch of curry powder to season Onion Bhaji Mix all ingredients apart from onion with the chickpea flour and water, and gradually whisk it until there are no lumps and the batter is thick. Chop the onion and mix into the batter mix until coated well. Heat the oil in a frying pan and once hot begin to put the mix on in individual balls. Fry the bhaji’s until golden brown and crispy. Tomato chutney Heat the oil in a sauce pan, add the red onion, garlic, ginger and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, mix well and cook for another 2 minutes. Add all the rest of the ingredients and continue to stir while cooking, until the chutney has caramelised and thickened.

RECIPE

‘Maldivian Grilled Lobster and Red Snapper Fish’

Chef Ahmed Ingredients:

Method:

200gr Red Snapper or any meaty white fish 0.5Kg Fresh Lobster 2 Medium onions, finely sliced 2 Tomatoes 300gr Grated fresh coconut ½ tsp Turmeric powder ½ tsp Cumin powder ½ tsp Salt 1 tsp Ginger garlic paste 4 Curry leaves 1 tsp Lemon juice

Add the onions, lemon juice, tomatoes, ginger garlic paste, salt, curry leaves, cumin and turmeric powder into a blender and blend until it becomes a paste. Marinate the lobster with the paste, keep at least 1 hours in the fridge. Take a pan, add a dash of vegetable oil and grill the lobster and fish till is golden brown and crispy Serve the grilled lobster and the fish in a thin bed of curry sauce with white rice, grill vegetables as your choice. I recommend to serve it with cucumber raita as well as to add some preserve lemons and green chili. As garnish, fried onion and fried curry leaves are a great fit.

RECIPE

Bombay Bhel

Chef Krishnapal Negi Ingredients: Puffed rice 2cups Crunchy papdi 5-6 Roasted peanut 1tbs thin sev ½cup Chop onion 2tbs Vine chop tomatoes 2tbs

Green chilli chop 2 Masala roasted channa dal 2tbs Fresh coriander leaves chop 2tbs Avocado chopped 2 no Lemon juice Salt to taste

Tamarind chutney 2tbs Mint & coriander Chutney 2tbs Red chilli powder 1/2tbs Chaat masala 1tbs Fresh Pomegranate seeds 2tbs

Method: Put the puffed rice in large bowl, add the crunchy papdi crushed in to small pieces, the roasted peanut, roasted masala chana dal once mixed add the chopped onion , tomato green chilli, red chilli powder, chat masala & salt, mix together Then add the diced avocados, tamarind chutney, mint coriander, and chutney along with dash of lemon juice and half pomegranate seeds. Mix all ingredients well. Garnish with the sev, freshly chop coriander leaves, chopped avacodas and the remaining pomegranate seeds.

INGREDIENT: Lotus Thai Curry Pastes A new range of authentic Thai Curry Pastes has just been launched under the Lotus brand. 5 exciting new curry pastes – Thai Green, Red, Panang, Massaman & Yellow are available in 1kg & 400g resealable tubs. Produced in Thailand & where possible sourced using local ingredients, the range is free from artificial flavourings, colours and preservatives. The range is primarily focused on Thai restaurants who are heavy users of all 5 pastes. Did you know a Thai restaurant can use up to 60kg of Thai Curry Paste per week!* Pre-launch consumer testing showed an overwhelming positive response to the new brand introduction, with 72% of consumers stating that they would

recommend a Thai Restaurant that uses Lotus Thai Curry Pastes. ** Lotus is a Westmill owned brand since 2006 & is currently distributed across over 100 accounts. The existing product range includes a diverse portfolio from bamboo shoots to spices with the introduction of Thai pastes helping to build further equity for the Lotus brand. The launch is being supported with a heavy-weight marketing campaign to drive awareness, trial & purchase. Features are due to appear across Thai press & digital platforms from September, while a nationwide conversion campaign will kick-off in Thai Restaurants during October. In addition, in-store point of sale coupled with regional sampling & launch events will give additional prominence to

the launch. Please keep an eye out in your local Asian/Oriental supermarket for Lotus Thai curry pastes & due to popular demand they will also be listed in the Westmill Staff Shop very soon! * Westmill Research 2018, Westmill Consumer Testing 2019

MASSAMAN CURRY RECIPE

Ingredients:

50g Lotus Massaman curry paste 400ml coconut milk (1 tin) 1 medium onion (chopped) 1 large potato boiled and diced 500g of fully cooked sliced meat (chicken/pork/lamb/beef/seafood or beancurd) Sprinkle of peanuts (optional) 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp light soy sauce ½ tbsp tamarin extract 200-250ml chicken/vegetable stock (water may be used as a substitute)

Method: Pour the vegetable oil into the wok at medium heat. Add the Lotus curry paste, stirring gently until it blends with the oil. Add coconut milk and approx. 200-250ml of stock (depending on preference of a thick/thin sauce). More stock can be added if required. Add in sugar, soy sauce, tamarin extract, peanuts (optional), onions and potatoes. Then add the cooked meat until cooked through. Finally simmer for 10 mins on a low heat - if lamb or beef is used then more cooking time is required until the meat is tender.

Ash Crusted Slow Cooked Goodwood Beef

Chef Darron Bunn

RECIPE

Serves 6

Ingredients: 2 200g 50g 20g 20g 20g 3 10 1bt 500ml ½ bun

Triceps outer sinew removed Maldon sea salt Light brown sugar Mustard powder Smoked paprika Ground black pepper Onions (roughly chopped) Cloves garlic (lightly crushed) Red wine (rioja or similar) Brown stock Thyme

Ash Crumb 200g Sourdough breadcrumbs (dried overnight) 30g Beef dripping 1tbsp Chopped parsley 1tbsp Finely grated truffle 3tsp Blackened dehydrated onion powder ½ tsp Ground black pepper 1tsp Thyme leaves 1tsp Salt

Method: Mix the salt, sugar, mustard powder, paprika and pepper together to form a rub. Rub this all over the trimmed triceps and leave to marinade for 1 hour. Colour the outside of the beef over hot coals, to get a deep brown colour all over. Smoke for 6 hours Place into vacuum bag, cook at 87 degrees for 14hours. After 14 hours, cut the bag open and pass the liquid through a fine sieve into a pan, reduce this liquid to a glace. Shred the cooked beef, mix with half of the glace, taste for seasoning. Roll in cling film to for neat cylinders, set in the fridge. When needed, remove the cling film from the beef, cut into portions, brush liberally with the glace, place in the oven on 180dgrees for 10-12mins, re-brushing with sauce every five minutes. Once hot and glazed, coat liberally with the crumb and serve with smooth creamy mashed potato, fried wild mushrooms. A dish of crispy sprouts for the centre of the table will make a nice accompaniment.

Ash Crumb Fry the breadcrumbs until golden brown in the beef dripping. Drain onto kitchen paper Mix with the rest of the ingredients. 55

RECIPE

PONDICHERRY BOULLIABAISE

Chef Deepanker Khosla

Ingredients: 2 lobster tails, thawed if frozen 8 new potatoes 4 baby fennel heads, trimmed 8–12 razor clams 30g butter 4 tablespoons water 2 tablespoons coconut oil 4 large scallops, cleaned and roe removed 4 large raw tiger prawns, peeled and deveined – keep the shells to use for garnishing 2 red mullet fillets, pin bones removed, each cut into 2 pieces and the skin lightly scored 2 sea bream or bass fillets, pin bones removed, each cut into 2 pieces and the skin lightly scored 2 tablespoons lemon juice 30g butter sea salt and freshly ground black pepper very finely chopped coriander leaves, to garnish baby samphire, cleaned, to garnish

For the Coconut Base 2 large tomatoes, a small ‘x’ cut in the stalk end of each 3 tablespoons sunflower oil 2 garlic cloves, sliced 10 curry leaves 2.5cm piece of cinnamon stick 10 black peppercorns 2 green cardamom pods, bruised 2 cloves ½ star anise 1 bay leaf 15g piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into julienne sticks 1 onion, thinly sliced 1 green chili, slit ½ teaspoon ground cumin 2 teaspoons ground fennel a generous pinch of saffron threads, soaked in 2 tbs water for 30 minutes 400ml shellfish stock 400ml coconut milk 1 teaspoon tomato purée

Method: Bring a large saucepan of heavily salted water to the boil and fill a large bowl with iced water. Add the lobster tails to the boiling water and, when the water returns to the boil, blanch for 2 minutes. Use tongs to remove and transfer to the iced water to stop the cooking. When cool enough to handle, peel off the shells. Remove the black intestinal vein and cut each tail into 4 medallions. Return the poaching water to the boil. Add the potatoes and boil for 12–15 minutes until they are tender. Use a scoop or large slotted spoon to remove from the water. When they are cool enough to handle, peel them and set aside. Meanwhile, return the water to the boil, add the baby fennel and blanch for 3 minutes, or until tender. Refresh in cold water to stop the cooking and set the color, set aside. Coconut Base Bring a separate small pan of water to the boil. Add the tomatoes and blanch for 2 minutes, or until the skins begin to split. Drain them well and set aside until cool enough to handle “or until the skins begin to split. Drain them well and set aside until cool enough to handle, then skin, halve, deseed and finely dice. To make the coconut base, heat the oil in a pan, add the garlic and sauté over a low heat without coloring. Add the curry leaves, whole spices, bay leaf and ginger, and continue sautéing until the seeds crackle. Add the onion and green chili, and sauté for 3–5 minutes until the onion is translucent, but not colored. Stir in the ground cumin and fennel and the saffron threads with the liquid, then add the potatoes and stir until they are coated. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Add the tomatoes, coconut milk and tomato purée, and stir together, then simmer for 15 minutes, or until reduced slightly. Set aside and keep hot until all the seafood is cooked. Place the razor clams in a steamer and steam for 30 seconds–1 minute until the shells open. Remove the meat from the shells, trim and set aside. Just before you start cooking the seafood, melt the butter with the water in a separate saucepan, add the baby fennel and potatoes and serve. 57

RECIPE

Salmon Trout

Chef Monsieur Murgat Recipe for 4 Ingredients:

Method:

Gravlax salt: 0.240 kg fine salt 0.180 kg brown sugar 0.100 kg peppercorn pepper 3 zest lime and lime 0.050 kg ground anise

Take a nice salmon trout of about 1 kg-1.2 kg, ask your fishmonger to fillet and desarete them. The day before the meal, salt the fillets in the salt mixture for 7 hours and then desalt them in cold water. Store in the fridge in a dry cloth. Prepare the Mountain Ache sauce

Mountain ache sauce: 0.100 kg shallots 0.100 kg button mushroom 0.080 kg mountain ache 0.005 kg small pepper 0.025 kg butter 0.150 L dry white wine 0.150 L chicken broth 0.150 L cream 0.100 kg verjuice 4 gelatin sheets

Coarsely chop the shallots, mushrooms and lovage. Sweat the shallots without coloring with a knob of butter, add the mushrooms and the lovage, season. Slowly cook everything with the pepper mignon. Add the white wine and broth leave to reduce by half. Add the cream and simmer the sauce for 20 minutes. After cooking, pass and set aside. Collect 0.200 kg of this sauce and add 0.100 kg of verjuice. Glue the sauce using the gelatin sheets soak in cold water beforehand. Taste the seasoning, adjust if necessary. Put the trout fillets on a rack and glaze with the slightly cooled verjuice sauce. Leave to set in the cold.

Lovage Mayonnaise: 2 egg yolks 0.010 kg Dijon mustard 0.010 kg white balsamic vinegar 0.100 kg lovage oil

Infuse 0.100 kg lovage and 0.100 l of grapeseed oil at 70 °, mix, pass. Keep away from light. Add the egg yolks and djon mustard with this infused oil.

Candied lemon puree 2 yellow lemons 2 cloves 0.150 kg sugar 0.150 kg water

Wash and blanch the lemons three times. Prick them with cloves. Make a syrup with the sugar and water and the lemons. Once the lemons are cooked, pass the syrup and mix.

Trout condiment: 2 hard boiled eggs 0.025 kg trout eggs 0.010 kg crushed lovage 0.50kg croutons PM mountain oil

On the day of the meal, portion the glazed fillets, cut into fine slices 1 cm thick across the width of the fillet. Condiment each piece of fish when sending. Arrange the pieces of trout harmoniously on the plate, with a mixture of young shoots and fresh herbs. Make a handful with this lightly vinegar mixed greens. Dress the mayonnaise and the candied lemon puree using a pastry bag. Slice with lovage oil.

Front of House Words: Josh Sims

Michael Baum

A Nerd in the Vineyard

“Would I describe myself as a nerd? Of yeah, definitely,” says Michael Baum with a chuckle. “I can quite happily spend my days now talking about how best to monitor nitrogen cycles in the soil...” That’s a new topic for Baum, however, albeit one that fits his profile. Baum is an entrepreneur, philanthropist and, more recently, the owner of Chateau Pommard, the French winery and estate established 1726 - making him the first American to own such an estate in Burgundy. It’s not only a new venture for him, but a new kind of venture. Baum, 57, made his money in the very different world of tech, as the creator of six start-ups, five of which he sold and the last of which, the machine data engine Splunk, went public with a record-breaking $5bn IPO. He looks the part, with a preference for wearing black - black jacket over black t-shirt, black jeans and black sneakers - offset with a flat top in silver-grey. And he can wax lyrical about how, for example, we should stop

worrying about Big Data, AI and driverless cars - all a long, long way off, he reckons - and start worrying about cyber-security, given the bad state actors “The problem is that the systems we use today are highly disaggregated - start up a Mac and 300 or so services come into play to make that happen. And that’s feeding day for the animals. From the security point of view, there’s huge value in aggregation - in owning multiple layers in a stack.” he says - all too aware that aggregation runs counter to demands for tech monopolies to be broken up, precisely to limit the reach of their influence and control over the oil that, more and more, allows the wheels of society to turn. “Put it this way - all of my systems are on Google and I feel safe with that, not because it can’t be hacked, but at least if it does it will will be from the inside.” He’s not alone in being a Silicon Valley king now investing in wine, of course, although he’s looked well beyond Napa Valley and back to the old world. “Back in California they talk of old

Words:Namai Bishop vines and they mean around 35 years old. Here they mean 120 years old,” he laughs. “But then it’s very different over there in many ways. The Napa Valley way is to make the same quality of wine every year, year after year. But in Bordeaux you have the vintage effect. Every year the wine is different. But that’s something I find fascinating.” With that long tradition, however, comes a guarded industry somewhat stuck in its ways, ways which Baum - an outsider in terms of both his nationality and his professional background - aims to change. “Burgundy has a tradition that’s powerful but limited, which only appeals to a certain audience. And historically producers have sold onto wholesalers, so they haven’t had to think about their brand,” he says. “That’s very different to how things are done in Silicon Valley of course, where the model is to really be in touch with the consumer. So at Pommard we’re taking a more Silicon Valley model - 90% of our sales are now direct to the consumer. And I have ambitions to apply tech to the wine business.” That’s likely to include the use of genetic analysis of the soil, for example, which is something Baum’s team at Chateau Pommard is now investigating with a view to better understanding what type of plant best suits what type of soil (and Pommard is unusual in having several distinct soil types across its land). “There’s a place for laboratories in making better wine, which is something Napa Valley is understanding. But here in France it’s all nose and palate,” says Baum. Indeed, it’s because most wine lovers’ own noses and palates are somewhat limited that, following successful beta testing,

next year Baum will launch Vivant, a platform/app to help subscribers better buy and understand their wine. Baum - as his CV suggests - is well-versed in start-ups. He’s a fan. His philanthropic organisation, Founder.org - which aims to encourage graduates with a good idea to pursue it, rather than shelve it and become an employee - has invested in some 128 of them. “The world of wine is complex - from the grape varieties to the chemicals used, from vintages to how best to pair it with food - and understanding what you’re actually drinking is not easy,” Baum explains. “But the more you know, the more you enjoy. So [with Vivant] we’re taking what we’ve introduced at Chateau Pommard - wine experiences and vineyard visits - and we’re reaching more people by effectively putting that on a digital platform. I don’t know why this hasn’t been done before. But then with the benefit of hindsight it’s easy to wonder why there was, say, no Uber before 2015...” Subscribers of Vivant will be able to scan any micro-chipped bottle in order to get a complete assessment of the wine, 24/7 access to a live personal wine advisor, as well as to live broadcast wine experiences around the world. Vivant’s utility is also timely because, Baum argues, younger generations are paying very close attention to what actually goes into their wine: transparency, he says, is set to be a major industry trend, which is why the whole process behind Pommard wines will using Vivant - be trackable from the budding of the plant to the shipping of the crate. “More people are waking up to the idea that they don’t want to

drink wine with chemicals in it, though there’s a lot of resistance in the wine industry to giving up convenient agricultural methods,” says Baum. “Look at the biggest players and when they talk about responsibility, well, it’s all BS. You get brands using biodegradable packaging for three minutes one year - it’s a neat experiment but they never scale it up. It’s just marketing. And the industry has been lousy at giving information about what’s in their wines because there’s no regulation. So I’d hope that we can encourage change across the industry, because it was going to take [an outsider] like us to drive change.” To this end, as Californian progressiveness might also dictate, Baum is leading a push on bio-dynamism in wines, both for Pommard’s own production - it’s now close to being 100% bio-dynamic - but with it also acting as a leading curator of the growing number of - to use Baum’s three tiers - bio-dynamic, organic and responsible wines now available. It is, he concedes, a small beginning. “Go into most restaurants and ask for a biodynamic wine and you normally get a blank stare,” he says. “But that also represents a huge opportunity.” And exploiting opportunities is what has characterised the career of Michael Baum. “Sure, I still get excited about tech,” he says. “And now I get excited about wine. But it’s the combination of tech and wine that gets me most excited. In fact, I suppose that this interest in the world of wine started as a hobby but it’s turned into a business. Of course, that’s all remembering that going to a meeting with clients to talk about wine is fun right? And, well, that’s not always the case with tech...”

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Real Kombucha What’s the secret of keeping teetotal fine-dining clients happy? Nick Harman goes to discover the secret of making real Kombucha

“I’d rather you only take photos of things that I tell you are okay,’ says David Begg, seeing me reach for my camera, ‘we have our secrets.’ He smiles through his avuncular salt ‘n’ pepper beard, but he’s dead serious. When your Kombucha is being served by savvy sommeliers in fifty Michelin Star places, with more coming on board all the time, competitors are keen to find out how it’s made. Of course, there’s no secret as to what Kombucha is; it’s a fermented drink that’s brewed from tea leaves. When made the way David makes it though, it reaches new gourmet heights and has no alcohol in it at all. He calls his drink Real Kombucha to distinguish it from the many sugary drinks that try to masquerade as Kombucha. Little better than soft drinks for kids, they are a million miles away from the sophisticated grown-up beverage. ‘Kombucha probably originated thousands of miles away in 64

Manchuria many, many years ago,’ David says as I gaze at rows and rows of large stainless-steel fermenting vessels ranged in what was once a farm barn. They look like wine fermenting vessels and that’s because they are; David’s Real Kombucha borrows a lot from wine making. Kombucha is actually made in a roughly similar way to artisan vinegars, which is to say from a culture of bacteria and yeast known as a SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) which form a zoogleal mat known as a "mother" Tea is brewed with sugar then cooled, the leaves discarded and the SCOBY added along with some previously fermented kombucha. The liquid is then left to ferment for a calculated time and when ready filtered and bottled. The SCOBY is removed to make the next batch maturing and developing as it does so. It’s a process familiar to artisan sourdough bakers who, like David, call these starters ‘mothers’. These ‘Old Mothers’ are so important to each of the brews that

David gives them names and any attempt I make to peek at the section of the shed where they are constantly and scientifically analysed is blocked. Making kombucha may sound relatively simple, but many a home-brewer has come to grief, creating a drink that has actually made them ill. David shakes his head sorrowfully when he relates this, it’s ironic though because he began his whole business by making kombucha at home. Back in 2016 David, who previously founded the high-end furniture brand Tom Dixon, as well as the education tech company Magic Town, didn’t really want to drink alcohol anymore. But he equally didn’t want to just drink water with his meals as that was just too boring. He wanted a serious, sophisticated drink that did what wine did - complement and enhance food - but without the after-effects.≠ One day a friend served him kombucha with a fine meal and he was, he says, ‘hooked’. A holiday in India and a taste of their superb fine teas, saw 66

him come home with some packets of Silver Needle tea and he had a go at making kombucha in a spare room with, he says, surprising success. Encouraged, he put a small team together made up of nutrition innovator, Adrian Hodgson and tea expert, Will Battle and they experimented with 150 different teas until coming up with Real Kombucha. A very different drink to what had gone before. Today he makes three styles of Kombucha: Smoke House, Royal Flush and Dry Dragon and they come in single bottles of 275ml. We sat down in a rather chilly shed on site to try an equally chilled glass of each kombucha along with a small food pairing. Our first, Dry Dragon, is brewed with pan-fried Dragonwell green tea from Zhejiang Province in China. Instead of being steeped in hot water (‘never boiling when you make fine tea’, David tells me sternly) the leaves are first wiped around a piping hot wok to stop the natural oxidation process early. The fermenting process then develops delicate citrus notes of grapefruit and sweet lemons, with a clear vegetal, green tea

back note and a long, full- bodied finish. It has a slight acidity on the tongue which, as is well known, enhances the flavours of food. We tried it with an artichoke, a vegetable that always likes to be paired with lemon or a vinaigrette, and it brought out the smooth nuttiness well. The second brew, Royal Flush, is made from First Flush Darjeeling, known in India as the Queen of Teas. Here there were rich notes of rhubarb and gooseberry and a delicate floral acidity with a relatively short finish that matched well with the fats of local charcuterie. Beautifully effervescent, it had both the look and the mouthfeel of a fine champagne so making it perfect to serve to guests who didn’t want alcohol but also didn’t want to stand out in a celebrating group. Perfect too for smart restaurants to offer to someone teetotal who didn’t want to be at odds with a partner who fancied a glass of champagne to kick off a fine dining experience. Smoke House, the last one I tried, is brewed from a smoky

black tea from the district of Yunnan in the high mountains of southern China. It’s often grown by smaller, permaculture plantations where the growers climb the ancient, fully-grown trees to pick the finest leaves. On the nose, it immediately made me think of a craft cider, one of the ‘pet nat’ ones, it’s the taste of apples and caramel with a smoky top note. A great drink to have with a hard cheese like Comte. It’s easy to see now why sommeliers and mixologists are serving Real Kombucha. A non-alcoholic drink that actually entertains the palate and the senses and pairs with food in a miraculous manner. As I packed to leave, from outside there came a frightening roar like a massive jet engine on takeoff. ‘Oh, that’s just my neighbour, ‘explained David, ‘he often tests his gas burners for hot air balloons out in the yard’. 67

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ROYAL ACADEMY OF CULINARY ARTS ANNUAL AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE 2020 IS NOW OPEN FOR ENTRIES! The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts is now accepting entries for the Annual Awards of Excellence 2020. Applicants must currently be working full-time in the UK as a Chef, Pastry Chef or Waiter and should be aged between 20 and 26 at the close of entries on 10th February 2020. The AAE is the most prestigious award available to young professionals in the hospitality industry today, recognising and encouraging the most talented ambitious Chefs, Pastry Chefs and Waiters. Since it began in 1983 over 650 young professionals have won the Award, providing opportunities for a successful career path. The AAE is an examination rather than a competition; all or none of the candidates can achieve the award depending on their ability to attain the standard of excellence set by the judges. All those who successfully reach this standard will win the AAE. In addition the winning candidate who scores the highest marks in each section will be named the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Young Chef, Young Pastry Chef and Young Waiter of the Year 2020. How to Enter Enter via the website: http://royalacademyofculinaryarts.org.uk/what-we-do/annualaward-of-excellence/ For more information please contact Daniel Moriss-Jeffery at the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Tel: 020 8673 6300 / E-mail: daniel@raoca.org.uk Closing date for entries: monday 10th february 2020 Tasks Selection is based on written entries. Successful candidates will go forward to regional quarter-finals in February and Semifinals March/April and finals in May/June 2020 where they will be tested on a wide range of skills. Prizes • The three highest scoring candidates are awarded the accolade of Young Chef, Young Waiter, and Young Pastry Chef of The Year • £2000 bursary thanks to the Savoy Educational Trust • The bursary from the Savoy Educational Trust will take the form of an educational trip. Past trips include visits to New Orleans; Dubai; Mexico; Champagne; Tuscany; Barbados; St Lucia; Los Angeles; Hong Kong and Shanghai; Quebec and Los Angeles. • A Robert Welch Knife • Work experience at Pollen Street Social with thanks to Jason Atherton

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Work experience at The Fat Duck with thanks to Heston Blumenthal • Invited to money can’t buy hospitality experiences and exclusive Royal Academy of Culinary Arts events and trips • A specially commissioned engraved Silver Trophy thanks to Gordon Hogg and Finclass • All Service Semi-Finalists and Finalists are invited to direct entry to the Gold Service Scholarship • The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts Young Chef of The Year will gain automatic entry to the Final of Craft Guild of Chefs, National Young Chef of The Year All Annual Awards of Excellence Achievers receive the following: Champagne Laurent-Perrier Jeroboam • AAE Lapel Pin • Chefs Jacket courtesy of Continental Chef Supplies • Membership of the AAE Alumni QUARTER-FINALS DATES Service Quarter-Final Scotland – Monday 24th February, Gleneagles Service Quarter-Final London – Saturday 29th February, The Langham SEMI-FINAL DATES Service Semi-Final Scotland – Monday 23rd March, Trump Turnberry Service Semi-Final London – Saturday 28th March, The Ritz London Kitchen & Pastry Semi-Final Regional Wednesday 8th April University of West London, Westminster Kingsway College, University College Birmingham FINAL DATES Service Final London – Monday 11th May, Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester Kitchen & Pastry Final London – Wednesday 3rd June, University of West London 69

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COBRA BEER SUPPORTS RESTAURANT INDUSTRY WITH LAUNCH OF UK COLLECTIVE INITIATIVE

Cobra Beer, founded by British Indian entrepreneur Lord Karan Bilimoria, has launched an initiative designed to support the UK restaurant industry. Bringing together a panel of highly successful chefs, restaurateurs and restaurant industry entrepreneurs in the form of THE COBRA COLLECTIVE, members will work individually and as a group through the coming year in rolling out a programme of inspiring business masterclasses, interactive workshops and ‘how to’ videos, developed to support start-up hospitality entrepreneurs and existing restaurant owners at what is a turbulent time for the hospitality sector. The panel, which will launch with chef, entrepreneur and MasterChef host Monica Galetti, Michellin-starred chef Andrew Wong, restaurateur Nisha Katona MBE, Podcast presenter and content creator Alexandra Dudley, Beer Sommelier Ed Hughes alongside Lord Karan Bilimoria. Each member of The Cobra Collective will work with the Cobra brand to develop a range of exclusive and informative content and events based on their individual areas of expertise within the restaurant sector. Individual workshops, Q&A’s and masterclasses will include 70

Lord Karan Bilimoria comments, "Current economic forces and shifting consumer trends mean that running a restaurant business has never been harder, or more beset by external challenges. As a brand largely stocked and consumed in pan Asian and ethnic restaurants across the UK, Cobra wants to bring a set of inspirational hospitality leaders together to support this hugely important sector of the restaurant industry. We are committed as a business to support entrepreneurs and independent restaurateurs and see the Cobra Collective as an ongoing and growing initiative; we’re delighted to announce our key members at this time and look

• • • • •

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How to Create Cultural Harmony in the Workplace with Andrew Wong The Highs and Lows of Business Podcast with Lord Bilimoria How to Create and Grow a Brand within Hospitality with Nisha Katona Brewed Smooth for all Food; Beer & Food Pairing Masterclass with Ed Hughes In an Increasingly Digital Landscape, How to Leverage Social Media in the Culinary World with Alexandra Dudley Getting Ahead as a Female in the Hospitality Industry with Monica Galetti

forward to working with them over the coming months.” Cobra has committed £150k in year one of The Cobra Collective and hopes to offer advisory support to multiple independent business owners in the year ahead. Monica Galetti spoke for the Cobra Collective panel “When we were invited to take part in this great initiative for the industry, we jumped at the opportunity to support other chefs and restaurateurs. I’m looking forward to sharing my thoughts and experience and hearing the collective wisdom of my industry colleagues on their chosen subjects.”

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THACKERAY’S SHAKES UP THE DINING WORLD WITH LAUNCH OF A 5-COURSE HONESTY MENU Celebrity chef Richard Phillips is set to reimagine the traditional culinary experience of Thackeray's, breaking the mould most spectacularly with a five-course “Honesty” Menu. The extraordinary move will see guests indulge in an assortment of unique and awe-inspiring dishes, later paying only what they sincerely think it’s worth to them. Open for pre-booking, this pioneering Honesty Menu is expected to stir up pundits from dining enthusiasts to restaurant reviewers and critics from all over the country. It will launch on the 14th of January and run through until March, with interested diners urged to book early and in advance, as there will only be twenty covers available each evening Tuesday to Friday. Thackery’s Head Chef Patrick Hill has been plotting the five-course extravaganza. He explains: “This is a menu without boundaries. There are no rules and we’re going to be pulling out all the culinary stops with an experiential sensory journey. It’s a very exciting proposition for the kitchen team, all ideas are on the table. I don’t want to give away too much, nor can I since the menu will be changing every night but it’s certainly going to get people talking.” No restaurant considered even remotely akin to Thackeray’s prestigiousness has ever done anything quite like this before. Thackeray’s co-owner and Exec Head Chef Richard Phillips explains where the idea came from: “We really want to challenge our guests to see food in a new light. I think it will

take away the traditional boundaries and challenge the way our guests experience food. This definitely isn’t a test – it’s a treat – we want you to pay what it is worth to you.” Says Richard Phillips. Situated near the heart of Royal Tunbridge Wells, Thackeray’s has always striven to captivate its guests, with the upcoming Honesty Menu just the latest in a series of ground-breaking endeavours undertaken by the team. Everything about this renowned, ever-popular establishment is surprising; from the astonishingly accessible lunch menu at only £25 for 2-courses, to the

entice new diners as well as our loyal regulars to try something completely new and exciting. Our faith in our guests and confidence in our work will ultimately be the driving factors behind this refreshing venture. “Everyone is welcome at Thackeray’s. We have created a relaxed environment where we serve exceptional food and offer incredible service with it – this will never change – but we wanted to try something truly innovative in 2020, to

centuries-old, off-kilter, almost fairy-tale style building, to its consistently alluring food offerings – there aren’t many restaurants in Kent or even the UK that have continued to lead and thrive for over eighteen years. Thackeray’s has kept originality, creativity and provenance at the core of its Modern European culinary interpretations. Never following fads or themes, consistency has been key to the continued success and reputation of this establishment. 71

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The Michelin guide, TripAdvisor and TheFork Launch an International Strategic Partnership TheFork Acquires Bookatable and Expands to the UK, Germany, Austria, Finland and Norway Markets December 3, 2019 – The Michelin Guide has joined forces with TripAdvisor and TheFork to offer diners a complementary way to find their ideal dining experience, as well as improved access to a wider choice of high-quality restaurants around the world. Michelin and TripAdvisor, with its subsidiary TheFork, have entered into a content and licensing partnership to combine the gastronomic selection expertise of the Michelin Guide with the power of TripAdvisor’s large customer audience and TheFork’s advanced booking service. All of the 14,000 restaurants selected by the Michelin Guide inspectors worldwide will be clearly identified with their ratings Star, Bib Gourmand and Plate distinctions on the TripAdvisor website and apps leading to significantly improved accessibility of the Michelin selection.Around 4,000 restaurants throughout Europe will soon be accessible and bookable on TheFork, and on the digital Michelin Guide platform. In addition, Michelin has signed an agreement to sell Bookatable to TheFork. This acquisition allows TheFork to consolidate its existing markets and expand into five new countries: United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Finland and Norway. This means that the 14,000 restaurants bookable on Bookatable will join the 67,000 already bookable on TheFork, creating the largest online restaurant booking platform. The terms of TheFork’s acquisition of Bookatable will not be disclosed. For nearly 120 years, the Michelin Guide has endeavored to provide people with the best, independent and most trustworthy information on restaurants while at the same time constantly respecting local regions and gourmet traditions and promoting the work of passionate chefs to equally passionate diners. Due to the objective nature of the criteria used by Michelin’s inspectors the Michelin Guide also helps expand the influence of the world’s gastronomic traditions and increase tourism. The partnership between the Michelin Guide and TripAdvisor and TheFork will significantly increase the visibility of the chefs and restaurants of the Michelin guide and increase reservations thanks to the link to the world’s leading online booking platforms. “With our more than 120 years of experience making 72

gastronomic guides which provide restaurant recommendations based on independent, expert inspectors, this strategic partnership between Michelin and TripAdvisor will offer unprecedented visibility to the establishments listed in the Michelin Guide selections around the world,” said Scott Clark, member of the Michelin Group Executive Committee. “By combining the Michelin Guide’s unique restaurant curation and selection criteria, with TripAdvisor’s comprehensive travel planning platform, we will be able to make the Michelin Guide’s selections accessible to a much larger number of diners around the world.” Together, these ambitious agreements will make it possible to offer millions of consumers the possibility to easily identify and book Michelin-selected restaurants on TheFork. In exchange, all TheFork restaurants partners will also be bookable on the Michelin Guide digital platforms, “We are happy to add Bookatable by Michelin to the TripAdvisor family. This agreement allows us to continue expanding our business geographically, while offering an even more valuable service to restaurants and diners alike,” said Bertrand Jelensperger, senior vice president,TripAdvisor Restaurants and CEO, TheFork. “We’ll soon make Michelinselected bookable restaurants more visible on our platforms to better serve our users and drive the right customers to each restaurant.” TheFork and TripAdvisor offer restaurants a huge audience of high-intent diners. TheFork targets foodies in 22 markets thanks to the acquisition, with more focus on local consumers, counting over 80,000 bookable restaurants and 30 million-plus monthly visits, while TripAdvisor helps nearly 460 million travellers each month** to plan better trips with the help of more than 830 million reviews and opinions of 8.6 million accommodations, restaurants, experiences, airlines and cruises. These virtual visitors are a huge pool of new customers for restaurants and can positively impact their revenues significantly. A recent study conducted by Strategy&, a member of the PwC network, the companies together influenced nearly $8 billion in revenue in 2018 across six markets studied (France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, the United States and the United Kingdom), and this representing over 320 million additional meals in restaurants.

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MICHELIN Guide Seoul 2020

29 IN THAILAND WIN MICHELIN STARS

Michelin is pleased to unveil the selection of restaurants highlighted in the fourth edition of the MICHELIN Guide Seoul. This 2020 edition confirms the richness and dymnamism of the culinary scene in the Korean capital, with the addition of 2 new two-star restaurants and 7 new onestar establishments, plus the emergence of new styles of contemporary cuisine. Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of MICHELIN Guides, comments: "Our inspectors walked the streets of Seoul and discovered new gems that enrich the selection of starred restaurants. Year after year, our inspectors are delighted to see the increase in high quality cuisine offered by the establishments of the city. We have also seen an evolution in the styles of cuisine offered, with chefs that do not hesitate to break the codes to broaden their customers’ culinary experiences." While Gaon and La Yeon retain their three-star status again this year, 2 establishments join the list of establishments that serve cuisine that is ‘worth a detour’, by being recognised with two Michelin stars. After their first star last year Mosu continues its rise, and continues to surprise its guests and stand out by the diverse creations of chef Ahn Sung-jae, always guided by the respect of the seasonality of products. The equally innovative cuisine of chef Seo Hyeon-min, following experience gained in the kitchens of several starred restaurants in New York, allows L'Impression to enter directly into the list of two-star establishments. These additions bring the two-star count to seven. The family of one-star restaurants, which according to Michelin’s inspectors are ‘worth a stop’, is enriched by 7 new additions. French traditions are in the spotlight with the integration of restaurants Auprès (Lee ji-won), Your House (Kim min-jae) and Pierre Gagnaire (Frédéric Eyrier), the last two well known establishments of the city having reopened their doors after renovation or relocation. The dishes at Terreno, which also evoke thoughts of travel, revolve around vegetables and herbs grown by chef Shin Seung-hwan. Myomi offers modern Korean cuisine, marked by a wonderful alchemy of flavours and the creativity of chef Jang Jin-mo. Evett is also distinguished by the innovative abilities of its Australian chef Joseph Lidgerwood who puts his inspirational touches to local products. Finally, Onjium, which is both a research institute on Korean culture and a restaurant, puts the spotlight on local flavours thanks to its chef Cho Eunhee, who joins two other Michelin-starred women at the head of restaurants Poom (Noh Yeong-hee) and Hansikgonggan (Cho Hee-sook)

SORN and R-HAAN in the Limelight as the First-Ever Traditional Thai Restaurants in the World to Earn a 2-MICHELINStar Rating Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of MICHELIN Guides, revealed: “This year, the locavore movement, or the use of locally-sourced ingredients, are becoming the true stars of Thailand’s foodscape. The trend indicates Thailand’s rich diversity and high quality of local produce. In addition, we see the glorious rise of traditional Thai cuisine, as – for the first time ever globally – two traditional Thai restaurants, both promoted from one star, are on The MICHELIN Guide’s two-star list.” The 2020 MICHELIN Guide selection welcomes two new additions to the two-star category: R-Haan, where food captures the authentic essence of both regional and royal Thai cuisine, using fresh, high- quality ingredients from all over the country; and Sorn, a restaurant with a focus on long lost recipes and the art of Southern Thai cuisine, using ingredients sustainably sourced from a trusted network of farmers and fishermen, as well as refined and sophisticated cooking techniques. Both restaurants have been promoted from their previous one-star rating. Three two-star restaurants – namely, Le Normandie, Mezzaluna, and Sühring – have retained their distinction. Of the 24 one-star establishments in this latest edition, Khao, a restaurant offering traditional Thai dishes that pay tribute to locality, is the only one promoted from a Bib Gourmand to one-star status; while three are completely new entries. These three new entries are: Chef’s Table, a restaurant serving contemporary French menu, using premium quality ingredients, curated by chef from a 3-MICHELIN Star restaurant; 80/20, where its imaginative contemporary Thai cuisine is a result of the perfect fusion between the best local ingredients and internationally refined cooking techniques; and Table 38, a chef’s table restaurant with very limited seating, serving reinterpreted and updated Thai street food and ancient dishes. In addition, it is of note that all previous one-star holders that are still in business, retained their status - including PRU, the only one-star restaurant in Phuket. 73

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LOCH DUART TO EXTEND PROTECTION OF ITS AWARD-WINNING SALMON INTO NORTH AMERICA

Forensic analysis ensures salmon farmer can verify traceability of its fish for North American supply chain Loch Duart announces that it is making significant further investment to ensure the traceability of its world-renowned salmon as it takes the food fraud fight to North America. The North West Scotland based salmon farming business has been working in the UK with forensic food analysis experts, Oritain, for two years, deploying their pioneering ability to trace fresh salmon samples back to the individual farm and waters where the fish were raised. Now Loch Duart is to expand its use of Oritain’s scientific traceability to ensure that when diners in North America are promised genuine Loch Duart salmon, that’s what they are served. Loch Duart has been raising its awardwinning salmon in the same, lowimpact, environmentally sensitive way 74

for decades. Their low-energy sites in sheltered locations, facilitate natural approaches including the successful use of cleaner fish and minimal fish handling. They also have bespoke, high-marine content fish feed, unique to Loch Duart, which helps to give their salmon its sought-after taste and texture. Andy Bing, Loch Duart’s Sales Director, said: “At Loch Duart we’re proud of our 20-year legacy, rearing extraordinary salmon, asked for by name around the world. Oritain can forensically identify the exact location of any fresh salmon sample they test and this has proven to be a highly effective deterrent for food fraudsters in the UK since we started working with Oritain in 2017. That’s why we’re now extending the availability of this analysis into North America. “It’s another way we can reassure our customers in the US and Canada, that

we are actively protecting the Loch Duart brand. Now, when diners choose our delicious tasting Loch Duart salmon, we can prove its unique origins.” A global leader in using forensic science to determine food, fibre and pharmaceutical provenance, Oritain protects the reputations of its customers by forensically tracing the actual products, not packaging or labels. Their approach proves that ‘nature gives everything specific markers that are unique to its origin’. Food fraud is currently estimated to cost the global food industry up to $50bn, posing a real problem for chefs, restaurants and diners. Award winning Scottish chef, Mark Greenaway, who runs his Grazing restaurant in Edinburgh, said: “The ability to guarantee provenance is absolutely vital for creating our menus at Grazing. Having the confidence that when I serve Scottish salmon it can be traced back to the very waters in which it was raised is essential. I have a particular interest in the world-class array of Scottish produce that is available to chefs, so the traceability that Loch Duart provides shows just how much they value their brand and how much they care that chefs and their diners get exactly what they pay for.” An ambassador for Scotland Food and Drink, Mark also works closely with Seafood Scotland, which provides support to the Scottish seafood industry at home and across the world. Chef

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caramel, spoil with GOLD

Finest Belgian Chocolate Gold New caramel chocolate. Same legendary workability.

Callebaut® Finest Belgian Caramel Chocolate Gold Order ref.: CHK‑R30GOLD ‑ 4 x 2.5 kg bags ‑ Callets™

For recipes and inspiration www.callebaut.com

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A taste your customers will love !