Chef Wise

New campaign, 'Salmon From Norway, Your Way' from the Norwegian Seafood Council invites the UK to inspire fellow foodies with their favourite salmon recipes to celebrate the versatility and pure taste of Norwegian Salmon this summer. Your top tips, your recipes – this summer we invite you to show us how you enjoy our delicious Norwegian Salmon, to win an exclusive Norwegian break for two! From fjord to fork, Norwegian Salmon is not only sustainable, it's also versatile and a deliciously healthy option for summer eating. Raised with great care in cold, clear waters, Norwegian Salmon grow at their own pace, gaining a pure and fresh taste. Thanks to its balanced fat content, texture and distinctive flavour, the fish is incredibly versatile and enjoyed across the world in thousands of different dishes - whether it's grilled on a BBQ, fried in a wok, served up with a sauce, marinated or cured. To celebrate, we're encouraging UK shoppers to share r...

Santa Maluco has some of the rarest rums in Liverpool and for that matter the UK thanks to co-owner and collector John Ennis. From his far-flung foreign travels, John has searched high and low for the best and rarest rums and Maluco now stocks what was his own private collection which is available from this week in recognition of National Rum Day. John said: "Rum's syrupy sweet flavor, tropical spice tanginess and strong association with tiki drinks, means it's the quintessential summer spirit. "Given our al fresco dining offer on Castle Street in Liverpool, it made good sense to launch my collection on National Rum Day especially as the weather suits it perfectly...watching the world go by with a rum and a Brazilian Rodizio pizza." John's favourites include: Ron zacapa xo £10 Ron Matusalem 7yrs £5 Ron brugal siglo de oro £10 Ron varadero 15yrs £10 Ron barcelo imperial £5 Ron Santiago de Cuba 11yrs £10 If you want to ...

From seeds....to bloomers! Introducing Bread & Butter, the UK's first food and drink founders' festival for start-ups to scale-ups looking to grow their businesses - and make them earn their crust. The two-day festival will feature hands-on interactive content, workshops, six unique zones and a schedule of inspiring must-see speakers who have all been there, seen it and done it. They include Tom Newton from Graze, Mark Palmer from Pret A Manger, Pippa Murray from Pip&Nut, Will Bowler from Popchips, Tamara Arbib from Rebel Kitchen, and Patrick Drake from HelloFresh. No wellies required All you need to join the festival is a great idea, or a food and drink business that you want to move forward. The event will introduce you to a community of like-minded others - those at the idea stage, those just about to launch - as well as those looking to scale up to the next level. No more wading through mud - this event aims to help you start and grow your busine...

Well for those of you who did not know here is a little about what the Guild of fine food is about. I first came across them some years ago. I was working as a development chef when we paid a visit to a new venture on the Harrogate show ground called Fodder.  Now as a write this I realise that Fodder its self deserves an article all of its own, but for now I will start with the Guild of fine food. Yes it was back in 2009 when I first came across Guild of Fine Food, and subsequently the Great Taste awards. If you want to know more about that watch the video below. Back in 1995 The Guild was formed, with one mission. To support and encourage artisan food and drink producers and the independent delicatessens, farm shops and food halls that mainly stock and sell their food and drink. Well it’s all acorns and oak trees really, and getting bigger and better all the time, there are over 1,300 members across the UK. It organises and implements a network of a...

On Thursday, hopeful students all over the UK will pick up their A-level results. Whilst the typical university route is incredibly valuable for a huge number of people, it isn't necessarily the best option for everyone, so it helps to know more about the other forms of higher education that are available. The nine month professional diploma at Leiths School of Food and Wine is one of those alternatives. If you're considering taking the Leiths Diploma, we'd like to make sure you have all the information you need to make an informed choice. That's why we're holding a Twitter Q&A from 2 – 4pm on Friday 19th August. The session offers prospective students the chance to ask questions and have them answered in real time by Camilla Schneideman, the Managing Director of Leiths. To take part, all you have to do is tweet a question to @leithscooking with the hashtag #AskLeiths between 2 and 4pm this Friday. Camilla will respond directly to...

A change in fish shopping habits at Tesco has led to a sharp rise in more unusual types of fish like Megrim, Swordfish and Brill. Move over cod, plaice and haddock - fish of the day for increasing numbers of UK shoppers is now swordfish steak, and monkfish tail. A change in fish shopping habits at Tesco has led to a sharp rise in more unusual types of fish like Megrim, Grey Mullet and Brill. The increase is a result of a scheme by the retailer, which has seen staff on the 650 fish counters across the country, trained to help shoppers discover alternative varieties of great tasting fish, as well as offer helpful advice on recipes and serving tips. In the last year, the supermarket has seen a significant increase in demand for the following more unusual dinner table fish: Grey mullet – up by nearly 600 per cent Megrim – up by more than 400 per cent Mackerel – up by nearly 200 per cent Monkfish tail – up by more than 50 per cent Swordfish steak – up by ...

The Bell Inn is proud to announce they have appointed Dave Basher as their head chef. Having worked at The Bell Inn for two years, Basher has taken over the role after the previous Chef decided to follow a new career path outside of catering. At 36, Basher is highly experienced having worked in a kitchen since the age of 13 and has worked in restaurants in and around the area for 16 years, including the Captain's Club and The Jetty (Christchurch). As a local family-owned business, The Bell Inn is open for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner and has a reputation for supporting local suppliers. Dave has built up a strong supplier network of local growers giving him the freshest ingredients for his creation of seasonal dishes. He will make his stamp on the menu by reinventing old classics, with a twist. In his spare time, Dave lives on the Hampshire/Dorset border with his partner, young son and two gun dogs and enjoys typical New Forest pursuits including fo...

Caledonian Brewery is inviting festivalgoers to visit an exciting list of bars especially activated from the 5th to 29th August in Edinburgh during its Festival Fringe. The brewery recently renewed and extended its partnership with the Fringe Society with a three-year deal to continue to support the world's largest arts festival while raising awareness of Caledonian's Scottish brewing heritage. Andy Maddock, Managing Director of Caledonian Brewery, commented:“Caledonian is a true institution in Edinburgh and we're very proud to sponsor our city's Festival. The partnership with the Fringe Society will offer visitors the chance to see a different side to Edinburgh. We want festivalgoers to make the most of this year's Fringe and we are looking forward to seeing them experience an unforgettable and undiscovered side to our city and Caledonian.” The extension of the partnership will see Caledonian Brewery continuing its sponsorship of venue boards and Fr...

Your Moroccan foodie adventure awaits at Kasbah Tamadot, Virgin Limited Edition's boutique retreat located in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. Hidden away in this peaceful corner of Morocco, it's the perfect place to learn about North Africa's vibrant culinary traditions, and share delicious food with friends and family in a luxurious and unique setting. Food lovers will delight at the opportunity to take part in our interactive cookery sessions under the careful guidance of Kasbah Tamadot's highly-trained chefs. You'll be set up with an individual cooking station and will create a delicious 3-course meal including salads, soup, tagines and dessert that you can tuck into afterwards. The team will share their culinary secrets and guide you step by step through some of the restaurant's most popular recipes so you are able to bring a taste of Morocco to your own home cooking. The foodie fun isn't just limited to the hotel; an excursion to s...

The 29th annual World Cheese Awards will open for entry from Wednesday 17 August, with organisers, the Guild of Fine Food, expecting more cheese-makers than ever to enter as the competition heads to San Sebastián this year, during the city's tenure as European Capital of Culture. Dedicated only to cheese, with no other dairy products able to enter, the World Cheese Awards, supported by Artzai Gazta and the Basque Country Government, will be the showpiece event at the inaugural International Cheese Festival. Being held between 16-18 November 2016, this global celebration of cheese will be open to consumers and tourists, as well as food professionals, buyers, and retailers. Cheeses from over 30 different countries are expected to line up in front of 250 judges from every corner of the globe, including international buyers, retailers, writers and cheesemakers, providing a golden opportunity for small artisan producers to spotlight their cheese on a world stage. With all ta...

Both The Apple Tree Restaurant and The Apple Tree Farm Shop at Brimsmore Gardens in Yeovil have been awarded Gold once again in the Taste of the West Hospitality and Retail Awards 2016. This is the fourth year running that the Farm Shop has achieved Taste of the West's top awards and the third year in a row for the restaurant. The judges heaped praise upon The Apple Tree Farm Shop, for its wide range of products from the south west, reasonable pricing and knowledgeable and friendly staff.  The local and seasonal sourcing in The Apple Tree Restaurant was also applauded and judges were particularly impressed with how the menu lists each producer and how the Farm Shop is used as a larder for ingredients. Cath Collins, group food manager (above left), explains; “Yes, we did it again! The teams at Brimsmore Gardens really do go above and beyond to understand the products that we sell in the Farm Shop and the food and drink that we serve in the Restaurant, so it's abs...

With the Great Taste 2016 results just announced, The Traditional Free Range Egg Company, formerly known as Blackacre Farm Eggs, is now celebrating, as all five products in its Free Collection have been awarded stars from the world's most coveted blind-tasted food awards. Better still, with just 141 products achieving a 3-star Great Taste award out of 10,o00 entries in this year's competition, The Traditional Free Range Egg Company is the only egg producer to be featured in this select list, with its Waddling Free duck eggs achieving the highest possible rating. This is the second year in a row that the Waddling Free duck eggs have been awarded a 3-star accolade in Great Taste, with The Traditional Free Range Egg Company's owners, Dan and Briony Wood (pictured above), delighted with the judges' comments, which included; “Incredible rich yolk. Real sweetness and length of flavour” and “The only thing missing is sourdough toast!” After achieving a 1-star G...

Since 2014 The Gallivant has introduced a series of gourmet evenings with world renowned British chefs including Tom Aikens, Richard Neat, Marcus Eaves, Andy McFadden and Henry and Matthew Harris, firmly establishing the Camber bolthole as a hub for the finest dining on the South Coast. We are delighted to announce that Michelin starred Graham Garrett will be taking over the kitchen at The Gallivant, for one night only, on September 19th 2016. After a previous career as a successful rock musician, Graham's defection to cooking may be music's loss but it was without doubt the food world's gain. Having worked for both Nico Ladenis and Richard Corrigan, Graham gained great experience as head chef of some wonderful restaurants and has also cooked for government and royalty, having been fortunate enough to cook at both 10 Downing Street, and also to cater a private dinner for Her Majesty, the Queen of England. Graham bought The West House in 2002, and has hel...

Waitrose has become the UK's first major supermarket brand to operate a cashless store after opening in Sky's new flagship head office building at its campus in Osterley. It is the first Waitrose to open on a workplace campus in almost 20 years and at 1,400 sq ft becomes the second smallest store in the retailer's estate. The little Waitrose branded shop is located inside Sky's new office building - Sky Central - which will be home to more than 3,500 staff. Sky employees are only able to pay by card or through their mobile devices at one of the five self-service checkouts in the store.  Waitrose opened its only other office based store in 1998 - a 520 sq ft shop at British Airways' Waterside headquarters in Harmondsworth. The retailer met with groups of Sky employees to determine what they would like to see in their new store. There is a focus on evening meals and food to go, including fresh sandwiches, wraps and sushi, as well as a selec...

TWO West London venues are working together to help children who've overcome difficult challenges to learn new skills. Leiths School of Food and Wine has joined forces with Kite Studios, a creative space founded by local artist Auriol Herford, to offer four sponsored places on their Kids' Kitchen summer course. These places have been awarded to four local children who have overcome some very difficult obstacles. On Thursday, the children will join others on the course and spend the morning learning to cook an American style brunch. Featuring a home made chicken burger with sweet purple slaw and baked sweet potato wedges, this might look like fast food, but it is secretly healthy! For pudding, they'll prepare fruit skewers with a chocolate dipping sauce. In the afternoon they'll head to Kite Studios where they will indulge their imagination, using clay and mixed media to create dreamlike food sculptures, taking inspiration from the work of artist ...

During the scorching hot day at the Taste of the West Food Fair on the Green on Tuesday 19th July, Sharpham Wine and Cheese were amongst 60 Gold Award winners lucky enough to meet HRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall. Celebrating 25 years of success, Taste of the West invited Prince Charles, in his capacity as Patron, to meet a selection of Gold Award winners from the Taste of the West Awards. Both Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall visited the Sharpham stand, where managing director Mark Sharman talked them through the cheese and wine ranges on sale, and the Prince of Wales accepted a taste of their Sharpham Pinot Noir 2013, whilst the Duchess tasted their Sharpham Rustic cheese. Talking about the day, Mark says: “Prince Charles is a keen advocate of rural food businesses, so it was superb to get the chance to showcase our products to him, and he was very complimentary when tasting our Pinot Noir.” Mark continues: “Prince Charles is also pat...

Nature's Path has created a wonderfully moreish range of organic granolas, available not only in four tasty flavours but also in two deliciously different textures. Each features a blend of rolled baked oats, mixed with a nutritious combination of nuts, seeds and fruit. Pumpkin & Flax Seed and Coconut & Chia Seed have a 'nice and crumbly' texture. They're noticeably finer than most granolas, meaning that they're not only delicious with milk, but are also perfect for sprinkling on top of fruit, or stirred into yogurt for an alternative breakfast treat. Fruit & Nut and Honey & Almond have the well-loved 'nobbly' texture of granola, that's ideal for anyone looking for extra 'bite' in their breakfast cereal. Pumpkin & Flax Seed is a wholegrain mix of pumpkin seeds (known for being high in fibre) and flax seeds, which are a great source of nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids. Blended with rolled oats, a pinch ...

David McLagan claims that consumer behaviour MUST change Reusable rather than recyclable is the ONLY way to tackle the issue of waste Over 100 billion single use cups go to landfill each year globally. Hugh's estimate of 2.5 of billion in UK must be considered in this context Following Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's BBC News Viewpoint piece on coffee cup waste, and the airing of Episode 3 of his War on Waste series taking on coffee shop giants Starbucks, Costa and Caffè Nero last week, David McLagan, Founder & CEO of revolutionary new reusable and biodegradable coffee cup brand, Ecoffee Cup, pitches in to emphasise the need to focus on changing consumer behaviour rather than holding out for the big coffee corporations to effect change. “In his War on Waste campaign, Hugh estimates that 2.5 billion single-use cups per year go to landfill in the UK. But the problem is much bigger when we look beyond Britain... With estimates of up to half a trillion manu...