Chef Wise

VEGANUARY NEVER TASTED THIS AMAZING… Oatly makes it super easy Doing your bit for your body and the planet and going vegan for January? Got the meat thing covered (hello tempeh, tofu and seitan), but not sure what you’re going to do about the dauphinoise? We’re the company that made the original (and award-winning) oat drink. And now we’ve come up with a range of products to help you upgrade your free-from mealtimes too. It’s so Fraiche It’s a lot like crème fraiche, but we used oats instead of cream to give a different take on one of the most flexible ingredients in the modern kitchen. We’ve worked really hard to make sure that it gives the same great performance as a traditional crème fraiche. Dollop it on chilli or delicious pudding. Dip it with nachos. Stir it into sauces and goulash and curry. Bake it in gratins and cakes. You’re going to love it. Thanks for your patience Pourable. Bakeable. Heatable. A cooking cream that doesn’t contain cream but...

A new Michelin star for Leipzig With the launch of the renowned „Guide Michelin“ for 2017 this month, the East-German city of Leipzig was awarded another Michelin star: The “Residenz im Herrenhaus Möckern”. A former mansion, Herrenhaus Möckern is set in the floodplain of the White Elster River. The manor from 1317 has undergone some extensive renovations over the last years and is home to two new restaurants since 2015. While "Die Residenz" (Residence) attracts guests with upscale delights, "Die Brennerei" (Distillery) offers traditional home cooking. Its atmospheric setting with stucco ceilings, the historic barrel-vault and two terraces for the summer months makes a visit completely distinctive. www.herrenhaus-moeckern.de On top of it, Leipzig restaurant scene has long been crowned by the only 2-star Michelin restaurant in East Germany outside Berlin: FALCO, towering over the city on the 27th floor of the Westin Leipzig. FALCO's chef, Peter Mar...

Brits are going premium with their festive spirits this season. In the lead up to New Year's Eve, Tesco has seen an increasing number of customers who are treating themselves to top of the range branded and own-label liquors. And they are not solely being tempted by familiar brands, they are also looking for high quality and exceptional value as well. Amongst the most popular drinks in the range is the supermarket's award-winning Tesco finest* French Grain Vodka. It's been described by the Master Distiller for the  producer as 'Martini Grade', and the top notch and exceptionally smooth spirit has seen a 250 per cent growth in the last year alone. It won a silver medal at the 2016 International Wine and Spirit Competition and has been compared favourably to top premium brands - but is available at half the price and can be snapped up for just £18 until January 9. Across the festive season, Tesco has seen a growth in the demand for its premiu...

Alain Ducasse Entreprise and InterContinental Hong Kong are thrilled to debut a new restaurant identity: Rech by Alain Ducasse within the former SPOON restaurant space which will be newly renovated.  SPOON by Alain Ducasse, which opened in 2003, will have its last night of service on January 1, 2017. The Rech opening is planned for mid-February 2017. About  Rech In Paris, Rech is one of the city's most famous seafood restaurants. It was created in 1925 by Adrien Rech, who arrived in Paris from Alsace. He first opened a grocery store that soon became a stylish café-restaurant where customers came to enjoy oysters from all around France, with seafood stalls, abundant with fresh shellfish just outside. Very quickly the reputation of the restaurant grew all around Paris; and an institution was born. The restaurant was reborn, thanks to Alain Ducasse who took it over in 2007.  As per Mr. Ducasse, “To appreciate beautiful seafood is to appreciate its persona...

The Gallivant, the award-winning restaurant with rooms just a stone's throw from the beaches of Camber, are proud to be setting an example to the hospitality trade with their innovative pay and bonus structure for their team, which they started in January 2016. The hotel was the first hotel in the U.K. not to charge a service charge OR accept any tips. They pay their team £9 or more per hour, an additional performance based bonus and also a share of the company's profits at the end of the financial year. They no longer add a service charge onto the bill, but instead made some amendments to the menu pricing, ensuring fair pay across the team. The Gallivant was praised by the SRA when awarded the top accolade of 3 stars in July 2015 for their commitment to staff training, and for their rigorous food sourcing policy (95% of fresh ingredients come from within 10 miles of the kitchen), environmentally sensitive trading and staff training and management. Owner Harry Cra...

The year is ending on a high for South Devon's Salcombe Gin. This hand distilled gin has been awarded a gold in the prestigious World Drinks Awards. It was one of only thirteen to achieve this impressive accolade in the gin category and was up against hundreds of others from around the world. Co-founders Howard Davies and Angus Lugsdin met teaching sailing in Salcombe over 20 years ago. Commenting on the award win, Angus says: “We launched Salcombe Gin 'Start Point' just over five months ago, so to receive a gold in the World Drinks Awards is a fantastic achievement. It is a great reward for all the hard work which has gone into the creation of this gin, which roots are in one of the country's most fashionable seaside towns.” Howard continues: “The World Drinks Awards is a hugely competitive and tough blind tasting competition where we were up against many long-established brands. It is a brilliant start to what we hope will be a long future of gin distillatio...

An experience is made memorable by all the ingredients blending together to create something outstanding. There can be no doubt that a visit to the boutique South Sands Hotel in Salcombe will leave abiding memories and a strong desire to return. Recently included in the Sunday Times 'Ultimate 100 British Hotel Guide 2016', South Sands is a bespoke hotel offering outstanding personal service to all guests, situated right on the beach. An idyllic setting, with stunning views, it offers a true taste of this fashionable seaside town at its very best. Now, there's another reason to visit. In April, the South Sands welcomed Allister Bishop as their new executive chef. Encouraged by the knowing lure of fresh beach side produce and divine country living, Allister brings with him decades of experience having been based in London, working at some of the most reputable establishments the city has to offer – Harrods, Le Meridien and Hilton to name but a few. Allister...

These Elaborate Gingerbread Creations Prove That Baking Is An Art Follow his link and have a look at this, is it food or is it art you decided. But that is what you call a ginger bread house. http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/12/21/505833639/these-elaborate-gingerbread-creations-prove-that-baking-is-an-art?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=food&utm_medium=social&utm_term=nprnews Chef Wise website .

A bumper trading day is predicted this Friday, as shoppers head in-store to stock up on Christmas essentials – in particular, sparkling wine. On what the retailer is dubbing “Fizz Friday”, Sainsbury's expects to sell over half a million bottles as customers get set for celebrations, with one in four planning to enjoy bubbly with their breakfast on Christmas Day. Friday 23rd December predicted to be Sainsbury's busiest day, particularly for sparkling wines Sainsbury's fresh turkeys the best value by 39p/kilo Customers spreading the 'big Christmas shop' across different days, weeks and even months Luxurious ingredients are on the rise, with lobster, truffle and Champagne on the menu Sainsbury's customers are set to get the best value birds this Christmas, with the retailer's fresh turkeys 39p/kilo less than the cheapest on the market. Sainsbury's turkeys start at just £9 for a bird weighing up to 2.99kg, priced at £3.50/kil [1], which i...

British savoury-snack maker Jacob's has on-boarded Oxford University food scientist, Charles Michel, to create the perfect cheese and cracker formula for consumers to enjoy this Christmas. Charles has been experimenting with the nation's much loved Jacob's Cream Cracker, to uncover the exact quantity of ingredients and the perfect balance of different flavour sensations needed to create the most delicious combination, tapping into all of our taste buds and senses. Following Jacob's partnering with musician and foodie Alex James as its new Chief Taste Curator earlier this year, his award-winning, artisan cheeses were used as part of the experiment, including Goddess, Blue Monday, and Farleigh Wallop. For optimum enjoyment of cracker and cheese, the science reveals that there are six multisensory elements that must be present in each serving, and all five tastes must be included: salt, sweet, sour, bitter and umami. The right balance of flavour is key, so us...

Artisan sloe gin makers from across the world gathered at a village pub on the Kent/Sussex border near Tunbridge Wells, to vie for the 'Sloe Ginster World Champion' title for 2016 on Wednesday 14th December. Now an annual event, hosted by The George Inn in Frant, this was the 8th such competition. The “liquid deli” Demijohn, which has outlets in Edinburgh, Glasgow, York and Oxford, using sloes foraged in Worcestershire, was crowned Sloe Ginster World Champion for the third year in succession. The silver medal went to London based Mother's Ruin.  The bronze medal was award to Bramley & Gage's 6 O'Clock gin from Thornbury in Bristol. Elephant Gin made in Germany, but with South African origins, received a Highly Commended award. The homemade category, which attracted more than 30 entries, a record number, was won by food blogger Danielle Ellis from Littlecombe near Dursley in Gloucestershire. Susan Gage from Hailsham in Sussex came second. Th...

Sweet treat innovators Flower & White are extending their award winning Merangz Giants collection in 2017. From January, they will be introducing two new Merangz Giant twin packs - in mouth watering Mocha and creamy Caramel. These stunning flavours will also be available as loose Merangz Giants. Drum Roll Please... Luxurious and versatile, these mountainous Merangz Giants are perfect for both retail and foodservice. They can be crushed, sprinkled or drizzled - with fruit, compôtes, cream or a sauce, or simply served on their own. Perfect for time-pressed cooks, caterers and chefs - to create stunning desserts, with minimal effort. Caramel - a delicate creamy caramel flavour, sweet enough to eat on its own. Or create a show stopping dessert - pile them up, add a dollop of cream and sprinkle with edible glitter and fresh fruit. Already available as a loose Giant - they will now be available as a Giants twin pack. Mocha - offering the perfect balance of chocolate ...

Christmas has come early for Simply Cornish, the retail brand of Warrens Bakery, who are thrilled to have been awarded the accolade of 'Tastiest non-supermarket Christmas pudding' by Country Life magazine. Simply Cornish's legendary Christmas pudding beat off stiff competition from fourteen other finalists including Harrods' Decadent Christmas Pudding which was placed second. Praise for the popular pud included 'utterly delicious', 'tastes just like Christmas' and 'Christmas pudding as it should be'. Made using Cornish stout, the indulgent traditional pudding is crafted using the finest juicy fruit, rich butter, warm spices and brandy which are then matured, creating a mouth-watering taste and texture.  Simply Cornish's Christmas Pudding is available from Warrens Bakery's 50 stores across Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Bristol and online at www.warrensbakery.co.uk, priced from £8.75, 454g. Mark Sullivan, chairman of Simply ...

Nestled in between Leicester Square and Covent Garden, Coffee Island is a global experience. Founded in Greece, the shop handpicks the finest quality beans from all around the world to ply discerning coffee-lovers with a broad variety of filter coffee blends, flavoured coffees, single-origin specialty coffee, teas and handpicked herbs, espressos and so much more. Whether your tastes lie in South America, Africa or elsewhere, the salient point is that the choice is yours. Skilled and coffee-obsessed staff can help you at the in-store grindery as you whip up your perfect blend. The Microfarm Project presents five different single origin coffees: El Salvador Vista Hermosa, Ethiopia Sidama Ardi, Ethiopia Yirgacheffe Kochere, Brazil Ametista, and Colombia Huila. Each of them offers a distinctive taste, aroma and mouthfeel, making your coffee experience one of a kind. For a more exclusive choice, Coffee Island also presents a Guest MicroFarm every three weeks. A new Specialty...

Generous Tesco customers got into the festive spirit by donating more than 2.8 million meals to people in need during the ninth Neighbourhood Food Collection, which took place between 1 and 3 December. This collection brings the total number of meals collected by Tesco customers to an astounding 41 million since the programme began in 2012. The collection provides essential food for people in need over the festive period and beyond, and will now be redistributed through foodbank charity, The Trussell Trust and food redistribution charity, FareShare. During the collection, Tesco customers were asked to donate non-perishable food items such as long-life milk, tinned vegetables, tinned meat and Christmas treats. Volunteers from Trussell Trust foodbanks and FareShare joined Tesco colleagues in store over the course of the three days to collect donations from kind-hearted customers. Tesco will add an extra 20% to all customer donations in the form of financial support ...

An original, new Cornish Pasty crisp has just hit the shelves and is already causing quite a buzz. Crafted by the Great British Crisp Company, the irresistible flavour pays homage to Cornwall's well known popular snack.  Working in collaboration with Warrens Bakery, the oldest Cornish pasty maker in the world, this must try addition is bursting with the flavours of rich steak, vegetables and of course, potato. The new variety is available in two sizes 40g, RRP 75p and 150g, RRP £2.19.  For further details visit www.greatbritishcrispcompany.co.uk . These delicious Cornish Pasty crisps join the 'Meal in One Bite' range introduced by the Great British Crisp Company earlier this year.  Other flavours include traditional British favourites such as 'Fish and Chips', 'Chicken Tikka Masala', 'Classic English Breakfast' and 'Roast Beef & Horseradish' as well as more traditional flavours such as 'West Country Cheddar and Chive' an...

Feel Good Drinks know that if you drink 'good', you feel good. The 100% natural soft drink has enjoyed a refresh, with a new look and a new range of uplifting flavours for you to enjoy. Toast 2017 with three new flavours in the 'Bit Bubbly' range that include; Orange, Passion Fruit & Water, Apple, Elderflower & Water, and finally Cranberry, Lime & Water - each found in 750ml and 275ml glass bottles. Hydrate after the holidays with the 'Refreshingly Still' range, which includes new flavours; Orange, Mango & Water, Cranberry, Pomegranate & Water, and Lemon, Elderflower & Water. Each arrives in 275ml glass bottles or 400ml plastic bottles. The six updated flavours come in a choice of refreshingly still or a little bit bubbly, and with no added sugar - ever - you can drink good and feel good, safe in the knowledge that each uplifting flavour is 100% natural, made from a simple blend of fruit and water. Visit www.feelgo...

Cave-aged Goats' from Ashley Chase Estate has been revealed as the Best British Cheese, sponsored by the Academy of Cheese, at the 29th annual World Cheese Awards, following over 3,000 cheeses being judged in a single day at the Kursaal Congress Centre in San Sebastián. Other major trophy winners from the UK include Extra Mature Cheddar from Arla Foods, Llandyrnog Creamery, which picked up Best Welsh Cheese sponsored by Abergavenny Creamery, and Strathearn from Strathearn Cheese Co., which landed Best Scottish Cheese sponsored by Clarks Speciality Foods. The Best Northern Irish Cheese award went to Banagher Bold from Tamnagh Foods, while Montgomery's Extra Mature Cheddar from JA & E Montgomery claimed the Best Extra Mature Cheddar trophy, sponsored by Rowcliffe, at the world's largest cheese-only awards scheme. Taking centre stage on day one of the inaugural International Cheese Festival, the World Cheese Awards saw a record number of entries this year, wi...

A rare breed of premium heritage turkey which has not been sold in supermarkets for more than 70 years has been brought back by Tesco. The Narragansett turkey, which was bred by crossing old English breeds together over 200 years ago, is a real gourmet treat. It's been selected by the supermarket for its finest range, because of its unique, succulent and flavoursome taste. Narragansetts are particularly distinctive because of the way they are reared. Living on acres of land, they are among the most free range birds in the UK- they can eat, rest and play whenever they like. They spend their days exploring their surroundings in woodland and rural areas, pecking at soil and eating the same natural diet they would have in the wild. Game cover - such as strips of plants like kale and chicory - is also planted on the land so the birds are sheltered from the late summer sun, winter wind and rain. Tesco turkey buyer Suzanne Eldridge explains: “With only a ...

2016 has seen Ross & Ross Food launch another exciting range of foodie gifts and win another Business award for their continued growth and originality. Through their continued collaboration with fellow artisan producers in and around the Cotswolds, they now have an additional range of BBQ products on offer this Christmas. As a fine food company based in the Cotswolds, Ross & Ross Food have been specialising in handmade British food products and wedding & event catering since 2011. Using locally sourced, top quality produce, they supply delicious, fine food products for National and Independent retailers and have won both regional and national awards (including a Great Taste Gold Star and a BBC Good Food Show Bursary Award). While deciding on their top picks for Christmas, Ross Bearman, co-founder/Director of Ross & Ross Food, said: “We've been looking at the foodie trends this year so we have a good a idea of what will be heating up for Christmas. DI...