Chef Wise

The St Ermin's Hotel, Westminster, home to over 350,00 Buckfast Honeybees, is holding a series of taster urban beekeeping workshops during the Chelsea Fringe led by bee guru, Camilla Goddard of Capital Bee. The popular workshops are held around the hotel's six hives and will take place on Saturday 29th April, 6th 13th and 27th May 2017 – with further dates to be added during the hotel's September Honey Month. www.sterminshotel.co.uk The 2.5-hour workshops outline the complexities of bee society and behaviour; highlight the close relationship between bees and flowers and give guidance on what to plant, when and where and how best to site hives in gardens or allotments. Participants also visit London's first 'Bee & Bee' hotel on the hotel's third floor bee terrace to get real hands-on experience handling bees, managing their hives and collecting raw honey. “The St Ermin's six active hives are doing well again this year, producing on ave...

Andrew Stembridge, Managing Director of Chewton Glen, is pleased to announce the appointment of new Head Chef Simon Addison to The Dining Room at the five-star luxury Hampshire hotel, effective January 2017. Simon has most recently been Head Chef at Homewood Park Hotel & Spa in Bath, and prior to that he worked at The Woodspeen Restaurant & Cookery School in Newbury. Commenting on Simon's appointment, Andrew Stembridge stated: “We are thrilled to have been able to find someone as bright and talented as Simon to bolster the kitchen brigade and help lead The Dining Room to even greater culinary heights.” Simon Addison added: “Chewton Glen has always been on my radar. The atmosphere in the kitchen is great, and the team and I are looking to introduce some exciting menu changes, while respecting the favourites that guests love. The Dining Room is surprisingly relaxed, and it is a perfect showcase for my modern British style of food.  I also want to maximise the use...

Marketing support for restaurants and 'Brand Ambassadors' Within days of appointing Ben Parmar, the former Cobra Channel Controller, as MD of Goa Premium Beer importer Viiking Ventures UK, the company has announced that wholesalers Booker and Makro are to stock its craft beer. The gluten-free pilsner is being trialled in 650ml bottles and 500ml cans for three months - at Booker outlets in Acton, Brighton, Croydon, Dagenham, Nine Elms, St Pancras, Sidcup, Southend, Medway and Wimbledon plus as well as Makro depots in Charlton, Enfield and Rayleigh – ahead of a decision whether to roll out the product nationwide. Parmar has immediately beefed up the sales operation.  His first appointment is Hoshang Noria, former National Sales Manager at Kato Enterprises, of who also spent 12 years as a Regional Sales Manager for Cobra. Parmar has also added a van sales team to call on independent high street retailers, which has had a dramatic impact on sales.  The compa...

Manna from Devon Cooking School is delighted to announce the dates for the 2017 Guest Chef Classes: a series of celebrity chefs and foodie experts will be running classes at the school from March until September. These guest days only pop up once a month and usually book up pretty quickly, a true reflection on the talent and reputation of each chef. This year's Guest Chef classes are being hosted by Peter Greig of Pipers Farm, Mitch Tonks of Rockfish and The Seahorse, Romy Gill MBE from Romy's Kitchen and food writer Charlotte Pike with another two hosts in the pipeline. David, co-owner of Manna from Devon comments on the Guest Chef programme: “Holly and I are really excited to confirm we've got some of our best foodie friends joining us in 2017- we hope you can join us too! It's important for us to involve other chefs and experts here at Manna from Devon, as we're all about the community aspect of cooking; connecting lots of people through food and ...

Salcombe's South Sands Hotel is offering guests an exclusive dinner experience this Valentine's Day as Head Chef Allister Bishop has prepared a romantic six course feast for lovers on this special night. Wherever possible, Allister uses local ingredients and integrates foraged food as demonstrated in this mouthwatering menu. Beetroot soup Liquorice & peppermint cured salmon, liquorice gel, soft herbs or Heritage tomato textures, Devon goat's cheese mousse Steamed local lemon sole fillet, hazelnut crust, wilted baby spinach or Sautéed gurnard, salsify purée, sprouting broccoli 8 hour slow cooked Dartmoor reared beef cheeks, heritage carrots & purée, soft mash or Pan fried guinea fowl, red quinoa, roasted shallot purée, grilled baby leeks Sharing chocolate assiette plate or Oven roasted compressed rum scented pineapple tart tatin, lemon grass ice cream or Selection of West Country cheeses Encouraged by the knowing lu...

An irresistible new cake recipe just in time for Valentine's Day, delivered from Bonne Maman with love… Combining delicious milk chocolate, velvety beetroot and Bonne Maman's sumptuous Raspberry Conserve for the ultimate Gateau au Coeur de Chocolat. Ingredients: (Serves 6-8) 100g (3 ½ oz) cooked beetroot, roughly chopped 5 tbsp Bonne Maman Raspberry Conserve 125g (4 ½ oz) milk chocolate, chopped 125g (4 ½ oz) unsalted butter, diced 125g (4 ½ oz) plain flour 1 tsp baking powder 6 tsp cocoa powder 3 medium eggs, separated 110g (4oz) golden caster sugar 15g (1/2 oz) finely chopped hazelnuts Fresh raspberries and icing sugar to decorate Method: Heat the oven to 180C, fan oven 160C, gas mark 4. Grease and line a 15cm wide, 8cm deep heart-shaped tin with baking parchment. Put the beetroot and 2 tbsp of the conserve in a blender and blitz for a few seconds to puree. Put 100g of the chocolate and 100g of the butter into ...

Bristol-based premium pork specialist, The Jolly Hog was set up eight years ago by Olly, Max and Josh Kohn. Olly, a former professional rugby player for Harlequins and Wales, had needed a future plan once his sporting career was behind him. When given a sausage-making machine for his birthday by his wife, Olly discovered his proficiency with pork. Youngest brother, Josh, who was working with their dad as a cabinet maker, was recruited to help out. They began hand making sausages and selling Jolly Hog baps from Harlequins car park on match days. As the company grew middle brother, Max, a ship broker, came on board to keep the finances afloat.  When Michel Roux Jr. texts you to request your tasty treacle bacon you know you're onto a winner. Through hard work and popular demand our three trusty Hogateers now have a regular presence at The Stoop (Harlequins home ground), Tough Mudder events, The Oval Cricket Ground, Cheltenham Races, Silverstone Woodlands, Glastonbury and Hyd...

The ultimate pancakes recipe is available from brand new cook book, The Mountain Café Cookbook: A Kiwi in the Cairngorms, published this month by Kitchen Press. The recipe is adapted by Kirsten Gilmour, chef and owner of the iconic Mountain Café in Aviemore, from one passed down to her from her grandmother. Kirsten said: “This was originally my nana's pikelet recipe, which I think she adapted from a copy of her mother's Edmonds Cookery Book. I loved making these with her. She would stand and supervise while I stood on a chair flipping away. My granddad and I would then sit at the kitchen table stuffing in hot pikelets with lashings of whipped cream and raspberry jam.” The Mountain Café Cookbook: A Kiwi in the Cairngorms is the debut cookery book from chef and café owner, Kirsten Gilmour. Gilmour draws on her Kiwi roots to turn out contemporary dishes with an antipodean love for fresh and bold flavours. With more than 130 recipes and luminescent photogr...

When it comes to corporate entertainment, Brew Club, a different and new kind of brewery, has come up with the ultimate solution – brewing your own beer in the heart of East London. Over the decades everything from wine tasting to days at the spa, have proven great options for client entertainment. However, in the 21st century a traditional technique, with a modern day twist, is proving to be an increasingly popular activity for larger groups; including businesses of all sizes at Brew Club. In teams of 2-4 per Braumeister (a state-of-the-art brewing station), each group can choose from 3 different types of beer to brew and leave with up to 40 bottles. In addition to being educated on the skills of brewing, Brew Club has their own tap room where you can sample local beers. Brew Club's co-founders Rob Berezowski and Jo Llewellyn-Jones said: “We have spent many days with friends at home brewing all sorts of styles of beer. For us beer brewing is definitely a social...

Arapina, the distinct bakery based in Greenwich, challenges the misconceptions people have about what tasty, attractively appetising vegan, vegetarian, free from, and 'low in' dishes can look and taste like, with their spectacular Vegan Wedding Cake. When the couple, Petros and Panos approached Michaela to create a Vegan wedding cake, they did not anticipate that the creation would look and taste so spectacular. “The cake looks amazing,” said the excited couple. On arrival to the venue, the couple took a photo of the cake and placed it on Facebook. The image attracted over 1000 views, was shared numerous times and received many comments. Arapina's Founder and Director, Michaela Pontiki of Greek heritage, is passionate about producing food that is not boring. Her holistic approach to championing and encouraging people to have a healthy relationship with food is at the heart of what she does. Her bakery supplies appetising, attractive gluten-free products;...

Hush Heath Estate in Kent, one of England's top premium wine producers, has been developing its Balfour 1503 traditional method English sparkling wines since 2014. Today these wines, all made from estate grown Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, can be found in wine aisles across the UK priced from under £20 per bottle. On an international level, Balfour 1503 Rosé is now the first and only English wine in Ontario in Canada, available from the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO), which is the biggest single buyer of wine in the world. Every bottle of Balfour 1503 has been crafted by winemakers Owen Elias and Victoria Ash to deliver wines that are typically English (vibrant acidity, fresh fruit flavours) and Hush Heath Estate's signature finesse, to customers of Majestic, M&S, Co-op, and most recently in the UK, Tesco. The name of Balfour 1503 references Hush Heath Estate's history and draws attention to the provenance of the wine.  Built in 1503,...

The Vincent Rooms at Westminster Kingsway College, which opened in 1910, is a hidden gem with two dining experiences offering contemporary cuisine freshly prepared by Westminster Kingsway College's students. The Escoffier Room, with its five-course tasting menu that changes weekly, provides intimate surroundings for those seeking a relaxed and leisurely banquet in the beautiful surroundings of Vincent Square in London's SW1. Priced £27.50 or £55.00 with matching wines, the Escoffier tasting menu is as meticulously planned as it is perfectly baked, broiled or braised – by the second and third year chef students aged 16 and up, under the supervision of experienced chef lecturers. Every week this next generation of chefs designs a novel menu that champions a county or country, fresh and seasonal produce, or a social celebration. As examples, the English counties of Yorkshire, East Anglia and Hampshire will each be honoured with dedicated menus that observe local cuisi...

Somerset-based destination dining pub, The Queens Arms, has reported a steady rise in pups as punters during owners, Gordon and Jeanette Reid's, seven years at the helm, as more and more dog owners discover their award-winning food, 5-star rooms and exceptional hospitality for man's best friend. With a welcome drink at the door, labelled 0% ABV, and doggy treats flying off the bar, demand has risen sharply for its dog friendly accommodation, complete with a wooden floor, wet room, dog bed, bowl and towel to make sure everyone feels right at home. Following a lunch menu built around produce from the pub's own kitchen garden and smallholding, with gravy bones and doggy biscuits a popular side order, visitors to The Queens Arms can walk off their meals around the rolling country hills that surround the pub. Gordon and Jeanette have even mapped out four rural routes in a handy guide for their guests, ranging from 5.5 miles to 16 miles and offering a variety of terrains...