Chef Wise

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 ...

In response to both the recent media attention and consumer concern over the recycling of paper cups, the Foodservice Packaging Association (FPA) and Paper Cup Recovery and Recycling Group (PCRRG) have launched an industry-wide Manifesto with the objective of significantly increasing paper cup recovery and recycling rates by 2020. The Manifesto has more than 30 signatories, representing each stage of the paper cup supply chain from raw material suppliers, cup manufacturers and retail high street brands to waste and recovery operators and paper reprocessors. A list of initial supporters and signatories is given below. Defra has recognised the Manifesto and views it as a welcome example of industry working together. Mark Pawsey MP, Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Packaging, who has been closely involved in the development of the Manifesto and formally launched the initiative at the QEII conference centre in Westminster, said: “I'm encouraged to see indus...

Today's British foodies thrive on a diet of 24/7 bite-sized chunks of food related programming and entertainment. To celebrate this insatiable appetite for deliciousness, Heinz [Seriously] Good Mayonnaise is launching a nationwide search for the best tasting recipes. The new mayo is inviting foodie influencers and bloggers across the country to create one seriously good spoonful in its pursuit of the most mouth-watering mouthful. Judging the tantalising treats is a panel of foodie professionals, comprising renowned food critic William Sitwell and food stylist and blogger Nico Ghirlando. The carefully selected panel has been enlisted to provide a broad array of expertise, from critiquing the nation's top chefs and TV talent to growing an army of foodie followers with inventive presentation and food styling techniques, providing a full spectrum of essential foodie attributes. Writer, editor, TV presenter and food critic William Sitwell comments: “People are se...

Devon is currently bursting with enterprise and growth, with a wealth of artisan producers, specialist independent food and drink businesses and top chefs.  One of the chefs making waves, both in the county and way beyond, is North Devon's Noel Corston.  Noel, who is the chef owner of the multi award-winning NoelCorston@EX34 in Woolacombe, has just joined the board of Food & Drink Devon. Commenting on Noel joining the board, chairman Michael Smith says: “It's such an exciting time for Food & Drink Devon and the county in general.  We are becoming more and more renowned for the food and drink we are both producing and cooking here, which is amongst the best in the world.”  Michael continues: “Noel is a major asset to have join the team.  His skill in the kitchen is quite remarkable and he has an undisputable knowledge and understanding of food.”  Noel adds: “I was delighted to have been invited to join the board of such an impressive ...

Divine Chocolate, the farmer-owned chocolate company and award-winning social enterprise, has merged its UK and USA businesses. Kuapa Kokoo, the farmers' co-operative in Ghana that voted to set up a chocolate company back in 1997, will own 44% of the merged company. Divine Chocolate Ltd's Managing Director Sophi Tranchell MBE takes the role of CEO. This week the newly merged Board will be meeting for the first time, with Board members including elected Kuapa farmer Sampson Cobina, all flying in to Washington DC from around the world. “Having launched Divine in the USA nine years after the founding company launched in the UK, it has been very exciting to see it successfully navigate all the challenges in the USA market and mirror the success of Divine in the UK. We have seen a growing appetite around the world for business being done differently.” says Tranchell. “The new structure strengthens the group, making us more resilient and giving us a wider consumer rea...

Leader Cupcakes Can we predict the election outcome by cupcake sales? The Brilliant Bakers have already seen a massive interest in election cupcake sales. Tim Slatter MD said "we believe we may hold the key to which party may win". Tim went on to say that there have been some very fiery political messages sent with a box of cupcakes to associates! Fabulous fun to send to friends as a delicious gift with a political message. www.thebrilliantbakers.co.uk/election-cupcakes www.thebrilliantbakers.co.uk Chef Wise website .

Is becoming a vegetarian or vegan the only way to eat less meat? Certainly not according to  The Flexitarian  (a.k.a The Flexible Vegetarian), a UK blog by Annabelle Randles. While last year a study revealed that 84% of vegetarians go back to consuming meat*, adopting a flexitarian lifestyle by reducing the amount of meat you eat is, for most people, much less daunting than stopping eating meat altogether. The Flexitarian is not another vegetarian blog but a blog about sustainable food discussing issues around health, animal welfare and the environment. Readers can browse delicious vegetarian and vegan recipes created by Annabelle Randles. There is also a Meat Free Week Meal Plan to help formulating family meals. Features also include seasonal food, local food, how to reduce food waste, eating less & better meat. Annabelle Randles truly believes that the future of food lies in a plant-based diet and in her blog she wants to share her passion for real ...

Since launching in June 2014 Sibling Distillery, a Cheltenham based gin distillery run by four young brothers and sisters, has taken the drinks industry by storm. Sibling Triple Distilled Gin was a hit from day one, with a highly contemporary flavour and equally state-of-the-art still; it was being stocked nationwide in luxury retailers and called 'exceptional' by experts within two months of trading. Since then Sibling has been selected as one of the Top 10 Start-ups of 2014, chosen as Editor's Pick, Buyer's choice and served in British Airway's first class lounge, before recently been named the Gin of 2015. That aside, what remains important to the four siblings is that the quality of the spirit is the highest possible and no corner is cut. And now less than a year into their distilling careers, they are being ranked alongside names like Hendricks and Tanqueray with a Bronze Medal in the International Spirits Challenge – a competition open to spirits...

Do Something Delicious, the online food and drink experiential marketplace, has launched a new online portal to showcase Scottish food and drink products and experiences during Scotland's Year of Food and Drink 2015 at www.yearoffoodanddrink.com To mark the launch of the website and encourage more businesses to test out marketplace selling as a platform, all listing fees for businesses signing up have been scrapped until the end of September 2015. Do Something Delicious, launched by the team behind Savour the Flavours and Flavour Fortnight at the end of 2014, provides business support, product development and a 'shop window' for food and drink gifts and experiences. Building on her experience with Savour the Flavours, Dumfries & Galloway's regional food and drink network, which ceased activity in 2013, Director Liz Ramsay said the web portal had been developed in response to feedback from Scottish food and drink businesses: Liz said: “We l...

Richard Brooks, internationally accredited translation expert and Director of the Association of Language Companies, speaks out on one of the latest EU Food Directives. 'With the EU aiming to tackle the alarming rise in obesity rates within Europe via Food Information Regulation (FIR), I am concerned that many major food retailers are ill-prepared and may fall foul of the new legislation.  Not only because the relabeling of all food packaging is required by the end of 2014, a massive undertaking in its self, but, more importantly, because it must be precise.  There will be no margin for translation errors within the new legislation as the mandatory labeling obligations for allergens, sugar, fat content, saturates, energy, carbohydrate, salt etc could all have health implications if not 100% accurate.' 'The Food Information Regulation (FIR) comes in to force at the end of December this year, 2014, abolishing confusing and inconsistent labels – food retailers ...

A top chef who has worked around the world and for major sporting venues in the North East has packed his utensils in his old kit bag and headed for the Stadium of Light. Fifty-five-year-old Steve Welch started his career in the Army Catering Corps, with his training taking him as far afield as Hong Kong, Canada and Brunei. But now after stints in a range of top North East hotels, restaurants and sporting venues he has taken up the post as Business Development and Executive Head Chef at Sunderland AFC. Steve's vast range of experience, which covers everything from Executive Chef at Wynyard Hall Hotel to the acclaimed Black Horse at Beamish, means he is perfectly placed to help drive both the matchday and non-match day hospitality forward. His experience in outside catering and large events – including working on the catering operation for the Tall Ships Race when it was in Hartlepool in 2010 – will also help grow 1879 Event Management, SAFC's external ca...

Chocolatiers from the Nestlé Product Technology Centre in York took up a challenge by BBC1's One Show to create a chocolate teapot. The team managed to develop a method for pouring the water to ensure that the tea did not turn into hot chocolate. Master Chocolatiers John Costello and Jan Kuendiger from Nestlé helped One Show presenter Marty Jopson to 'engineer the impossible' by creating this breakthrough innovation which has helped to solve the age-old conundrum. John Costello, Nestlé Master Chocolatier said: "Interestingly, if you pour the water in a certain way and you don't stir inside but just let it settle, and then brew like you would normally brew a cup of tea, the chocolate on the inside of the shell melts but doesn't move anywhere." The process involved building the teapot in layers of silicon mould which took more than two hours but the challenge was to avoid the chocolate teapot from tainting the brew inside. The PTC in ...

Autumn 2014 marks the return of the Bring Home the Harvest campaign for British Food Fortnight, which runs from 20 September to 5 October, and this year, the Hospital Caterers Association is encouraging its Members to get involved. The two organisations have joined forces to release a comprehensive guide for Hospital Caterers, which is packed with tips and ideas for taking part, has sections on sourcing locally and seasonally, suggestions for recipes and children's activities, plus ways to involve the whole hospital community in harvest activities. The Hospital Caterers Association is a hub for nutrition and catering advice and best practice for the trade. It champions the sourcing and use of local and seasonal food in hospital meals and as well as British Food Fortnight, supports campaigns such as the NHS sustainability day, Nutrition & Hydration Week and James Martin's Operation Hospital Food. Andy Jones, National Chair of the Hospital Caterers Associa...

As the organic movement seeks to raise awareness of food produced using environmentally and animal friendly farming methods this September (Organic September: www.soilassociation.org/smallchangesbigdifference ), a new survey of food symbols and endorsements found on many products in supermarkets and other retailers reveals a less than healthy situation for organic. The survey asked consumers to indicate if they recognised a list of 13 symbols found on food products. It then asked which symbols were 'actively looked for' when out shopping. Results were compared with a previous poll in 2008. The Soil Association symbol – belonging to the leading charity behind the organic movement in the UK – has seen recognition levels soften from 40 per cent observed in December 2008, to 33 per cent in the latest poll.  As a point of reference, the Rainforest Alliance commanded 47 per cent claimed recognition, the Fairtrade symbol 89 per cent, the Lion Quality mark, as found on ...

Britain Gets an Education on Salt For years here in UK there have been many stigmas about salt: its use, overuse, and how bad it is for us. This is about to change! It's time to educate Britain on the unique powers of salt.  America's leading “Selmelier,” or salt expert, Mark Bitterman is coming to London to change the way the population views and uses salt in everyday life. He has a vast knowledge of salt acquired over many years of traveling the world.  Mark will look to share his knowledge along with the facts, and he challenges us to look behind the iodized curtain and discover what a difference salt can make to our food and the way we cook. Mark is the author of “Salted, a Manifesto on the World's Most Essential Mineral, with Recipes” a best seller in the USA and winner of The James Beard Award. He will be launching this book in the UK along with his other title “Salt Block Cooking” on the 4th September at an event in London. Mark will be talking ab...