Chef Wise

Tate & Lyle Sugars, Britain’s largest cane sugar brand, has pledged to support budding bakers as new research reveals that financial backing is the biggest hurdle to starting a business. As a leading cake decorating and sugarcraft expert, Squires Kitchen was invited by Tate & Lyle to take part in their ‘Bake Your Dreams Come True’ campaign, which will offer up to £1million worth of prizes and rewards, including financial support for baking entrepreneurs to make their baking dreams come true. Budding bakers can win £5,000 in cash from Tate & Lyle Sugars and baking advice from Squires Kitchen by picking up a participating WIN pack of Tate & Lyle® Baking Sugars or Lyle’s Golden Syrup® Baking Bottle and submitting their pack code and baking dream at www.tasteandsmile.com/bakingdreams . There will also be millions of instant prizes and rewards to be won including masterclasses at Squires Kitchen International School and baking hampers including Squires Ki...

Gross profit or GP Gross profit or GP it is the most common thing that you will come across as a chef and it is one that seems to cause the most confusion. The classic GP target was for 65% but in my time it has amazed me how many people have not understood what that means. The most common mistake is just to stick 65% on to the cost price. Why because 65% of £1.00 is £0.65 giving you a selling price of £1.65. If you are looking  for a GP of 65% then the cost price is 35% of the final price. Now some of you will look at this and say no you are wrong but I have rounded up the fractions of pennies to make it easy. £1.00÷35=£0.03 £0.03×65=£1.95 £1.00+£1.95=£2.95 So the cost of something is the cost percentage of the cost, and if I was you I would give yourself some help against waist and look for a 30% cost and a 70% Gross profit. Now some thing will look very cheap if you just go by percentages and some will look very expensive, it is a matter of ge...

A LEADING North East restaurant is celebrating its latest accolade with the launch of a menu paying tribute to the best of British ingredients. Byron's Bar and Grill at five star Seaham Hall, County Durham - voted Small Hotel of the Year at the North East Tourism Awards 2013 - was recently awarded a prestigious second AA rosette for the excellence of its food and service. Now, head chef Simon Bolsover, who took over the reins last month (April), is paying a patriotic tribute to British cuisine with an inaugural menu featuring the finest ingredients from across the UK. Asparagus from the Wye Valley, Scottish smoked salmon and cheeses from Northumberland and Cumberland all feature in dishes which are traditional in origin but prepared and presented with the contemporary twist which is Simon’s trademark. These include starters such as potted shrimp with spiced butter, served on a seashore and ham hock terrine with piccalilli, sourdough crisp and pork puffs. ...

Gluten and wheat free brand Feel Free for Gluten Free have just launched an exciting new range: 100% corn pasta in four varieties. Made in the traditional Italian style, the allergy friendly pasta range includes penne, fusilli, spaghetti, and an alphabet pasta aimed at children.  As well as being wheat and gluten free, Feel Free for Gluten Free’s new dried pasta is also free from egg, dairy and soya. The pasta is low in fat and has a low glycaemic index too. Sally Allister, Managing Director of Yorkshire-based Feel Free for Gluten Free, said: “There are very few 100% corn pasta ranges widely available in the UK. We chose a single ingredient pasta for our brand’s first dried pasta range as our focus is on how the product tastes, and not on how it looks in comparison to regular pasta. “We feel that a 100% corn pasta has the best taste and cooks well too. We’re satisfied that each of the four varieties in our pasta range is of the highest quality. Plus as t...

If the temptation of an irresistibly smooth, creamy dessert is too much to handle for your customers, then why not add the all new Fruits of the Forest dairy ice cream from renowned manufacturer, New Forest Ice Cream, to your menu? The newest launch in the continually expanding New Forest Ice Cream family sees the company go back to their roots with a classic dairy based Fruits of the Forest flavour. The latest addition to the family tree is manufactured using the finest ingredients and their own traditional method developed by the brand over the past 30 years.  The ice cream is formed by combining a number of quality ingredients, including fresh double cream, mouth wateringly juicy strawberries and sweet blackberries all brought together by a delightful blend of blackcurrant and apple. Made without the use of eggs and in a nut free environment, their newest addition is also suitable for vegetarian’s making it ideal for establishments catering for a wide variety of ...

Welcome to The Last Frontier and the prospector settlement of Nome, uprooted from the edge of the Bering Sea on Alaska's southern Seward Peninsula and dropped into London's Pimlico Gardens for the day. The year is 1899. It's a ramshackle sort of a place scattered with wagons, lean-tos and wooden huts. Greying long johns hang from criss-crossing washing lines while the twang of campfire music can be heard from the saloon, the heart and soul of the encampment. But there's more to Alaska's wealth than shiny, golden nuggets alone; with over three million lakes, 34,000 miles of coastline and 3,000 rivers, the state - nicknamed The Last Frontier - boasts an abundance of some of the world's best wild, natural and sustainable seafood. Its waters are home to the likes of the mighty king crab, sockeye salmon, black cod and halibut and this is the chance for foodies of all ages to sample the very best in responsibly sourced Alaskan produce, as well as honing th...

The spring bank holiday weekend is rapidly approaching. Marking the start of the half term week for most schools, for many it is a time to escape the city and head south to unwind in Cornwall. This year, it also marks the start of English Wine Week (24th May to 1st June). The good news is that whether you're staying in the big city or making the trip down to the most south westerly county, you'll now be able to enjoy classic English wines from Cornwall's highly regarded Knightor winery. The elegant, light and immensely drinkable Knightor Madeleine Angevine 2012 and the much praised sparkling Knightor Brut NV are both now available to buy in one of London's leading fine wine merchants, Spirited Wines, and from their website www.spiritedwines.co.uk. Spirited Wines has 26 stores which are mostly positioned in London with a few in the surrounding counties.  It is their first venture into English wine and Knightor is the only producer which has had two of t...