Chef Wise

The argument has finally been settled – residents of Oxford have been revealed as the nation's biggest pizza lovers, according to a new study. The surprising research from Papa John's into pizza eating habits has found that a staggering 49% of city natives* sampled eat at least one take-away pizza a week – with almost one third of people spending over £21 on every order, more than any other city in the UK. Unexpectedly, the results also uncovered that Oxford locals enjoy ordering pizza on a Monday more than any other day of the week. So Papa John's has decided to reward all pizza lovers in Oxford over the coming May Bank Holiday weekend by extending its Papa's 'Quality Guarantee' promise and declaring a 'Campaign for Better Pizza'. Papa John's became the first pizza chain in the UK to offer a no-quibble 'Quality Guarantee', driven personally by the company's founder and CEO, Papa John, and his obsession with fresh qual...

English Breakfast may be the country's tea of choice to kick start the day, but as the sun shines it's time to explore the sophisticated flavour combinations of green teas and fruity caffeine-free tisanes - served in refreshing new ways. For Summer afternoons and evenings try long, cool fruity tisanes, such as Newby's naturally caffeine-free Rooibos Orange packed with citrus flavours or get into the Wimbledon spirit with luscious Strawberry & Mango. See recipe cards attached. With all cold teas or tisanes, it is important to initially brew hot – as per specific on-pack instructions – to ensure the full flavour infuses before chilling. If making large pouring jugs of summer coolers remember to keep proportions in balance (one pyramid per cup) before pouring over plenty of ice and decorating with pretty springs of mint and slices of fruit. Newby's unique Jasmine Princess combines all the anti-oxidant health benefits of green tea with the delicate f...

Bordeaux Quay in Bristol is hosting a trade wine tasting on Thursday May 28, led by Rebecca Hansford, owner of multi-award winning Furleigh Estate in Dorset. In celebration of English Wine Week, Furleigh Estate has partnered with South West Vineyards for this special tasting, which will showcase its 2014 vintage release. English Wine Week (May 23 – May 31) is a national campaign, designed to raise awareness of English wine, which typically sees vineyard owners, wine merchants and supermarkets across the country getting involved. The complimentary trade tasting takes place on May 28 from 1-4pm. This will be followed by a wine tasting for the general public from 5-9pm, costing just £10 per person, or £55 for those who choose to stay for a Winemaker Dinner at 7pm. Situated on Bristol's Harbourside, Bordeaux Quay ( www.bordeaux-quay.co.uk ) is a restaurant, brasserie, bar, deli, bakery and cookery school housed in an elegant, converted warehouse, offering the very b...

Enter your free-from business for an award. Foods You Can, a resource website for multiple food intolerance, allergies, lifestyle & health, are pleased to announce for the fourth year running, theOnline Free-From Food Awards™. Voted for by consumers, the awards were created as a way of recognising the best products, services and resources available in the free-from industry. Voting takes place in September 2015 with a black tie awards ceremony being held the following month in Sheffield to celebrate the free-from industry's success. “We're extremely excited to be in the fourth year of our awards! It's especially exciting this year, as we are hosting an awards ceremony in our home town, Sheffield.”  said Bunmi Scott, the founder of Foods You Can.  “Early Bird tickets for the ceremony are now available on our website for a limited time!” Free-from businesses can enter themselves until the 1st of July 2015. “We want to encourage free-from bu...

Seaside chefs around Britain can now battle it out to put their resort on Britain's culinary map, thanks to a new 'Seaside Chef of the Year Award' created by England and Wales' 'Best Bistro'. Aspect Bar and Bistro, in the Lancashire seaside resort of Morecambe, scooped its national title in the FOOD Awards 2014. It is now seeking to champion fine and quality dining experiences in other seaside resorts, to help change the public perception of food served by the seaside. Its new Seaside Chef of the Year competition is open for entry to any seaside chef, other than celebrity and TV chefs, and those working in restaurant or hotel chains who do not have control over their menus.  The competition has a list of resorts from which it would expect chefs to come. To enter, an eatery or chef needs to submit a menu, on paper, under three headings: First Fathom (starter); Full Tide (main course) and Ocean's Heaven (dessert). The menu does not need to ...

Within four weeks of opening in Bristol, Giggling Squid, the high growth family of Thai restaurants, has completed on a new site in Bath. The latest acquisition takes the group's portfolio to 13 sites. The company which introduced the “Thai Tapas” dining concept to the UK in 2009, Giggling Squid, is on a quest to have the UK's first nationwide string of 70 restaurants within 7 years. Giggling Squid is also in advanced legal negotiations to acquire 8 more sites – five in the Home Counties, one in Essex, one in East Anglia and another in the Midlands. Following the successful launch of new restaurants in Salisbury and Bristol in March, the company, led by husband-and-wife team Andrew and Pranee Laurillard, is now hitting an impressive EBITDA run rate of around £2m. The Bath site, located in Bluecote House in Saw Close opposite the Theatre Royal, is a converted school house and is currently operated by the Cleaver Chimichanga chicken, ribs and burger national c...

Want to learn how to cook or hone existing culinary skills? Do the high prices charged by many cookery schools put you off?  Honesty Cookery School situated on the Hampshire, Berkshire border is different! Honesty Cookery School's prices are affordable, very affordable in fact, with prices starting at just £35 for children's cookery courses and £40 for adult courses.  All courses at Honesty Cookery School include: ingredients, expert tuition, refreshments and where stated, lunch, making cookery classes accessible for many people.  Honesty Cookery School is located in a spacious oak framed barn. Unlike many cookery schools attendees are not allocated their own work station, instead, classes take place around a large central island. This creates a most conducive atmosphere to learning.  “I wanted to create something different." says cookery author and owner of Honesty Cookery School, Romilla Arber.  "The Barn provides a relaxed environment and pe...