Cheshire Chef Demonstrates Skills at International Hospitality Show

Invited by the Craft Guild of Chefs, the leading Professional Chefs body in the country, Brian Mellor delivered a culinary master class at this year's Hotelympia, the UK's largest exhibition for the Hospitality business.

"I used to compete against other Chefs at the show in something we call the Salon Culinaire, working for hours to create pristine plates of food but this time it was different. There were over 20 hand-picked national and international demonstrators over the five days in The Skillery and only one from the North - me!

"The bi-annual show attracts Hospitality professionals and acclaimed Chefs from across the globe who converge in London to discuss trends, look at new products and catch up with colleagues at grand dinners." - says Brian

Having just opened his cookery school in Cheshire, Brian is well known in the industry for his passion for training, developing programmes and enthusiastically passing on skills.

"Hotelympia gave us the perfect platform to launch our latest project which is The Chefs Academy designed for professional Chefs who want to develop, enhance and share skills. Harthill is a stunning location where we are surrounded by farms, cheese makers, game and clever artisan producers. Coupled with our excellent facilities at the school and access to experts, it's the perfect environment for Chefs to be inspired and learn from them."

The cookery school has already a successful programme of leisure courses enjoyed by novices and foodies from around the country.

Due to his high profile at hospitality trade events and to the success of the workshops he runs for his fellow colleagues, Brian has been invited to run 4 master classes at the University Caterers Annual Conference at the end of March in Blackpool. All sessions will showcase North-West produce and they have already received over 200 registrations.

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Entries Open For First Ever Gourmet Dessert Chef Of The Year Competition

Luxury Swiss Ice Cream brand Mövenpick is urging chefs to enter the first ever annual competition to find the best gourmet dessert chef that Britain's hospitality industry has to offer.

Launched in partnership with The Graft Guild of Chefs, The Mövenpick Gourmet Dessert Chef of the Year competition challenges professional chefs to design a unique new dessert using Mövenpick's gourmet flavours - including the newly launched Fior di Latte Ice Cream and Apricot Sorbet.

 Boasting the creamy texture and subtle flavour of pure Swiss milk, Fior di Latte is an ideal dessert base, to which chefs can add their own imaginative touch, while Apricot is a delicious combination of velvety apricot sorbet and sun-ripened Bergeron apricot pieces from France.

Successful finalists will show their skills in a live cook-off in a bid to win a luxury weekend for two to the home of Mövenpick Ice Cream in Switzerland, with two lucky runners up joining a Patisserie & Desserts day course at Le Manoir Aux Quat'Saisons.

Julia Jones, Head of Customer Marketing at Mövenpick Ice Cream said: "We are committed to gastronomic excellence and want to give chefs an opportunity to create an irresistible gourmet dessert. We're really excited to see what they come up with."

To enter, visit www.moevenpick-icecreamcompetition.co.uk.

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British Pie Awards: Calling All Pie Makers

The organisers of the British Pie Awards are reminding all professional pie makers to submit their entries to the fourth annual awards as the deadline fast approaches (13th April 2012). Butchers and bakers can enter their pies in 18 different classes with the chance to win one of the top accolades in the pie making industry.

The awards are organised by the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association and take place on Wednesday 25th April 2012 at St. Mary’s Church, Melton Mowbray. The contest is judged by a panel of over 70 pie experts, food writers and celebrity chefs led by Andrew Chisholm. Xanthe Clay, Charles Champion and many more knowledgeable foodies have already confirmed their attendance as judges.

Matthew O’Callaghan, Chairman of the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association comments: “We organise the British Pie Awards to celebrate one of Britain’s most recognised food products. This event offers a great opportunity for pie makers from across the country to demonstrate their finest produce. The standard of entries is always very high.

“To mark this important year, when the world will be looking in the direction of the UK for the Olympics and Diamond Jubilee, we have introduced new categories including the Celebration Pie class, for which pie makers can stretch their creative skills to design special commemorative products.

“We are also grateful for the support of our sponsors and this year we can confirm that Hospitality and Catering News is sponsoring the ‘Football Pie’ class; Sturgess of Leicester, the approved Jaguar dealer is sponsoring the ‘Beef and Ale Pie’ class; the Bramley Apple Campaign is supporting the ‘Bramley Apple’ category; and Nelsons for Cartons & Packaging are supporting the ‘Chicken and any Flavour’ class.”

To download an application form and for further information please visit www.britishpieawards.co.uk or contact Sarah Clothier on 0116 2344523 or sarah.clothier@mmppa.co.uk

Cavalier Launches Healthy Chocolate

What is claimed to be the healthiest chocolate that you can buy has been launched by a premium Belgian chocolate producer Cavalier.

This unique range of over 20 flavours of 100% no added artificial sugar chocolate created using a natural and healthy sweetener Stevia instead of sugar is perfect if you are looking after your waist. It is one of the first products available in the UK which incorporate Stevia since it has been approved by the EU. The guilt free treat has been created without compromising on the celebrated taste, texture and aroma of fine, traditional Belgian chocolate.

Stevia is a 100% natural sweetener that has been used for centuries in countries such as China, Japan, Brazil and Paraguay and was approved for use in the European market at the end of 2011. It is a small green plant that originates from the border between Brazil and Paraguay and produces a very strong sweetener deemed to be 300 times sweeter than ordinary sugar meaning that only a very small amount is used in the creation of this delicious tasting chocolate. In comparison to standard bars, with far less sugar added Cavalier chocolate is therefore packed with additional goodies such as fibres including inulin which, due to their health properties, essentially make the bar healthier.

By only using Stevia as the sweetening property in their chocolate, Cavalier chocolate has twice the amount of fibre than sugar and, with Stevia containing no calories or carbohydrates, it is the ultimate healthy bar of chocolate. The authentic sweet taste of chocolate is retained throughout the products which contain natural antioxidants, fibres, vitamin E, magnesium, zinc and iron. It could be an ideal option for diabetics and it is also gluten free.

Cavalier Stevia chocolate comes in a large variety of flavours further to dark, milk and white including dark chocolate with blueberry, milk barley rice crisp and white coconut. The full range of the healthy indulgence is available to buy online from www.chocbox.co.uk, RRP £2.99 for 85g bar and £5.99 for a 4 bar selection (4x42g).

Beverage Standards Association (BSA) Welcomes Its 100th Member At Midlands Meeting

The Beverage Standards Association (BSA) welcomed its 100th member - La Cimbali - at its Midlands regional meeting at The Bottle Kiln, West Hallam, Ilkeston on Monday 5 March.

Another new member was also announced - Taylors of Harrogate - which is sponsoring the tea category of the BSA Awards, launched last week in London.

Martyn Herriott, Executive Director, BSA told the well attended meeting "We're delighted to have La Cimbali on board as our 100th member. It shows signs of strength and growth and kudos that the BSA is attracting high calibre companies such as La Cimbali and Taylors of Harrogate, alongside long standing members who have been with the BSA since it started in 1995."

Daniel Clarke from La Cimbali was presented with a special certificate to mark the 100th member. He said "It's good to be part of such a strong and vibrant Association."

John Sutcliffe from Taylors of Harrogate received a certificate for sponsoring the tea category of the BSA Awards. He said "We've been so successful in the retail market, we want to develop the Out of Home business. The BSA is an excellent vehicle for developing in this area. Sponsoring the BSA tea Award increases our awareness in that market."

At the meeting, Martyn Herriott encouraged all 'out of home' cafes (fixed & mobile) and restaurants to enter this year's prestigious Beverage Standards Awards. Rebecca Stone, owner of The Bottle Kiln which in last year's Awards not only achieved 5 cup status, the highest BSA cup grade but also the Best Cappuccino, Latte and Flat White Award, said at the meeting " The BSA Awards have been a framework and opportunity to benchmark the Bottle Kiln business against the best in the industry. The Awards have given me confidence that we have the consistency of products and quality of service which enables us to maintain a 5 cup standard and win the Best Cappuccino, Latte and Flat White Award. "

She went on to say that one of her colleagues was training to be a judge in this year's Awards. "I am going to actively promote the Awards in my area to encourage other Out of Home establishments to enter."

For entry details about the Awards, visit www.beveragestandardsassociation.co.uk

Culinary Celebration Of Queen's Diamond Jubilee

Lyth Valley damsons and English Rose Liqueur have been creatively combined to produce a unique and very regal flavour, encapsulating a very British taste experience. Whilst the damsons; peculiar only to the Lake District embrace Cumbria's unique heritage, the Rose Liqueur embodies the symbolism of the nation as a whole in this delicious commemorative condiment.

Hawkshead Relish based in the Lake District is recognised with over 40 Great Taste Awards for their handmade creations as well as a host of other accolades. Their commitment to regional provenance ensures all the ingredients are sourced locally and cooked in traditional open pans without any artificial components.

"2012 is a very historical year for Great Britain", exclaims Mark Whitehead the Managing Director. "We felt that we (as a speciality producer) wanted to create something which was very much part of the spirit of Jubilee celebrations as well as part of us and Cumbria, what better way for us to do that than conjure a commemorative condiment".

The Limited Edition preserve is on sale in specialist independents throughout the UK and the Hawkshead Relish website throughout 2012.

Kate Nicholson (Sales Manager) adds "We have received a huge amount of interest in the Jubilee Jam from overseas. It seems the world wants to join in on UK's celebrations as well as enjoying the latest Hawkshead Relish conception!"

RRP £2.60

For more information visit: www.hawksheadrelish.com contact: info@hawksheadrelish.com or telephone 015394 36614.

Harry's Nuts! declared elephant friendl

Harry’s Nuts!, the Fairtrade salted nuts from Harry Hill, have been declared ‘Elephant Friendly’ thanks to the work of Fairtrade cashew farmers in India in protecting an endangered species. The snacks are available in Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and other outlets and the packs of cashews have an extra environmental boast with each munch.

 

The cashew farmers have used some of the extra money which comes with Fairtrade to protect wild Indian elephants which had been trespassing on their farms from the local forests. Farmers had found trees they had been growing for twenty years felled by the power of these elephants.

Wanting to protect their crops, farmers often fought back, risking both injury to themselves and the elephants.

The farming organision Fair Trade Alliance Kerala (FTAK) decided the farmers, their trees and the elephants needed to be protected and studied ways of keeping the animals at bay without hurting them. FTAK came up with the idea of investing the Fairtrade premium on solar panels to power electrified fencing around the farms. This provides a very mild shock.

“The shock deters but does not injure the elephants, so these cashews are now elephant-friendly,” explains FTAK’s Tomy Mathews.

Dan Bucknell, Head of Conservation and Campaigns of the charity Elephant Family, says:
"With the Asian elephant suffering from massive habitat loss and persecution where it feeds on crops, it is refreshing that Harry's Nuts! are grown in such a responsible way that works for both the farmers and the elephants."

The 3,200 cashew nut farmers are all part of an organic conversion programme and 45% of them have already achieved this certification. Organic methods are seen by the farmers as the best way of protecting their crops while protecting biodiversity. The farmers are operating in a 'biosphere' of exceptional biodiversity and take protecting this environment extremely seriously. There is also a focus on replanting indigenous breeds of cashew trees which produce a better crop.

The farmers were also concerned that an indigenous breed of goat, the ‘Malabari’, was becoming extinct – a breed which has far greater immunity to disease than crossbreeds, eats less fodder and is much cheaper to rear for milk and meat. They have started a breeding programme which sees a farmer being given a male and female goat and then passing on the offspring to another farmer.

Harry Hill works with Fairtrade nut company Liberation Foods on Harry’s Nuts!, currently available in two varieties – salted peanuts and salted cashews. Liberation’s biggest shareholder is a co-operative of nut farming and gathering organisations including FTAK. Managing Director Kate Gaskell says: "All of the nuts in Harry’s Nuts! are transporteded to the UK by sea - the most environmentally friendly form of long haul transport. Everything we do in our business reveals a respect for the environment as well as the farmer." Fairtrade has strict environmental criteria though it is, of course, best known for the fair prices it guarantees to farmers.

Harry’s Nuts! are popular for their taste – they are cooked for longer than other salted peanuts and cashews to give them an extra crunchiness and deeper flavour. They have been backed by celebrity food writer Sophie Grigson who says: "The peanuts have a very appealing creamy texture and a delicious sweet, rounded flavour enhanced by just the right degree of salt."

Harry launched the products after travelling to Malawi and meeting some of the peanut farmers, many of whom are women looking after Aids orphans. He heard that the benefits which come with Fairtrade are a huge help to them. Harry, a big peanut lover, says: "These Fairtrade salted nuts are an extra tasty version of my favourite snack and there’s no money in it for me (what a mug!). I’m working with Liberation and it's great that the company is run to benefit the farmers and their families."

Fairtrade Fortnight this year (February 27 - March 11) has the theme Take A Step For Fairtrade http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/step This is the latest step from Harry's Nuts!

For more information see http://www.chooseliberation.com or http://www.facebook.com/harrysnuts

Harry’s Nuts! are sold in Sainsbury’s and Waitrose stores and other outlets. Prices are around £1.50. Harry’s Nuts! Crunchy Peanut Butter is available from 200 Sainsbury’s stores at a RRP of £1.99

Liberation Foods is co-owned by farming groups from Malawi , Mozambique , Bolivia , Brazil , Nicaragua , Peru , El Salvador and India . Farmers receive the guaranteed fair price which come with the FAIRTRADE Mark for their produce and receive a Fairtrade premium often spent on projects which benefit the entire community. They are also involved in the running of the company and will receive a share of profits when a dividend is paid.

Liberation is a Community Interest Company (CIC). This is a new type of company which has to be run for the benefit of a ‘Community of Interest’. For Liberation, the Community of Interest is small-scale nut farmers and gatherers in Africa, Latin America and Asia . As well as its own snacks, Liberation also supplies Fairtrade nuts to supermarkets in the UK and abroad for own-label products including Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Morrisons. Liberation works closely with the Fairtrade Foundation which administers the FAIRTRADE Mark in the UK.  See www.fairtrade.org.uk.

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