The awards recognised three sparking wines and one white wine curated from Kent, Sussex, Dorset and Surrey respectively, for their excellence.

The International Wine Challenge is the most influential annual wine competition, which judges a vast selection of wines and chooses its winners based on a voting system.

The Gold winners from England were a 2008 sparkling Chardonnay Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs produced in Kent, a 2008 sparkling Chardonnay and Pinot Noir blend for Nyetimber Rosé from West Sussex, and a 2009 sparkling Classic Cuvée from Furleigh Estate in Bridport, Dorset. The Cassic Cuvée is the first commercial vintage year for the Dorset vineyard. The final Gold was awarded to Denbies, based in Surrey for its sweet white wine.

For more information on these wineries and for news on other winners from the competition, please visit: www.internationalwinechallenge.com/

If you consider yourself to be an avant-garde chef, read on. Or if you simply love what you do, want new inspiration, and an opportunity to share your own ideas, then please read on also.

The Cook it Raw group is looking to broaden its network and develop relationships with more chefs so as to continue finding new exciting ideas and experiments in the world of cooking.

The visionary group offers like-minded chefs an opportunity to travel annually around the world, in order to learn from each other and local experts about creating new dishes from the raw ingredients found in the chosen area. In past events the group has visited, and drawn inspiration from, Poland, Denmark, Italy, Finland and Japan. They have produced dishes made from Polish potatoes rather than flour, experimented with Kaburazushi -traiditonal fermented food from Japan and discovered the use of Italian wild herbs like ‘white deadnettle’.

The events last for five days and the main concern is about how the use of food can address social, cultural and environmental issues. They allow chefs the freedom to cook, learn and create, as well as fail -for once! It also aims to set up collaborations between chefs from different backgrounds to encourage cultural and creative exchanges. All in the name of good food and the future of innovative cuisine.

Raw, locally sourced ingredients are becoming more and more common place, and we discuss how you can become more self-sufficient, and economical, in our recent article, Grow Your Own.  Planting your own seeds and vegetables or sourcing raw ingredients like wild garlic can add an interesting touch to your menus.

Cook it Raw’s founder, Alessandro Porcelli has this month released a book, of the same name, which is about the activities from previous events and discusses the ideas behind Cook it Raw.

The 28-year-old PA to Sales Director Shaun Atherton has raised almost £200 for the northern charity ahead of the 10k walk on May 18th. Rosie, who is taking part in the fundraising event with 12 of her friends, had an original target of £100 – with the group hoping to raise £1200 between them. She has already reached her goal, and with the help of JMP suppliers and customers she hopes to raise a further £100.

Rosie said: “I would like to thank all our customers who have sponsored me already. It has been really inspiring to see how many people have put their hands in their pockets for charity. A few people in particular have really supported me, including the Haddock Paddock in Sedbergh, which donated the money raised from selling carrier bags, Healthy Life in Skipton and the Cobblestone Café in Grassington.

“Our suppliers have also been very generous with Whitby Seafood pledging to donate £50.”

The money raised by the StarWalk will be used to support adults and children in North Lancashire and South Lakeland whose lives are affected by cancer.

Anyone wishing to donate can do so via Rosie’s JustGiving page or if you are a JMP customer, you can find a link on your latest invoice.

JMP Foodservice has a history of raising money for charity. Last year, Sales Managers Simon Broadbridge and Andrew Brierley-Jones cycled from The Cutty Sark in London to the Eiffel Tower in Paris raising £2000 for Cancer Research and Help the Heroes.

It doesn’t stop there. Chris Milburn, Storeman, is running the BUPA 10k in Manchester at the end of May to raise money for the NSPCC.

www.jmpfoodservice.co.uk

Market intelligence provider Keynote estimates that the corporate hospitality industry will increase by 8.5 per cent to a value of 1.34 billion by 2016. With this is mind, there is a huge opportunity for hotels and other venues to tap in to this market. You don’t need a stylish venue, over the top entertainment or super stars – just think outside the box and utilise your current facilities.

The recent growth in mobile working provides a massive opportunity. Many business people require meeting rooms to rent, somewhere to access wi-fi or a quiet area to make a phone call. This not only provides income opportunity itself from renting a room but in many cases refreshments or meals will be required. If you are a hotel it also provides the potential for an overnight stay.

The recent growth of Regus centres shows there is a real need for flexible, accessible meeting rooms. As Managing Director Steve Purdy notes:

Approximately two fiths of Britain’s workers now work half the week or more at locations other than their employer’s main office.

Mobiles, tablets and cloud technology make this possible, but workers still need access to office-type facilities – even if it’s just for 10 minutes to print, email, think or meet a contact.

With this in mind, as a hotel, coffee shop or pub, if you provide free wi-fi and office-type facilities, you could adapt your offering slightly and tap in to this growing market.

Diversification

One hotel that embraced diversification and tailored their offering towards the corporate client is the Coniston Hotel in North Yorkshire. Originally just a hotel, the venue soon made the most of its estate setting in the rural Yorkshire Dales and started to offer corporate events and activities. Today, the hotel offers clay pigeon shooting, a Land Rover experience, archery, target golf and fly fishing. It also has a falconry centre. Marketed as the perfect addition to any meeting or event, the activities are offered individually as team building, client away days or staff rewards. In addition to revenue generated by the specific activities, the hotel also benefits from increased room and restaurant bookings as guests require overnight accommodation or meals during the day. This is in addition to money generated from refreshments such as hot drinks, sandwiches and cakes.

Here are Take Stock’s top tips for catering for the business customer:

• Market your services – if you have rooms to offer or welcome business people meeting at your establishment then shout about it. If you have conference facilities then promote them. Register with generic corporate hospitality websites and market your business locally.
• Look at gaps in the market – no one else offering meeting rooms locally? Why don’t you?
• Get your wi-fi right. One pub owner recently noted, it is almost as important to provide a high quality wireless internet service, as it is to serve beers at the right temperature.
• Get your food offering right and capitalise on the fact that business people will require snacks, meals and drinks.
• If you haven’t the facilities to cater for corporate events and activities then link up with local companies that do. You could partner with your local golf club or spa to offer business guests that added extra. Or for something a bit different, source hot air ballooning, caving or mountain biking.
• Hire appropriate entertainment if needed. Many companies will run themed evenings at your hotel for example. Think casino evenings, tribute acts, murder mystery evenings and race nights.

Why not get a slice of the action, and go all out Veggie with a full vegetarian menu or add a few select vegetarian specials?

Vegetarian food is on the rise with nut roasts, stuffed peppers and other bland dishes being a thing of the past. Meat eaters like to try vegetarian food and the number of people calling themselves ‘vegetarian’ is constantly rising. Vegetarian food is exciting, flavoursome and offers a real change.

The rise of Vegetarian restaurants is testament to the popularity of vegetarian food. Damien Davenport turned his food business around by going all-out veggie. His Manchester deli was failing so he capitalised on the demand for meat-free dining and opened his vegetarian restaurant 1847 on the same site and soon started turning a profit. Covers grew from 15 a day to 50 and Damien now plans to open a chain of the restaurants. Says Damien, “ I can’t believe how quickly it has turned around. This time last year money was so tight I was on the verge of losing everything.”

The Vegetarian Society offers help to all businesses wanting to improve their provision for vegetarians. The Society is helping businesses promote National Vegetarian Week by supplying free promotional packs that include poster and flyers. Go to www.nationalvegetarianweek.org for further details and to register for a pack. For further help and advice on catering for Vegetarians, visit their website www.vegsoc.org.

Did you know?                   

• Mcdonalds opened their first full vegetarian restaurant in India last year. – Over 70% of the world’s vegetarians are Indian
• Veggie dates – the website for vegetarians wanting to meet other vegetarians was closed down in 2011 after it was found to have been infiltrated by hundreds of meat eaters.
• British research shows that a child’s IQ predicts his likelihood of becoming a vegetarian as a young adult. You guessed it: the smarter the child, the more likely he’ll eventually shun meat.
• There are varying degrees of vegetarianism. The strictest of vegetarians not only steer clear of all forms of meat, they also avoid all animal products, including honey (bees are often killed in the production of honey), and foods which might contain traces of animal products, such as bread baked in buttered tins and sugar to which bone charcoal has been added (to make it white).

Lisa has been making waves in the industry for some time now. She joined Michelin starred Northcote in 2001 to work under Nigel Haworth. Just three years a‡er joining the Lancashire-based hotel, at the age of 23, she was placed in overall charge of the kitchen.

A‡er successfully retaining the Michelin star that Haworth had gained, she was one to watch and you could. Lisa appeared on TV’s Great British Menu in 2010, reaching the final and presenting her dish to Prince Charles. Her star shone bright.

We interview this leading light of hospitality…

What is the most nerve-racking moment you’ve had in the kitchen?

For me, it has to be when you step foot into the kitchen on your first day. At that point everyone is looking at you to see if you are good enough.

Do you have any tips for chefs looking for new menu ideas?

I would say you have to educate yourself by researching new products and ingredients.Dining in other restaurants also helps you to experience different styles of food.

What do you look for in new staff?

Someone who is passionate about what they do and keen to learn new things. For more senior staff, the knowledge to educate others in the team.

Do you have any interview tips for aspiring young chefs?

Research the workplace you are going to. The biggest thing is to be yourself and ask questions to show you are keen.

Looking back on your career, would you do anything differently?

No – I fell in love with cooking and it took me on an incredible journey. It’s something I love to do day in day out. In this industry there is always something new to learn and every day is a school day.

As someone with a shellfish allergy, do you find your menu ideas take into account others who cannot eat certain foods?

It makes you more aware and when guests book into the restaurant that have allergies, we make sure they have the same experience as everyone else.

Apart from culinary talent, what skills do you think modern day chefs need to thrive in such a cut-throat industry?

Maybe computer skills, everything is modernising. Management skills, if you are running a large kitchen.

How important do you think provenance is in modern professional kitchens?

It’s our philosophy here at Northcote to bring some of the North West’s unique hand-reared or grown produce to the plate. I also think it gives chefs a great understanding of how much hard work, passion and effort goes into growing and rearing produce, when they see them in their natural environment. It
can also give you ideas for new dishes.

We know you forage some of the food you cook, do you think it is time for chefs to go wild, wellies in hand?

I think everyone should experience foraging, to pick local grown, wild ingredients, to inspire new dishes and to realise there are a lots of ingredients out there on your doorstep.

What’s on this year’s planting list for Northcote’s kitchen garden?

Northcote is changing over the next 12 months, with a new kitchen, renovations throughout the property and 14 new garden bedrooms in the grounds. The garden will be transformed and the working garden will be altered offering many new herbs, fruits and vegetables. We are looking at different heritages to see where vegetables come from and unusual ingredients.

Who do you find inspiring?

Angela Hartnett – a talented female chef at the top of her game. She works incredibly hard and it is very inspiring for the younger generation to see that all the hard work and determination you put into the industry pays off.

Who is your favourite chef?

Tom Kerridge – a guy with a massive heart and an outstanding chef.

Aside from Northcote, where is your favourite place to eat?

I had an amazing meal at Alinea in Chicago, also in the Hand and Flowers in Marlow -
outstanding food with a lot of love.

Out of the awards you have won, which means the most?

My Acorn Award in 2007.

From hedgerow to parkland and heath to allotment as well as waste ground, the elder tree is coming into blossom. It might be a common species but familiarity shouldn’t breed contempt as there’s nothing to rival a chilled elderflower cordial to cool and comfort on a balmy day. It’s the sweetness and promise of British summer in a glass.

Pick a carrier bag’s worth of delicate, aromatic elderflowers to try this simple Elderflower cordial recipe. Once made, you can mix it withChampagnefor a celebration. A few teaspoons will add a sunshine flavour to your sorbets, ice creams, summer puddings, gooseberry fools and fruit crumbles or alternatively, use it to marinade chicken breasts. You can also make a great summery salad dressing by mixing your elderflower cordial with white wine vinegar, a touch of mustard, salt, pepper and light olive oil to create a vinegarette.

Now every field is clothed with grass, and every tree with leaves; now the woods put forth their blossoms, and the year assumes its gay attire. Virgil 

With its range of cost effective Kitchen King cleaning products and cloths, the Today’s Group is working to help you clean up on profits this spring. Here are some of its professional tips for ensuring a clean kitchen.

Getting Started

There is cleaning to be done a‡fter each service and at the end of each working day, while there are other jobs that need tackling regularly but not daily. Make sure you rota these and have the right products for the right job. Always wear gloves to protect your hands. Ideally, clean with single use disposable cloths. If you clean with re-usable cloths/towels, colour code them for each work station i.e. use a different coloured cloth for cleaning the raw meat station and the salad/vegetable preparation area to avoid cross-contamination. Disinfect each cloth a‡fter use.

Post Service Cleaning tips

• Empty all bins and reline them.

• Use an anti-grease cleaner to degrease fryers, griddles and grills. Wipe down and brush to remove any food residue.

• Sweep and mop the floor and warn colleagues you’ve done so by putting up a wet floor sign to avoid accidents.

End of the Day Cleaning tips

• Clean oven and grill, removing grill racks and drip guard. Soak, scrub and allow to dry before returning to the oven. Wipe top and inside of oven with an anti-grease cleaner to remove all surface grease.

• Clean the sinks including around the taps, overflow and drain outlets.

Regular Cleaning tips Rota Tasks

• Empty and wash the refrigerator, taking out all removable parts to wash separately.

• Use an anti-limescale spray to remove any build up of scale from sink, taps and floor drains.

• Wash down walls, storage areas and ceilings.

Made by the DaVinci Gourmet brand, flavours that Holdsworth offers include caramel, vanilla, strawberry, hazelnut and cinnamon together with a premium chocolate mix. After a decade of rapid growth, there seems to be no end to the rise of the cafe culture coffee trend. At present, Allegra estimates that it is growing seven to eight times faster than the British economy. As Esther Trevethick of Holdsworth says: “These syrups provide a real opportunity for caterers to create their own signature drinks. Not only can they ensure you stand out from the competition but they can increase your profits by up to 80% as customers are willing to pay more for a flavoured beverage.”

Originating from Seattle, the home of cafe culture, DaVinci Gourmet is an expert in flavour, creating syrups that complement the natural taste, aroma and texture of coffee. With hot beverages being popular all year round, caterers can also create seasonal specials with the syrups

With summer approaching, you can create a wide range of cool drinks. In addition to an iced flavoured coffee such as an iced caramel frappe, why not consider offering a vanilla skakerato or a strawberries and cream shake?

For more information on the range or for recipe suggestions contact your telesales representative.

Sitting as I am in the Take Stock offices at 9am without so much as a pretend chocolate bar from Miles’ tuck drawer to sustain me, it’s fair to say that I would do most things (some illegal) in order to get my hands on whatever was just described. Adjectives like ‘lightly-toasted’ and ‘creamy’ help me to imagine the texture and taste of the food. Describing the provenance of the cheese and its method of selection assures me of its quality. In fact, it’s fair to say that I have been completely distracted from the fact that what I would receive were I to order this in a cafe or restaurant would be a kind-of-posh cheese toastie.

In all matters of communication, however, it is important to know your audience. What they want, need and understand is vital when describing the food you intend to sell to them. In the same way that many people consider ordering a ‘venti americano’ a slightly embarrassing waste of time when, really, they’d be happy with a large black coffee, the plasterer’s apprentice sent down to your cafe with a lunch order for 20 isn’t necessarily going to care which breed of pig goes into your artisan chipolatas. He wants a vast number of sausage and egg butties (with brown and red), and he wants them quickly.

It may seem as though I can’t decide what I want – to have my appetite teased by your poetic wording for menus, or to be told in the simplest terms exactly what I’m ordering. In menu writing there is a place for both floridity and simplicity, and choosing the right one can do wonders for your bottom line. This isn’t to say, of course, that you should go about making sweeping socio-intellectual judgements about your customer base: if you get it wrong, you run the risk of alienating or offending your regulars. A good place to start would be to analyse the kind of business you do. If your customers enjoy sitting and spending time examining the menu, you might consider going into more detail describing the food you offer. On the other hand, if you run a quick-turnaround takeout-style establishment, your customers aren’t going to want to spend time working out what the menu means. Most importantly, you should talk to your customers – get on social media platforms and find out what they want. Do they care about the provenance of your ingredients, or how you’ve cut your carrots? If so, include this sort of information in the menu.

Try not to slip into the land of awful cliché, however. Unless your ‘lively spiced chicken’ is actually still pecking around on the plate, it’s probably best to go with ‘chicken, marinated in…’ whatever spices you’ve happened to use. The important thing is to further inform your interested customers, not to try and make your food seem more exciting than it is. Hopefully, what appears on the plate before them will speak for itself.