Food days can be a real trial!

Thank goodness that Shrove Tuesday has moved to March this year! For the last few years it has been in February. So just when we’re recovering from yummy Yorkshire puddings (Yorkshire Pudding Day – February 3^rd) a stack of lovely Chinese food (Chinese New Year -February 5^th), and, for some, a glut of Valentines chocolates (Valentine’s Day – February 14^th) it’s healthy that we can have a break before we’re required to use up all the fat in our house by cooking a pile of pancakes.

Did you know that the earliest pancakes were made about 12,000 years ago; that the annual pancake race in Olney, Buckinghamshire, dates back to 1454, and that around 52 million eggs are used in the UK on Pancake Day, which is 22 million more than usual!  If it’s a healthier option is what you’re looking for, did you know it’s possible to use wholewheat flour instead of white? Apparently, you can use oats and bananas as a flour substitute, or you can try and reduce or cut out the butter.

All this sounds quite drastic. Easy-peasy is the simple and tasty change of using a fresh fruit topping instead of sugar and lemon.

Roll on April and the onslaught of Easter indulgence!

Are National months just a mechanism by food producers to get us to buy into a new fad?

March is National Veggie Month, but with the rise of veganism, vegetarianism seems less of a fad and much more mainstream. Long gone are the days of a ‘cheese salad’ veggie alternative on menus. Most restaurants and food outlets now provide a wide range of tasty and interesting vegetarian options. Loved incidentally, by vegetarians and meat eaters alike!

 

With Shrove Tuesday, Comic Relief and Mother’s Day all falling in March this year, there’s ample of opportunity to experience the best vegetarian dishes there are. So instead of the treating your mum to the traditional Sunday roast, why not try and delicious cashew layered nut roast, a chestnut and mushroom wellington or even a tasty Spanakopita?

 

#veggie #veggiemonth

 

Valentines meal out – yuk – and we’re not referring to the food!

Those couples who are planning to brave the dreaded valentine’s meal out will be suffering again this year (and not just in the pocket!) So many lovely local gastro pubs are succumbing to the valentines set menu with cringy dishes such as starters called  ‘Amuse-bouche.’ How can you share what is supposed to be bite-size unless of course you’re planning to eat only a tiny morsel! Surely most people want to taste it, in which case why order it to share?

So, here’s a plea to all those lovely pubs and restaurants, don’t offer crazy named options such as ‘sea of love’ ‘wonderful tonight and ‘sweet surrender to describe what is essentially prawns, lamb and cheesecake. Stick with what you do best and offer quality food, cooked well and leave the cheesy love references where they belong – in a greetings card!

 

#valentines #qualityfood #gastropub

Cold brew Coffee, simply coffee brewed cold

Any coffee shop worth its salt should be thinking about adding a cold brew drink to its menu, if they haven’t done so already.

The technique is quite simple and involves steeping coarse ground coffee in cold water for up to 24 hours, then filtering it to leave a smooth, sweet concentrated coffee essence, (which has a lower acidity level than an Americano or filter coffee). This essence can be turned into a variety of chilled drinks.

It also ticks the green box, as it doesn’t require heat or electricity to be brewed.

High street coffee shops are beginning to cash in on this emerging trend and I am sure it will only a matter of time before it hits the Restaurant sector, watch this space.

Check out the health benefits of cold brew coffee here

FEM’s ‘flexitarian’ oven is perfect for quality cooking with no cross contamination

Caterers looking to respond to consumer demand for vegan foods, especially as part of #Veganuary, need to ensure not only that the food quality is excellent but also that there is no cross contamination with animal or dairy product.  FEM says the Vector multi-cook oven, manufactured by Alto-Shaam, provides the ideal solution, since vegan and non-vegan foods can be cooked simultaneously, in the same oven, in individual chambers with no possibility of cross over. The company has launched a series of Vector Live demonstrations that will showcase this ability, as well as cooking up some flavourful and unusual vegan recipes. Read more

 

 

Make your buffet an evento with Parsley in Time

Latest additions to the quality French range available now

 Parsley in Time has launched the latest additions to the Evento range, which is manufactured in France by Degrenne.

The Evento collection is a complete range of kitchenware designed for all types of buffet. Made with high quality materials, it is designed to be modular and adaptable, according to operators needs, while creating a coherent, attractive feature.

Read more

CHRISTMAS TREE BEER

Wondering what to do with your old Christmas tree? Well here’s the answer – drink it.

Lowlander Beer in the Netherlands is using recycled Christmas trees to brew a 2019 Winter IPA. The brewery is collecting used Christmas trees from Dutch consumers, bars and restaurants to turn them into tasty beer.

According to Bar Magazine Lowlander Beer’s chief botanical officer Frederik Kampman said: “Every December, about 2.5 million real trees bring Christmas spirit into our homes. By New Year, most of these end up in the chipper, on bonfires or piled at the roadside. We have found another use for them: in beer.”

Apparently over 600kg of needles are needed to produce the 2019 Winter IPA Batch of beer. Although only the needles are needed for the beer, Lowlander is going to reuse other parts of the tress to produce gift sets, sparkling beer and chips for smoking cheese.

 

New restaurant uses advanced techniques to showcase the best of British

Within weeks of opening, Mana in Manchester has been hailed as one of the city’s finest restaurants. Set in a modern building with stunning architectural design features, including a curved glass wall and an open plan kitchen, it showcases a tasting menu designed by head chef Simon Martin, whose experience includes two years at Noma.  Read more

NEW HOSPITAL FOODSERVICE TROLLEY DELIVERS FLEXIBILITY, ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND FOOD QUALITY

Developed with hospital caterers, latest Vgen also sets new standards in ease of use

Moffat’s new hospital foodservice trolley created waves when the prototype was shown at HEFMA and the HCA conferences earlier in 2018.  That’s because it provides what the company believes is the most flexible and practical solution on the market.  The latest incarnation of the British manufacturer’s Vgen series, the trolley is now in production and is the result of two years R&D during which Moffat’s designers consulted with hospital caterers to develop a solution that not only meets today’s needs but is also future-proof. Read more

200 years of manufacturing excellence: Falcon celebrates bicentenary in 2019

British manufacturer to showcase its history in Customer Experience Centre

One of the UK’s most iconic catering equipment brands reaches a landmark milestone in 2019 – Falcon Foodservice Equipment celebrates its 200^th anniversary.  The company will be marking the year with a series of activities, culminating in the middle of the year in an event that will combine the official 200^th birthday party with the opening of the new Falcon Customer Experience Centre, at its Stirling HQ. Read more