Stir it up issue 2...SEPTEMBER2008 Stiritup 03 Stiritupcontacts EDITOR JanineNelson...

StiritupSEPT2008THE MAGAZINE OF THE COUNTRY RANGE GROUP

£1.50

INCLUDES YOUR PROMOTIONS SUPPLEMENT

SAVE YOURSELFA PACKET

...AND REDUCETHE RACKET!

CREATE YOURDISH WITH

‘ALTERNATIVE

FISH’BRAIN FOOD FOR

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ANTONY WORRAL THOMPSON

* Suchard hot chocolate is made from cocoa sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms. PG tips is a registered trade mark of the Unilever Group.

Kenco Sustainable Development coffeeis sourced from Rainforest Alliance

Certified™ farms. Kenco SustainableDevelopment contains only high qualityArabica beans, giving a rich, full aroma

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KENCO SUSTAINABLEDEVELOPMENT COFFEE

SUCHARDHOT CHOCOLATE

The deliciously smooth flavourof Suchard hot chocolate comes

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PG TIPSTEA

At least 50% of the tea in PG tipsis sourced from Rainforest Alliance

Certified™ farms. Unilever isworking towards 100% of their teabeing Rainforest Alliance Certified™

by 2010.

OV2071

At Kenco, we are not just passionate about greattasting coffee, but also about ensuring a sustainablefuture for coffee farmers. Kenco is proud to offer theKenco Sustainable Development coffee range sourcedentirely from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms.

When we heard that PG tips were working towardscertifying their plantations by 2010 we were equallypassionate about including PG tips in our range of solutions.

Now, Kenco are proud to announce that the cocoa in all our Suchardhot chocolate products is sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms.

For more information please call 0870 241 4820 or visit www.kencocoffeecompany.co.uk

SEPTEMBER 2008 Stiritup 03

Stiritup contactsEDITOR Janine [email protected]: 01282 611677

DESIGNER Richard SmithTelephone: 01282 611677

PUBLISHER Practical PublishingTelephone: 01282 611677

ADVERTISING Mags [email protected]: 01282 611677

SUBSCRIPTIONS Olivia [email protected]: 01282 694691

04 The Soapbox and Your Letters

05 News from Country Range• Recipe fromCountry Range

• ‘TeamCountry Range’ are oarsome!

• SIU Reader Survey

• Are you on track for Christmas?

• Country Range Taste Test Challenge

• Brain food for brainboxes

• Sales figures soar

10 Food and Industry News• Create your dish with‘alternative’ fish

• The way to a healthy heartis through the stomach!

• Fish and chips are favourites

• Food giants take big step toreduce carbon footprint

13 Education News• Drop in demand for Jamie’s ‘illthought-out’ school dinners

• Dish up a debate!

• A ‘spuddy’ good idea

Promotions Supplement- including your local supplierinformation and special offers

15 Leisure News• Save yourself a packet…and reduce the racket!

• Calls for nutrition informationon menus

17 Health &Welfare News• Local economy healthy - thanksto hospital caterers in Cornwall

• Shock tactics to stop slips and trips

19 My Signature Dish• Andrew Lancel’s recipe forLayered Pesto Pancakes servedwith balsamic wild mushrooms

20 Leading Lights• with Antony Worrall Thompson

22 Advice from the Experts• Improve the planet - and yourimage - by recycling

My Signature Dish 19by Andrew Lancel

Customer profile:Brain food forbrainboxes 08

The summer (what summer?) is at anend. The children are back to schooland we can at last return to somesemblance of normality - and turnour thoughts to Christmas!!Yes folks, I’m afraid it’s time to startplanning your festive menus andbegin your publicity drive to secureearly bookings for Christmas parties.But fear not, your Country Rangerepresentative is on hand to helpyou plan well in advance.We’ve gone a bit “green” in this issue.On page 10 we take a look at fishsustainability and suggest somealternatives to over-fished favouritessuch as cod, haddock and sole. Wealso examine what the UK’s foodgiants are doing to reduce their carbonfootprint on page 12, and we’ve gotsome practical Advice from the Expertsabout how caterers can recycle more.

We have our first ever taste test onpage 7 and we’ve got a frank andhonest interview with notorious TVchef Antony Worrall Thompson onpage 20 - so plenty to ease yougently into the autumn then!

Enjoy!

contentsEditor’s Letter

Local economyhealthy - thanksto hospital caterersin Cornwall 17

The Soapbox

04 Stiritup SEPTEMBER 2008

by Roger Rant

Letters

I am not a nice man!The Governor of the Bank of Englandhas said we are at the end of the‘nice’ decade. ‘Nice’ is a funny wordto apply to economics but how elsewould you describe the environmentof “Please have a 125 per centmortgage”? It’s not nice now thatthese people cannot pay it back andit shouldn’t have been nice in the firstplace. I have always been a great fan

of Mrs Thatcher’s approach(if not all her policies). Brace up!Where’s your backbone? Take yourmedicine! Well, we are all taking themedicine now, particularly in thecatering trade as the public’s firstbudget-tightening measure is usually- eat out less.Thanks a lot for the niceness. We willdo without it in future thank you!

There is too much niceness in this world.

Dear Editor,

A Poem

I read with interest, your new recipeFor a salad of Country Rangebeetroot with a new twist I see‘Raw cooked beef’- Eureka I cried Where I can purchase,I’ve tried and tried.

None of my suppliers, Country Rangeas well cannot supply it, pleasewill you tellWhere I can source it, or is it anew thing?I’m waiting for my phone to ring,ring, ring.

The Stir it up mag is a very good readWith good ideas, promotions, anindustrial leadBut please remember, us chefsare very fickle‘Raw cooked beef’ really gets us ina pickle.

How is it produced, grown orprocessed?Are farmers now rearing it from seed?Is it slaughtered or harvested or, as Ithink, your poor old proof reader ison the blink.

I bet I’m not the only one to contactyou concerning the misprint, or am Imissing something?!!Good magazine really, it’s good toread during my coffee break.

Regards,

- Andy Porley, Kitchen Manager, PinfordEnd Nursing Home, Bury St Edmunds.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Hi Andy, love thepoem! Thanks so much for pointingout the misprint. It should have read‘rare cooked beef’, which makes alot more sense!

You can emailyour letters to

[email protected]

SEPTEMBER5th - 21st SEAFOOD FORTNIGHT

Promoting the healthbenefits of eating sustainablysourced seafood.

Details: www.seafish.org/2aweek

6th - 7th ORGANIC FOOD FESTIVALBristol Harbourside.

www.soilassociation.org/festival

11th - 12th NACC (NATIONALASSOCIATION OF CARECATERING) CONFERENCE& EXHIBITIONThe Hilton BirminghamMetropole Hotel.

Details: www.thenacc.co.uk

20th - BRITISH FOOD FORTNIGHT(Runs The seventh British Fooduntil Fortnight is a nationwide5th Oct) event celebrating the

diverse and delicious rangeof food that Britain hasto offer.

Details: www.britishfoodfortnight.co.uk

OCTOBER

6th - 8th NATIONAL CHEF OFTHE YEAR FINALThe Restaurant Show,Earls Court, London.

Details: www.eco.co.uk/visitors

23rd CRAFT GUILD OF CHEFSGRADUATE AWARDSBLACK TIE FUNDRAISER.

Details: www.craftguildofchefs.orgd-industry.php

NOVEMBER3rd - 9th BRITISH SAUSAGEWEEK

For more informationcontact Toni Connollyon 01372 822 941

5th - 6th BAHA (BRITISHASSOCIATIONOF HOSPITALITYACCOUNTANTS)ANNUAL CONFERENCEAND TECHNOLOGYEXHIBITION,London Heathrow,Terminal 5.

Details: www.baha.co.uk

9th - 10th OOH LIVENew trade show lookingat the expanding brunch,lunch and snacking markets.For more information andto pre-register for your freeticket: www.oohlive.co.uk

COOKS CALENDAR

COUNTRYRANGE


News from Country Range

Ingredients1 onion, diced6 good quality sausages cut intosmall chunks500g/18oz diced casserole pork1 large carrot, roughly chopped2 celery sticks, roughly chopped1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes1 tbsp tomato puree2 x 300g tin cannelloni beans, drainedand rinsed300ml chicken stock1 tsp Country Range minced garlic½ tsp Country Range rosemary, kibbled1 tsp Country Range dried thyme1 Country Range bay leaf¼ tsp salt¼ tsp Country Range groundblack pepper30g/1oz white breadcrumbs

Method1. Heat a little oil in a large pan and frythe onion. Next add the diced porkand sausages and fry until browned.Add the carrots and fry for a fewminutes.

2. Add the cannelloni beans, tomatoes,celery, stock, tomato puree and allthe herbs and spices.

3. Bring to the boil, then reduce heatand simmer for 30-35 minutes, oruntil the meat and vegetables arecooked and tender.

4. Transfer the mixture into a gratin dishand sprinkle with breadcrumbs.Drizzle with oil and grill for twominutes, or until the top is crispand golden.

5. Serve with salad.

Four members of staff

from Country Range

HQ proved they were

absolutely ‘oarsome’

when they took part

in a charity boat race.

(Left to right) Olivia Turnock,Gill Hutchinson, Joanne Leeand Janette Patten successfullycompleted the Dragon Boat Raceon Hollingworth Lake in GreaterManchester.‘Team Country Range’ werejoined by seven other rowers andcompeted against teams fromother local businesses. They raised£1,500 for Lancashire Air Ambulanceand ChildLine - more than anyother team who competed onthe day. Olivia said: “We finisheda respectable 12th (out of 17 teams!)and had a fantastic day. We’lldefinitely be doing it againnext year.”

‘TeamCountry

Range’ areoarsome!

CassouletRecipe from Country Range

Serves 4

A classic slow-cooked French casserole

Country Range Freeze Chill Fries have all the benefits of frozen fries with the added flexibility

of chilled storage.

Made to a consistent length with high dry material content, these

quality fries give you more portions per kg, which should

increase your profits.

Packed in cases of 4 x 2.5kg bags and available in the

following cut sizes:

11 x 11mm (7/16”)

13 x 13mm (9/16”)

9 x 18mm (Steak Cut)

FreezeChill Friesa Crisp and Golden Treat

Country Range Foodservice covers the UK and Channel Islands

For details of your nearest distributor call

01282 694691

or visit our website

www.countryrange.co.uk

COUNTRYRANGE



Since we launched Stir it upmagazine at the beginningof this year we have had lotsof positive feedback fromour readers.However, we are always keen to hearyour views and will continue to striveto improve the magazine. We thereforecarried out a reader survey via ourtelesales and field sales teams tofind out exactly what you think ofthe new-look magazine.We were pleased to discover thatthe majority of you find the magazine‘informative’, ‘well prepared’ and‘interesting’, and, for 67 per cent ofyou, it is the only catering magazineyou read.The survey also revealed that 80 percent of readers find the new layout ofthe Promotions section easy to follow.Seventy-one per cent of you would liketo see more recipes, while 77 per centwould like to see more informationabout legislation, so we will be workinghard to achieve that. The biggestproblem mentioned was findingtime to read it!

This issue, in our Taste Test Challenge,Country Range Sunflower Spreadtakes on Vitalite and brandleader Flora.Country Range Sunflower Spreadis a reduced fat spread which isequally good for spreading aswell as baking. The spread, whichwas launched in 2005, contains 39per cent sunflower oil and, as aresult, is low in harmful saturatedfats and high in polyunsaturatedfats, which are known to reducecholesterol. So how did it fareagainst the two big brands?

Baking TestAn independent chef used thethree sunflower spreads to makea basic sponge cake.Conclusion: There was very littledifference in the cakes baked andall had good flavour. The CountryRange and Flora cakes rose well witha very good structure but the Vitalitecake did not rise as well and wasconsequently moister and a littlesoggy at the base.

Taste PanelAn independent panel of peopleanalysed the products side

by side based on spreadability,appearance and taste.Country Range came out top forappearance, shine, flavour andacceptability. Flora had a slightedge in the spreadability category,Country Range and Flora shared thetop spot for brittleness and Vitalitehad the lowest scores in all of thesix categories.

Sensory PanelA panel of independent peopletrained in sensory tasting analysedthe products side by side todetermine and describe thedifferences that exist betweenthe three spread samples. Thesamples were evaluated in tastingbooths under controlled conditions.The panel concluded that the Vitalite,in comparison to the Country Rangespread, tasted ‘cheaper’ and had amore sour aftertaste.The Flora spread also had plasticand floral attributes.

Conclusion: a great opportunityto save money by moving tothe Country Range productwith no loss of quality.

Taste TestChallenge

We’re always saying how great our own brand products are, butwe thought it was about time we put our money where our mouthis and PROVE exactly how good they are in comparison to theirbranded counterparts.

Just DessertsThis month sees Country Range launcha delicious new dessert - Deep DishBramley Apple Pie.Serve with Country Range vanilla icecream, ready-to-use custard or whippingcream for the perfect pudding.Pack details: (1 x 6) 10” pre-portionedpies, fully baked and frozen.

SIU Reader Survey

Are you on trackfor Christmas?For many caterers, Christmas is thebusiest time of year - and it paysto be organised now so that yourfestive season runs smoothly.Your Country Range wholesaleris now taking orders for theChristmas period to make sure youhave all the products you need tomake your Yuletide the best ever.

COUNTRYRANGE


The latest sales figures for the Country RangeGroup reveal that, for the period January toJune this year, Country Range brand sales roseby 37 per cent, with branded product sales up18 per cent.

Group MD Colin Birchall said: “These figures are fantastic,particularly in a time of such economic uncertainty.We have been working hard to make sure we get thebest possible prices for our customers, and I think the

dramatic rise in sales speaksvolumes for the quality,service and price that theCountry Range Group offerthe caterer.“This substantial growth helpsus mitigate the effect of the highfuel prices which has promptedsome of our competitors toincrease their prices.”

Brainfood forbrainboxes

As head chef at St Anne’s College,Oxford University, he serves up brainfood to the nation’s top academics.Every day he and his team of nine chefscook for 600 future highflyers - and hetries to make sure they are gettingall of the ingredients to help themperform at their brainy best.Says Raymond: “I am obviously

very aware of the kind of food I amserving and I always try to includeplenty of oily fish, wholegrains, freshfruit and vegetables.“We do an eight week menu forstudents and they have four choices forlunch and dinner, usually two vegetarianand two meat or fish. We also do threethemed evenings a week - pasta nights,Mexican, Chinese, that sort of thing -and five “guest nights” per term wherewe do a more formal dinner. These arevery popular and always get bookedup straight away.”St Anne’s is one of the largest collegesin Oxford for catering and receivesdeliveries from Country Range most days.Raymond has been working at thecollege for the last 20 years and hasseen a definite shift in eating habitsduring that time. “Students today are

much more aware of healthy eatingand they have much choice aboutwhat they eat,” he says. “Twenty yearsago all they wanted was pies andpasties with chips, but now they wantsmoothies, salads and healthy options.Mind you, they still like chips!“We’re guided by the students andwhat they tell us they want to see onthe menu. We have a meeting everyterm with a student representative tohear suggestions on how we canimprove the menu and we’re alwayscomplimented on the food we serve.”The catering team does not rest whenthe student vacations come around, atSt Anne’s this is the team’s busiest timeserving breakfast, lunch and dinner tonumerous different conferences. Forexample the average number of mealsserved in July is 25,000.

Raymond Killickwith cateringmanagerNatalie Smyth

Colin Birchall

Sales figures soar

Raymond Killick has a big weight of responsibility on his shoulders.


A Must With Coffee

New to the rangeCafé Brontë Assorted Dunking BarsNow you can get all of Cafe Bronte’s Dunking Bars in one assortment.

Café Brontë Fully Enrobed Soft Fruit & Oat CookieTruly indulgent individually wrapped fruit and oat soft cookies, enrobed in Mexican single origin dark chocolate.

For further information, please visit our website on www.cafebronte.com

or contact Karen Jones on 07973 899 570 or [email protected]

Jus-Rol Filo Pastry- A deliciously delicate pastryfor a variety of dishes!

Low in fat, filo is the ideal pastry for contemporary

dishes and health conscious customers. Made

following a traditional recipe, Jus-Rol filo is delicate

in flavour so it does not overpower the fillings

and yet is robust enough for handling in a busy

professional kitchen. With a variety of recipes

possible using filo - from mini filo tartlets, use a pie

topping or wrapping salmon fillets, the possibilities

are endless!

Log onto www.jusrol.co.uk to downloadfree recipe ideas and pastry inspiration.

Food and Industry News


FOOD

ANDINDUSTRY

NEWS

Create yourdish with ‘alternative’ fish- or lose tuna, cod and haddock stocksin less than 20 years! By Sarah Rigg

Marine conservationists are soconcerned about the future of oursea stocks that they have produceda chef’s manual detailing the mostendangered examples.SamWilding, Fisheries Officer at theMarine Conservation Society (MCS),says: “It is extremely important thatwe use sustainable fish and replenishthe over-fished stocks like cod, orthey will die out forever.“For example, an excellent alternativeto cod would be to use pollock as it isfrom the same family and some peoplethink it is even tastier.”The guide - called The SeafoodSustainability Manual - will bepublished on September 16 and isa collaboration between the MCS,‘Good Catch’ and the MarineStewardship Council.

It will include a list of sustainable fishsuppliers and the restaurants which usethem throughout the UK.The organisations are hoping chefs andcaterers will help to educate the publicabout the alternative fish available.SamWilding adds: “Chefs have a hugeinfluence on the way people eat andcan encourage their customers to tryalternative tastes.“We are looking at this from a scientificperspective, but cooking professionalscan use their creativity to make differentfish appealing to the palate.”A panel of chefs were consulted inthe making of the manual which willbe launched at Billingsgate Fish Marketin London.For further information on the manualand a list of the top 50 species ofendangered fish, visit: www.fishonline.org

Favourite fish dishes including blue fin tuna, cod and haddockcould be wiped off our menus forever if sustainable alternativescannot be found, Stir it up magazine can reveal.

What’s The Catch?Our Eco-FriendlyGuide toSwitching Fish…Sea bass - Icefish is very similar intaste and texture and increasinglyavailable in British fishmongers.

Haddock - Zebra Tilapia - agoodWest African alternativeto traditional North Sea fish.

Cod - Pollock or New ZealandHoki are great alternatives and canbe cooked in just the same way.

Dover Sole/Turbot - Flounder isthe alternative – cook thin ones asyou would a Dover sole, and treatthe thicker specimens like turbot.Avoid young fish.

Sardines - Use English Sardinesrather than European ones asheavy fishing in the Med has ledto shortages in parts of Spain.

Whiting - These tiny tiddlers are amember of the cod family and areideal for making fishcakes.

X-ice is awinning product

Spring Cool Soft Drinks were theoutright winners in the InnovationZone Awards at the LACA NationalConference. Their unique freezablefruit juice drink X-ice was developedin response to demand from theeducation market for a healthy,affordable, dual purpose productfor schools.

FOOD

ANDINDUSTRY

NEWS


Mayonnaise forlightweightsAccording to the latestresearch, more and moreconsumers are choosing low-calorie options for dressings.

In response, Heinz Foodservicehas launched a new 12g light mayosachet (200 per case) and 5litreback-of-house pail with half thefat of the standard mayonnaise.Jennifer Harker, brand managerfor Heinz Foodservice, said:“Awareness of the relationshipbetween diet and health is at anall-time high, largely due to thegovernment’s promotion ofhealthier lifestyles to relievepressure on health services.“Caterers, in response, are lookingfor solutions which go hand inhand with this growing obsessionfor ‘wellbeing’.”

The way to a healthyheart is throughthe stomach!Coronary heart disease is the biggestkiller in the UK… but chefs, cooks andcaterers can do their bit to help.Why not cook up a disease-bustingmenu to mark World Heart Day onSeptember 28.Pack your dishes with high-fibre lentils,kidney beans, pulses, barley, rice,whole grain breads and pastas.To accompany, use avocado andoily fish such as herring, mackerel,sardines, tuna, salmon and swordfish.Garlic and onions can also improvecholesterol, as they contain compoundsthat can lower blood pressure.The World Heart Federation suggestssweetening dishes with apple juiceor pureed pears, and adding spices,such as cinnamon, to give a hint ofsweetness rather than using sugar.

Life tastes sweeter at 40- so don’t desert desserts!

Fish and chipsare favouritesA new survey has revealedthat fish and chips are thebest thing about being British.

The poll, conducted by the Holiday Inngroup, asked 7,000 people what theyliked most about Britain - and theclassic seaside snack pipped theQueen to the top spot. Old-fashionedpubs were third, followed by Sundayroasts in fourth place.

According to research by Mintel,consumers are not eating out asmuch but when they do, they liketo indulge - with more than half ofthe UK admitting they like to treatthemselves to a dessert out of home.Emily Frank, brand manager forAlveston Kitchens, which offers a90-strong range of frozen dessertsincluding gateaux, cheesecakes,trifles, tiramisus and profiteroles, said:“Desserts as a market sit in a frozencategory worth 18 per cent of a

£2.9bn frozen food industry.However, half of consumers wholook at a dessert menu out of homechoose not to have one, partlybecause of the limited choice incomparison to starters and mains.“With footfall decreasing, caterersneed to consider breadth of choicein their dessert menus, encouraginground the table debate and makingcustomers struggle with theirdecision because all the dessertssound too delicious.”

Frozen desserts specialist Alveston Kitchens is celebrating its40th anniversary of operation this year and is encouragingcaterers to have their cake and eat it.

Food and Industry News

Mari-Base®

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turn ona world offlavours

&SAVE

Food giants take big stepto reduce carbon footprintMore than 40 of the biggest food firms inthe world have pledged to make fewertransport miles.Mars UK, Unilever, Kellogg’s, Premier Foods and Tate& Lyle Plc are just some of the companies who havesigned up to the Food and Drink Federation’s (FDF)‘Environmental Checklist and Clause for GreenerFood Transport’.The green scheme has been praised by Lord Rooker,Minister of State for Sustainable, Food Farming andAnimal Health.He says: “I welcome the industry’s new initiative toreduce its environmental impact. The food industrymakes an important contribution to the success of theUK economy and it is good to see it also showingleadership in the delivery of a more sustainable future.”

Here’s what some of the household name brandbosses told Stir it up magazine:

Kellogg’s UK - Greg Peterson, Managing Director“We are working very hard with retailers and freightoperators to ensure vehicles moving our goods are as fullas possible and share freight movements with KimberleyClark to increase the space used on trucks.”

Mars UK - Fiona Dawson, Managing Director“By maximising load fill, minimising journey distances,increasing fuel efficiency and where possible shifting fromroad to rail - Mars UK is committed to achieving a 20 percent reduction of CO2 from transport by 2010.”

Premier Foods plc - Robert Scholfield, Chief Executive“The ten point checklist for greener food transportprovides Premier Foods with a clear ‘roadmap’ whichwill assist us in developing best environmental practicewithin our logistics and fleet transport functions, we’repleased to be one of the first signatories supportingthis policy.”

Tate & Lyle - Ian Bacon, Chief Executive, Sugars“We are committed to minimising our impact on theenvironment. As a significant user of road transportationin the UK, Tate & Lyle recognise it is our duty to ensurethat high environmental standards are embedded intoour transport practices.”

Unilever - Dave Lewis, Chairman UK & Ireland“Unilever UK and Ireland are delighted to support theinitiative. The potential economic and environmentalbenefits are huge, but we can only maximise theseby collaborating effectively with our retail andtransport partners.”

United Biscuits - David Fish, Executive Chairman“We have reduced our annual transport mileage byover two million miles in the last few years. UB has alsomade its own commitment to reduce CO2 emissions byits vehicles by 22 per cent by 2012. We are achievingnew environmental standards to reach this goal andhave so far reduced our carbon emissions by 16 percent since 2005.”


FOOD

ANDINDUSTRY

NEWS

Food and Industry News - Education

FOOD

ANDINDUSTRY

NEWS-EDUCATION

September 2008 Stiritup 13

Drop in demandfor Jamie’s ‘illthought-out’school dinnersBy Sarah Rigg

Dish up a debate!

And if the problem worsens, somelocal authorities will be forced to scraptheir school dinner service completely,according to Bob Cotton, chief executiveof the British Hospitality Association.He adds that far from filling up on freshfruit, veg and meat, children are flockingto local takeaways to get their fix ofjunk food.Says Mr Cotton: "Primary schoolchildren, who generally aren't allowedoff the premises during lunch hours,are often sustained by a lunch boxcontaining such delicacies as Mars Bars,while secondary school children bunkoff to the local high street during lunchhour to feast on fish and chips."Since Jamie Oliver announced his strictschool manifesto - ditching dishes liketurkey twizzlers and chicken nuggets- hundreds of thousands of kids haveturned their backs on school meals.Despite some reported success stories,it's estimated that in fact 250,000 fewersecondary school children had a schoollunch in 2006-7 compared with twoyears earlier - a decline of 17 per cent.Demand fell in primary schools aswell - by 170,000 pupils, or 10 per cent.However the rate of decline in uptakehas slowed down from five per cent ayear ago to 0.5 per cent 2007/08.And Jamie Oliver takes comfort in this,telling Stir it up magazine: "I always saidthis would take 10 years to really seeresults but it looks like the corner

has been turned, certainly in primaryschools, in just three years and that's afantastic achievement. A new generationof primary school children are nowgetting proper meals at school and, asthey move up the school system, weshould start to see this having an impacton food choices in secondary schools."I still firmly believe that compulsoryfood and cooking education for all kidsshould be adopted. And I also thinkthere's a long way to go in manyschools to make their canteens efficientand enjoyable places to eat so thatkids actually want to stay on site ratherthan go to the local fast-food place."But Mr Cotton is not convinced."Jamie's dishes are sensible andhealthy but they cost more andthey're not especially popular - yet -with the children."This has a knock-on effect. The fewerchildren who eat a school lunch - thehigher the cost of running the service- particularly with food cost inflationrunning at more than 10 per cent."Some local authorities, unless theypump more moneyinto the service, maybe faced with closingit down altogether."Jamie's ideaswere introducedtoo quickly andwithout adequatepreparation."

More than 350 caterers have alreadyagreed to let off steam about the issuessurrounding school dinners.But the School Food Trust, set up with£15million of government money,wants even more to join the schemeincluding catering managers andkitchen assistants.Each term members of the SchoolCooks Panel will be sent a short surveywhich shouldn’t take longer than 15minutes to complete and must bereturned within three weeks.The results, collected by post or email,will be analysed and put into a reportfor the Department of Education andpublished on the Trust website atwww.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/index.asp

School cooks are being urged todish up a hot debate by joining agovernment-funded food panel.

Primary schools throughoutthe UK are being encouragedto grow their own spudsunder a British PotatoCouncil initiative.

Over 10,000 schools took part in theGrow Your Own Potatoes schemethis year - making it the biggestgrowing project in schools nationwide- and is hoped thousands morewill register to take part in 2009.

The free project is a fun, hands-onway for primary school children tosee and understand how potatoesgrow, where food comes from andhow potatoes feature in a healthybalanced diet. It culminates in acompetition to see which schoolhas grown the heaviest weightof potatoes.

For more information visitwww.potatoesforschools.org.uk

A ‘spuddy’good idea

Jamie Oliver's TV campaign for healthier school mealscould have caused a staggering 17 per cent DROP inuptake, says a top industry figure.

Bob Cotton

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Food and Industry News - Leisure

Pubs, clubs and restaurant bosses arebeing urged to ‘ear’ on the side ofcaution and sound out the new Noiseat Work Regulations 2008. Stricterguidelines have been introduced toprotect employees from suffering therisk and effects of noise exposure.The regulations set lower noise limitsthan those currently applied under the1989 regulations and place duties onemployers to:• Assess the risk to employees ofnoise at work

• Take action to reduce noiseexposure

• Provide employees with hearingprotection (only where the noisecannot be reduced)

• Provide instruction and training toemployees

• Carry out health surveillance(where there is a risk to health)

The music and entertainment sectoris defined in the Noise Regulations as“all workplaces where live or recordedmusic is played in a restaurant, bar,

public house, discotheques or nightclub,or alongside live music or a livedramatic or dance performance”.The government hopes the regulationswill eliminate all new cases of hearingdamage caused at work by 2030.Brian Lamb, of the Royal NationalInstitute for Deaf People, says:“Prolonged exposure to loud noisecan cause permanent hearing lossand employers have a legal dutyto cut down noise and protecttheir employees from theharmful effects of noise at work.“We welcome the new regulations.Noise-induced hearing loss is oftencumulative and not immediatelyobvious, so its threat is seldomrecognised or taken seriously. Whilstthe effects of noise are irreversible,noise-induced hearing loss is totallypreventable.”

For more information about theregulations and simple steps that canbe taken to reduce employee noiseexposure visit: www.hse.gov.uk/noise.

Calls for nutritioninformation on menusEateries are being encouraged to display nutrition informationon their menus, following calls from inquisitive diners.

Save yourself a packet…and reduce the racket!

- Government hopes to silence new cases of hearing damage by 2030

A survey recently carried out by the FoodStandards Agency (FSA) revealed that85 per cent of people agreed with thestatement that restaurants, pubs andcafes have a responsibility to make itclear what is in the food they serve. Thevast majority felt this information shouldbe displayed on the menu and only twoper cent of respondents said theywouldfind it useful on company websites.

FSA chief executive Tim Smith said:“When we buy food from a retailoutlet it’s very clear from the packetwhat’s in the food and we then havecontrol on how much salt and fat weadd at home. When we eat out weare asked to suspend any interest innutritional content of food as theinformation isn’t universally available.”

Falling beer saleshard to swallowA staggering 107 million fewer pintswere sold in April to June this yearcompared with the same quarter in2007 - a fall of 1.2 million pints a day.Beer sales in pubs, bars andrestaurants are down 10.6 per centover the same period, accordingto shock figures from the BritishBeer and Pub Association.The on-trade sold 144 million fewerpints during April to June this yearcompared with the same quarter in2007 - down 1.6 million pints a day.

FOOD

ANDINDUSTRY

NEWS-LEISURE

September 2008 Stiritup 15

To celebrate the launch of the new Crusha bottles and dispensers, the leading Milkshake Mix brand in Foodservice has 500 dispensers to give away to Country Range Magazine readers.To enter the prize draw, simply send your name, address and phone number by email to [email protected], see Terms and Conditions below for details.If you wish to buy the new dispensers, please contact Customer Services, Compak (North) Ltd. Tel: 0113 2350662For more information on Crusha visit www.crusha-foodservice.co.uk

FFreeree CrushaCrushaMilkshake MixMilkshake Mix

DispensersDispensersTo fit the great new bottle shape!To fit the great new bottle shape!

Terms and Conditions: The prize draw is open to all UK residents aged 18 or over except Silver Spoon or Country Range employees, their subsidiaries or anyone directly involved in the promotion. No purchase necessary to enter. Only one entry is permitted per person or per address. The winners will be the fi rst 500 entries to be received at the above email address. Incomplete entries will be disqualified. The winners will receive their prize by post within 28 days from receipt of their entries. A list of winners will be available by writing to the promoter after 30/05/09. No responsibility can be accepted for entries lost or delayed in transit. There is no cash equivalent to the prize. No correspondence will be entered into. Entry implies acceptance of these rules.The promoter is: The Silver Spoon Co, a division of British Sugar plc, Sugar Way, Peterborough, PE2 9AY. Registered in England 315158.

FOOD

ANDINDUSTRY

NEWS-H

EALTH&WELFARE


Food and Industry News - Health & Welfare

Shock tactics to stopslips and tripsThe government has produced ahard-hitting poster to encouragechefs and caterers to stop slips andtrips in the kitchen.

As part of their on-going campaign, theHealth and Safety Executive show a femalechef plunging her hand into a deep fat fryer.It is hoped the shock poster will helpreduce the number of accidents occurringin foodservice, which cost the industry anestimated £512million in legal claims andtime off sick.

Over 65 per cent of the ingredients forthe Cornwall NHS Food Programmemenus are bought within the county.This ‘local sustainable purchasing’policy generates £12million within thelocal economy, providing an income forlocal farming families, and also reducesfood miles (the distance the food hasto travel to reach its destination).The food - for the county’s threehospitals in Truro, Penzance and Hayle- is prepared under one roof in a brandnew £4.5million purpose-built unit,which opened its doors in May.Mike Pearson, head of hotel services

for the NHS in Cornwall, said the newservice had “transformed the way thatfood is provided to hospitals acrossthe county”. He added: “What wehave got now is an example of an NHSestablishment that is the best of its kindand the envy of all other managers.“Patients here are very keen onknowing where their food has comefrom, more so than inner city patients.Cornwall is a rural economy andpeople expect good quality. Wescore very highly on our satisfactionquestionnaires.”The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust

now serves local meat and eggs; icecream made in Newquay; Cornishcheddar - and buys all of its dry goodsfrom our Country Range wholesaler inRedruth. They have also ditched frozenfish in favour of locally caught fish.Mike continued: “Cornwall is blessedby the quality and tenacity of its localfood producers.“We have had very good support fromour local suppliers - they are more likecolleagues and friends. The beauty ofit is that they are only down the roadso they are quick to respond if wemake a mistake on our order.”

Watch Your Step: Remember, see it, sort it!For more information on how to prevent slips in kitchens go towww.hse.gov.uk/slips/campaign.htm

Spillsn Clean themn Dry themn Don’t leave them

Stop slips in kitchens

Hospital caterers in Cornwall are keeping the local economy healthy - as well astheir patients - with an exciting new initiative.

Local economyhealthy- thanks to hospitalcaterers in Cornwall

Keep clean and pristinefor the elderly and illSloppy standards of hygiene incare home kitchens could seriouslyharm or kill residents, a top cateringexpert has warned.High standards of food safetyare particularly important whencatering for high risk groups suchas people who are elderly or ill.Andrea Guest has 25 years’experience in hospital and carehome catering. She says: “Minorincidences of food poisoning thatmay clear up in a couple of daysin a healthy person can causeserious illness and even deathin these groups.”

Mike Pearson (right)with Unit Manager

Martin Pellow

www.kerryfoodservice.co.uk call FREE on 0800 917 3571

Better for you... At Kerry Foodservice, we've developed a brand

that places a healthy emphasis on high calibre

ingredients, ideal for all ages, and all catering

environments.

From schools and hospitals through to restaurants

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heathier option.

The range of store cupboard essentials available

include Low Calorie Squashes, Reduced Sugar Jams,

Jelly and Fruits in Water. All of which are better for

you, and better for your customers.


Celebrity Signature Dish

CELEBRITYSIGNATUREDISH

In reality, actor Andrew Lancel is an outand out foodie - who is about to launcha business offering gourmet trips, andthinks nothing of catering for up to 60people at a time.This talented kitchen maestro has takena string of cookery classes includingRick Stein’s fish courses and is a hugefan of Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants.While Andrew’s wife Louise loves hiscooking, he was banned from cateringat their baby son Isaac’s christening atthe end of July.This month’s signature dish is one thatAndrew made up using ingredientshe had left in his kitchen one day.Andrew, 37, tells Stir it up: “I am abig believer in using what is in thecupboard or fridge and I came upwith this one a few years ago now.It has served us well.”

Andrew’s Layered PestoPancakes served withbalsamic wild mushrooms

Ingredients for the pesto1 handful of basil1 handful of pine nuts2-6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil¼ cup of Parmesan cheese3 garlic clovesMethod:Chop the pine nuts and place with theroughly chopped basil and gratedparmesan cheese and olive oil in thefood blender. Pop it in the fridge with

three whole cloves of garlic and leaveideally overnight. Remove the clovesin the morning.

Ingredients for the balsamic wildmushrooms (side dish)25g of the wild mushroom ofyour choice100ml balsamic vinegar50g of sugarMethod:Wash and chop the mushrooms andadd to an oiled pan. Fry gently untilthey are soft and beginning to brown.Put the balsamic vinegar and the sugarinto a pan and heat gently to dissolvethe sugar. The vinegar begins to simmerand thicken. Get the pan nice and hotand add the mushrooms. Coat well inthe balsamic dressing and allow themushrooms to absorb the sauce for afew minutes.

Ingredients for the pancakes2 large eggs75g plain white flourSalt and pepper185ml milk2 cloves of garlic50g butter cut into cubesMethod:Next make your pancakes. Put thebatter ingredients into a large jug andwhisk until you have a bit of hold. Allowto stand for 10 minutes and then addthree tablespoons of your pesto so youhave a nice green pancake mixture.Heat a 20cm diameter non-stick frying

pan until very hot. Add a cube of butterand pour in a tablespoon of batter -enough to coat the base - tilting the panto even the shape. Cook over a mediumheat for about 30 seconds or until thetiny bubbles break at the outside, thencentral part and the pancake no longerlooks wet. Flip or turn the pancake overand cook for 10-15 seconds more.Repeat until all your pancakes aremade keeping them warm in an ovenpre-heated to Gas Mark 3 (160ºC, 325ºF)

Ingredients for the filling250g goat’s cheese1 butternut squash1 handful of dill½ small onionMethod:Cut and scoop the squash, bake forabout 30 minutes and mash to a chunkyconsistency - it shouldn’t be too smooth.Slice your goat’s cheese and roughlyslice your onion into rings and chopthe dill.Using a well-oiled cooking ring, placeyour first pancake in the ring followedby a layer of squash mash and coverthat with goat’s cheese. Repeat and topwith a final pancake. Top with the dilland onion to crisp it up and bake for10 minutes.The goat’s cheese will run and it givesa lovely layered effect. Be carefulwhen removing the ring. You can servewith salad or I like to make balsamicmushrooms on the side.

As Detective Inspector NeilManson in TV hit The Bill, heis often seen suffering witha soggy sandwich from theSun Hill station’s canteen.

My Signature

Dish byAndrewLancel

Leading LightsLeading Lights celebrates the careers of some of the most prominentand inspiring people in the catering industry.SI

GNATUREDISH


LEADINGLIGHTS

In your autobiography ‘RAW’

you describe what was a terribly

turbulent childhood. How did

this shape your early years and

influence the making of the

hugely successful man you

are today?

It made me incredibly stubborn anddetermined. For a long time I was veryinsular and focused to the point thatrelationships got in the way - thankfullyI have come out the other side - but Iam still very determined and ambitious.

What are your earliest memories

of food and who, if anyone,

inspired you to learn to how

to cook?

My earliest memories are the fact thatit was pretty awful - public school fooddidn’t exactly inspire my taste budsand in the holidays the meals wereprepared by our au pair who couldn’tproduce anything that was edible.Learning to cook became a necessityotherwise I wouldn’t have been fed!There are no particular influences apartfrom Elizabeth David and Jane Grigson.

Where did you train to be a

chef - and was it your first career

of choice?

It was always my first choice of careerdespite my very posh grandmother’shorror! I am a self taught chef. I gainedsome basic kitchen experience duringmy studies at Westminster Collegebut I have never trained under anyother chefs.

Did you travel before opening

your own restaurants?

I did a tour of France of the 3 starMichelin restaurants - over 18 restaurantsin 21 days - a risk of serious liverproblems but I certainly learnt a lotabout nouvelle cuisine.

Who cooks at home, and what is

your signature dish?

We share the cooking although my wifecooks more often for our children as Iam working a lot. My signature dish islamb shanks with flageolet beans, garlicand rosemary.

Do you have a favourite chef or

restaurant?

TV chef would be Rick Stein. Also,Fergus Henderson of St John Bar andRestaurant, Smithfield. Other restaurantswould be Riva in Barnes and Zuma inKnightsbridge.

What do you think of the Michelin

star rating? Do you think it is a fair

representation of the quality of

food on offer?

I think the system stinks on the basis thatit drives many chefs into poverty and isa reflection of food snobs ratherthan the general public.

You spend much of your time

training young chefs. What

advice would you give to people

starting out in the catering world?

Never take no for an answer. If you aredetermined to succeed you will, butthe greatness comes from passionnot college.

You are obviously in great

demand, media-wise. Which

shows do you especially enjoy

doing and why?

Daily Cooks Challenge is my favouriteas it has a bit of everything; thecelebrity factor, competing chefsand a good dash of humour.

What are your ambitions and

plans for the future?

To stay alive long enough to have aday off and long enough to see mychildren happily secure. The future willbe more of the same and I’ll continue towrite in the media and produce booksfor as long as there is the demand.Travel will be a priority on retirement.

Antony Worrall Thompson is a restaurateur and TV chef. He presented Saturday Kitchenand is a regular guest chef on Ready Steady Cook. He chatted to Stir it up’s Sarah Rigg.

SIGNATUREDISH


ADVICE

FROM

THEEXPERTS

It can be hard for caterers to adoptrecycling for all their waste productsbut this challenge can be overcometo bring benefits to the businessin a number of ways. You can tellyour customers that you are moreenvironmentally friendly with arecycling policy; you may cut yourcosts for waste disposal; and youmay also find that you fully meet legalrequirements for disposal of your waste.For caterers in schools and otherpublic sector premises, there is currentlydiscussion as to whether or notyou’re entitled to a level of free serviceprovision from local authorities.Defra - the Department for Environment,Food and Rural Affairs - is reviewingthis because of challenges to its policywhich at present sees councils mainlyonly collecting waste ‘free’ fromhouseholds.Councils do have to provide a servicefor businesses such as caterers, but theaccepted interpretation of the law isthat they simply tell you where to finda private contractor.

Caterers operating as small andlarger businesses should talk to theircontractor about recycling - by lawyou have to sort out some of yourwaste for recycling or composting,no longer can it all go in the same bin.Food waste should be separated outtoo. This can now be sent in many partsof the UK for composting in a processthat meets special rules to avoid healthscares. Costs of this can be anythingup to £50 a tonne for processing soyou will definitely face a charge forthis service.Separate out cardboard - it has avalue now of more than £60 a tonne- and hopefully your contractor willtake it away for free as they may do formetals. Start saving the empty cans ofcoke you sell - put a recycling bin in theeating area - and also collect metaldrum containers.As for used cooking oil, this is in muchdemand. By law you have to consignit to an authorised waste collector.Most caterers will need to store anamount of used oil before it is worth

collecting - and keep it as free aspossible of contamination such asmeat and fish.So, in summary, recycling itself is anecessity and a business. Going greenwill help your profile and the planet.The reality is that the more materialsyou have as a caterer to dispose of,the easier it may be - smaller firmswill find it harder and potentially faceadditional costs.

letsrecycle.com provides a daily newsand information service for businessesand local authorities.

Advice from the Experts

Improve theplanet - andyour image -by recyclingBy Steve Eminton, Editor, letsrecycle.com

All around a catering premises are materials thatcan be recycled. From used cooking oil, plasticbottles through to cardboard packaging, foodwaste and broken electronic scales- all these items can have a second life.

Save those aluminiumsoft drink cans: in theUK the cans are turnedinto ingots at a plant inWarrington.

Steve Eminton,Editor,letsrecycle.com

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