Chefs and sponsors enjoyed a five course menu with matching wines from chef Glynn Purnell and his team.
Chefs
Chefs in attendance were: Peter Edge, senior sous, The Dragon Willington; Ben Crowley, senior sous, The Wilderness; Carl Hickinbottom, executive chef, Drayton Manor Park; Mike Bullard, chef director, The Butchers Social; Luke Dcaccia, development, Addo Food Group; Ben Keggans, executive chef, Frankie and Benny's; Stuart Wildsmith, college lecturer, UCB; James St Clair Jones, head chef, Village Hotel Solihull; Craig Shepherd, head chef, Harborne Kitchen; Aktar Islam, chef owner, Opheem; Matt Cheal, chef director, Cheals of Henley; Mark Walsh, head chef, Opus Restaurant; Mark Owen, senior, BRF Invicta; Gareth Fulford, head chef, Purslane.
The menu at Purnell's
Upon arrival, chefs and sponsors enjoyed a glass of Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve Champagne and some networking. Glynn then gave the guests a tour of the kitchen, before being seated for lunch.
Glynn and his team then served up a five-course menu featuring Roast loin of venison supplied by Udale Speciality Foods, with butternut orange and Sichuan, ponzu and Koppert Cress syrha leaves.
Seafood from Norway's Norwegian Skrei cod was then served with with cauliflower and cheese, winter truffle and pickled florets.
Pinot Noir, Cuvée Alexandre, Casa Lapostolle, Colchagua Valley, Chile 2015 (Berkmann Wines)
Norwegian Skrei cod with cauliflower and cheese - winter truffle - pickled florets
Chardonnay, Wild Boy, Au Bon Climat, Santa Barbara, California, USA 2017 (FMV Wines)
Roast loin of venison, from Udale Speciality Foods, with butternut orange and Sichuan - ponzu - Koppert Cress Syrha Leaves
Christine, Buitenverwachting, Constantia, South Africa 2012 (Berkmann Wines)
Burnt English egg surprise 10/10/10 - “Rhubarb and Custard”
with Koppert Cress Yka Leaves and Cornabria Blossom
Jurancon, Moelleux, Domaine Bellegarde, France 2016 (Yapp Brothers)
Coffee and petit fours
What the chefs and sponsors had to say about The Staff Canteen Live networking lunch at Purnell's
The headline sponsor for this month's networking lunch was ChefWorks.
Commercial director Neil Boston said: “Yet again another fantastic event, met lots of interesting people. It varied from development chefs, owners, executive chefs, sous chefs and independents from chain hotels and restaurants. It's always great to get that mix."
He added: “It was a fantastic opportunity for us as suppliers and sponsors to listen in on these guys talking to each other about their businesses and the challenges."
Sophie Edwards, business development manager for Zenith Hygiene said: "I absolutely loved the event. The best thing for me was getting to meet a whole range of chefs and people and to be able to sit down with them in a relaxed environment, to just enjoy some amazing food."
Ben Keggans, executive chef from Frankie and Benny's said: "Thank you for today, it was really good. It was nice to mingle with people I don't usually mix with. It was good to meet with the sponsors as well, seeing the different things they could bring to me."
He added: "It was great to meet new contacts and good to share ideas."
James St Clair Jones, head chef at the Village Hotel in Solihull, said: "It was a brilliant day, meeting people you wouldn't normally see in such a small period in a nice venue, getting to meet people locally and those who are out of the area. It was really good food, good wine and the hospitality has been great."
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