The Staff Canteen was joined by a group of fifteen chefs in the Burlington Restaurant at The Devonshire Arms for our latest networking lunch on Monday, April 8th.
From hotel and catering company chefs to the region's fine dining restaurant chef owners, food and equipment suppliers met with the highest calibre of cooks to share ideas and discuss potential business opportunities in a relaxed and friendly setting.
Upon arrival, attendees were treated to amuse-bouches, followed by an eight-course tasting menu cooked by head chef Paul Leonard and his team, with ingredients supplied by the event sponsors.
Menu
Amuse-bouche
Pig head, black cracker, jersey royal
Caviar, smoked salmon tube
Hand-dived scallop
Apple dashi, caviar
Cured duck liver
Tomlinsons rhubarb, ginger, Koppert Cress vene cress
Attending were Paul Jackson, chef owner of The Hare Inn; John Robinson, chef owner of Whites Restaurant; Aaron Craig, executive chef at New Hall, Rocklife; Rhys Jackson, executive chef at The Principal in York; David Lythall, Alton Towers' executive chef; Luke Downing, chef owner of Vice and Virtue; Danny Parker, chef owner of Jesmond Dene; Gareth Rayner, head chef at The Middleton Lodge's The Forge; Steve Smith, chef patron at Freemason Arms; Martin Shaw, chef patron of The Granary at Ulrome; Richard Johns, chef owner of Hovingham Inn; Neil Bentinck, chef patron of Skosh, in York; Westwood Hall head chef Marcus Fisk and finally, Interstate Hotels and Resorts executive chef Lee Miller.
Heritage Carrot with smoked eel, fresh cheese
and Koppert Cress borage cress
Sponsors
The headline sponsor of the event was UK-based microherb supplier Koppert Cress. It was also supported by Les Vergers-Boiron, Chef Works, Seafood From Norway, Koppert Cress and Zenith hygiene.
Norwegian Skrei cod with mussels, buttermilk,
Koppert Cress oyster leaf, and sea cress
What the chefs and sponsors had to say about The Staff Canteen Live networking lunch at The Devonshire Arms
Interstate Hotels and Resorts Executive chef Lee Miller, who was attending for the first time, said: "It's great to be able to network with different chefs. We don't get out enough to see what other people are doing."
"We often don't have enough connections with [suppliers], as chefs we're in our own environment and we don't relax enough, which makes it more difficult for them to connect with us."
"To be able to put chefs from different backgrounds together in the same room is great."
Vice and Virtue chef owner Luke Downing agreed that it was a great way to meet other chefs and suppliers.
He said: "It's better to meet suppliers here than a hard sale or a telephone conversation. Once you get to meet the people behind the product, they sell it conveniently where it's put on a plate, as well as being able to speak to them about what they do, it's a much better sell."
"From their perspective, it's easier to build a relationship, and for us it's much easier to build a rapport when you actually know who they are," he added.
Seafood from Norway's Celestine Chaong hailed the event a success. She said: "The meal today was lovely, Paul did a fantastic job."
"It was interesting to have a table that already use Norwegian produce - it was a delight to hear."
"We're looking forward to the next one in May!
Finally, main sponsor Koppert Cress representative Paul da Costa Greaves said that attending TSC Networking lunches is always a good experience.
"Each time we attend, the chefs that are here are on our list to communicate with but we usually can't contact them because life gets in the way. These lunches have made my time management so much better because I'm able to speak to them here on a mutual basis."
The cross-sector selection of chefs was also a plus, he added: "Each chef that you come across has a different requirement, whether it be volume, nutrition, taste or profile."
The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.
Over the last 16 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 560,000 followers across Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.
A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.
Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.
