The Staff Canteen Live 2017 Networking Lunch at Number One at The Balmoral
This months' TSCLive Networking Lunch was at Michelin-starred Number One at The Balmoral.
Chefs enjoyed a five-course menu with matching wines and Pommery Champagne at the Edinburgh restaurant.
The chefs
Chefs in attendance were: Owen Morrice, head chef, No.1 The Grange; Geoff Smeddle, chef patron, The Peat Inn, Sean Kelly, head chef, The Lovat; Scott Smith, chef patron, Norn; Paul Sutherland, sous chef, The Ivy Edinburgh; John McMahon, executive chef, Prestonfield House; Jav Aziz, executive head chef, Elior UK; John Munro, sous chef, Timberyard; Simon Attridge, executive chef, Gleneagles; Sean Clark, chef owner, The Table; Carlo Coxon, head chef, The Grain Store; Gordon Craig, chef owner, Taisteal, Rory Lovie, head chef, Bridgeview Station and Kevin Sutherland, meeting and events at The Balmoral.
The menu at Number One at The Balmoral
As chefs and sponsors arrived they were treated to glasses of Pommery Champagne and canapes from the team at Number One.
They were then given a tour of the kitchen by head chef Brian Grigor before taking a seat in the restaurant where Brian explained the menu choices.
To start, guests were treated to the signature dish of The Balmoral's whisky smoked salmon served with Pommery Champagne. This was followed by an impressive duck liver parfait apple with Maple vinegar and a big slab of brioche. Wild turbot was next and then red legged partridge - the dessert was Brian and his team's take on Tiramisu.
What the chefs and sponsors had to say about The Staff Canteen live networking lunch at Number One at The Balmoral
It was the first time Sam Mallalieu, Area Sales Manager for Braehead Foods had attended one of our lunches. He said: "It's a very relaxed and nice way to meet chefs who are prospective customers and those who are existing customers.
"It was a fantastic meal, it's tough gig cooking for a group of chefs and it's definitely a good way to spend a Monday afternoon rather than being stuck in the office!"
He added: "The format is great, as sponsors you move around each table during lunch which is a good way to do it."
Some of the chefs at Number One
at The Balmoral
Emma Cohen, International Marketing Manager at Chef works, has worked with The Staff Canteen during our live theaters but this is the first lunch she has been to and she enjoyed meeting chefs face to face, outside of trade shows and away from the kitchen.
"It's been fantastic," explained Emma. "I've enjoyed hearing their stories about their working environments and understanding their needs, likes and dislikes - and in a non-commercial setting."
She added: "Sales are all based on relationships and being able to speak to a chef face to face is a good starting point. From here it's our job to understand what they need and what we can help them with.
"I'd absolutely recommend this great opportunity to other suppliers, we are involved now for the next 12 months and we are really excited by it - it's something we would definitely look to do again."
John Munro, sous chef at Timberyard said: "It's been a great day, sitting down with sponsors make sit a lot more personal and it makes a massive difference rather than reading an email or looking at a brochure.
"This has been a great location, it's restaurant all chefs would be very happy to be invited too and the food has been brilliant. Being in a room full of chefs means you get to hear different aspects of the same industry and it's been good to sit down and have a meal with them all."
On meeting the sponsors Gordon Craig, chef owner of Taisteal said: "It makes a difference meeting them like this, usually they come to the restaurant and I'm too busy. It's been really interesting and the food has been fantastic, it was a very luxurious lunch!"
Scott Smith, chef patron of Norn agreed, adding: "When you are busy and people try to approach you it feels like a disturbance but here you're happy to be open to discussion and listen to their ideas."
Geoff Smeddle from The Peat Inn continued: "The food here today was beautiful and it was great to catch up with other chefs in such a relaxing environment. "
On The Staff Canteen as a whole Gordon said: "It's not just these lunches which are great, the videos which I watch give you an extra insight into the chefs and their ethos and they really promote people - most restaurants I pick to go to are through seeing a video on The Staff Canteen."
The lunch was sponsored by Braehead Foods, Koppert Cress, The Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, ChefWorks UK and Ireland and Pommery.
- The next The Staff Canteen Live Networking Lunch will be at Matt Worswick at The Latymer, Pennyhill Park, November 13. Register your interest for the event here.
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