The Staff Canteen Live 2022 at HRC, Day 1

Today we brought The Staff Canteen Live back to Hotel, Restaurant & Catering (HRC) at ExCel London - and we took a band of Amazing chefs with us. 

To kick off the show, head chef of The Grill at The Dorchester, Tom Booton took to the stage at 11am.

He started the show in style, cooking Huntsham Farm suckling pig with stuffed hispi cabbage, morels, pickled walnut & The Grill’s chips with gravy mayonnaise. Here's his recipe. 

Being the opening demonstration of the day must have been quite something, but Tom took it in stride. He said, other than it being a "bit early for a Monday morning on my day off," it was "super good, and that the audience were amazing." 

Tom was followed by Tony Parkin, the head chef of eponymous Michelin-starred restaurant at the Tudor Room. Tony's recipe was a stunning combination of Monkfish, smoked eel oil and nasturtium. He was helped on stage by his sous-chef Tim Sheed.

Third to the stage was the chef-owner of Michelin-starred Salt in Stratford-Upon-Avon, Paul Foster. He prepared an Earl Stonham Wagyu with bone marrow butter and a salad of brassicas. Here is his recipe. 

Paul Foster said it was nice to get out of the kitchen and come down to London.

Last but not least, Jean Delport, head chef at the one Michelin-starred Restaurant Interlude, took to the HRC stage to prepare a dish of raw milk, sea buckthorn and hogweed. His dish was a great way to end the day... Here is his recipe. 

Jean was joined on stage by his pastry chef Dean Stucky.

All the chefs on stage had the assistance of a student from Milton Keynes College, our TSC Live partners, and ingredients, tools and equipment were supplied by our sponsors - Hospitality Rewards, Major International, Rational, P&G Professional, Crown Cellars, Quorn professional, Mara Seaweed - as were the goodie bags given to the chefs to thank them for taking part. 

Each of the chefs' appearance on stage was followed by a Q&A, when audience members were invited to question the chefs on stage, from practical cooking tips to their thoughts on the importance of apprenticeships, how to progress in a role within a kitchen and how to get a Michelin star.  

Overall both the audience and the chefs alike lauded today as a success. 

Paul Foster said, "I don't think you notice how much you miss it until you're actually here. Yeah, I think, shows like this are really important for our industry."

Adam Knights, marketing director for Rational, said that it was great to see people out and about again. It was also good to be able to interact with the audience directly. He said, "it's just to show we're there for chefs and that's why we like working with the Staff Canteen."

Callum Strong, one of the students from Milton Keynes College helping out the chefs, said, "It's been pretty exciting working alongside top chefs such as Tony Parkin. I'm intrigued by all the dishes they create and I'm privileged to be working with them."

Ben Piette, co-owner of Maison restaurant, discussed how much he had enjoyed the day and seeing what the chefs had to show. He said, "it gives you a good insight of what the restaurant is going to be like and what the ethos is of that restaurant."

Speaking about the young chefs attending the event, Paul said, "I remember being a commis chef and coming to shows like this and watching chefs on stage and wanting to connect with them. Sometimes they come to a restaurant and they're a bit nervous - don't want to talk to you -  but this environment is really good for them to just be inspired."

Tomorrow will be just as fun and exciting, we will be joined by Asimakis Chaniotis, Sally Abé, Michael Wignall, and Gareth Ward for another series of great demonstrations.

Visitors can click here and register now for a free ticket to the show.