This is where you can see a variety of inspiring chefs and passionate artisans and hear about trends for food and drink in the South West.
For 2020, the kitchen was brought to the show by the award winning Sapphire Spaces, and the demonstrations were compèred by Jim Fisher of Exeter Cookery School.
Visitors were able to see South West Chef of the Year winners demonstrate their winning dishes, find out about products’ back stories from the producers who made them, and take time out from the show to sit and enjoy leading chefs create innovative dishes.
2020 PROGRAMME
Wednesday 5th February
11:00am
Richard Valder, @ Angela’s, Exeter Bampton
Charles Baughan, Westaway Sausages
Food allergies and intolerances: Friend or Foe?
We’re all embroiled in making sure we comply with legislation regarding food allergies, and managing the rapid growth in specific diets such as veganism can seem overwhelming. Just how do you stop it becoming a battleground, and instead turn it into something positive?
Richard Valder, owner of @Angela’s in Exeter, is turning that process around. As a small restaurant it can be tricky adapting menus to suit lots of specific dietary needs, and Richard will share some of his tried-and-tested methods to help you climb this particular mountain.
@Angela’s has been a cornerstone of Exeter’s independent restaurant scene for over a decade, a shining star in an increasingly chain-dominated world. As well as quality customer service, Richard focusses on the best local produce, and will happily tell you where each of his ingredients comes from. He trained under Jacques Marchal, head chef at former restaurant Chez Nous (the only restaurant in Plymouth to have ever held a Michelin star), and in his turn he trains apprentices who go on to be forces to contend with in the culinary world.
Come along to see how you could make service that bit easier.
www.angelasrestaurant.co.uk
@atangelas
Charles Baughan from Westaway is passionate about reducing plastic packaging, so much so he is launching his new compostable and biodegradable stretch film at The Source. It’s a simple and cost-neutral step every business can take towards a more sustainable future – come and find out more.
westawaysausages.com
@Westaways
12:00pm
Jim Fisher
Exeter Cookery School
Wake up to a stress-free breakfast service
Whether you cook breakfast for a hotel, B&B or café, it can be one of the busiest times of the day, and it often feels like getting the timing right entails a sprinkling of magic. A truly great breakfast is a fantastic selling point and will bring visitors coming back for more, so how do you get the best financial return and make it a seamless process?
Jim Fisher, head chef and co-owner of Exeter Cookery School, will serve up a range of techniques to help you fly through breakfast service. Using high-quality ingredients that have won Taste of the West gold awards, he will give you tips and tricks on how to serve the perfect poached egg time after time, and show you get-ahead ideas that will make service a breeze.
Jim and his wife Lucy opened their first cookery school in South West France, but after 15 successful years offering residential cookery courses to an international clientele, they decided to head back to their roots in Devon. Following an extensive renovation project of their 1830s waterside property on Exeter quay, Exeter Cookery School opened its doors to the public in 2016, and has been passing on cookery knowledge for the last three years. Come and learn the ‘cheats’ Jim has picked up over the years, and help start your customers’ day with a smile, every day of the week.
www.exetercookeryschool.co.uk
@cookinexeter
1.00PM
James Court, NatWest Business Growth Enabler, Rayanne Armand, founder of Root2Growth, Jason Winser, founder of Passion for Pie, and Glenn Redler, founder of GX Accountancy & Bookkeeping Services.
Innovation in business tech: Making it work for you
The latest advances in app technology are providing a significant competitive advantage to those who embrace it. Don’t miss this informative session at the Innovation Kitchen to find out how cloud technology could boost your business success.
Hosted by James Court, NatWest Business Growth Enabler for Exeter, North, Mid and East Devon, the talk will shine the light on the new app-based products taking the hospitality sector by storm. James will be joined by Rayanne Armand, Founder of Root2Growth Ltd, who will provide industry specific examples of apps that could help give your business a competitive edge. Based in Exeter, Rayanne is a qualified chartered accountant with a passion for helping business owners develop their financial management skills through the use of cloud-based accounting.
While James and Rayanne are talking tech, Jason Winser of Newton Abbot-based Passion for Pie will be demonstrating the key elements of making a great pie – which after all is at the heart of his business success. Jason’s idea of setting up a pie business formed while on a one-day pastry course at Exeter Cookery School. Passion for Pie, which Jason runs with his wife Karen, has gone from strength to strength and is now under NatWest’s Business Boost growth initiative as the business transitions from a small market stall producer to a wholesale production operation.
2.00PM
Jamaar Semper-House
South West Young Professional Chef of the Year 2019. Chef de Partie at Lucknam Park, Bath
Jamaar completed a Iv3 NVC Apprenticeship in catering through City of Bristol College, working as an apprentice at Berwick Lodge in Bristol. On completion of his apprenticeship, Jamaar became chef de partie at Berwick Lodge from where his head chef arranged a stage for Jamaar at the Michelin-starred Lucknam Park, working under Hywel Jones. So inspired was Jamaar that he enquired about working full-time at Lucknam Park and was subsequently offered the position of commis chef, being promoted to chef de partie soon after.
Jamaar is no stranger to South West Chef of the Year, reaching the final of the Student/Apprentice Chef category in 2016 before entering for a second time and winning the title of South West Young Professional Chef of the Year in 2019.
Jamaar also entered the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts competition in 2019, successfully achieving an annual award of excellence.
Jamaar hopes to run his own Michelin-starred restaurant in the future and also has his eye on the senior professional category of South West Chef of the Year!
www.lucknampark.co.uk
@LucknamPark
3.00PM
Rosie Nevill
South West Student/Apprentice Chef of the Year 2019. Student of the Michael Caines Academy, Exeter College and baker at The Little Bakehouse, Launceston
Rosie has always been interested in food and has enjoyed experimenting with ingredients from a young age. This passion helped her to achieve 100% in her GCSE catering, convinced her to switch path from the sciences to pursue a career in catering, which led her to the Michael Caines Academy at Exeter College. After completing levels 1 and 2 VRQ at the Academy, Rosie is now studying for a level 3 NVQ in professional cookery. Whilst studying, she is also working at The Little Bakehouse, an artisan sourdough bakery in Launceston.
To broaden her experience, Rosie has enjoyed a six-week stage at Michelin-starred The Latymer at Pennyhill Park, working under Matt Worswick, and one week at Michelin-starred Lucknam Park under Hywel Jones.
Rosie has a highly successful track record in competitions, having entered and won the Major Series Street Food class in 2018, The Ray Kenny Bursary in 2019 and, most recently, South West Student/Apprentice Chef of the Year, also in 2019.
www.littlebakehouse.co.uk
@little_bake
Thursday 6th February
11.00AM
Jamie Rogers
Twenty Seven, Kingsbridge
Local sourcing: The journey from fledgling to award-winning restaurant
Soon after Jamie Rogers opened his first restaurant, Twenty Seven in Kingsbridge, it was revealed as Taste of West’s ‘Best Restaurant in the South West’ for 2018/19. A key part of this success is a passion for local sourcing, and Jamie will be sharing some of his secrets in The Innovation Kitchen at The Source Trade Show 2020.
Jamie started his career over 15 years ago at the Cricket Inn, Beesands: washing up and helping with salads and desserts, he quickly realised this is what he wanted to do.
Working as stagiaire for the likes of Paul Ainsworth at No6 Padstow, John Burton-Race at The New Angel, Michael Caines at Gidleigh Park & Simon Hulstone at The Elephant, he worked his way around some of the best kitchens in South Devon.
At 16, Jamie moved to Plymouth and started working for The Tanner brothers, moving on to run some of the city’s finest restaurants, most notably the Langdon Court Hotel where he achieved two rosettes within the first three months.
Jamie also competed in Masterchef: The Professionals, reaching the semi-finals, and won South West Chef of the Year; Best Overall Chef, Best Professional Chef and Best Menu. Now with his own restaurant, the sky is the limit.
Come and hear Jamie talk about how he has made local sourcing an integral part of his business success strategy, and how he tracks down the very best local suppliers. Along the way he’ll be cooking up some fantastic food.
Why not pull up a chair and get some tips to help you take your business to the next level?
www.jamierogerschef.com
@twenty_seven_x
12.00PM
Ash Hamilton
Head Chef/Owner of The Curious Kitchen, Brixham
Vegans, vegetarians and allergies: Making diets work.
Ash Hamilton turned the ‘problem’ of restricted diets on its head, and is making a virtue out of a steadily growing necessity. When he opened The Curious Kitchen, his dream was to create a café where fresh, healthy, modern food was available to everyone. His aim was for a family or group of friends who had meat eaters, vegetarians, vegans and coeliacs to be able to eat together, happily! And so, The Curious Kitchen was born.
Ash will be talking about how he creates an atmosphere that welcomes all kinds of eaters, right from the second his customers walk through the door. The menu at The Curious Kitchen doesn’t just have one dish that suits vegetarians – it has a whole host of fantastic dishes that focus on local, high-quality ingredients first and foremost; the fact that a dish may be vegan comes second to fantastic flavour. It’s the kind of place where determined meat-eaters choose to eat veggie (although they have the option of going crazy on local pork or venison if they prefer). The same level of passion goes into every dish – nothing is treated as second best.
Ash started his career in Dartmouth while still at school, and since then has worked his way up the catering ladder via the Royal Dart Naval College, Café Ode, Pier Point and The Elizabethan Inn. He has a talent for bringing something extra into everything he cooks, and is described by other chefs as ‘the best chef I’ve ever worked with’. Come and be inspired by his passion and inventiveness.
www.thecuriouskitchen.co.uk
@tckbrixham
1.00PM
Jim Fisher
Co-owner of Exeter Cookery School
Adding value via the perfect picnic.
Perhaps you’re a B&B owner and are looking for ways to get more value from the guests you have staying with you. Or maybe you run a busy beachside café that has full tables through the summer, but you’d like to be able to handle more covers. It would be great to have a way to bring in more income from your existing set-up.
The weather is set fair for a few days. Your customers are thinking about what they’re going to do to make the most of the sunshine. They’re on holiday so they’ll do anything to avoid going food shopping. This is where you step in to offer the perfect solution: a picnic! You’ll provide them with a hand-packed picnic, stuffed full of lovely local produce.
Jim Fisher, head chef / tutor and co-owner of Exeter Cookery School will demonstrate for you some quick and delicious recipes to fill your picnics with flavour. There’s nothing that beats home-made goodies warm from the oven, but in case you simply don’t have the time he will also be showcasing Taste of the West gold winners of pastry, preserves and more. He’ll also touch on taking your picnic artistry to the highest level to produce a luxurious experience your guests won’t forget. Come along to The Innovation Kitchen at The Source Trade Show 2020 to find out more and dream of summer.
www.exetercookeryschool.co.uk
@cookinexeter
2.00PM
Liz Hore
(now retired) tenant of the Victoria Inn, Salcombe.
Marketing: How to create a clear identity for your business
Liz Hore and her husband retired from running the Victoria Inn in Salcombe towards the end of 2019. They managed the pub as tenants of St Austell Brewery, yet still managed to create a strong presence of their own.
Liz’s career path is anything but conventional for a pub manager. Following a long life working in local government as a senior manager, she opted for a whole life change and moved into hospitality with her husband (who was the experienced publican in the partnership).
After taking herself off to catering college to learn the basics, Liz wholeheartedly threw herself into making the business a success. She focussed particularly on various customer elements, including social media, branding and marketing. Moving on 11 years, the Victoria Inn had won the Taste of the West’s award for ‘Number 1 Place to go in the West Country’, and gained a high profile nationwide as well in the West Country.
A key to this success was having a clear aim and focus – from the start they aimed for the Victoria Inn to be a ‘Traditional Pub with Traditional Values’. Come and listen to Liz talk about how they brought this about and find out how you could apply some of her fantastically successful methods to your business.
www.victoriainn-salcombe.co.uk
@victoriainnsalc
3.00PM
Edward Marsh
South West Chef of the Year (overall) and South West Professional Chef of the Year 2019
Sous Chef at The Manor House Hotel, Castle Combe
Edward has been cooking in the industry for 11 years. Starting his career at the University College of Birmingham, Edward graduated and moved to the South West to work under prestigious chef Hywel Jones at Lucknam Park, where he progressed to the role of junior sous chef. After leaving Lucknam Park, Edward took up his current position as sous chef at the Manor House, Castle Combe, under executive chef, Robert Potter, helping in the running of the kitchen and delivering Michelin star dishes to hungry diners.
Edward is no stranger to competitions; he has represented England both in the national culinary team and solo in international competitions for the last 8 years, competing against chefs from around the world. Following his success in winning South West Chef of the Year, he has a busy year ahead in 2020, competing in the Craft Guilds National Chef of the Year, World Association of Chefs’ Societies (WACS) Culinary Olympics in Germany, and WACS Global Chefs Challenge in Russia.
www.exclusive.co.uk/the-manor-house
@Exclusive_Hotel
Torquay Hotel Buying Consortium