In the last of our second series of TSCLive Networking Lunches, chefs and sponsors enjoyed a five-course meal with matching wines plus snacks from chef and partner at The Flitch of Bacon Tim Allen and his team.
Flitch of bacon and scallop Maple and maple vinegar, barbecued cabbage, gooseberry and pickled mustard seeds Riesling, Schloss Johannisberg, Rheingau, Germany, 2015
Veal
Parmesan cauliflower, liquid truffle Agnolotti and pousse d’épinard
Pinot Noir, Crimson, Ata Rangi, Martinborough, New Zealand, 2016
Raspberry
Délice and caramelised white chocolate finished with Purple delight from Koppert Cress
Maury, Expression, Mas de Lavail, France, 2015
The menu at the Flitch of Bacon
Upon arrival, guests enjoyed Pommery champagne, with snacks of Parmesan gougère and Norwegian Seafood salmon belly, buttermilk and apple.
As with all our lunches the chefs and sponsors then took a look around Tim Allen's kitchen before sitting down to lunch.
The five course tasting menu was paired with wine including Pommery champagne for the starter of Norwegian Seafood salmon, Isle of white tomatoes, iced anchovy and lemon, tomato juices and garnished with Koppert Cress Blinq Blossom. We were also treated to the signature dish, Flitch of bacon and scallop.
What the chefs and sponsors had to say about The Staff Canteen Live networking lunch
Brian Powlett is the head chef at the Greyhound in Ipswich and he is also a regular chef blogger who we feature on The Staff Canteen each month. He said: "It's great to actually meet people and realise you share mutual contacts. Meeting the suppliers in this environment is good, I've met suppliers who I haven't used but I will try to factor them in, in the future. Meeting them face to face and learning more about their products in just a two minute conversation makes you think 'oh I can use that'."
He added: "The Flitch of Bacon has been an incredible venue and I'm totally jealous of the kitchen!"
Attending for the first time was Franck Pontais, Innovation and Development Chef at Koppert Cress UK. He said: "Today has been fantastic for me because i can speak to the chefs when they are not stressed and they are relaxed. This event puts you in front of the right people and it gives you the time you need to speak to chefs. I really appreciated the one to one aspect, it allowed me to get to know the chefs and understand what they are looking for.
"I think this event is unique, it allows us to showcase some of our products on the dishes but also it allows us to say we have so much more available."
Michael Coaker from the London College of Hospitality and Tourism added: "It's always a challenge getting a group of chefs together and it's an interesting challenge to cook for them as we are often the worst critiques!"
Dean Hoddle who is head chef at Silverstone Circuit saw the chance to attend the networking lunch on social media and he wanted to get involved. He said: "I didn't know what to expect but it has been brilliant, it's so relaxed and talking to the suppliers there is no push from them. Instead of a product being thrown in you r face you can just talk to them and I've learnt something from each supplier today. Those we don't already work with I'll definitely be looking at what we can do in the future."
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.