Game's up for Sodexo chefs

A team of Sodexo chefs recently gathered at Westminster Kingsway Catering College to learn more about British wild game

The event, organised by Game-to-Eat and Sodexo was designed to inspire the group of 14 chefs to experiment with game in their cooking.

The keen team of chefs had the opportunity to get a hands-on cooking experience using venison, pheasant, and partridge.

Game-to-Eat, in its 10th year, is working to promote British wild game specifically for chefs, encouraging them to include it on their seasonal menu.

Chef and lecturer at Westminster Kingsway, Jose Souto, gave a detailed and educational demonstration on pheasant, partridge and venison.

The chefs were then placed into teams of two and asked to use venison, partridge or pheasant to devise a starter and main course that was considered a year-round recipe rather than just a winter dish.

The day culminated in a five-course dinner in which chefs got to dine amongst Sodexo customers from around the country. The menu featured "a delicious feast of game" provided by Yorkshire Game and included a cured venison salad to start and breast of pheasant with pheasant black pudding for the main.

Sodexo craft & food development director, David Mulcahy, congratulated all chefs for their "innovative" dishes. First prize for best team work was awarded to William Tinkler, Eton College and Nicholas Eyre, HSBC. They cooked teriyaki-glazed partridge with vegetable stir fry with oyster mushrooms, followed by venison tortellini, spinach, garden peas and sauce vierge. Both chefs will be taken on a day's shoot in Yorkshire.

Daniel Goodey, Nokia and Ben Tamlyn, Hendersons won the accolade for best starter – after they they cooked pheasant Scotch egg with a pickled vegetable salad.

The main was delivered by Paul Yeo, of Bateaux London and Shaun French, of The Scouts Association, who cooked breast of pheasant on savoy cabbage, and venison ravioli with a wild mushroom and white wine sauce. Both teams won a place on a Game Seminar at Westminster Kingsway with Jose Souto.

Mulcahy said: "All chefs attending have shown how easy, versatile and delicious cooking game can be as well as how innovative they can be when using game.

"This will hopefully drive people to think about using different game meats in their kitchens as a cost-effective and seasonal alternative to other meats and poultry."

Alexia Robinson of Game-to-Eat, said she is thrilled with the continued support of British wild game by Sodexo. She said: "Game is versatile, healthy and fully traceable so should be used by chefs whether they are in a pub or Michelin-starred restaurants.

"Chefs at the event have been very innovative coming up with some fantastic dishes."

Words: Georgiana Ndlovu

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