Training helps 150 chefs make a meal of local produce

Chefs across South East England are swapping their kitchens for the classroom, and touring food and drink producers in a bid to put more local food on the menu in hotels, restaurants, pubs, cafes and tourist attractions.

More than 150 chefs across the region have already taken part in the Fresh Skills for Chef programme, run by Tourism South East Training and Skills.

A series of Chefs' Tours - visiting places from wild game breeders to wine estates and from herb growers to cheese makers - have brought chefs together with growers and producers to find out what is available on their doorsteps.

Masterclasses are showing chefs how to use locally grown and produced food and drink cost-effectively to create fresh and interesting new dishes and meals, helping them take advantage of the growing demand for local produce on the menu to attract new customers.

One example, the Game Extravaganza workshop, will look at giving game dishes a modern twist, such as rabbit sushi, smoked venison tortellini and Szechuan pheasant.

Sue Gill, Head of Tourism South East Training and Skills, said: "Celebrity chefs, restaurant reviews and television cookery shows constantly focus on local produce. We need to help local chefs find great ingredients on their doorstep and use them - without increasing costs.

"We know there is a shortage of skilled chefs in the South East and we can't afford to fall behind other regions in the quality of food we offer to locals and visitors. It's not just fine dining restaurants and gastropubs that can benefit from the huge increase in people eating out. Any tourism business offering food - visitor attractions, hotels, pubs and restaurants - can benefit by putting their chefs through this practical, low cost training."

The Fresh Skills for Chefs initiative is open to businesses across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Kent, the Isle of Wight, Oxfordshire, Surrey and Sussex.

Some 112 businesses have already sent chefs on the 10 Chefs' Tours and a series masterclassses run to date.

The initiative, subsidised through South East England Development Agency funding, runs until October 2009.

Training is designed to be practical and flexible to suit organisations which can't afford to have their chefs out of the business for long periods of time.

Sue Gill added: "Getting more local produce onto menus will also help the region's farmers and producers economically, and impact on sustainability, by reducing 'food miles'. It is a creative way of improving links between chefs and providers and improving knowledge and skills to benefit the tourism, hospitality and food sectors."

Businesses wishing to take part can find out more at: www.tourismtrainingsoutheast.com or from Michelle Grant at Tourism South East Training and Skills on 023 8062 5437 or mgrant@tourismse.com

Words: Clare Riley

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