12th April 2013
Autumn 2011: Fast forward
The festive season can bring hidden challenges for foodservice, which is why Stockpot has asked the experts for their forecasts for the coming winter months.
With no respite from rising food costs, planning ahead is becoming the norm for smart chefs.
In the build up to Christmas, Reynolds Catering Services doesn’t foresee any major problems when it comes to fresh produce over this period. British carrots and other root vegetables will be in their prime around this time, as will brassicas such as cauliflower, cabbages and the obligatory Brussels sprouts, as long as there are no extremities of weather.
Brassicas can be particularly temperamental if there’s an early frost or heavy snow which can damage the crop or force early harvesting. Last winter around 30 million cauliflowers were lost in the UK. This year Reynolds’ suppliers are taking no chances and have planted crops abroad to provide contingency stocks should there be a repeat of that weather.
However it is impossible to anticipate the weather in order to predict any problems. Brussels sprouts, for example, are planted just 90 days before harvest and will only be planted as this issue goes to press.
Potatoes will all be UK grown throughout this period, with the exception of some salad potatoes, which may be a mixture of UK and French.
Apples and pears will be good, with high demand for Cox apples, which begin in October and finish in January. This year, Reynolds says the UK’s top fruit harvest is shaping up to be very good, with the dry spring aided by subsequent wetter weather raising the prospect of good yields and high quality apples and pears sooner rather than later.
The end of dinner is often signified by a cheeseboard traditionally accompanied by grapes and celery. However there are difficulties sourcing grapes over this period as the European harvest is finishing and the South African and Israeli crops are just starting. Similarly, celery moves from UK supply to Spanish at this time. A more seasonal accompaniment could be homemade apple and pear or quince chutneys, particularly if grapes and celery are in short supply or not at their premium.
In the run up to Christmas, EBLEX will be producing a cooking guide containing all the advice chefs need to serve festive dishes. It also emphasises the importance of early planning to ensure menus suit every budget. Again it flags up beef rump because it is in plentiful supply during the winter, as well as premium shoulder of lamb.
Recognising that price would be a critical factor for operators EBLEX introduced 72 new cuts to add more value to the carcase. Foodservice project manager Hugh Judd says: “Our research confirms that more chefs are keen to explore under used and less well known cuts to exploit the added value potential they can offer.”
BPEX foodservice trade manager Tony Goodger recommends sourcing whole hams and premium roasting joints, and gammon joints cooked whole by the caterer that provide exceptional value. Unlike EBLEX, BPEX hasn’t introduced new cuts but stuck to standard cuts and a certain amount of re-educating caterers. “They’re more interested in using whole pigs and a lot of chefs like experimenting in their own way,” explains Goodger.
According to industry authority Seafish, fish and seafood consumption has been resilient to the recession with close to a billion servings of seafood in 2010 in the out of home market. However sustainability as well as availability is important to chefs, even at Christmas.
Mike Berthet, director of fish and seafood at M&J Seafood, says issues surrounding sustainable sourcing include the variations in weather conditions. “For example tuna fishing in the Far East will be entering the monsoon season making it difficult to fish, so for guaranteed continuity chefs should switch to super frozen tempered tuna, which is recommended all year round, especially if you are thinking of serving sushi.”
• For more information, visit www.reynolds-cs.com, www.eblex.org.uk, www.porkforcaterers.com and www.mjseafoods.com
In the build up to Christmas, Reynolds Catering Services doesn’t foresee any major problems when it comes to fresh produce over this period. British carrots and other root vegetables will be in their prime around this time, as will brassicas such as cauliflower, cabbages and the obligatory Brussels sprouts, as long as there are no extremities of weather.
Brassicas can be particularly temperamental if there’s an early frost or heavy snow which can damage the crop or force early harvesting. Last winter around 30 million cauliflowers were lost in the UK. This year Reynolds’ suppliers are taking no chances and have planted crops abroad to provide contingency stocks should there be a repeat of that weather.
However it is impossible to anticipate the weather in order to predict any problems. Brussels sprouts, for example, are planted just 90 days before harvest and will only be planted as this issue goes to press.
Potatoes will all be UK grown throughout this period, with the exception of some salad potatoes, which may be a mixture of UK and French.
Apples and pears will be good, with high demand for Cox apples, which begin in October and finish in January. This year, Reynolds says the UK’s top fruit harvest is shaping up to be very good, with the dry spring aided by subsequent wetter weather raising the prospect of good yields and high quality apples and pears sooner rather than later.
The end of dinner is often signified by a cheeseboard traditionally accompanied by grapes and celery. However there are difficulties sourcing grapes over this period as the European harvest is finishing and the South African and Israeli crops are just starting. Similarly, celery moves from UK supply to Spanish at this time. A more seasonal accompaniment could be homemade apple and pear or quince chutneys, particularly if grapes and celery are in short supply or not at their premium.
In the run up to Christmas, EBLEX will be producing a cooking guide containing all the advice chefs need to serve festive dishes. It also emphasises the importance of early planning to ensure menus suit every budget. Again it flags up beef rump because it is in plentiful supply during the winter, as well as premium shoulder of lamb.
Recognising that price would be a critical factor for operators EBLEX introduced 72 new cuts to add more value to the carcase. Foodservice project manager Hugh Judd says: “Our research confirms that more chefs are keen to explore under used and less well known cuts to exploit the added value potential they can offer.”
BPEX foodservice trade manager Tony Goodger recommends sourcing whole hams and premium roasting joints, and gammon joints cooked whole by the caterer that provide exceptional value. Unlike EBLEX, BPEX hasn’t introduced new cuts but stuck to standard cuts and a certain amount of re-educating caterers. “They’re more interested in using whole pigs and a lot of chefs like experimenting in their own way,” explains Goodger.
According to industry authority Seafish, fish and seafood consumption has been resilient to the recession with close to a billion servings of seafood in 2010 in the out of home market. However sustainability as well as availability is important to chefs, even at Christmas.
Mike Berthet, director of fish and seafood at M&J Seafood, says issues surrounding sustainable sourcing include the variations in weather conditions. “For example tuna fishing in the Far East will be entering the monsoon season making it difficult to fish, so for guaranteed continuity chefs should switch to super frozen tempered tuna, which is recommended all year round, especially if you are thinking of serving sushi.”
• For more information, visit www.reynolds-cs.com, www.eblex.org.uk, www.porkforcaterers.com and www.mjseafoods.com