12th April 2013
Summer 2009 - Chef profile: Brian Mellor
AGE: 42 CURRENT JOB: Consultant chef
When Craft Guild member Brian Mellor was asked if he would consider salvaging the North West Young Chef of the Year competition following the demise of its competitive platform, North West Fine Foods Awards, in July 2008, he found himself in a quandary.
While the British Masterchef knew the annual battle of the region’s most promising talent was hugely popular and had been so since its launch in 2001, would the next generation of Ramsays and Blumenthals really care if the accolade disappeared into the ether?
Ever the consummate professional, Mellor contacted catering colleges, contenders, fellow chefs, potential sponsors – anyone with something to say about this battle of the protégés from Cumbria, Merseyside, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Cheshire. Armed with a dossier of positive feedback, the decision was a no brainer and he has now steered the rejuvenated Essential Cuisine sponsored competition with fervour to its nail biting final.
Passionate about the challenge, he brings with him a wealth of experience from years spent developing and expanding restaurants, guiding hundreds of chefs at any one time.
His roles have included development chef at Pernickety Inns with Restaurants responsible for the day to day organisation and support of 10 Country Inns, Burlington’s Dining Rooms group executive chef, and chef to the chief executive of the Granada Group and Board in the TV studio Penthouse, where he delivered fine dining for internal and external events.
He is also the powerhouse behind ‘A Zest for Food’, which provides training and hands on support to foodservice businesses, including craft and statutory training, menu development, food safety, health and safety, auditing and
food demonstration.
At the recent Craft Guild of Chefs AGM he received a bronze medal for the work he did to reinstate the North West Young Chef of the Year.
Aside from North West Young Chef of the Year competition, what are you currently doing?
My latest project is Claremont Farm, which I am extremely passionate about. Essentially, I have set up a kitchen on the 250 acre farm, where I run food and cooking workshops for chefs, cooks and anyone with a love of good, local food. I work in partnership with Andrew Pimbley, the fourth generation to farm at Claremont and, together, we have established the Chef ‘n’ Farmer project, offering activities for school children, groups and businesses based around food and farming.”
What was your inspiration behind this project?
Through my interest and work with Zest, I became a lot closer to farmers, food producers and understood better the natural ‘field to fork’ link between food and the land. I relish being somewhere where the connection is obvious, that keeps me inspired and where people can join me and experience it themselves, young and old.
Can you describe one of the biggest challenges of your career?
As a registered company for the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, Zest took us into unbelievably challenging directions, such as having to train around 300 multi national crew members on 12 separate vessels while the ships were working.
This particular job took around two months, delivered in all weather conditions and helped us learn how to individually tailor sessions to the needs of our clients, which included P&O Ferries, Compass Group, Food Standards Agency, Cambridge University and Northwest Fine Foods.
Any glamorous gigs?
As executive chef at Granada TV, I had the wonderful job of cooking for events and people (ok, celebs), in backdrops you only get in the media world. Where else do you get to cook for business leaders in the Giant room from Return of the Antelope (think Borrowers), plan and deliver a Christmas party with a fairground in a studio, cook private dinners for famous and infamous characters, and create TV themed canapés to be served in replica sets to thousands.
What was your most rewarding job as a hands on chef?
Working in the Penthouse of Granada studios was a unique role in the chef world, essentially cooking behind closed doors for four years. For the majority of people in the building, the Penthouse was a kind of myth, but for me it was a sanctuary to test and finely hone my skills. Not simply working the pass, but creating everything served from petit pain to petit fours.
What specifically do you bring to North West Young Chef of the Year?
During my career, I have competed in many regional and national competitions, and I have been part of a team that organises salon culinaires every year, attracting several hundred entries in 30 categories. I have been awarded Master Craftsman status by the Craft Guild of Chefs, and I am a member of the Masterchefs of Great Britain. North West Young Chef of the Year is not just about young chefs but also the produce from the region.
I regularly visit regional specialists to update my knowledge in the food world. These include farmers, butchers, fishmongers, chocolatiers, sugar work sessions, cheese makers, colleagues’ kitchens and many more. I aim to bring all this experience to the fore with this competition.
While the British Masterchef knew the annual battle of the region’s most promising talent was hugely popular and had been so since its launch in 2001, would the next generation of Ramsays and Blumenthals really care if the accolade disappeared into the ether?
Ever the consummate professional, Mellor contacted catering colleges, contenders, fellow chefs, potential sponsors – anyone with something to say about this battle of the protégés from Cumbria, Merseyside, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Cheshire. Armed with a dossier of positive feedback, the decision was a no brainer and he has now steered the rejuvenated Essential Cuisine sponsored competition with fervour to its nail biting final.
Passionate about the challenge, he brings with him a wealth of experience from years spent developing and expanding restaurants, guiding hundreds of chefs at any one time.
His roles have included development chef at Pernickety Inns with Restaurants responsible for the day to day organisation and support of 10 Country Inns, Burlington’s Dining Rooms group executive chef, and chef to the chief executive of the Granada Group and Board in the TV studio Penthouse, where he delivered fine dining for internal and external events.
He is also the powerhouse behind ‘A Zest for Food’, which provides training and hands on support to foodservice businesses, including craft and statutory training, menu development, food safety, health and safety, auditing and
food demonstration.
At the recent Craft Guild of Chefs AGM he received a bronze medal for the work he did to reinstate the North West Young Chef of the Year.
Aside from North West Young Chef of the Year competition, what are you currently doing?
My latest project is Claremont Farm, which I am extremely passionate about. Essentially, I have set up a kitchen on the 250 acre farm, where I run food and cooking workshops for chefs, cooks and anyone with a love of good, local food. I work in partnership with Andrew Pimbley, the fourth generation to farm at Claremont and, together, we have established the Chef ‘n’ Farmer project, offering activities for school children, groups and businesses based around food and farming.”
What was your inspiration behind this project?
Through my interest and work with Zest, I became a lot closer to farmers, food producers and understood better the natural ‘field to fork’ link between food and the land. I relish being somewhere where the connection is obvious, that keeps me inspired and where people can join me and experience it themselves, young and old.
Can you describe one of the biggest challenges of your career?
As a registered company for the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, Zest took us into unbelievably challenging directions, such as having to train around 300 multi national crew members on 12 separate vessels while the ships were working.
This particular job took around two months, delivered in all weather conditions and helped us learn how to individually tailor sessions to the needs of our clients, which included P&O Ferries, Compass Group, Food Standards Agency, Cambridge University and Northwest Fine Foods.
Any glamorous gigs?
As executive chef at Granada TV, I had the wonderful job of cooking for events and people (ok, celebs), in backdrops you only get in the media world. Where else do you get to cook for business leaders in the Giant room from Return of the Antelope (think Borrowers), plan and deliver a Christmas party with a fairground in a studio, cook private dinners for famous and infamous characters, and create TV themed canapés to be served in replica sets to thousands.
What was your most rewarding job as a hands on chef?
Working in the Penthouse of Granada studios was a unique role in the chef world, essentially cooking behind closed doors for four years. For the majority of people in the building, the Penthouse was a kind of myth, but for me it was a sanctuary to test and finely hone my skills. Not simply working the pass, but creating everything served from petit pain to petit fours.
What specifically do you bring to North West Young Chef of the Year?
During my career, I have competed in many regional and national competitions, and I have been part of a team that organises salon culinaires every year, attracting several hundred entries in 30 categories. I have been awarded Master Craftsman status by the Craft Guild of Chefs, and I am a member of the Masterchefs of Great Britain. North West Young Chef of the Year is not just about young chefs but also the produce from the region.
I regularly visit regional specialists to update my knowledge in the food world. These include farmers, butchers, fishmongers, chocolatiers, sugar work sessions, cheese makers, colleagues’ kitchens and many more. I aim to bring all this experience to the fore with this competition.