Blog posts tagged with 'caterers'

Unless you’ve been living in a hobbit hole, it’s probably fair to assume as a chef or foodservice operator, you know who Gordon Ramsay is. Famous Chef, Father, Actor, Entrepreneur, Triathlete, and the list goes on, Chef Ramsay has lived the inspiring story of coming from humble roots and working his arse off to succeed in the culinary, business and entertainment worlds. This past January, Chef Ramsay went on Reddit to do an Ask Me Anything interview. As a company that provides restaurant supplies to foodservice operators and chefs, reading Chef Ramsay’s refreshingly open, honest, down to earth and likeable interview only made us love the celebrity chef even more. Like this gem of a quote which gives us pause for thought…“Someone said to me last night ‘Never trust a skinny chef.’ And I said ‘That's bullshit, never trust a fat chef.’ And she said ‘Why?’ And I said ‘Because they've eaten all the good bits.’”

Here’s 7 things we learned from Gordon Ramsay’s Reddit AMA

1. He stresses the importance of understanding Michelin Stars are awarded to Restaurant’s, not Chefs.

“So the stars are awarded to the restaurant. And sometimes the chefs think the stars belong to the chefs, but they belong to the restaurant. The service is just as important. Michelin's had a hard time in America, because it was late coming to the table. But if there's one thing I respect, it's consistency. They manage to identify consistently, and it's all there for the customer.”

2. He also pointed out that you can’t charm your way to a Michelin Star

“…you know, if there's one thing I've come to admire with the Michelin is that it's consistent. It's a guy who is judging you incognito. We have a lot of guys in this country, and Europe, who are a bit too familiar, too chummy with chefs, and they overindulge - food editors, they'll know, and tip off the chef. With a Michelin guide, you have no idea when they'll be in, or when they'll review you. And that's why they're the most feared and respected by chefs.”

3. Pork Chops with Rhubarb should be a strange food combination but really “Shit! It’s delicious!”

“I had an amazing doubled pork chop with rhubarb. Now rhubarb is something we literally eat with desserts, but this dish was incredible. It was in Spain. It was a double pork-chop that had been slow-roasted over an open pit fire with rhubarb. Absolutely delicious. This was one of my mates that was trying to show off cooking in his back garden in Spain when we were out filming for KITCHEN NIGHTMARES. I didn't think it was going to work, to be honest.

And then when I started tasting, I thought Shit! This is delicious!”

4. His witty insults surprise even himself sometimes

“Heh! Witty insults? Ehm... it just happens sort of spur-of-the-moment. I see red, I get frustrated, I let it go. I'm not very good at editing myself. I have to get things off my chest. If there's one thing my mum taught me, it's speak your mind, be firm, get things off your chest. I think it's a good way to work, and quite healthy to have that attitude. Do I think about it previously? No, they just come to me in a flashpoint. And sometimes even I sit back and think Did I just say that?”

5. He manages his time by multi-tasking very well and never staying too long in one place

“I...I multi-task very well.

And I am never in one place too long.

I think now with, you know, my own production company, I'm very lucky the schedule works around my diary. I work my ass off - you know, 15, 16 hours a day. I quite enjoy the time difference when I finish, for instance, last night we were taping MASTER CHEF until 9 or 10 PM at night, I'll have a quick bite to eat, and then I'll call the UK at midnight - because come midnight LA time, West Coast time, it's 8 o'clock in the morning. I'll say good morning to the kids, I'll catch up with my business in London, and then from 2-5 o'clock, I sleep, get up, go to the gym, and then start my day again.

So that's my daily slog.

So I stand by my convictions - when I opened up the restaurant, Gordon Ramsay, back in September 1998, I decided I was going to work my ass off. My flagship restaurant in Chelsea has never been open on a Saturday and Sunday - it's never been open on a week-end, because I thought if we're going to do this, I'd like to do this properly, so my staff needs time off. So I work hard, but I give myself time off on the week-end. I cut it off, and power down for 48 hours.”

6. His favourite Disney movie is predictably adorable while plugging a new video we had no idea about!

“My favorite Disney movie.

Ehm, come on?

Seriously?

It has to be RATATOUILLE.

I was very close, last year, when we had Bradley Cooper in the kitchen cooking up a storm for his new ADAM JONES movie coming up the end of this year, and understand his level of excitement about service, being on the line - he didn't want to tiptoe, he wanted to be in there, from first light to the last plate leaving the kitchen, and it was so nice to see how he respected the team. He didn't want pampering, he wanted to roll his sleeves up and dive in there.

He said "Gordon, I just want you to teach me to put food on a plate, because it's really magical how you put food on the plate the way you do."

So I'm very excited for this movie, coming out, called ADAM JONES. It's very exciting to see an actor understand what you do, and knowing that he can't learn how to cook in a few months, but absolutely nailing it when it came to the level of presentation.”

7. He offers a different take on the traditional advice for new or aspiring chefs

“Ehm, good question. The biggest piece of advice - you know, cooking is about character. It's about different cuisines. And I think sometimes we go into it a little bit blinkered-vision. Learn a second vision - I thought I really knew how to cook when I worked for Marco and then when I went to France, it really opened my eyes. So learn a second language, and travel. It's really important to travel. That is fundamental. because you pick up so many different techniques, and learning a second language gives you so much more confidence in the kitchen.”

You can read the whole AMA here.

h/t this Linkedin Post

1. Creative Problem solving.

“In other words, the ability to maneuver with grace, confidence and thoughtfulness all the known unknowns and unknown unknowns of an event and the people in attendance.”

2. Preparedness, Tactfulness and Patience.

“Be Prepared. Be Patient, Be Tactful (especially when you want to really injure someone who has been discourteous), and most of all be able to think on your feet because don't care how organized you are something out of the ordinary may happen.”

3. Team Player.

“An event planner has to work with a team and other people in order to ensure the event is a success. This means that the manager should have the ability to tell and listen without any issues. It is important that the event manager understands what the client needs and then find ways to fulfill those needs or come up with different options.”

4. Great Listener.

“An event planner must be a good listener. He/she must be able to listen to every detail of what is required of him/her, both verbal and nonverbal messages and be able to interpret these to successful events.”

5. Impeccable Attention to Detail and Organization.

“Organization!!!!! Can you imagine being an event planner and not being organized...no way! :)”

6. Cool Confidence in Stressful Situations.

“Always smiling :) , no matter what you are thinking on the inside. Most importantly keeping your cool. I think we have all heard the saying - Be like a duck. Calm on the surface, but always paddling like the dickens underneath.”

7. A Plethora of Industry Contacts.

“A great network of industry partners cannot be too far down the list. An event planner who can work miracles usually doesn't do it alone. He/She needs partners in every industry who can deliver results at a moment’s notice. Gotta have a great caterer, gotta have a great flooring guy, pyrotechnics, print, AV, etc. etc. The more connected you are, the more solutions you can offer.”

8. The Ability to Humbly Admit Mistakes. There is nothing more endearing than a person willing and able to admit a mistake and actively work to find the solution.

“Events inevitably change and a planner either finds a solution for a problem or let's it impact the quality of the event. I've watched planners who immediately place responsibility on others. Not acceptable for a successful planner. Take ownership, think creatively, lead, and have back up plans. When something exceeds those parameters, even your plan b, make it work!”

9. Flexibility.

“THINGS always come up, it is important to remember why you are there and what the purpose of your event is. I always enjoy ours because I strongly believe in what we are doing for our clients and the goal of our events, anything that comes up can be handled when prepared, just remember the overall goal!”

10. Customer Service Savvy.

“It's all about customer service and providing that ultimate, memorable experience. As Jennifer Diller said, providing that customer service is about being flexible and being able to adapt to sudden changes during events. Event planning is an exercise in problem solving!”

A couple weeks ago I was browsing Reddit and stumbled across a fantastic question from an apprentice chef asking other chefs what their favourite cooking YouTube channels were. There were some fantastic suggestions that I thought was worth mentioning. So often when creative people are constantly brainstorming innovative ways of doing things – whether it be writing a new blog post, or developing a new recipe it can be hard to stay inspired. Creative blocks can be stressful and anxiety ridden and one of the best ways to unstick your head is learning something new. YouTube offers us content that can help us get out of our heads and force us to see a new perspective on our craft. Here are some chef-sourced favourite YouTube cooking channels sure to inspire a new and wonderful recipe for your next daily or monthly special.

Food Wishes

Food Wishes is an allrecipes production boasting more than 1 million subscribers and starring Chef John. The channel posts 2-3 new recipes a week designed to improve culinary skills and make viewers laugh. The food is the star on this channel – with Chef John acting as the voice instead of the talent. This channel has been around since 2007 and boasts 1134 videos and counting. The most popular video on this channel is the inside-out grilled cheese sandwich with over 6.5 million views.

Cooking with Dog

Cooking with Dog is a YouTube cooking show featuring 975,000 subscribers which stars the cutest canine host Francis and a mysterious Japanese Chef whose real name is not disclosed. While Chef cooks a variety of popular dishes in Japan, Francis calmly sits next to her and narrates the recipes step-by-step in English. This channel has been around since 2007 and has 238 videos and counting. They post a video every weekend with the most popular being how to make a bento lunch box with over 5 million views. Redditers say the cooking show has a hilarious narrator though some of the western-influenced plates are a hot mess. Look to this show for Japanese staples.

The RIVESTAURANT

Though not a professional, The RIVESTAURANT, featuring Chris Rivest has over 26,000 subscribers and has been active since 2008 with 51 videos and growing. Redditor Chahles88 says he’s highly entertaining and a lot of his techniques are pretty good (though not a professional). The most popular video on the channel is the slow larry – a bacon and cheese stuffed burger with over 475,000 views. *drool* Note that there’s a lot of swearing in this series.

Stella Culinary

A great resource for novice chefs, Stella Culinary features a ton of videos that teach you tips and techniques on how to cook as a professional chef. With over 27,000 subscribers, and 170 videos including food science, prep, knife skills, butchery & meal fabrication, cooking techniques etc., there’s something for everyone. The most popular video on Stella Culinary is how to lay out a simple fruit platter with over 1.3 million views.

My Drunk Kitchen

Honestly the most entertaining (well except for Francis the dog) channel when you need some much needed laughs after a long shift. Featuring guests such as Jamie Oliver, Whoopi Goldberg and more, the always fantastically hilarious Hannah Hart brings puns, optimism and a healthy dose of entertainment to her cooking show. With 1.9 million followers, a cookbook and a place to buy her swag, Hannah has over 630 videos to be entertained with. The most popular video on My Drunk Kitchen (MDK) is Episode 1 of MDK is Butter Yo Shit with 3.6 million views.

Photo courtesy of: Champion Industries

Anyone working at a foodservice establishment that sells beverages, whether it be a pub, bar, club, quick-service, fast casual or full service restaurant, knows the importance of finding a glass washer that can quickly and sanitarily turn-around all shapes and sizes of bar glasses. Whenever I am in the process of purchasing a product, I’m interested in finding the best for what I’m willing to pay. Because of this, I thought it was worth rounding up the best glass washers available in Canada for foodservice operators.

Check out the companies selling glass washers below:

Champion Industries, Inc.

Champion touts themselves as the dishwashing and glasswashing machine specialists which isn’t hard to see why. They specialize almost exclusively in warewashing machines. They sell a wide range of glass washers including rotary or pass through glass washing machines. Their machines clean and sanitize up to 2000 glasses per hour with clearances of up to 12” for taller stemware. They feature a 3-pump injection system for precise dispensing.

Hobart

Hobart is a well-known foodservice brand that manufactures foodservice equipment for warewashing, cooking, food preparation and waste treatment. They manufacture four different kinds of glass washers all glass rack models. They can clean and sanitize between 770 – 2160 glasses per hour depending on the model purchased. All can fit under bar or counter and all feature no escaping steam upon opening of the glass washer door. Their larger models allow double racks effectively doubling the capacity. They boast being the first commercial glass washer in the world with active drying technology to remove moisture from the glass.

CMA Dishmachines

CMA Dishmachines is another company that specializes exclusively in glass & warewashing equipment. Their machines can clean and sanitize between 600 to 1000 glasses per hour depending on the machine. They have both rotary (carousel) and glass rack with door models. They have an energy star rated model, and the ability of a pumped drain allowing for flexible installations with no floor drain required.

Fagor (Sold through Hendrix Restaurant Equipment)

Fagor specializes in warewashing, combi ovens and refrigeration. Their undercounter glass washer features capacity for 972 glasses per hour, one year parts warranty, and high temperature sanitation to protect your glasses and have them come out cleaner and dryer than traditional sanitation methods. Their machine also doubles as a dishwasher should you need it to.

Everyone in the catering industry knows the importance of food and beverage at a wedding. It can make or break a guest’s experience and can be one of the highest costs a bride and groom must pay for. Because of this, wedding reception and wedding cocktail reception menus are an extremely important part of a great wedding. Many a bride is eager to impress guests by ensuring the food is on trend with the hot items in the industry.

To help you more efficiently keep up to date on the wedding reception catering trends for this year, we’ve compiled 20 of the top wedding catering trends below.

Beverage Trends:

1. Beer cocktails are quickly rising in popularity. Already gracing restaurant menus, cocktails with beer including margaritas with beer, the Michelada made with beer, lime juice and hot sauce, beer sangria and much more. And speaking of sangria… Source.

2. High-end shareable punches that incorporate a creative blend of ingredients and top-shelf liquor and presented in large apothecary jars or statement bowls offer guests a creative way to have a signature drink at a wedding. Source.

Cocktail Receptions:

3. It’s raining….oysters? Oysters are showing up everywhere during the first hour of cocktail receptions – such as at a raw bar and passed oyster shooters. Source.

4. Hor d’oeuvres with sweet-spicy sauces and condiments are being highlighted. Source.

5. Vegan and vegetarian dishes continue to rise in popularity and based on personal preference, clients are increasingly featuring these dishes during cocktail hours in ways such as falafel bars, hummus and bruschetta stations. Source.

6. If it’s smoked, pickled, fermented, fire-roasted or preserved it’s going to be popular this year with charcuterie, homemade pates and spreads as well as seafood charcuterie playing heavily in the cocktail hour. Source.

7. Action stations are still a smash hit with the wedding crowd. Memorable stations include bruschetta bars accompanied with hand-carved serrano ham and pulled pork action stations. Source.

8. Complementing the above trend, DIY stations have become a key component to wedding menus including a create-your-own-ceviche bar, build-your-own-taco-bars and caviar bars. Source.

9. Champagne bars with sparkling wines, with a variety of unexpected (and expected) garnishes such as herb sprigs, handmade syrups, fresh berries and candied ginger to customize a drink are gaining momentum. Source.

10. Complementing the wedding décor trend of curated vintage or antique dinnerware, curated hors d’oeuvre with mini cocktails or shots have made their way into the cocktail reception trends. Source.

Appetizers:

11. Upscale ramen noodles gain popularity as appetizers with caterers substituting whole wheat, soba, cellophane and rice noodles. Source.

12. Anything on a stick. Think about it – no need for guests to hold plates and it makes conversations easier to take place. Try prosciutto-wrapped melon, bite size Caprese salads, or spicy chick satay skewers. Source.

Entrees:

13. Seasonal menus that take advantage of locally grown produce remain popular taking advantage of locally grown produce and natural / organic fare. Source.

14. Environmentally sustainable foods will reign supreme during the dinner portion of a wedding. Source.

15. New cuts of meat (such as braised beef cheeks) and non-traditional fish such as mackerel and whiting will replace the more common cuts as the popular protein options for entrees. Source.

Entrée Sides:

16. Root vegetables shine as sides with celery root, parsnips and kohlrabi gaining speed. Source.

17. Move over quinoa as ancient grains such as spelt, forbidden rice and amaranth replace the much hailed superfood. Source.

Dessert:

18. Homemade savory ice creams and shaved ice desserts gain popularity for the much awaited dessert course. Source.

19. Waffle and crepe stations will provide a creative alternative to DIY sundae stations. Source.

20. And finally – although not a new trend but continuing to rise – food trucks arriving anywhere from an hour before the end of the evening to just before guests depart offer all different kinds of gourmet savoury street fare. Source.