In this issue of Infusion, the Scottish Chefs magazine, look back on the 2024 Worldchefs Congress and discover the 30th Scottish Chefs Anniversary Lunch attended by Worldchefs’ President Andy Cuthbert!
To learn more about Worldchefs, click here.
Author: Julia
Gone are the days when dining out was solely about convenience and flavor. Today’s environmentally conscious consumers are looking for more: they’re interested in knowing where their food comes from, how it’s produced, and the impact their choices have on the planet. This shift in consumer behavior translates to a growing willingness to pay a premium for meals that boast eco-friendly credentials. If a restaurant can demonstrate that its ingredients are sourced responsibly and sustainably, diners are happy to open their wallets a little wider, knowing their meal contributes to a healthier planet. This green wave is transforming the restaurant industry, with eateries across the culinary spectrum embracing sustainable practices to cater to this discerning clientele.
Far from a flash-in-the-pan trend, sustainability is becoming an integral part of restaurant operations. From investing in energy-efficient restaurant cooking equipment to finding innovative ways to reduce food waste, the best restaurants are increasingly looking for ways to bring eco-conscious dining to the fore.
Not only is it the right thing to do from an ethical perspective, but a move to greener operations also has a positive impact on business. So, what can you do to align your business with the shifting landscape of restaurant sustainability?
Quick and easy ways to run a kitchen more sustainably
There are many ways you can create a more sustainable commercial kitchen and steer your restaurant towards a greener future. With increasing advancements in innovation and technology, purchasing energy-efficient kitchen appliances can have a massive impact on your kitchen’s overall environmental footprint.
From energy-smart ovens and stovetops to efficient refrigerators, the right kitchen equipment can help restaurants save money and keep up in a fast-paced industry. Energy-efficient restaurant kitchen equipment can also help boost productivity, with streamlined cooking times and reduced waste.
Many restaurants are choosing to swap plastic for sustainable packaging and takeaway containers, made from biodegradable materials like bamboo, and are also shifting to reusable options, all in order to reduce the amount of waste generated. The prevalence of takeaway culture can pose a severe threat to our environment if we don’t work towards making packaging as sustainable as possible.
Finally, using locally sourced produce and cheaper, more environmentally friendly cuts of meat are simple ways to help run a more sustainable commercial kitchen. This approach can inspire creativity in chefs; it is something you can add to your menus to educate customers and can lead to tastier ingredients, too.
How sustainability can increase profitability for a restaurant
Embracing a more eco-conscious mindset can lead to an uptick in profits. Switching your focus towards plant-based dishes in favor of expensive meat or fish can have an immediate impact on your bottom line. Collaborating with local food distributors and focusing your menus on locally sourced ingredients reduces transportation costs, and integrating cost-effective ingredients into a well-run menu management system can help deliver excellent cuisine at lower price points.
All of which are linked to the customer experience. If your clientele understands that you’re dedicated to using local ingredients, sustainably sourcing meat and fish, and shifting towards eco-friendly materials in the kitchen, they will be more likely to be repeat customers and recommend your restaurant to friends and family.
The importance of reducing food waste
Reducing food waste in restaurants is a huge part of modern sustainability. As consumers, we’ve become more health-conscious and eco-aware than ever before. More and more people are interested in making the most out of ingredients to create delicious, nutritious meals.
That’s why Electrolux Professional has launched their “zero waste, all taste” initiative to demonstrate how it’s possible to make use of ingredients that are so often thrown away, not only for the sake of being sustainable, but to create delicious gourmet food.
This full-service concept includes equipment, pre-sale services, maintenance contracts, staff training, recipe development, payback calculation and food cost analysis, designed to demonstrate how simple, inexpensive ingredients can be used to create something special.
Kitchen management is also key. Restaurants need a better understanding of their pre- and post-consumer waste. From better portion control to implementing leftover donation programs, a modern kitchen needs to be forward-thinking when it comes to tackling food waste.
Updating the equipment can play a critical role
Energy-efficient kitchen equipment is central to ensuring kitchens operate in a streamlined way, with reduced food waste, energy use, and costs. And emerging technologies can help kitchens stay ahead of the curve, with appliances that blend smart features with intuitive design for a more efficient, productive back-of-house.
Food waste, in particular, is impacted by your refrigerator’s performance in terms of humidity and temperature. Therefore, a well-functioning refrigerator is able to strongly prolong the life of the food it contains.
Electrolux Professional’s range of kitchen solutions is geared towards creating a more sustainable restaurant and can save up to 20% on energy costs. The SkyLine Combi Oven, for instance, utilizes state-of-the-art AI technology with the “Plan-n-Save” function to optimize your cooking and minimize your spending; it features an integrated automatic cleaning system that reduces water and energy costs while guaranteeing your appliance’s long-term efficiency and performance. The SkyLine Blast Chiller grants lower running costs, elimination of food waste, and reduction of time to serve, while maintaining food quality and safety.
Cleaning up is greener and more streamlined than ever before. Electrolux Professional’s dishwashers use less energy, water, detergent and rinse aid, which can save up to $1,125 per year.
By replacing an old professional refrigerator in class G with a new one in class A from the Electrolux Professional High Performing and Efficiency line (their best in class for energy consumption and real usable capacity), you can potentially cut your electricity bill by up to 80%*.
Conclusions
With emerging technologies and shifting customer expectations, modern commercial kitchens need to ride the green wave and embrace sustainability. When it comes to eco-conscious kitchens, Electrolux Professional is leading the charge. As an industry leader with expertise in helping restaurants operate at high levels of efficiency and excellence, Electrolux Professional can elevate your kitchen and take your performance to the next level.
To discover how, click here.
*Calculated on a 503lt (net volume) full-door refrigerated cabinet, replacing a class G appliance with a class A one.
Foodradio’s The Culinary Passport podcast returns with an exciting launch for its third season, featuring a landmark interview to kick off the year. This episode spotlights Australian chef Andy Cuthbert, who was recently elected as the President of the World Association of Chefs’ Societies (Worldchefs), exploring his prestigious new role and extensive culinary career.
To discover more about the episode, read here.
Unilever Food Solutions (UFS) is home to some of the world’s best-loved food brands, from Hellmann’s to Knorr Professional. For over 100 years, they’ve been supporting chefs and food service professionals by providing high-quality recipes and superior product solutions.
Their free annual food report, Future Menus, helps chefs stay ahead of the game with the hottest trends, recipes and techniques, while the UFS Training Platform offers best-in-class culinary masterclasses, leadership training and wellbeing resources to drive positive kitchens.
The 2024 Food Menus report explores the major trends dominating the industry, from the rise of Plant-Powered Protein to Local Abundance, or the increased demand for locally sourced produce.
Within the context of soaring ingredient prices and business costs, one trend has emerged as particularly relevant to the changing needs of the industry: Low-Waste Menus. Research tells us increasing profitability is the main reason why chefs embrace this trend, while 54% do so to be more sustainable.
In the report, the rise of Low-Waste Menus is explored through two main avenues – Less Is More: The Benefits Of A Smaller Menu and How To Get Creative With Waste. While the former focuses on crafting more selective and data-driven menu options, the latter is brimming with solutions to help you reimagine your approach and make the most of your ingredients.
As we explain, “waste” has always been a dirty word when it comes to food. Specifically, it conjures up images of rotting vegetable offcuts piled up at the bottom of the bin. In recent years, buzzwords like “upcycled” and “ugly foods” have helped to shift the negative narrative surrounding food waste, and chefs are embracing the idea of getting creative with would-be waste.
With the cost of produce rising year-on-year, it’s never been more important to make use of every last edible part of the ingredients we use. This is something Brandon Collins, Executive Chef for UFS North America, is passionate about. “Anything that you don’t throw into the bin is going to translate to dollars on the plate,” he explains. “Utilizing would-be waste provides excitement for customers and also forces us chefs to be more creative and adventurous.”
“One of the very first ways that I got into utilizing waste was thinking about the things that I knew were edible,” Brandon shares.
“Cores of cauliflower, broccoli stems, mundane things that we often throw out can be turned into soups. Or perhaps take those stems and slice and pickle them.”
Brandon adds, “One of the things that I’ve done with banana peels is dice them really small, mix them with vinegar, sugar and a little bit of jalapeño and then use it over oysters. It became a cool mignonette sauce. Super simple, but it brought that beautiful fruitiness of the banana out.”
Chef Brandon Collins offers five tips on how to start your food upcycling journey.
1 Find the Perfect Pickle Brine
My top tip is to find a pickle brine that you love. Once you have a universal brine, you can pickle anything. You can ferment or pickle garlic, you can pickle cabbage, eggs, whatever you want!
2 Do Your Research
One of my go-to books is Surplus: The Food Waste Guide for Chefs by Vojtech Végh. It’s amazing and full of useful information.
3 Eat Global
There are so many cuisines that are based on fermented food, preserved food or the utilization of waste. So start exploring!
4 Look to the Past
If you look at historic recipes, they utilize everything. Looking back into the past can help propel us into the future and inspire us.
5 Rethink Waste
Look at what you throw in the bin, or what you traditionally remove from an item and ask yourself if you actually have to remove it. Do I have to peel that carrot? Do I have to peel that banana? Are these things necessary for creating the dish or the flavor profile that I’m looking for? Nine times out of ten, leaving it on actually creates a better dish.
Stay prepped for tomorrow by downloading the free report here.
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Gulf Gourmet Magazine – December 2024
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Are you #PreppedForTomorrow?
With rising costs and evolving diner expectations, chefs today are battling with the question of how to serve more with less. But, chefs are under more stress than ever due to the increasingly steep price of ingredients and rising business costs. The answer? Finding new, efficient methods of delivering dishes that excite while showcasing chefs’ creative skills.
This is where the Future Menus 2024 Trend Report by Unilever Food Solutions comes in. It has been compiled from hours of detailed research, including industry reports by leading third-party sources, social media analytics, perspectives from UFS’ 250 professional chefs, and in-depth feedback of more than 1,600 chef professionals.
As well as identifying the biggest menu trends in the food service world, these insights have been translated into practical, action-driven solutions, including recipe ideas, techniques, and ingredient solutions.
Among the trends identified is Flavor Shock: a trend which dives into the rising Gen Z demand for unforgettable dining experiences and which entails a no-holds-barred approach including wild fusion and chaos cooking.
There’s also Plant-Powered Protein: a trend which delves into the rising demand for plant-rich proteins, such as beans, pulses, legumes and vegetables. It prioritizes innovation in this space and opens up opportunities to get creative.
Elsewhere, Local Abundance is an ingredients-focused trend about celebrating local produce and staying close to nature – encouraging chefs to look to their local farm and providing recipe suggestions.
Meanwhile, in today’s high-cost environment, Low Waste Menus involves advice on how to get creative with waste and crafting smaller menus to increase profitability and sustainability.
The Irresistible Vegetables trend provides inspiration for chefs to offer new and interesting dishes which center vegetables and can help to attract new diners and stand out from the competition.
Modernized Comfort Food looks at the continuing demand for classics with a twist and provides insights on how to deliver authentic dishes while providing something new for diners.
Feel-Good Food, on the other hand, encourages chefs to explore new cuisines to satisfy the appetite for nutritious and tasty dining as well as advice for building better eating habits.
Finally, The New Sharing provides insights – including the benefits of AI – on attracting more guests to enjoy bonding over food that’s good for the soul.
For more insight and solutions, click here.
History in the Making
The second Asian Pastry Young Chefs Challenge (APYC) 2024, held on September 25-26 at the Guangzhou Import and Export Commodity Fair, marked a historic milestone in China’s culinary scene as the country’s first national young pastry competition to receive endorsement from the World Association of Chefs’ Societies (Worldchefs). Organized in collaboration with the China Cuisine Association, Guangdong Imported Food Association, Constellar Worldex, the Association of Staff and Workers Education and Vocational Training in Shenzhen, and the JIYI Cultural Planning Committee, the event brought together talented young pastry chefs from across Asia.
Endorsed by Worldchefs, APYC 2024 attracted competitors from eight Asian countries and regions, including China, Indonesia, South Korea, Singapore, India, Malaysia, Macau China, and Vietnam. The theme of this year’s competition, ‘Heritage and Innovation’, invited teams to fuse traditional pastry skills with modern techniques, displaying exceptional creativity. The challenge fostered cultural exchange and culinary collaboration, showcasing the diversity of Asian food cultures and contributing to the advancement of global pastry arts.
This year’s event was supported by Chef Willment Leong, Worldchefs Continental Director for Asia, and Chef KK Yau, Worldchefs Vice Continental Director for Asia. The competition upheld the highest standards of excellence, with four Worldchefs-certified Continental Pastry judges, led by International Pastry Judge Kenny Kong serving as Chairman of the Jury.
A showcase of excellent culinary skills
During the seven-hour challenge, the young chefs skills were tested. Singapore emerged as the champion team, earning the “Best Chocolate Praline,” “Best Chocolate Cake,” and “Best Plated Dessert” awards. Malaysia was named first runner-up for creativity, while South Korea placed third and was awarded “Best Artistic Showpiece.”
China’s team demonstrated exceptional teamwork, earning the Gold Medal along with awards for “Best Team Spirit” and “Best Chocolate Degustation.” Vietnam earned a Silver Medal, while Indonesia, Macau China, and India each received Bronze Medals. The overall level of skill, creativity, and dedication from all teams was truly remarkable.
Many devoted hotel management and pastry chefs generously supported the event, including Executive Pastry Chefs from Guangzhou, Chef Kenny Chen, Chef Owen Xiao, Chef Mak Keng Seng, Chef Andy Chen, Chef Eric Lai, Chef Jay Pan, Chef Sam Dong from Macau, Chef Gary Lim and Chef Desmond Lee from Singapore, Chef Eric Kim from South Korea, and Chef Cherry Le and David from Vietnam. Special thanks to Chef Jessie Pan from Macau and Kyna Tan from Malaysia, who volunteered as MCs and did a fantastic job.
Recognition of commendable results
This year’s APYC 2024 also received approval from China Post, commemorating this historic milestone with a First Day Cover stamp release on September 25-26, 2024. This gesture signifies the importance of the event for the pastry arts scene in China and more globally, across Asia. The success of APYC 2024 would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors:
- JJ Global Fine Foods, China
- Carpigiani China
- SANNENG Group Holdings Inc.
- Welbilt China
- Opera Chocolate
- Panoni, Italy
- Luzerne Singapore
Their invaluable support was essential to the success of the event and allowed for a significant achievement and advancement for pastry arts in Asia.
APPLY FOR A WORLDCHEFS ENDORSEMENT
Take your competition to the next level with Worldchefs competition endorsement, a prestigious recognition, achieved by competitions that meet the highest standards of quality. This endorsement provides exceptional opportunities for visibility to an audience of culinary professionals.
Benefits include:
- Tap into a global community of chefs for greater networking and business opportunities.
- Unlock new possibilities with optional digital badging and event competition software.
- Gain free of charge digital badges for competitors and winners with co-branding opportunities.
- Gain access to downloadable evaluation and scoring sheets on Worldchefs website.
Learn more and apply to endorse your competition: https://worldchefs.org/Endorsement/
Nestlé Professional is delighted to announce the three visionary chefs who have been awarded the inaugural ‘Green Spatula’ at the Global Chefs Challenge Finals in Singapore.
Created in collaboration with the World Association of Chefs’ Societies (Worldchefs), this prestigious new award celebrates the fusion of culinary excellence with a deep commitment to sustainability, recognizing chefs who excel in both creating world-class dishes and adopting environmentally responsible practices in their kitchens.
The ‘Green Spatula’ Award was presented to chefs competing across three categories: the Global Chefs Challenge, Global Young Chefs Challenge, and Global Vegan Chefs Challenge. Each winner demonstrated outstanding leadership in waste management, and energy and water optimization, setting a new benchmark for sustainability in the culinary industry.
The 2024 ‘Green Spatula’ Award winners are:
Tom Lamers, Global Chefs Challenge – Hailing from the Netherlands, Tom impressed the judges with his innovative culinary skill as well as his approach to sustainability in the kitchen.
Andreas Enger Fjellheim, Global Young Chefs Challenge – Competing with other chefs who are 25 years or younger, Andreas, from Norway, not only won the Global Young Chefs Challenge he also won the Green Spatula Award.
Dinars Zvidrinš, Global Vegan Chefs Challenge – Competing in the first edition of the Global Vegan Chefs Challenge, Dinars, from Latvia, captured the jury’s attention with his inventive plant-based dishes and sustainable kitchen management.
Cornel Krummenacher, Global Head of Food at Nestlé Professional, highlighted the importance of the award, stating, “The Green Spatula Award is more than just recognition—it’s a symbol of the industry’s shift towards sustainability. These chefs are leading the way, showing us how responsible cooking can inspire future generations.”
Rick Stephen, Chairman of the Worldchefs Culinary Competition Committee, added, “The new Nestlé Professional ‘Green Spatula’ Award is a critical step in recognizing chefs who lead by example in sustainable cooking. Through competitions like the Global Chefs Challenge, we’re encouraging chefs to push the boundaries of sustainability, not only in the dishes they create but in how they approach resource management in their kitchens.”
For more information on the Green Spatula Award and the Global Chefs Challenge Finals, visit www.nestleprofessional.com and www.worldchefs.org.
Related article on the Green Spatula Award: https://www.nestleprofessional.com/news/new-nestle-professional-award-celebrates-top-chefs-sustainability-focus
It is with profound sadness that we share the details of the service to honour the life of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend to many, Patrick O’Brien OAM.
Family, friends, and all those whose lives Patrick touched are warmly invited to join us as we come together to celebrate his extraordinary life and legacy.
We have set up a tribute page for Patrick https://tinyurl.com/2e879xa2. The live stream link will go live on Wed 6th, & the webcast will commence at the beginning of the Ceremony.
Rosary:
7:15 PM, 6th November
Our Lady of the Mission Church
270 Camberwarra Drive, Craigie
Funeral Mass:
11:00 AM, 7th November
Our Lady of the Mission Church
270 Camberwarra Drive, Craigie
Dress Code for Chefs: Optional Chef Jacket – Gentlemen, can you please wear shirt & tie under jacket
Burial:
1:00 PM, 7th November
Pinnaroo Valley Memorial Park
Whitfords Avenue, Padbury
We are deeply grateful for the love, messages, and support we have received during this time. Your kindness has been a great comfort, and we look forward to gathering with you, whether in person or virtually, to honour Patrick’s memory.
With sincere thanks,
The O’Brien Family
The 33rd China Chef’s Day & Expo, hosted by the China Cuisine Association, will be held in Yibin from October 25th to 27th. It is a high-standard, full-chain, and new business format catering industry expo. This year’s China Chef’s Day & Expo has invited many leading brands such as Wuliangye, Lee Kum Kee, Mrs. Lee’s, Xue Tian Salt Industry, Nestlé, Yihai Kerry, and Meituan to participate.
The Expo has attracted a diverse range of high-quality catering-related enterprises from home and abroad, including agricultural products, specialty foods, condiments, beverages, kitchenware, tableware, and equipment, covering the entire industry chain from raw material supply to final consumption. It provides a multi-dimensional, one-stop, and cost-effective procurement platform for catering entrepreneurs and chefs.
This year’s Expo also invites enterprises that focus on exploring intangible cultural heritage, geographical indications, regional flavor foods, and deep processing of agricultural products to exhibit, bringing healthy and functional specialty foods that cater to consumers’ healthy eating needs. It promotes the high-quality development of catering service consumption by integrating tradition with development and innovation within development.
Domestic and international catering peers are welcome to observe and exchange. See details below to join the event in Yibin!
Venue: Yibin, Sichuan – China
Date: 25th – 27th October, 2024
To learn more, scan to join the Wechat account.
