The build-up to the London Produce Show and Conference 2015 (LPS15) stepped up a notch recently when New Covent Garden Market welcomed the event’s demonstration chefs and catering students from Westminster Kingsway College for a private tour
Click on the links below to watch the films from that visit:
The students’ tour of the market
Interview with Chotto Matte
Interview with Hari Ghotra
The LPS15 chefs on the tour included executive chef Jordan Sclare and head chef Michael Paul of Chotto Matte, along with Hari Ghotra, creator of HariGhotra.com, who jointly toured the wholesale market to learn about new products and find inspiration for their respective chef demonstrations at the show, which takes place at the Grosvenor House hotel on Park Lane in London on June 4.
Chef Ghotra was inspired by the newer products she encountered, picking out micro herbs from Westlands Wow. “We tasted micro coriander, which was really interesting for me. Coriander is used a lot in Indian cooking but I’ve never used any micro herbs so I think I might be giving that a go,” she said.
Chef Sclare and chef Paul, who take charge of the kitchen at Chotto Matte, a Peruvian/Japanese fusion restaurant in Soho, said their main focus is always on the quality of the produce they use. Both agreed they also prefer to buy from traders that can tell them how and where the produce is grown.
Sclare added that seeing a level of respect for the produce is very important. “We look around and see how immaculate some of the stalls look,” he explained. “We like to [buy from] traders that are treating the fruit and veg with the respect that we [had] when we were training as young chefs. It’s in our blood.”
Students from Westminster Kingsway College also took part in the tour, at a time when the wholesale market was in full trading flow, to get a better understanding of the fresh produce wholesale and foodservice sectors. The trip to the market also afforded the students an opportunity for recipe ideation for the London Produce Show’s annual Canapé Competition.
The students were introduced to Gary Marshall, chairman of Covent Garden Tenants Association and owner of Bevington Salads. He offered sage advice to the students about selecting the right produce for their needs from New Covent Garden Market’s vast and varied selection.
“It’s very important that you don’t let your eyes do the buying. It’s very important to feel the products, smell the products when searching for the best quality fresh produce,” said Marshall.
At the time of the show, the students will create a seasonal cold canapé recipe that highlights the best fresh produce on offer. The winning canapé will be featured at the Opening Cocktail Reception, hosted by official show partner Stubbins Food Partnerships, on June 3.
The second edition of the London Produce Show and Conference will take place at Grosvenor House, a JW Marriott hotel on Park Lane, London, on June 3-5, 2015.
The 2015 edition of the show will represent the largest gathering of the fresh produce industry in the UK this year. Last year’s inaugural event attracted a full house of exhibitors and attendees from 46 countries.
LPS15 is a boutique one-day trade exhibition, complemented by a series of educational seminars, chef demonstrations, a gala cocktail reception, a student programme, industry tours and a thought leaders breakfast panel hosted by the world-renowned Perishable Pundit, Jim Prevor.
Produce Business UK will keep you up-to-date with the event in the run-up to June 3-5.
For more information, visit: www.londonproduceshow.co.uk or follow @LondonProduceSh
