09 July 2010
Michelin starred chefs share culinary expertise
The University of Sheffield hosted the thirteenth annual Skills for Chefs conference this week (5 - 6 July 2010), which saw a number of well-known faces from the catering world come together to share their skills and expertise. The prestigious two-day conference for professional chefs is the largest to be held in the UK.
This year´s conference, held in the University´s Octagon Centre, saw many Michelin- starred and celebrity chefs in attendance, including: Glynn Purnell, Claude Bosi, Atul Kochar, Theo Randall, Steven Doherty, Giorgio Locatelli, Andrew Bennett MBE and Mark Hix.
Catherin Gazzoli, Chief Executive of the Slow Food UK initiative, opened the conference as key note speaker and spoke about the importance of the environmental and social impact of the food industry and of the commitment needed to ensure `good, clean and fair food´ for all.
Delegates at the conference enjoyed two days of presentations and cooking demonstrations from the Michelin-starred chefs in attendance, including Glynn Purnell and Atul Kochar´s Great British Menu dishes, with tasting sessions giving delegates the opportunity to sample the award winning chefs´ creations.
One of the highlights of the conference was the gala dinner, created by the University´s Executive Chef, Tracy Carr, and Murray Chapman of First Contact Chefs. Martin Carabott from the Gleneagles Resort was announced as winner of the Skills for Chefs competition 2010 at the dinner on Monday evening, following the live competition held at Sheffield College earlier that day which saw six young chefs compete for the judges´ votes.
Renowned chef and alcohol abuse campaigner, Michael Quinn MBE also attended the dinner and gave a moving speech about his downfall through alcoholism. A ten course gourmet meal and overnight accommodation at the Devonshire Arms at Bolton Abbey was donated by fellow chef Steven Smith and raffled off to raise £1355 for Quinn´s Ark Global, a foundation which aims to educate and rehabilitate those suffering from alcohol abuse in the catering industry.
David McKown, Director and founder of Skills for Chefs and Training and Development Manager for the University´s Accommodation and Campus Services, said: "This year´s conference has been our best ever. The standard of chefs in attendance has never been higher and it´s an honour to host the conference here at the University of Sheffield. Britain is a leader in the international culinary field and the conference celebrates the future of this important industry."
The University of Sheffield has proven to be a popular venue for catering conferences in the UK. As well as the annual Skills for Chefs conference, the University has in the past hosted the University Caterers Organisation (TUCO) conference. Notes for Editors: For more information about the conference and for further details on all of the presenters please visit - http://www.skillsforchefs.co.uk/
For further information please contact: Kyle Christie, Media Relations Assistant, on 0114 2229852 or at K.Christie@sheffield.ac.uk
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