On Sunday 6th September,Hospitality Action will returnto Beaufort Polo Club in Gloucestershire, to host its sixth annual polo day. With a fundraising day that includes: a three-course lunch prepared and served by the team from Calcot Kitchens and a staggering six Michelin-starred South West chefs – Martin Burge of Whatley Manor, Richard Davies of The Manor House, Josh Eggleton of The Pony & Trap, Hywel Jones of Lucknam Park, Sam Moody of The Bath Priory and Richard Picard-Edwards of Lords of the Manor. The team of professionals will be supported by the next generation of up and coming service professionals from City of Bath College, Gloucestershire College, City of Bristol College and Hit Training Academy.
With the six chefs being divided up amongst the three courses on offer for the special event, we hear fromeach chef partnership about what they have planned and whatinspired their chosen dishes…
Martin Burge |Whatley Manor Hotel & Spa
What would you say has inspired your cooking the most?
My mother mostly used fresh ingredients in her cooking and prepared tasty homemade dishes. My grandfather was a chef in the army which is a happy coincidence. During my career I have worked with some of the country’s finest chefs, including Raymond Blanc, John-Burton Race and Richard Neat. These talented chefs inspired me and passed many of their skills onto me as well.
What does being part of the Michelin charity polo event for Hospitality Action mean to you?
It gives me the chance to support HA, to work with the chefs involved and it’s a great event for industry andnon industry to come together for a good cause.
How do you decide on the menu?
Each year the chefs take it in turns to prepare one of the courses. We tend to have a meeting at the start of the year and many emails are exchanged during the lead up to the event to co-ordinate the ingredients, plates and equipment that we will need. It’s my turn to prepare the starter this year alongside Josh Eggleton. I have chosen to prepare my “Lobster and potato salad served with tomato jelly and lobster emulsion”. I chose this dish because of its seasonality. I also wanted to give the guests something special on the day, and to give a sense of occasion to the event which supports such a worthy cause.
What are your most indispensable ingredients?
Food just wouldn’t taste right without salt and sugar. However if we were talking about an ingredient that I would sadly miss if it was not around, then it would be chocolate.
Josh Eggleton |The Pony & Trap
What would you say has inspired your cooking the most?
Produce and seasonality is what inspires our menus most. Whatever is at its peak at that moment. We are also passionate about using every part of the animal in our cooking and focussing on sourcing locally from trusted suppliers and farms.
What does being part of the Michelin charity polo event for Hospitality Action mean to you?
It’s a pleasure to be cooking with my peers and people I look up to and that love food as much as I do.
How do you decide on the menu?
Martin wanted to feature lobster in his dish to make it a really luxurious experience for people so my dish will feature seasonal ingredients that compliment the delicacy of the lobster taste and add colour to the plate.
What are your most indispensable ingredients?
Salt and vinegar! We have even named a restaurant after it by Chew Valley Lake!
Richard Davies |The Manor House
What would you say has inspired your cooking the most?
Seasonal produce, creating dishes with prime ingredients is what I get out of bed for!
What does being part of the Michelin charity polo event for Hospitality Action mean to you?
For me, it is an opportunity to do something worthy using the skill set that I have been given, being a chef can be very rewarding, and it is always nice to be able to use that in a way to help others that have been less fortunate.
How do you decide on the menu?
Sam and I decided on using lamb for the main course, so I have chosen a dish that represents what my food is all about, and showcasing the main element which will be a slow roasted saddle of Wiltshire lamb.
What are your most indispensable ingredients?
My brigade – I can’t do it all by myself!! They are the most important ingredient!
Sam Moody |The Bath Priory
What would you say has inspired your cooking the most?
The people I work with and the seasons.
What does being part of the Michelin charity polo event for Hospitality Action mean to you?
It’s always great to get out and support our industry charity. Hospitality Action do wonderful work and it is an honour to be asked to help them and to work with such great chefs.
How do you decide on the menu?
It’s a balance between practicality and dishes that represent The Bath Priory’s food. Cooking for 150 out of your own kitchen is a challenge, I’ll focus on great flavour.
What are your most indispensable ingredients?
Salt and vinegar.
Hywel Jones |Lucknam Park
What would you say has inspired your cooking the most?
I was fortunate that from an early age my parents made a great effort to take us to nice hotels and restaurants and I became interested in food and cooking from this. I also realised from an early age that I did not have the physique to make it as a pro rugby player so cooking was the next best thing.
What does being part of the Michelin charity polo event for Hospitality Action mean to you?
I was lucky enough to be involved with the first Hospitality Action Polo Day and to be able to contribute to a day that raises much needed funds for such a worthwhile cause was something the brigade and me were very proud to do.
How do you decide on the menu?
I use seasonal ingredients and our kitchen garden provides seasonal produce, from nasturtiums and salad leaves to baby vegetables, micro herbs and white raspberries. I regularly visit the kitchen garden with our estates manager to check what is becoming available so that the menus can be updated accordingly.
What are your most indispensable ingredients?
Salt, definitely.
Richard Picard-Edwards |Lords of the Manor
What would you say has inspired your cooking the most?
It sounds corny but good food cooked by my mum whilst I was growing up meant I enjoyed food. Later on working with chefs at the top of the industry is of course inspiring and I suppose working towards industry recognition helps to keep you focused and looking forwards. The ingredients themselves are inspiring – there is so much different and exciting produce to work with – you can never get bored. And overall, I suppose, I just love cooking.
What does being part of the Michelin charity polo event for Hospitality Action mean to you?
On a personal note, it’s a great new experience – Polo is not something I’ve watched before and I’m really looking forward to working with the other chefs (again!)
But for the bigger picture although catering is really rewarding there are a lot of challenges that go with it and some really talented people don’t or can’t stick with it.Perhaps if more people knew that there was someone to talk to and where to get support things would work out differently.Hopefully events like this will help to raise the profile of Hospitality Action which ultimately helps the Industry.
How do you decide on the menu?
The main factors will be season, quality produce, flavour and balance. We look for amazing produce to base the menu on (all the better if they are local) and then go from there.
What are your most indispensable ingredients?
Like all chefs I couldn’t cook without salt, lemon and sugar.
Of course none of this would be possible without all the fantastic work from the event organisers and the team at Calcot Manor. FOUR also spoke to the director of catering who helps to make the charity event as successful as possible, helping tohighlightthe good work that the charity doesand the industry professionals it helps to support.
Susan Godding |Director of catering, Calcot Kitchens
What does being part of the Michelin charity polo event for Hospitality Action mean to you?
It means so very much. My role at Calcot is very varied and I work with a fantastic team. The events we organise are always great fun but this one is very close to my heart. The funds raised make an enormous difference to so many, it is a real privilege to play a role and help bring everything together.
What is your role on the day?
Well, I have been referred to as a “Co-ordinator Extraordinaire”! I oversee everything both back and front of house to ensure all our guests have a marvellous day and raise lots of funds in the process!
For further information about the Polo Day or donations to Hospitality Action please visit |www.hospitalityaction.org.uk/events