Fresh enquiries
There seems to be no end to the public's love of fresh soup. The growing soup-bar culture coupled with endless recipe variations have helped push sales up 22% to a 1998 high of £50m compared with £18m in 1993, according to market research company Mintel.
The versatility of soup as a light dish or a healthy snack has also ignited renewed interest in the catering sector. So Chef assembled a panel of experts to sample 16 products being offered in this area.
The panel included chefs from top London hotels and restaurants and from two of the capital's soup-shop chains. The tasting took place at one of these - Soup Works, in Goodge Street. All soups were tasted blind without condiments.
The tasters were asked to keep in mind what they wanted to see from a product on a professional level together with their personal reaction to each soup. They were asked to assess the products on an individual, rather than a comparative, basis, and were requested not to comment on their own products.
Soup of the day
Both ethnic and traditional flavours were among those recommended by the Chef tasters. These ranged from an Indian soup - Daal Palak, made by Going Native - to a natural-tasting Tomato and Basil, from Baxters.
None of the soups, however, was found to be of outstanding quality. Flavour was considered a weakness for most, whereas texture, with products either too watery or too thick, was a problem for others. Visual appearance also let a few products down, with colours not living up to expectations.
But most of the chefs agreed that most of the items tasted were of fairly good quality, and when served with bread and condiments, where necessary, they would make a good meal.
Judging criteria
Each soup was assessed on the following criteria:
Visual impression: was its appearance appetising or unappetising?
Aroma: did the soup have a distinctive aroma? Did the aroma match the ingredients of the soup being tasted?
Texture: was the soup blended or chunky? What did the tasters particularly like or dislike about it?
Flavour: was it bland, natural or artificial? Did it have plenty of taste?
Overall rating: bearing in mind the cost, quality and value, the tasters were asked whether they would serve the product in their own establishments.
The tasters
NICK SANDLER is executive chef of Soup Works and was our host for the tasting. About 2,000 people per day, who spend about £4.20 each, eat at one or other of the company's four soup bars.
Chicken, sweet potato and coconut; roast aubergine and red pepper; and lentil and cardamom dahl are Soup Works' best-selling varieties. Sandler looks for good texture, seasoning and colour with interesting ingredients.
JONATHAN GANNA is executive head chef for London-based chain Soup Opera. The company's five soup bars serve about 500 people each per day.
At Soup Opera, unusual soup varieties sit with more traditional flavours, and taste is Ganna's top consideration with all soups.
ANTHONY MARSHALL is executive chef at the London Hilton Park Lane. There are three main restaurants in the 449-bedroom hotel - the three-AA-rosette, 150-seat Windows, the 150-seat Park brasserie, and the 180-seat Trader Vic's - as well as banqueting facilities.
From the average customer spend of about £20, £5 goes on soup. Marshall says any green soup, such as spinach and almond, or watercress and Stilton, sells well, while his most important criteria for soup are texture, flavour, smell, colour and cost.
WARREN JONES is executive chef of the 92-bedroom Sopwell House hotel, in St Albans, Hertfordshire. Daily averages of 1,000 customers are catered for in the hotel's two-AA-rosette, 120-seat Magnolia restaurant, 120-seat brasserie and 800-capacity banqueting hall.
Average customer spend is £27.50, with £3.95 going on soup. Typical soup offerings are curried pumpkin; tomato and lemon grass; and broccoli and almond. Taste and texture top Jones's requirements for good soup.
ANTON MANGANARO is senior sous chef at the two-AA-rosette Greenhouse restaurant, London. The average of 180 customers who fill the 85-seat restaurant on a daily basis spend about £65 per head on the modern British cuisine.
Among the varieties of soup offered are lentils and foie gras; potato and parsley; and red mullet with saffron, with average spend on soup being £7. Good taste, value for money and a clever use of ingredients is what Manganaro looks for in a soup.
ADAM CULVERWELL is head chef of the Pacific Oriental restaurant, London. The eaterie's two restaurants - the 140-seat Asian Brasserie, and the 160-seat fine-dining Pacific Rim - cater for an average of 300 customers per day spending about £30 each.
Of this, £6.50 would go on soup. With all soups, Culverwell wants a "wholesome" taste.
