Health forum slates kids' menus
Children's menus were attacked for offering a poor choice of healthy meals by speakers at the ScotHot Healthy Eating Forum.
Jean Michel Gauffre, executive chef at the Edinburgh Sheraton Grand, said children's menus should have no place in restaurants. "Instead, children should eat smaller portions of standard menu items," he said.
Scottish chefs were also criticised for not doing enough to provide healthy menus. "There is no bad food, just bad chefs," said Mr Gauffre.
Brunton Smith, senior lecturer in hospitality, tourism and management at Napier University, said chefs needed to be more adventurous and marketing oriented.
"Give small parcels of new menu items to customers as a way of encouraging them to try new dishes," said Mr Brunton. "It is hard to change customers' long-established attitudes. But one of the hardest things is persuading chefs to use spices and marinades in a better way to get away from over-use of flour and cream in sauces."
Caterers ought to take a tip from the Japanese and make more use of cold batters and steam to get away from soggy fried food, he added.
- The forum was supported by the Health Education Board, sponsored by the Seafish Industry Authority and chaired by Caterer editor Gary Crossley.
