Ladies who cook lunch
Cheffing may be a male-dominated profession, but the members of the Sodexho Ladies' Culinary Team competing in La Parade des Chefs at Hotelympia intend to show that they are equal to the guys.
"With so few women working in the profession, it can be quite difficult at times for women in the kitchen," says Sodexho's team captain, Debbie Kelly-Greaves.
"When we discussed Sodexho's entry into the competition we decided that we wanted to do something different, and that's why we came up with the idea of a ladies' team. We thought it would be a good opportunity to bring our own individuality to the event and show that we can be as good as the guys."
The Sodexho Ladies' Culinary Team is one of 10 teams competing in La Parade, which will see two teams each day preparing, cooking and serving a three-course lunch to 100 customers, who will pay £25 per head. It is the first time an all-female team has taken part.
Inspired by the British theme that has resulted from the sponsorship of the event by Food from Britain, Sodexho has put together a menu that will provide a flavour of the four corners of the British Isles.
While Kelly-Greaves would not divulge the details of the menu, she provided a glimpse of some of the main ingredients that will be used. The starter is based on organic salmon sourced from Northern Ireland. "It will combine something hot and something cold and will be accompanied by a pea shoot salad," says Kelly-Greaves.
Lamb from the Scottish Highlands will form the centrepiece of the main course, with the loin being roasted and the shoulder being braised. "There will be something of a Scottish theme going on, but also something a bit different."
For dessert, the classic English combination of rhubarb and custard will be reworked to provide an innovative dish. Three or four different breads, incorporating the flavours of Wales, will complete Sodexho's culinary offering of Britain. "We've put together a menu with some unusual touches, and we hope it is something that both the judges and public will like."
In preparing for the event, Kelly-Greaves and her fellow team members - all experienced competition chefs - have received the full support of their male colleagues at Sodexho, including David Hunt and Peter Joyner, who have helped mentor them through their preparation for the competition.
Logistically, preparations have been a nightmare, as two members of the team - Karen Campbell, hospitality chef at Standard Life in Edinburgh, and Cathy Farr, head chef at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Belfast - are far removed geographically from the rest of the team, who are all based in the South-east of England.
Kelly-Greaves, herself, works out of a Sodexho regional head office in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, as executive food development chef. As well as developing new food initiatives for the business and industry sector, she also travels all over the UK putting together food promotions and develops and tests recipes.
The three other members of the team are Caroline Pettitt, head chef at JP Morgan, London Wall; Petra Nederfors, chef de partie at the HSBC Tower, Canary Wharf; and Susan Graham, pastry chef at Eton College, Eton, Berkshire.
The token male member of the team is kitchen porter Ken Tait, who usually works as an executive development chef with Sodexho.
Kelly-Greaves will be in overall charge of the kitchen on the day of the competition, as well as running the hot plate; Farr and Nederfors will be responsible for the starters; Pettitt and Campbell will work on the main course; and Graham will do the desserts.
"As my job involves travelling around the country, I've been able to spend some time with each team member, looking at their specific dishes and making some changes," says Kelly-Greaves. "Otherwise, we've only been able to get together to work as a team on three occasions, when we've done a complete run-through of the menu under competition guidelines."
The final run-through took place at Eton College at the end of January, when 100 guests were invited to sample the menu.
"We shall be tweaking the menu right up until the day of the competition," says Kelly-Greaves. "The team is strong, enthusiastic and hard-working, and I feel confident that we can do well. Ultimately, it's all about staying focused and enjoying the day."
La parade timetable
Monday 23 February
Avenance Culinary Team
Westminster Kingsway College
Tuesday 24 February
Team Guernsey
Ulster Culinary Team
Wednesday 25 February
Compass Group UK & Ireland - ESS Worldwide Support Services
Jumeirah International Culinary Team, Dubai
Thursday 26 February
Sodexho Ladies' Culinary Team
RAF Culinary Team
Friday 27 February
Compass Group UK & Ireland - Restaurant Associates
World Master Chefs Society of America
