Sheffield venue for skills conference
The seventh annual Skills for Chefs conference will take place this year at the University of Sheffield on 21 and 22 June.
The two-day event will feature cooking demonstrations by chefs Galton Blackiston of Morston Hall, Angela Hartnett of London's Connaught, Richard Corrigan of Lindsay House in London, Andreas Antona of Simpsons in Kenilworth and Anton Edelmann of Allium, also in London.
The conference will also feature live debates, including a discussion dubbed Premiership Cuisine, with three chefs involved in stadium catering: Lancashire chef-restaurateur Paul Heathcote, John Benson-Smith of Hazelwood Castle, Tadcaster, and Nigel Haworth of Northcote Manor. On the second day David Mulcahy will chair a debate on the skills shortage facing the industry.
Other highlights will include a talk from Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray on the history of their restaurant, London's River Caf‚, and a look at the lives and career paths of two chefs working in different sectors of the industry: Andrew Turner, executive chef of Restaurant 1880 at the Bentley in London, and Rob Kirby, group executive chef of contract catering company Avenance.
The conference will close with an industry seminar from chef and restaurateur John Burton-Race, to be followed on the final evening by a gala conference dinner prepared by Sheffield chefs Mick Burke, Tracy Carr, Andy Gabbitas and Simon Lilley.
The entire package, including both conference days, three nights' accommodation, a social programme, all meals and the gala dinner, costs £405 per person. For more information and tickets, contact 0114 222 8909 or visit www.skillsforchefs.co.uk.