‘Top Chefs Take a Shot at Game’ at Lady’s Wood Shooting School

The prestigious Lady’s Wood Shooting School was the venue for this quarter’s Bath & Cotswolds Chefs’ Forum event.  Majestic peacocks strutted around its beautiful grounds; the chilly temperature and dazzling sunlight meant you could see the birds’ breath as they called!  Fifty top chefs from The Cotswolds and Bath Chefs’ Forum enjoyed a day of clay shooting and Michelin-starred cookery demonstrations by Richard Davies (The Manor House Hotel) and Sam Moody (The Bath Priory).

The Chefs’ Forum stages quarterly events at various venues in the area and enables chefs to forge links with their peers, young chefs and aspiring front of house professionals from City of Bath College and Gloucestershire College.  Michelin-starred Richard Davies led the students in producing game canapés for an audience of industry experts.

Catherine Farinha, Founder of The Chefs’ Forum commented:
We held this event to showcase the connection between the sport of game shooting and game meat and hopefully increase the use of game meat in the chefs’ repertoire for next shooting season.  Richard Davies and Sam Moody demonstrated fantastic Michelin-starred standard cookery which has no doubt inspired their culinary peers and the young chefs. It is great that the students learned about the versatility of game meat whilst training to be chefs – They will take this knowledge on into industry with them.” 

Hospitality students from City of Bath College and Gloucestershire College joined Richard Davies in the galley-style kitchen at the shooting lodge. They produced stunning canapés showcasing top quality produce from Chefs’ Forum suppliers Walter Rose & Son, Total Produce and Flying Fish.  The Michelin-starred morsels from The Manor House Menu comprised:

• Venison Tartare, charcoal emulsion, beetroot
• Rabbit bon bon, mustard mayonnaise
• Parmesan sable with per las cheese
• Birds liver parfait with compressed apple and hazelnut

The students demonstrated to Richard and other prospective employer chefs who attended the event, the great skills that they have acquired on their courses with a view to securing apprenticeships in restaurants to further their career. Some of the students said they aspire to join The Exclusive Academy – A prestigious ‘finishing school’ for young chefs run by the Exclusive Hotels group – The Manor House Hotel at Castle Combe is part of this high-end hotel group.

Richard Davies Executive Chef of The Bybrook at Manor House Hotel said:
“I was delighted with the level of skill and professionalism demonstrated by the hospitality students whilst they were working in the kitchens with me at Lady’s Wood – I regularly work with both Colleges and consistently very pleased with the standard of the learners. It was great to see them enjoying themselves today; having a go at clay pigeon shooting and cooking and finishing canapés with my Junior Sous chef Dean Westcar and I.”

Expert shooting coaches at Lady’s Wood tutored top chefs and catering students in clay pigeon shooting with a view to inviting them to take up shooting game as a sport.  With further coaching, they will then have the necessary skills to shoot their own game meat to incorporate it into their menus.

Bridget Halford, Head of Hospitality at City of Bath College said:

“The students had a great day today. Chefs’ Forum events are a great opportunity for them to meet employers, gain new knowledge and network with peers from Gloucester College – We all enjoy taking part in the quarterly events – We’re also looking forward to helping out at the Hospitality Action Polo event this September Sam Moody, Richard Davies, join three other Michelin-starred peers from this area to cook for 350 guests to raise funds for our industry charity – Again, this will be great work experience for the students making them even more industry-ready on leaving college”.

The Chefs’ Forum aims to enhance the skill sets of top chefs in industry through updating them with the latest techniques being used by their peers – This time, promoting the use of game meat in chefs’ menus – This also motivates and inspires students.

Photography by:
www.johnarandharablackwell.co.uk
© 2014 John Arandhara-Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.
© 2014 Tor Pearce. All Rights Reserved.