Charcuterie, Cooking and Curing with Kuba at The Feathered Nest!

National Chef of the Year Kuba Winkowski hosted The Chefs’ Forum at The Feathered Nest at the first Bath & Cotswolds meet of The Chefs’ Forum in 2019. The Chefs’ Forum is delighted to continue to work with Kuba for the fifth year, celebrating a successful series of guest lectures and hospitality industry Taster Days with Gloucestershire College.

Kuba working with Glos College studentsAt this event sponsored by Bath Audi, the level three, year one patisserie, larder and students from Gloucestershire College Cheltenham Campus got the opportunity to work with Kuba and his talented team both front of house and kitchen students.  The students created and served canapés showcasing Kuba’s menu with ingredients sponsored by Ritter Courivaud, Walter Rose & Son, Fish for Thought, Foie Royale and Koppert Cress.

Chefs’ Forum Founder, Catherine Farinha commented:

“It is fantastic to return to The Feathered Nest for another great Chefs’ Forum event.  Last time we did a game cookery masterclass and this time its charcuterie and curing!  It is great to be able to stage and educational event that brings together chefs of today with tomorrow’s chefs and top suppliers to industry to showAlex, Kuba and Ben democase their products and services.”

Pork butchery, charcuterie and curing was the theme of the event and Kuba, Alex Byrne of Walter Rose & Son and Ben Dulley, former Head Chef of The Kingham Plough and proprietor of the Salt Pig curing company, all took to the Chefs’ Forum demo stage to perform a brilliant demonstration and talk on making charcuterie as an ongoing project and encouraging chefs to create a USP of homemade charcuterie in their restaurants.

Kuba's smoke houseKuba then gave the chefs a tour of his smoker and curing cupboard, which the chefs found fascinating and treated them to a delicious Polish-inspired haute dog of Kuba’s own special smoked sausage recipe, created by award-winning butchers Walter Rose & Son, in a Ritter Courivaud French stick with sauerkraut.

Kuba said

“I really enjoy working with the future generation young chefs because its very rewarding to see them grow. As UK education gave so much for me, its great to be able to finally give back.”

Kuba and the studentsMark Hyde-Catton, School Lead added

“Building on the continuous success of the partnership between Gloucestershire College and The Chefs’ Forum, the students always look forward to helping out and working alongside the host chefs at Chefs’ Forum events.  The students were extremely excited to visit The Feathered Nest, following his masterclass at the college just over a month ago.”

Holly Linton, level three student at the college concluded:

Glos College student Holly with Kuba“I really enjoy Chefs’ Forum events.  This week has seen a taster day for one hundred GCSE students at my college, where I assisted Martyn Watkins with his demo and now today helping Kuba at the Feathered Nest has been excellent! I really love the employer engagement offered by The Chefs’ Forum and I am really grateful to my lecturer for facilitating our participation in these inspirational events.”

The Santa Maria spice truck proved a major hit with the chefs as the UK’s Queen of Spice Katlin Ambos talked chefs through why they should care about their ingredients.

Crown Cellars wine tastingCrown Cellars finished the day with a wine pairing three wines to Kuba’s famous homemade charcuterie – Salami, smoked pork loin and coppa ham.

Chef Fest on the 3rd June will see all Bath and Cotswolds chefs descend onto Stokes Marsh Farm for a farm tour, Michelin-starred cookery demos, BBQ and cookery festival – all chefs and supplier wishing to take part should contact catherine@redcherry.uk.com

Photography by: www.jamesaphotography.co.uk