Products
Barber’s team uses a variety of chocolate brands, including Valrhona, Amedei, Cacao Barry and Felchlin, and they are taught to understand how blends and brands of choc- olate can change the whole composition and balance of a dish. “It’s important to under- stand chocolate and respect it,” she says.
Toothsome trends Alistair Birt, 2013 Acorn Award winner and head chocolatier at pâtisserie William Curley, is also the current UK Chocolate Master. “At William Curley we strive to deliver value to our customers by using the highest- quality ingredients and workmanship,” says Birt. “In terms of flavours, we have recently created a floral range including lavender, lemon verbena and jasmine by simply infus- ing the flower or leaf for a pure flavour, with no need for oils or additives.”
Dunfermline-based Stuart & Swan Chocolatiers, which produces bespoke com- missions for the corporate sector and spe- cialise in creating chocolates that tie in with specific themes, also take inspiration from nature. The Walk, a bespoke collection of chocolates created and specially packaged for Gleneagles hotel in Auchterarder in Scotland, represents a hike through the Scottish coun- tryside near the hotel. The flavours are taken from Scottish breakfast marmalade, the cher- ries and raspberries picked along the walk, and from relaxing by the fire at the end of the day. Lily O’Brien’s Chocolates, located in County Kildare in Ireland, produces close to 220
This image and below: desserts by Sarah Barber
“It’s important to understand chocolate and
respect it” Sarah Barber
varieties of chocolates, as well as a wide selec- tion of gourmet desserts designed specifically for the travel and foodservice sectors. James Duff, national account manager, food- service, for Lily O’Brien’s, says the team contin- uously develop new recipes based on the latest trends and their own insights as well as work- ing with customers to develop product ranges. “We have an amazing product development team who travel the globe seeking out the latest trends in flavours and recipes,” says Duff “We also look outside of the food industry
for inspiration. Whether it is fashion, technol- ogy or popular culture, all of those elements can have an effect on how our product may look and, more importantly, taste,” he adds. According to Duff, with consumer confi- dence noticeably improving and spending becoming more evident, there is a need for the foodservice industry to return to adding value to the customer experience as a point of differentiation. “There is an opportunity to elevate your customer’s experience beyond
58 | The Caterer | 31 July 2015
www.thecaterer.com
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