News
A message from Meiko
Meiko are overjoyed at the success of our charitable giveaway – but please bear with us! You may will recall that, following the conversion of
dishwashers from water-softened to reverse osmosis technology by a large pub chain, Meiko stepped up and offered to supply, deliver and install the perfectly good machines that were to be scrapped to worthy organisations who would benefit greatly from the equipment. The response has been remarkable, with over 100 organisations registering for a machine in a very short space of time. From Streets to Homes, an Essex based charity providing help, care and advice to homeless people, to Mercy Ships, who provide free surgery and medical care in some of the world’s poorest regions, we are delighted that through the diversity of the organisations that have applied already, so many people will benefit from this campaign. Over 20% of the site surveys necessary before installation
have been carried out, and we estimate that the 100 or more installations on our list so far will be completed over the next two months. As you can imagine, to undertake such a huge task alongside
running a busy business has its challenges – and our challenge at present is old father time. Please keep your applications coming in, but at the same time, bear in mind that it may realistically be six months or more before your equipment is in place. Thank you to all those who have registered already – we will
be with you as soon as we can. If you are a catering equipment distributor and are interested in helping with site surveys, installation and the six month technical support back-up from a charitable point of view, then please contact Bill Downie at
BDownie@meiko-uk.co.uk
Bath graduates team up with local producers
Two University of Bath graduates have set up their own company to help consumers reconnect with where their food comes from. Ruben Kostucki, an MEng Biochemical Engineering graduate, alongside BSc Business Administration graduate Sebastian Powell, set up Flavrbox, an online community that champions independent food and drink
producers.The website aims to help the producers sell their goods to individuals rather than large corporate buyers, in the same way as a farmers’ market, by creating a connection between the supplier and the buyer. Looking back on his time at Bath, Kostucki said: “University enabled me to fulfil
my passion and drive for entrepreneurship as well as meet a considerable amount of interesting people in the field. I took part in the University’s programmes and societies, which opened my eyes into this new world.” Their online marketplace consists of a handpicked selection of 17 producers and
over 200 delicacies to choose from, including handmade duck liver pate, baobob jam and Wrekin blue cheese, all of which are independently and locally sourced. Kostucki explained where the inspiration came from to create Flavrbox: “Sebastian
and I are not originally from the UK and had been told British food wasn’t that great, of which we initially found from solely shopping in supermarkets. It was only later that we discovered the magical world of a farmers market and got enlightened by the fact that British food was actually amazingly good and tasty and very diverse as well. Having ventured away from the high street into the likes of Green Park market and the Bath Organic Group in Victoria Park, we discovered an array of delicious products. “We questioned why people weren’t buying these products and why they weren’t
available online. Having grown up with an appreciation of the internet, we thought the ease of buying online would really appeal to people.”
www.tuco.org 02.2012 | TUCO 07
USA Rice in Edinburgh for workshop with Scottish chefs
USA Rice Federation supported a seminar and workshop last month for chefs, managers and trainee chefs from across the Edinburgh region of Scotland. The workshop was held at the Edinburgh School of Food and Wine, which has been
established for 25 years. Around 25 catering managers, chefs and trainee chefs attended the seminar, which was conducted by Steve Brown, resident chef tutor. Brown served his apprenticeship at the Savoy Hotel in London and went on to work and
establish restaurants in France and Germany, before returning to his native Scotland to pass his skills on to the next generation. Brown demonstrated six recipes using American Long Grain and Wild Rice. These included Pumpkin Soup, Southern Cakes ‘n’ Coleslaw and Wild Rice Blinis. Tim Bates, the USA Rice Federation spokesman in the UK, was on hand to answer questions
regarding the origin and benefits of U.S. rice and talked about the availability of U.S. rice in the UK. The chefs were apparently interested in the versatility of U.S. long grain rice and how it could be used in a variety of recipes, including risottos, and desserts.
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