Case Study: Seasons Cafe Deli
For the highly creative team behind Seasons Café Deli and outside catering company, Fresh Skills for Chefs’ has made a long-lasting difference.
“We have created a real distinction based on serving fresh food according to what is seasonal for the time of the year - and we also try to source locally as much as possible,” said co-owner Andrew Fleming.
“Fresh Skills for Chefs has helped us in many different ways - understanding more about sourcing local produce, and getting it onto the menu.”
Claire Dodd, co-owner and chef in the popular Café, sited in the heart of Amersham, Buckinghamshire, has undertaken various training courses, and a chef’s tour of producers in the county.
“It has been brilliant for the business and for me,” she enthused.
“You can get into a bit of a bubble when you are immersed in your own work. Fresh Skills gave me a chance to meet people in a similar situation. The format of the courses was great. I have learned new skills and had the confidence to return to the kitchen and use them, for example making sushi.”
Claire has brought back plenty of new thinking into the kitchen.
“It has really influenced our menu, and customers love that fact that so much of what we offer is from local producers. I have also been able to share my new skills with the team. We get together to discuss how to get local ingredients onto the menu and I have held tasting sessions for staff. It’s been fantastic as it means we all understand why it’s important to sell local produce.”
As well as the Café and Deli, Claire and Andrew also run Seasons Catering, an events catering business. All three businesses use local and seasonal food and drink as a major selling point.
Andrew said: “We’ve had people enjoy local ingredients as mentioned on the menu and then enquire in the shop about the supplier. For example, people were surprised that we get our goat’s cheese from a Buckinghamshire farmer. We tell them all about it, so they can visit, see the goats and buy directly.
“Fresh Skills for Chefs has helped us immensely. We now understand more about the issues local producers face. We want to know as much as possible about dealing with, working with, and utilising local food and the programme has helped us do that.”
Claire added: “As a direct result, I have also improved our food presentation and learned new recipes. It has made a real difference to our business.”
