The newsletter of the Worshipful Company

of Cooks of London

SUMMER 2020

COOKINGWhat’s

Inspired by the past

Liveries rainy day fund

Lockdown life

Livery digs deepIn response to the unprecedented pressure on the hospitality industry the trade’s historic lobby group has pitched in

Weavers songSome light entertainment

Supplying the countryFeeding the army - Life in lockdown

RationingThe way we were

Master’s reviewYear starts well but then it ground to halt

Michel Roux‘Mr Ritz’ pays tribute to the founder of new classic cuisine

A covid taleGraham Craddock challenging holiday

CandlemasFood for thought

Editorial ................................................ 3

Livery digs deep ..................................4

It’s not all about the money ................6

Hospitality industry ............................ 7

Hugh takes a backseat ........................ 7

A Tale of Two Quarters ....................... 8

A covid tale ........................................ 10

What next for society? ..................... 14

Double Your Money ............................16

House of St. Barnabas .......................17

Lakefield ..............................................18

New City College ................................19

Pembroke lecture cancelled .............19

The Origins of Livery ........................20

The Cream of the Crop .....................22

Cooks’ Prize Winners ........................23

Back garden or plot near you ..........24

Spotlight .............................................25

Recipe ..................................................26

Schools showcase ............................. 27

Supplying the country ......................28

Rationing ............................................29

Meat begins to fight back ................30

Not just a waste of thyme .................31

Michel Roux ......................................... 32

Obituary .............................................. 33

Clerk’s corner .....................................34

Contents

PRIZE WINNERS

LUNCH

3

EDITORIAL

For the past few years the leg work of the Cooks’ magazine has been carried out by Jerry Cullum from Treloar’s, the college in Hampshire for disabled young people that is one of the key beneficiaries of the Company charity.

He lays out the articles, arranges the printing and posts the finished magazine to members of the Livery, freemen and associations we connect to including Guildhall and catering colleges. The college has closed because of Coronavirus and while Jerry was able to produce the magazine digitally it was felt that with the country in lockdown arranging with printers and postal services would be difficult.

The Court decided that this was an opportunity to dip a toe into the future (which is the present for much of the world) and test out the possibilities of an online magazine. After all, the members had already met outside the panelled walls of the Innholders’ Hall and managed to achieve what they needed despite being unshaven and dressed in Polo shirts and Chinos rather than the usual City suits and Livery ties (see below).

This is really a suck-it-and see exercise and it would be encouraging to get some feedback either way. It would be good to know from readers what works and what doesn’t. It may be of course that belts will have to tighten and a digital version of the magazine will have to be produced for a while merely to save some cash. Nevertheless comments to the editor or the Clerk would be very welcome. Other aspects of the magazine have also changed. There is no sport – a disappointment to some but a relief to others perhaps.

On a more positive note, the concentration on the Company’s charitable giving has ballooned to match the unusual amount of ‘rainy day cash’ found in the company coffers. And for traditionalists some things have stayed the same. After all, the old world was still in orbit until March 23 and the Company was able to carry out the high point of its links with the hospitality industry – the annual prizewinners lunch – as well as its regular event for schoolchildren.

byPeter Balls,

Editor

Members of the Court meet from their homes in deep lockdown

4

Livery digs deeper to combat hospitality industry pressures As bars and restaurants have been forced to close throughout the country the trade’s historic lobby group has pitched in financially.

In response to the unprecedented pressure on the hospitality industry Cooks have made a once in a lifetime amount available through their charity fund.

The Trustees have made grants amounting to £58,000 to date to those suffering financial hardship directly or indirectly from the Covid pandemic - five to catering-related charities totalling £53,000 and a further £5,000 to members of the Company. It is also understood that a total of £270,000 has been made avail-able.

Past Master Oliver Goodinge, Chairman of Trustees said: “As the lockdown continues and financial pressures increase, the Trus-tees continue to invite members of the company on behalf of themselves or their relatives who are suffering financial hardship to ask for assistance via application to the Clerk. After all, our forefathers set aside these funds for just these circumstances. Any application will of course be treated confidentially.”

Due to the objects of the Charity, this fund has had to be limited to chefs and cooks or members of the Company or their relatives who are suffering financially. However, the Company which has

COOKS GRANTS

Continued on next page

5

COOKS GRANTS

a separate fund that effectively pays for its running, has made a further £50,000 available to worthwhile causes that do not fall under the Charity remit.

The donations come at a time when the charity fund was already considered to be under pressure and members of the Company were looking at ways to cut back on donations.

That review came before the recent stock market plunge which has seen the combined assets of the Company and Charity plunge by around £1.7m although the charity fund has been less affected as the investment strategy has been more cautious.

The pandemic has affected the Company in many others ways. Social distancing has clearly undermined one of the Livery’s key pillars, which is socialising – or fellowship – and the Master, Com-modore David Smith saw his year in office cut short in March when the rounds of dinners and functions ended abruptly.

There have been tragic consequences with one member, who had underlying health conditions, dying of Coronavirus and an-other Graham Craddock undergoing a nerve-wracking spell in intensive care in Vietnam after contracting the virus.

And the fate of a once in a lifetime dinner planned for October at the Mansion House remains in question.

STOP PRESSCovid 19 grants

The nominated charitiesThe nominated charities so far are The Clink, House of St Barnabas, Springboard, Hospitality Action and Beyond Food.

The Clink works with prisoners in various fine dining and event kitchens at Brixton, High Down, Downsview and Cardiff to provide training and then, on release, find them jobs and accommodation. It also keeps a support team in place to help ex-offenders re-assimilate into society. Since the outbreak and the shutting of pubs, clubs and restaurants, at least 30 graduates have lost their roles and some their accommodation. This is a critical time to maintain the break in the cycle of reoffending and the Trustees made £10,000 available to help establish a hardship fund for direct benefit - eg food vouchers and rent - to Clink graduate chefs.

House of St. Barnabas runs skills and confidence-building courses to previously homeless individuals twice a year in its Soho Square Members’ Club with a support team to help the students and graduates with jobs and accommodation. The Cooks Charity supports the kitchen element of those courses. At least seven of their graduates have lost their roles and some their accommodation. Cooks have made £3,000 available to a hardship fund (see article).

Springboard FutureChef is the national cookery competition for schoolchildren but Springboard also has a support network available to former competitors and others experiencing barriers to employment seeking a career in hospitality. Many have lost jobs and the Trustees have made £10,000 available from existing 2019-20 charity funds for specific dedicated skills and advisory support to chefs and cooks.

Hospitality Action is a national charity helping individuals into the industry. Early in the pandemic, it set up a hardship fund and the Cooks Charity Trustees decided that the group would be the primary vehicle for supporting cooks and chefs as they had the systems in place to assess problems. We have made £20,000 available for direct financial benefit to chefs and cooks, who had lost their roles. We are aware the Innholders’ Company and Savoy Education Trust have also contributed.

Beyond Food runs an apprentice scheme for previously homeless people with qualifications at its Brigade restaurant in Tooley Street by London Bridge station. It also supports the apprentices and finds them future roles and accommodation and is supported by other livery companies and the Savoy Education Trust. They have set up a support line and the trustees made £10,000 available.

As the magazine was going to press charity trustees received the first interim reports from the beneficiary charities. They showed that 190 cooks or chefs have directly benefited – Hospitality Action (40), Springboard (20), House of St Barnabas (9), The Clink Charity (100) and Beyond Food Foundations (21).

Amongst the Covid help are £50 food parcels/supermarket vouchers, rent arrears, payment of household bills, purchase of TV and licence, purchase of a laptop to complete studies online, cooker/oven, clothing and bedding on release from prison, rents and deposit, online training and one-to-one support for chefs/cooks, assistance with universal credit and other benefit applications. And responses have already begun to come in. One Clink graduate wrote: “Thank you so much for the vouchers. This is a scary time for me and if I didn’t have the Clink to help me I don’t know what I would do.”

And a recipient of Hospitality Action wrote: “Thank you (HA) so much for all you’re doing for those of us in hospitality who have faced a lot of uncertainty in this pandemic. It’s brought much needed light.”

6

To attempt an investment report in the middle of a financial cri-sis, is the ultimate in tempting fate, but here goes.The tragic effects of Covid19 have ravaged financial markets around the world. The London FTSE 100 for example, which tracks the largest 100 British companies, fell by 31 per cent at its worst point. Dividend yields are anticipated to fall by at least 25 per cent.

The two Cooks funds up to April 30 have fared considerably better over the previous three months than the FTSE All Share index, which was down 18.8 per cent. The Company fund was down 12.1 per cent and the Charity, with its more cautious portfolio, was down 7.7 per cent. Whilst this is a worrying outcome it demonstrates our funds are being intelligently and cautiously managed and are performing as anticipated in a major market downturn. We are by no means through this awful pandemic and financial markets will continue to be extremely volatile. It is clear that without a dramatic improvement in markets both funds will have considerable reductions in their incomes. The Court and Trustees are conscious of this and are working to manage the situation.

The Company and Charity Funds both use Cazenove as their in-vestment managers. We have had a long and close relationship and I would like to thank them for their hard work, particularly over the recent months.

Our investment income comes from several sources. The Com-pany is over 90 per cent invested in equities. These are diversi-fied and well spread worldwide over all sectors. There is also a small amount of cash, bonds and alternatives.The Charity, which is deliberately more cautious, limits its equi-ty portfolio to around 65 per cent. The balance, which adds to its spread, is also in bonds, cash and alternatives, which include hedge funds theoretically softening any big falls.Equity investment portfolio income is made up of two compo-nents, capital growth and dividends. New companies and those that have ambitions to expand quickly rely on their share price rising fast to attract investors and ploughing back profits into expansion. They pay minimal, if any, dividends. Older and well established companies with a stable income stream, try to pay rising regular dividends rather than concentrating on growth. A combination of these two philosophies, plus those that sit be-tween, is one aim of our managers. The other is to pick funds with complementary but opposing strategies such as choosing perceived “cheap” stocks as against perceived “star” high per-forming stocks.We are provided, by our managers with a suggested “sustain-able return”, which is a percentage of our total funds that can be safely spent, whilst maintaining the value of the funds after inflation. This figure will inevitably shortly be based on a lower figure and will also take account of the anticipated dividend re-ductions. The Court and trustees must decide whether or not to accept these figures for planning and budgeting.

7,500.00

February March April May

7,000.00

6,500.00

6,000.00

5,500.00

5,000.00

5799.80

The FTSE 100 fell by as much as 30 per cent at one stage but has rallied since

FTSE 100

It’s not all about the money. But…Peter Wright, chairman of the Cooks’ Investment Committee

NEWS

7

COOKS GRANTS

Hugh eases off after 60 years Hugh Thornton, who has recently stepped down as Father of the Company, has been a stalwart member of the Worship-ful Company of Cooks for nearly 60 years as Freeman, Liveryman, member of the Court, Master (twice) and latterly as the most senior Past Master and therefore the ‘Father’ of the Company. Although, obvi-ously, Hugh has had to draw back in the last few years, as age has caused its in-evitable frustrations, he has continued to be involved in Company affairs via inter-net discussions and email contributions to various debates.

A hard-working member of many committees over the years, his contribution as chairman of the Investment Committeeis perhaps the most notable and isespecially appreciated at the current time; the sound financial foundations of the Company are in many ways down to him. His second term as Master in 2008-09 is also noteworthy for his drive to re-

establish the link between the Associated Companies, the City of London, and Northern Ireland. The trip he led to the Ring of Gullion in South Armagh being a particular high spot. As Father of the Company he has offered much appreciated advice and guidance to Masters and Clerk alike.

As Hugh steps back and becomes a ‘Past Master Emeritus’, the Thornton family con-tinues to be represented by Christopher, Stephen and Kate, all members of the Liv-ery and sure to keep the family flag flying high in their support of the Company.

In a scene reminiscent of the film The Two Popes, the role of Father has been hand-ed smoothly to Past Master Keith Pow-ell, who will also remain as the Compa-ny’s chaplain. A Liveryman since 1974 and Master in 1996, Keith’s ‘amazing graces’ at Company Lunches and Dinners are ea-gerly awaited and were even brought to-

gether in a book during Bryan Baughan’s Mastership. With sons Ben, James and Sam and daughters Kingsley and Katie all members of the Company, the Pow-ell family contribution to the future life of the Company is surely in safe hands.

Hugh Thornton

The UK’s hospitality sector has experienced a 15 per cent apprenticeship growth, bucking the national trend in other sectors. Speaking at the Hospitality Apprenticeship Showcase in Parliament Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UK Hospitality, called on the Government to support the hospitality industry.

The event coincides with National Apprenticeship Week, which aims to shine a light on the hospitality industry as a reward-ing career choice and applaud apprenticeship success stories across the country. Nicholls said: “Apprenticeships are a key part of that job creation and starts in the sector increased by 15 per cent last year while many other sectors experienced decline. “They help provide opportunities at all levels across the UK and they are hugely valuable when it comes to upskilling the workforce. They help provide real career progression and are

Hospitality industry bucks national trend to deliver apprenticeship growth

key to getting people off entry level wages.“We still face labour shortages, though, particularly in hard-to-fill vacancies, and businesses need appropriate support from Government if they are going to achieve more.

“The Apprenticeship Levy was introduced to help businesses provide more apprenticeships, but it is clear that it isn’t working for all businesses. It needs reviewing to increase flexibility and make sure it is appropriate for businesses of all sizes.”

The hospitality industry has created half a million jobs over the past decade and it has the potential to create hundreds of more jobs over the next decade. The sector employs 3.2 million people across the UK, which is equivalent to 10 per cent of employment.

8

MASTER’S REVIEW

A Tale of Two QuartersWell, this half year really has been, with apologies to Charles Dickens, a Tale of Two Quarters.Wednesday November 13 was a date that will remain engraved on my memory: the day I became Master. Taking the oath of office in front of the Court that afternoon and, again, as I pledged my word to the Company during the crowning ceremony at the dinner that evening, were surprisingly emotional and humbling moments, as the responsibility of being the 537th Master since our initial charter, and of preserving and enhancing our proud traditions and contribution to City life, fell firmly onto my shoulders.The half started well with an excellent Confirmation and Associated Companies Dinner and the Associated Companies Christmas carol service, where we had a full house, with familiar carols, a typically thoughtful piece by our Chaplain, and beautiful anthems from the choir of St Michael’s Cornhill.The turn of the year brought plenty of activity and a real sense of optimism that 2020 was going to be fabulous – and, at that stage, for most of us “Corona” was just a very fine Mexican beer!The early part saw four important events in our calendar: the Candlemas service and lunch; the Prizewinners Lunch; the Hotel Restaurant and Catering Show; and the Springboard Future Chef competition. With the increasing national focus on diet and nutrition, and, by association, with cooking, our relationship with City University and the forthcoming National Food Strategy is becoming increasingly important, so it was fitting that the work submitted by their MSc students in a food-related subject merited two prizes to them at the Prizewinners LunchIn early March, I spent three days at the Hotel, Restaurant, and Catering show. This is the revitalised and enlarged Hotelympia - four trade shows running simultaneously and occupying the whole of the south side of the London Excel Centre – and, at that stage, none of us could have envisaged that, within only a few weeks, it would be transformed into the first Nightingale emergency hospital. We sponsor prizes for young chefs at the Salon Culinaire and I’d been booked to present a few on day one. I was so impressed by the quality of the show and the astonishingly high standards of all the events, that I stayed for all three days and was even inveigled into judging some competitions as Freeman Harry Lomas’s honorary apprentice!I had the chance to talk to a wide cross-section of the leading Hospitality professionals, many of whom had never heard of the Company, and to spread the word about what we’re seeking to achieve, especially with our apprentice programme. Four members of the Company deserve particular mention - David Mulcahy, Steve Munkley, Harry Lomas, and Mark Codgbrook, with Anita Lomas working behind the scenes. I highly recommend all members of the Company and, indeed, anyone connected to the hospitality industry, to attend this show in coming years.The City Food Lecture, particularly the buffet afterwards is always a good opportunity to catch up with members of the other Food Companies and, this year, the Clerk played a blinder by ensuring that seven of our Apprentices were presented to The Princess Royal. Particular thanks must also go to the Clerk for his part as a member of the organising Committee.My final event before lock-down was to present prizes for the

annual Springboard Future Chef competition, which is part-funded by the Cooks. It involves 15,000 young people from 700 schools in regional competitions (including Northern Ireland this year for the first time), resulting in a dozen teenagers being given a short time to produce a two-course meal. The quality was remarkable, especially considering the ages of the competitors, and well up to the standard of many of the events I’d seen a couple of weeks earlier. It’s a worthwhile investment in the future, teaching young people as much about diet and nutrition as it does about cooking.While there were so many enjoyable occasions in the first couple of months, and there’s no space to mention them all, one stands out: the annual pancake races, in Guildhall yard on Shrove Tuesday, organised by the Poulters Company. This is a bit of fun but with the serious purpose of raising money for the Lord Mayor’s Charity. Some Companies take it seriously, even down to training and wearing proper running shoes, but the Cooks, despite the Clerk’s best efforts, have always taken a relaxed approach, being more interested in socialising at the lunch afterwards rather than trying to win! So it came as something of a surprise when I took honours in the Masters’ Race but, sadly,

Pancake Race - Master & Mistress

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9

MASTER’S REVIEW

suffered a time penalty because I failed to ground my frying pan properly at the end, so the trophy went to the Gunmakers. So to lock-down! Though events have all been cancelled, the Company’s business continues to be managed and the Court has met very successfully, if virtually. We’re thinking about events that we may be able to run via Zoom so that the fraternity aspect of Company life can continue.

Whilst we are sad about the cancellations, I ask you to think about the dreadful impact this is having, and is likely to have for a while, on the hospitality industry. Even with government support through the furloughing scheme and business-rate holidays, the prospect of social-distancing continuing in one form or another until a vaccine or medication are developed and produced, could have a devastating impact - especially on small businesses who will find it harder to diversify and for whom a 70/75 per cent occupancy is essential to break even.With that in mind, Cooks Charity trustees have earmarked a six-figure capital sum. I suspect we’ve only seen the tip of the hardship iceberg so far and there will be greater demands on our funds as the summer and autumn progresses.

I’ve been one of the lucky ones during this period of lock-down in not having to worry about day-to-day work. It has given me the time to think about the future and mull what the Company stands for and what should be our priorities. One thing is certain: life will not be the same as before.The Court had planned to hold a strategic away-day during the summer for some navel-gazing and to look forward a couple of decades but, like many other things, it’s had to be postponed.That’s a pity but it does give us longer to think about the shape of the hospitality industry after Coronavirus, and where the Company fits into the overall pattern.

The Charity doesn’t have inexhaustible funds so any additional contributions that individual members can make would be welcome - and I’m conscious that many do already make monthly or annual donations and others give their time and expertise pro bono. It’s simple to donate and there are suitable forms on the Company website. One excellent suggestion is that, as we’ve all saved money by not attending events in the last couple of months and there won’t be any others until the autumn at the earliest, we should donate all or part of the saving to the Cooks Charity. I wholeheartedly commend the idea.My final word must be to thank the Court publicly for offering me a second year as Master – subject, of course, to formal election in September – to make up for the curtailment of most Livery business and events during my planned year and, in particular, to Virginia Bond, the Second Master, for being willing to delay her year.As we move out of lock-down into a brave new world, and I write this article in my garden enjoying the ninth week of continuous sunshine, I send everyone my best wishes for a good summer and ask you to stay safe and be careful – and I hope that this sunshine is a positive omen for the post-Coronavirus world.

Post-coronavirus thoughts for the future

One of the few good things to come out of this period has been the community spirit, the way in which people of all ages have volunteered to devote time and energy to help those less fortunate than themselves. That is part of the spirit in which the

The main points are:

• how we can make the most effective use of our ‘convening’ ability and connections within the industry to bring people together,

• how we can strengthen links with other Livery Companies involved with Food and Hospitality,

• what we have to offer younger members of the ‘misterie of cooking’, while still keeping a prudent balance between Freedom and Livery,

• what more can we do to be ‘relevant’ to the trade; for example, how we can develop our Apprentice Programme

• in a nutshell, answer the two key questions: what are we here for? And, who would miss us if we weren’t to exist?

• And from the answers to those questions, how we should go about adapting to the new realities?

guilds developed centuries ago and an ethos that still exists. We see it principally in our charitable giving, which is generous by any standards for a Company of our size, and in the fraternity of our entertainment and events. I suspect we should be more outward-looking in our fraternity/entertainment in the future. In this time of enforced isolation, we have the opportunity to reflect on our relationships not just in the narrow sense of the Livery, of London, or even of the UK but, more importantly, with the wider, natural world. How, for example, this tiny, invisible virus can have created a truly global crisis which has shown up the fragility of even sophisticated, developed societies, and how we, in the developed world, have become such a materialistic, self-centred, and unequal society that’s been shown to be so vulnerable.We talk a great deal about sustainability. But do we really want to sustain what we’re doing right now? Should we not be considering recreating a society that values business that “regenerates” rather than just “sustains”, which creates and enhances new value. At the heart of regeneration lies the concept of diversity, diversity that enriches our world to make it more resilient and more productive – which applies just as much to people as it does to the environment. To follow up on some of the thoughts of our Company chaplain at Candlemas, we have the opportunity for self-regeneration, spiritual regeneration if you like, and social regeneration for our wider society.Is that too idealistic? Probably. There is, however, a political cliché that one should never let a good crisis go to waste. So, perhaps, we could all use this time to reconsider our values and, acknowledging that we can’t change society as a whole or deal with global problems, to see how we, in our own small way, can live up to and build on the spirit of our Guild forefathers. Thoughts from the Court, the Livery, or the Freedom? Or, indeed, any other reader of this article! All will be gratefully received.

David SmithMaster Cook

May 2020

10

From here to eternity (almost) and back again in one pieceLiveryman Graham Craddock almost personifies Coronavirus. He left for a trip to Vietnam in early March with his wife, Mary, when the infection appeared to belong to a distant country. Put into isolation shortly after arrival he sent jokey messages that reflected the mood in the government. Not long afterwards he was fighting for his life. This is his story.

When we boarded our flight to Hanoi on March 1 we had no thought that we would be travelling with a Covid 19 infected passenger two rows in front of us.

Because of the growing incidence of Coronavirus we had Googled the stats for Vietnam frequently. We had talked to our agents. We had taken advice from pharmacies and doctors. All agreed that there was a very low incidence of the virus in the country and no recorded deaths. So we put on our seat belts, sipped our champagne and looked forward to our three-week adventure.

Started wellThe holiday started well as we negotiated the mayhem that is downtown Hanoi enjoying the energy of this large city of seven million inhabitants driving five million mopeds with loads that would normally fill a ten-ton truck. We saw the sights. We imagined Ho Chi Minh planning the war effort in his modest cottage. We thought of the American pilots as we visited Hoa Lo prison museum, known to them as the ‘Hanoi Hilton’. We walked and walked to temples, pagodas, and museums. We covered a lot of ground in two days.

We then took the overnight train to Lao Cai in the far north. This is a border town and normally hosts a large number of Chinese tourists especially during the Chinese New Year period. The border had been sealed by Vietnam two months before, so the town was eerily empty.

The plan was to walk the hills around Sapa some 20kms away - the views of hills and terraced paddy fields are spectacularly beautiful, or so we were told. What we saw was heavy mist.Along the way we met many H’mong and Dzao local peoples cheerily selling their embroidery.

Because of the lack of Chinese tourists times were hard and at one point Mary was inundated by 20 women and children. All were claiming to have the best quality of workmanship. A cushion cover was chosen which then caused a huge diplomatic dispute because the seller was not from the ‘right’ tribe and did not come from the adjacent village. After much more negotiation

CORONAVIRUS

we left them relatively calm, and now own two cushion covers.We arrived at our Ecolodge in the Hoang Lien National Park in the late afternoon. This substantial property consists of stone cottages perched on a hill range each with its own balcony and superb views across the valley. Well, there would have been views without the fog. We were booked for two nights and set out to get the best from all the hedonistic facilities the complex had to offer booking herbal baths and massages.

The following morning we woke to more mist but as the sun rose it burnt away and we began to understand the beauty of the area - a mountainous back drop punctuated with deep valleys and hills ribbed with rice field terraces.We were tired. Was this an early symptom? We blamed the railway, jet lag and a lot of walking. We were determined however to enjoy the glorious area.

It all began so well...

...but the seeds of the virus had already been sowed.

11

CORONAVIRUS

It was the following morning the fun stopped. At 8am we re-ceived a call. We had been tracked from our flight because of a passenger who had the virus and we were in immediate quar-antine for 14 days. We were told we would not be able to leave our lodge. But I was just about to go down for breakfast I pro-tested - don’t worry we will send breakfast over. Two enormous hampers arrived full of pretty much everything on the buffet! The sun was up, a half decent restaurant with a good delivery service, as we enjoyed our breakfast on the balcony we thought there are worse places to live out quarantine.

Graham at the height of his intensive care in Hanoi Hospital

Then we received another call to say that a team was coming over to test us for the virus. A team of ten, all blue suited and booted arrived, two with mobile phones filming everything. The usual nasal brushing, throat swabbing, temp and blood pressure tests were completed.

We were told that everyone on our flight had been put into quarantine. The virus carrier was a socialite, daughter of very rich Vietnamese family, and a fashion blogger. When Italy was at the height of infection she had been to Milan, for the Italian fashion week. She definitely bloggered our plans!

BloggeredPhone calls were made and it was decided that as we were so close to the infected passenger we would have to go to hospital for more tests. We protested that we had no symptoms. The policeman in the team, who was clearly not used to dissent, told

us: “Pack your things the ambulance will be here in an hour”.So we arrived back at Lao Cai and its rather dilapidated provincial hospital. Language is always a problem in these circumstances. Google translate only works if you have a good signal and fast fingers and thumbs, even the doctors were struggling. After further testing we were told that we had to stay at the hospital. It was not clear if that was to be for the entire quarantine. The advantage was we were in an empty wing which, as we had no symptoms, meant we would not be catching the virus from other patients.

We were tested and retested and we kept asking what happens next? At 10pm on our third night two doctors came in and said we now need to go to hospital in Hanoi. So when do we need to go to Hanoi? The answer on the mobile screen was ‘as I said now’! Why I asked - we have no symptoms.

Tested positive It was then that we were told that the tests had shown that we were both positive for the virus. But we don’t have any symptoms we protested. It was the first time that we had heard anyone say that you could be a carrier without symptoms. We now realise we were of course in complete denial - even as my temperature started to fluctuate. We were told we had already infected 54 citizens and closed many businesses including the Ecolodge which had been immediately quarantined with all its staff.

As part of their track and trace the police had asked me for a detailed written report on everywhere we had been and people we had met since we came off the flight. I asked for the evidence that we have the virus. They brought us two official looking certificates. Still in disbelief I typed furiously into my phone what authority has issued these? The answer came back ‘The WHO’. I did have a moment of wondering what the wild rockers of the 60’s had to do with all this...

In the end we were persuaded by the District Minister for Foreign Affairs and the British Embassy to go to Hanoi to the Northern Hanoi Hospital for Tropical Diseases but not until the morning.

Last wordsWe arrived in Hanoi in just over two and a half hours - so eight hours by train and five hours by limousine bus... So you can imagine the journey.

When we got to the hospital we immediately recognised some of the passengers from our flight - some now showing symptoms and all virus positive. The rules were that you had to have two negative consecutive tests and then you would be released to serve a further 14 day quarantine before hospital discharge. I think it was then that we realised that the holiday in its entirety had been lost. Three days later Mary was told to have her ‘last words’ with me...

Mary started to show symptoms but recovered and proceeded to have several negative tests and was allowed to visit me every day once I was off the ventilator but always in full PPE of which there was a plentiful supply.

I have no idea what happened to me after that third day so Mary gave me the following Calendar of events:

12

13th March Started to feel unwell with breathing difficulty. Given Oxygen and antibios.

15th March On ventilator

29th March Taken off ventilator and on to standard oxygen

11th April Taken off oxygen

13th April Left intensive care and into recuperation ward. Received to consecutive negative tests. Much jubilation!

24th April Left hospital for flight to Ho Chi Minh City, Seoul, and London Heathrow

25th April Home

Old Hanoi where masks are already in evidence at the beginning of the trip

Mary and Graham - Recovery at lastMary Craddock: the Vietnamese hospitals were well equipped with ppe and able to allow visitors

I am very grateful for the Vietnamese health system which does not discriminate between the ‘old’ and the ‘young’, nationals or foreigners, pre existing conditions or perfectly fit, their teams worked day and night in the most difficult conditions to save everyone.

At the time of writing, Vietnam has not had a single death attributed to Covid. I particularly thank Dr Pho and Nurse Moo. The former for saving my life, giving me hope and allowing access to Mary, and the latter for encouraging me to walk when I thought I would never be able to stand again.

I am also very grateful to friends and family, and especially the Cooks, who sent so many good wishes which I am embarrassed to say have largely gone unanswered but were a huge encouragement.

I missed Easter but one of the first things I read was Keith Powell’s Easter Message. Amongst many good words and thoughts he wrote: “We read of testing kits, continued lockdown, the development of a vaccine and so on, but there is an additional remedy that everyone could exercise and it is ‘prayer’”.

Thank you all so much for all your prayersGraham Craddock

CORONAVIRUS

13

Britain’s day for leaving europe coincided with the annual Candlemas service. It pro-vided Company chaplain Rev Keith Powell with a natural theme that, combined with the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and some personal reflection, made for a wide-ranging sermon on the nature of identity. “We are meeting on an exciting day and pivotal moment for our nation and Great Britain as whole as we begin our extrication from the EU.

What better day to think about an impor-tant question both as individuals and as a nation and that question is ‘Who are you?’It sounds simple but in fact it is a deep question. A first response might be ‘I’m Keith Powell, a human being, chaplain to the Cooks’ Company’. But that’s not who I am. Human beings are extraordinarily com-plex creatures with not only minds and bod-ies but with emotions a conscience a soul and spirit. So we might need to ask anoth-

CANDLEMAS

Brexit Day was clearly a time of mixed emotions across the country but for one Cook it was – perhaps literally - a God-given opportunity.

Annual service with politics and some food for thought

er question – ‘What is your true identity? What makes you who you really are and deep down the person only you and dare I say only God knows ‘warts and all’.

I first faced these questions when I was 30 at Old Sarum, Salisbury. where Jill and I had been given our first farm tenancy. It was a new business and hard work and many im-provements needed to be made to make it viable. Within three years I collapsed with exhaustion and after thorough medical tests ended up in the doctor’s surgery where, when I turned down medication I was given some wise advice – ‘You need to treat this episode like a bereavement – let the person you thought you were die and learn to be who you really are’.”

Rev Powell also harked back to the body politic, an idea that emerged during the Middle Ages but probably got its biggest boost from a tract written just after the constitutional crisis of the English Civil War – Hobbes’ Leviathan.

“I believe we are facing an identity crisis – not just as individuals but as communities, nations and even the church. We have been looking back at the holocaust where peoples lives were eradicated because of their identity. They were systematically de-humanised as individuals and instead their identity was replaced by a tattooed number on their arms.We however are facing a different challenge – unsure of who we are and who we are as a nation we identify with a group or cause that gives us what we need – a safe place. Of acceptance, a valid secure identity. Is that why we joined the EU 40 years ago, unsure of who we were.

What has this got to do with Candlemas? There has only ever been one person who has not only known his true God-given iden-tity but lived without fear or sin and instead demonstrated how to live a life of coura-geous compassion and sacrificial love – life as God meant it to be.

He is the reason why this church was built and on this day we recall him being identified for who he was and ever shall be. He is not named Jesus until the eighth day – or Candlemas. Even the angels appearing to the shepherds at his birth avoid his name. Instead we read ‘ Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born. He is Christ the Lord. The word Christ is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word Messiah. I pray that not only will each of us find this deep relationship with God through Jesus but that our nation would also be restored to its God-given identity”.

John Wesley preaches outside St Botolph’s long before social distancing became the norm

A youthful Revd Keith Powell around the time he set

out on his road to Damascus

14

In managing the present Covid-19 pandemic, societies and their governments are balancing competing objectives: saving lives versus saving livelihoods. There is no simple and risk-free answer to this challenge. Additionally, governments operate under an intense pressure to be seen to be doing something. Often, that something can be anything and thus more difficult to justify when the dust settles.

For now, all the data for the current Covid-19 challenge are not yet available. So, time will tell if the response is to be diminished by the unintended consequences. Yet, it already seems that the data may not validate a universal, one size fits all, shutdown strategy when the statistics clearly point to older men with underlying health problems comprising most Covid-related deaths. Saving livelihoods, in the longer run, might save more lives. Thus, in time, the statistics may come to reveal more about our contemporary attitude to crises than any crisis itself.

AdversityMany already argue that things will have to be different when this is all over. Some, ironically, argue that things will have to change when we get back to normal. Of course, it will only be different if we can articulate what we want to change, to what, and why. But, getting back to normal - no thank you! Surely, we should want something better than normal?

Indeed, at the technical and tactical level, normal seems to have been inadequate for dealing with this pandemic – testing, personal protective equipment, and care homes at least. After

CANDLEMAS

View from the pew

What next for society?by

Steve Gibson

all, social distancing reflects a failure of public health policy not a victory! However, crying wolf over multiple previous ‘pandemics’ that weren’t may have something to do with that as much as operational and planning deficiencies. Armchair critics, with little experience of how messy real life can be, will continue to tell the front-liners where they went wrong.

Yet, the key guidelines for dealing with disasters have been rea-sonably well-established: go bigger than you initially think, keep it extremely simple, do it very fast, and always listen to the locals who will usually know better. To a great degree, and notwithstanding the reprehensible conduct of our main-stream media, the government has followed much of this advice or quickly tweaked things when difficulties arise. But, in time, there will be questions to answer.

Swift and decisiveFrom the strategic and moral perspective, the greater revela-tion of an ‘un-levelness’ in our society has become starkly clear to those who did not realise how societies work in reality. In the space of a few weeks, many have come to recognise the vital contribution made by checkout staff, shop-assistants, delivery drivers, carers, pharmacists, cleaners, hairdressers, refuse col-lectors, farmers, and food producers amongst many others. It seems that these workers are genuinely ‘key’; without them, life quickly grinds to a halt. But, did we not know that before?

Similarly, tremendous community spirit and voluntary efforts have flourished at an intensely local level as a result of the

Continued on next page

Past Master Steve Gibson lectures at

Cranfield University on concepts of risk,

security, and resilience.

15

CANDLEMAS

restrictions. Again, did we not do this before? This is not to forget the parallel key role of the internet and the benefits to society of Amazon, Google, GoFundMe, Zoom and many other online commercial opportunities … as well as the humour!Having recognised an authentic ‘key worker’ when one sees one, their status should also be appropriately recompensed. To a degree, the state is already redistributing considerable wealth, if not making considerable efforts to protect their jobs rather than support the underlying profits of their employers (as in 2009). The ramifications of this unprecedented level of state intervention and debt - a level that might have made even the previous Labour leadership wince - are being second-guessed

by another set of ‘experts’ as we speak. However, when this is over, the importance of those whose labour is genuinely essential to the running of a society should not be forgotten. Virtue-signalling, free, celebrity-organised concerts for NHS staff, rather than some honest levelling-up, might come to grate! John Lennon was already a millionaire when he wrote ‘Imagine no possessions’. Sure - it isn’t hard to do … for them!Of course, a cohesive, coherent, and confident society needs a purpose. Adversity - an enemy - has always provided that. For now, getting through this gives us considerable reason for being. But, what ought to happen when this is over? What does the political vision of our future look like post-Covid 19?

So, yes - the Covid-19 challenge is diffi-cult. But, if ever there was an advert for a lack of vision, it is the placing of an un-worthy imposter upon a pedestal it does not deserve for want of something more purposeful. The so-called Spanish flu of 1918-20 never overshadowed the social, economic, or political imperatives and objectives of its day. Yet, today, when everything is interpreted through the lens of safety and security - a culture of fear - then any sense of agency gives way to one of assumed vulnerability and a nev-er-ending precautionary approach to future ‘catastrophe’. There simply is no time or resource allowable for anything more useful! Our contemporary fixation upon imminent catastrophe - from global pandemic to global warming - says more about us and our ambitions than the ‘ca-tastrophe’ ever could or should. At some

point, we will have to resume our free so-ciety and free lives, otherwise it and they will not be worth pursuing. Taking free-doms away is easier than returning them! Being forever safe is not living!

What about us - the Cooks? Societies - organisations - need to lend meaning to their efforts. When this is over, what will ours be? What will the ‘new normal’ mean for us? What do we want to go back to? The trustees of the Cooks Charity have been quick to underscore one key reason for being: swift and decisive financial sup-port to several charities where hardship is present in the craft of cooking; to our own members experiencing similar hardship; and, to wider City/Corporation-based in-itiatives. Future meaningful action for the Company might include two other key pieces of a future jigsaw: some role in

Assuming that normal will not cut it, we might dare to look forward to:

• Less seeing everything as a crisis - from Y2K through obesity to Russia – and a more critical identification of events that are truly important. There is a distinction between information and knowledge. Acting upon information, rather than filtering it through judgement to create knowledge first, is not necessarily wise.

• The return of wisdom and authoritative political judgement. Experts give advice on genuinely important things as and when required by those in power, but not as substitutes for political or moral leadership. Scientists are engaged to support the political vision not to form it. Of course, science - and not ‘the’ science - is very difficult; especially under pressure. It is rarely black or white, rarely settled, and rarely ‘the’. It is simply not exact. It must play second fiddle to political primacy. Scientists can diminish the darkness of uncertainty, but they cannot and should not lead us out of it.

• A realisation that resilience is not handed out like confetti. It accumulates individually and collectively through experience - individually and shared. It is not enhanced by pathologising or medicalising everyday life experiences. Rather, it is diminished by a persistent world view that defaults to dystopian, misanthropic, and pessimistic views of humanity’s capabilities and achievements.

• Better journalism: less of the cynical ‘gotcha ‘questioning and

endless ‘what-if’ speculation. A little more ‘what-is’ reporting instead of a cynical second-guessing the management of real-world challenges. Some of them have not yet grasped a Zoom call for goodness sake!

• A significant diminution of narcissistic identity-based politics for a more collective pursuit of what is meaningful to peaceful, prosperous, and progressive societies. Such a diminution includes the undue influence of supranational organisations, globalised tech and financial businesses, un-mandated professional interference in politics, and fringe minority causes trumping shared collective interests.

• Fewer rules, policies, compliance, or nudges and much more wise judgement, courtesy, and innovation in the pursuit of key and hard-won values underpinning good societies: freedom, tolerance, and courage.

• Realising that fear is a choice; conquerable by not pandering to worst-case scenarios but confidently and courageously attempting to implement superior ideas and visions. It is the meaning we attribute to an event more than the event itself that has greater purchase upon society. And, a society that believes in nothing can easily be frightened by anything. But, of course, that is more a reflection on the confidence of that society in its own project than the event itself. A little more Captain Tom and a lot less Rigbypestonssberg!

bringing a fragmented cooking trade to-gether; and, some real and physical skin in the game of society.Meanwhile, in the real order of precedence for so-called unprecedented times, here’s to the Worshipful Companies of Checkout Staff, Delivery Drivers, and Care Workers. And, here’s to ‘uncertain and unprecedented’ times forever. They are remarkably normal in the end … and can shake things up for the better!

This piece was written before the Prime Minister’s address to the nation on May 10; an extremely cautious effort to lead us out of paralysis. That we seem keen to challenge even this modest movement, reflects more our inability to grasp that life has to be lived, with all its uncertain-ties and vagaries, and says more about our lack of resilience than our fortitude.

16

The Cooks Company has doubled areas of charitable giving by matching donations with cash from a City & Guilds fund that reflects a low point in the Livery’s history.

The City and Guilds of London Institute was founded in 1878 by the Corporation of the City of London and 16 livery compa-nies to protect and promote the standard of technical education. It reflected an ap-preciation that the Guilds were no longer fulfilling their traditional roles as training and standard setting bodies. As Matthew Engel wrote in a Financial Times article in 2012. “Many of the companies that did survive had lost their original purpose even by Tudor times.

One history says that Elizabeth I asked the Worshipful Company of Mercers why silk was so expensive, and they hadn’t the faintest idea. Between the acceptance of the Worshipful Company of Carmen (No. 77) in 1746 and the master mariners (78) in 1932, there was not a single newcomer to the ranks. By Victorian times it was certainly just about the dinners: sumptuous and sometimes rowdy.

Reputation “By then the companies’ reputation was a bit dubious, and some politicians began to see them as a reactionary bastion. Since they still had a role in the City of London’s governance, this was an issue. In the late 19th century, they felt compelled to get their act together: in 1878 they founded the City & Guilds Institute to develop vo-cational education, a role it still fulfils.”

The slump prompted a government com-mission to look at every aspect of the Liv-ery around this time. It found that “The commencement of the present [19th] cen-tury is the approximate date of the con-nection of the Companies … with the City.”

After that things began to pick up and the social responsibility and desire to get back to roots developed. The Cooks were probably no better or worse than any of the other 100-plus companies but have

CITY & GUILDS

By the 19th century many Livery dinners had much in common with this Hogarth etching

Double Your Money How the Cooks have boosted their charitable giving

arguably pushed the professional links further than most. Three years ago, City & Guilds advised the Charity Committee that they were establishing a matched funding programme available to Livery Companies.

Upon further investigation by Freeman Wally Torrington, it became apparent that City & Guilds would match any funding we provided to a charity, (providing it met certain criteria) up to a total of £20,000 Therefore, if the Cooks Charity was going to support a project for £18,000 by applying for City & Guilds Matched Funding it would only cost the charity £9,000. Hence the support for House of St Barnabas, Lakefield and, as a one-off, New City College in Hackney, east London.

Hughie Green presents Double Your Money

17

All graduation ceremonies are joyful and many inspiring but I have never been to one quite like the one at House of St Barn-abas on 4th December 2019 for sheer exuberance and pride in collective achievement.

It was a mixture of inspirational speeches from former graduates, teaching staff and the graduands themselves. Some brilliant poems and observations and some heart-rending stories. All 20 students graduated from this 10 week course, which is exceptional. This was largely due to the support of dedicated staff and fellow course members. There was raucous noise and plenty of tears from course members as their fellow students collected their certificates. One new graduate brandished her Certificate with clear pride shouting out “I got it !”. Many family members including the two, very proud grown-up sons of our graduate, Dave were present and many graduates had never achieved anything like this before. All were referred to HOSB and tend to have been sofa-surfing with friends or in a hostel prior to the course.

HOSB is based just off Soho Square and is a charitable foundation which includes St Barnabas Church (where the ceremony took place), the old House, and the Employment Academy which tries to break the cycle of homelessness. There is also a members club for the media world which is run on a not for profit basis. HOSB run three courses a year on which participants receive work experience 2-3 days a week in roles in the Club including the kitchen alongside a classroom-based confidence boosting programme with help on housing, jobs and emotional support. The programme began in 2013 - one graduate is now a member of the club; 63% find jobs within a year which is remarkable given 70% were previously considered long-term unemployed. The Cooks Charity makes grants to HOSB, matched by City & Guilds, to cover the costs of training the chefs on each course.

Aimee McQuillan, HOSB Trust and Foundations manager gave me a tour of the building and I met Gigs (head chef) and Bruno (sous chef). Brilliantly enthusiastic and fun, they clearly love the teaching side in the kitchen - they can have up to 4-5 trainees per cohort.

by Oliver

Goodinge

HOSB is a superb charity and I am very proud the Cooks are associated with it. Before I left after a wonderful afternoon, I bumped into the Rev. Richard Coles of Radio 4 and the Communards’ fame. He is now chaplain to the Leathersellers’. I resisted singing Don’t Leave me this Way! as he left. Sadly, since the Covid19 virus struck and restaurants, pubs and clubs were closed, many of the recent HOSB graduates have lost jobs or accommodation. There is therefore a real risk the cycle of homelessness will restart. As a result, in April the Trus-tees of the Cooks Charity made an additional grant of £3,000 to the HOSB financial hardship fund so those individuals train-ing as chefs might benefit directly.

House of St. Barnabas - London

House of St. Barnabas

Centre for Exuberance and Pride

CITY & GUILDS

18

Lakefield is one of the most intriguing of the matched funding recipients. A small college set up in a then-faded part of north London to train domestic and institutional female staff it could be argued that it has spent most of its time playing catch-up.

It was founded by Opus Dei, the controversial Order set up to preserve Catholic orthodoxy in the face of growing liberalism, and features in The Secret World of Opus Dei, by Michael Walsh. Even in 1966, when it was officially opened by the Queen Mother domestic servants were falling out of fashion and a critical light was being shone on single-sex colleges. Today it is still a male college supported by a female staff.

However, Kristen Henderson, the director, points out that in an age of social media and zero hours contracts in fast food chains a bespoke, high-contact training scheme very much in line with the old Guild apprenticeships, is increasingly relevant.

“We offer virtual one-to-one training, placements in industry and work-place cooking every day for the adjoining hall of residence

Lakefield

Addressing the future through a focus on the past

Students at Lakefield College

with our students cooking 80-100 meals a day for the university students.”On top of that we provide soft skills – team work, ability to communicate, and girl confidence - Increasingly important life skills that are ebbing away with the growth of social media

She also believes that the college has something to teach the industry. Last year an article in The Times, highlighted in What’s Cooking, quoted Michelin chef Tom Aikens claiming that it was hard to recruit chefs because schools were not including catering in the curriculum.

Ms Henderson says that while that may be true the industry has also been slow to appreciate what potential recruits might hope to get out of it and that the highly personal training Lakefield offers gives a valuable perspective.

“The Industry has to change its offer and work around what young people want and we see what that is.”

CITY & GUILDS

19

easy food switches can reduce food greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent. Most of us make many food choices every day, and by changing these we can sig-nificantly reduce climate change caused by food, and free up land that can be used to help reduce climate change overall.”

ported those with-out IT with laptops, so no students feel left out and don’t fall behind in their studies. Through the greater use and exposure to PCs in their everyday learning by stu-dents, the teaching team at Hackney are more confident than ever that stu-dents will success-fully communicate through their Virtual Learning Environment. The Hackney Cam-pus is now running virtual cookery competitions which gives ac-cess to all, and students submit photographs and a presentation to be judged online.Sharon Sullivan, Group Curriculum Director Hospitality, Catering & Performing Arts, New City College, wrote to the Late Master, “This funding could not have come at a better time for the students. Since the start of the academic year, teachers were able to develop portfolio evidence, complete work towards their knowledge and assignments, and set targets and actions that have really engaged and supported individuals progress. I feel if C&G had not supported us with this vital funding for our students, we would not have been in such a positive position with the students now. It has very much developed knowledge, new skills and empowered individuals to progress in their futures.”

Two years ago, an additional City & Guilds sum became available for new projects. The Cooks Charity Committee put their thinking hats on and following some discussion with organisations they have supported for a long time came up with a proposal to apply for matched funding to buy 14 PCs for the Hospitality Centre, Hackney Campus, New City College.

The Cooks have supported the Hospitality and Catering students for several years, providing funding and giving access for all students, paying for uniforms and kit fees, which can often be a financial barrier to enrolment. Many students come from backgrounds where parents, careers and foster care could never afford the extras, and this gives them the same opportunities for their future aspirations into the Hospitality sector.

Our Clerk very kindly did the leg work between City & Guilds and New City College and the Matched Funding application was approved. The new PCs enabled the Hospitality Centre to set up a computer suite for students, some of whom do not have any IT access at home. The suite allows them to learn new skills and develop their own professional portfolios for the future. It is also used for students to complete their functional skills work, course work related to their hospitality studies and research/menu planning. Students are tracked successfully and register online as their normal timetabled time. Chat rooms are set up during these teaching online periods in which there is a high ratio of attendance (87-91%). In sum, students are completing their studies on time, gaining their qualifications and then being able to apply for jobs. A win win!

Teachers and students at New City College are currently working remotely due to the Covid-19 lock down and the college has sup-

New City College

Cash for computers, catering kit

CITY & GUILDS

by Marcus

Appleton

The Cooks’ Pembroke lecture is one more casualty of the virus. Professor Sarah Bridle was to give the lecture in October but social distancing advice means that it has had to be postponed. Professor Bridle studied at Pembroke, the University of Cambridge college, before becoming professor of Astrophysics at the University of Manchester. She has diversified from cosmology into agriculture and food research, motivated by the need to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. The provisional title of her deferred lecture is Change your diet: the easiest way to help reduce your climate impact.

byPast Master Peter

Messent

Pembroke lecture cancelled“I have been studying dark matter and dark energy for the last 20 years, but when my kids started school, I started to think about our own planet in the next 20 years and beyond. I learned about climate change properly for the first time, how it threatens worldwide food production, and how food causes about a quarter of all global warming. I wanted to know how much each of my food choices was contributing, and why.

“I delved into the academic research liter-ature, and summarised the results in sim-ple charts. The charts make it easy for the non-specialist to see the impacts of dif-ferent meal options, and show that some

20

Some light entertainment courtesy of the Weavers’ Company, performed by Tony Saunders. Music by Sir Arthur Sullivan, of course (The Major General’s Song from The Pirates of Penzance) and thanks to Alderman Prof Sir Andrew Parmley for the words. And a nod to Tom Lehrer too!

(Allegro vivace)The origins of Liv’ry in the City is a “mystery”;The reason for the numbering is lost in mists of history;It was in 1515 when the precedence was ratified;Since when the Great Twelve Companies have always seemed quite satisfied.The Mercers sit at number one, the Grocers are at number two;Then Drapers, Fish and Goldsmiths come, with Skinners and the MTs, whoNot wanting to be number seven, assert they should be number six,A paradox the Lord Mayor sorted with a simple City fix:

To be at sixes and at sevens is an English paradox,To be at sixes and at sevens is an English paradox,To be at sixes and at sevens is an English paraparadox.

The Haberdashers, Salters and the Ironmongers follow next;The Vintners and the Clothworkers and Dyers – thirteen – always vexed;In short in matters civic and in language mathematicalThe Weavers are the hardest hit by order categorical.

The Brewers, Leathersellers and the Pewterers are next in line;Then Barbers, Cutlers, Bakers and Wax Chandlers in their liv’ry fine;Then Tallow Chandlers, Armourers and Girdlers and the Butchers trot;With Saddlers, Carpenters and Cordwainers – oh! what a funny lot!The Company of Painters and the Curriers established nextThen Masons, Plumbers, Innholders and Founders found the ancient textTo welcome Poulters, Cooks and Coopers, Tylers and the Brick Layers too;And male-only Bowyers’ Master who uniquely serves for two. (Years, that is.)

A two-year term for Bowyers – it’s a job that only men dare do,A two-year term for Bowyers – it’s a job that only men dare do,A two-year term for Bowyers – it’s a job that only men dare men dare do.

The Fletchers and the Blacksmiths and the Joiners are the next in line;Then come ourselves at 42, some say the finest of the fine;In short in matters civic and in language mathematicalThe Weavers are the hardest hit by order categorical.

Andrew Parmley

WEAVERS SONG

The Origins of Livery (Modern Major General)

21

(Slower)There follow many more – some ancient and a few contempor’ry’The modern ones include the Cleaners and the jolly Actu’ry;The Educators and the Art Scholars are new kids on the block;The ITs and the Firemen and the Woolmen with their City flock;The Horners are a happy lot, the Framework Knitters know what’s knot;The Mariners are “hon’rable”, the Gardeners tend their little plot;Distillers know their armagnac, their gin and scotch and vodka too;(a tempo, vivace)Musicians like a tipple and, believe me, they can sink a few!

The Weavers are the oldest and they should be known as number one,The Weavers are the oldest and they should be known as number one,The Weavers are the oldest and they should be known as number number one.

The Liv’ry is an ancient lot of Masters quite adventury;And Weavers know that they’ve been number one across the centuries;In short in matters civic and in language mathematicalThe Weavers should be number one in order categorical.

(Encore verse 3: “ Presto agitato, per favour, Maestro”!)

WEAVERS SONG

Click the image to watch Tony Saunders play enthusiastically on Youtube

The Origins of Livery

22

Michelin-starred chefs present and future met at the Innholders Hall for the Cooks’ annual celebration of the pinnacle of the industry. Newcomers who may occasionally feel they have a mountain to climb were encouraged by Ritz head chef and Cooks‘ freeman John Williams as he handed them the presentation glass goblets and cheques during February’s Prizewinners lunch.

Williams, who is arguably the British embodiment of classical French cooking, was the principal guest of honour at the £9,000 event. He drew on his decades of experience to sum up the daunting array of skills the profession demanded. “We are unique in that we can give so much pleasure in the food we serve.”“Being a chef is a tremendously hard job in every sense of the word so it is important to get the right training. It is important to have the right culture . A great kitchen should provide training at all levels from apprentice to competition. You have to be honest with yourself and your staff and ask difficult questions.

Sheer hard work“You need to have empathy, dependability and reliability, creativity and positivity, timely communication and you must be a risk-taker to some degree. He also argued that chefs should spend at least three years in a particular kitchen to absorb everything they need. “Chopping and changing jobs will not create great chefs”.

The Master, David Smith, said: “This is the most important event in the Cooks calendar and we have a seriously impressive list

PRIZEWINNERS LUNCH

The Cream of the Crop

of guests. It is a celebration of skills, training, perseverance, ambition and sheer hard work, and the importance of the “more mature” members of the trade who mentor and inspire.

Williams was joined in the celebrity ranks by Steve Groves, the 2009 of Masterchef Professionals and head chef at Roux at Parliament Square; Olivia Burt, The Professionals 2019 finalist and a sous chef at Claridge’s in London; Freeman Cyrus Todiwala, the TV chef and owner of Café Spice Namaste; and Ritz sous chef Ian Musgrave who will represent Britain at global culinary competition the Bocuse d’Or after seeing off competition from three other young British chefs at the Restaurant Show.

The 17 prizewinners covered the gamut of the industry from the House of St Barnabas and Lakefield College, two Cooks’ sponsored institutions that help people down on their luck or under-privileged to break into catering, to Alex Gregoriou the 8th Cooks Company apprentice and a trainee chef at the Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, and talented chefs from the armed forces.

They were joined by their respective mentors or sponsors who had recommended them for an award. They were all presented with £35 glass goblets specially made in Glasgow and engraved with the Cooks Crest, prize awarded and name of winner. Also the MSc dissertation winners received £250 each as did the City and Guilds Winner gets £250 – the Cherry Grainger prize named after Past Master Bob Grainger’s Father. The 167 Soldier of the Year had her name engraved on the new Hodgson Salver and received £100 while the Cooks Learner of the Year at Westminster Kingsway College was awarded the Fooks Trophy.

2020EDITION

Prizewinners with (centre) Ritz chef John Williams, The Master David Smith, and MasterChef winner Steve Groves

23

The City University Prize for an outstanding MSc Dissertation on the subject of Food Policy was awarded to two joint winners.

Chloe Dunnett: ‘How could UK fiscal policics targeting food price better integrate health, environmental and social goals?’

Daniel Hunt: “How ultra-processed food industry actors lobbied the policy activities of the 45th Federal Parliament of Australia: a mixed-methods analysis”

The Cherry Grainger Prize for outstanding performance within the City and Guilds organisation goes to Brannon Underwood from Loughborough College. His supervisor wrote:

“Brannon has shown an exceptional thirst for knowledge and hunger to develop his practical skills throughout his time at col-lege, but especially in this final year. He had zero confidence or self-belief when he first came here and was constantly running himself down. With great personal determination and guidance from tutors he has made a quantum leap into an exceptional young caterer. I consider Brannon to have the potential to be amongst the best I have ever seen. His actual cooking ability is far from the finished article in one so young – but his attitude is priceless.”

National Chef of the Year is Steve Groves, Head Chef at Roux at Parliament Square and a previous winner of Master Chef – The Professionals

And staying with Master Chef – The Professionals. Olivia Burt from Claridges Hotel, who was a finalist in the recent competition, is a guest at the lunch. Top student at Westminster Kingsway College and winner of the Fooks Trophy: Sean Smith.

Lakefield Training Centre and at the House of St Barnabas in Soho: Jessica Thompson and Blossom Green have been selected by their tutors as top students. Jessica’s tutor has written:

“Jessica Thompson has been put forward for the Worshipful Company of Cooks Prize for her all-round effort as a Lakefield Student. Although very quiet and shy, Jessica displays a high level of self-motivation which is shown not only in the kitchen training departments but in the theory classes as well.

Ms Green’s mentor Brian Beaton wrote: “Our fantastic graduate benefited from your support and has worked constantly as a commis chef since graduating after the Programme. She was also engaged in a cooking competition on behalf of Fullers Pub and did very well.”

Royal Navy Senior Chef: Leading Chef Andy Durham. Junior Chef is Chef Shaun Downs.

Leading Chef Durham competed successfully in the Nation-al Game Chef of the Year. As a result of this he competed in “Master Chef - The Professionals” reaching the final six contest-ants. Throughout the previous 12 months he has remained a key

Cooks’ Prize Winners

member of the Combined Services Culinary Arts Team, competing at the Culinary Olympics in Stuttgart. The culmina-tion of all this hard work has seen him nominated for the Craft Guild of Chefs Armed Forces Chef of the Year. Commodore of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary nominated his top Chef and Steward. The winning Chef was Chief Petty Officer Martin Etwell, who was also the RFA winner in 2012. The winning Steward is Steward Benjamin Cox.

CPO Etwell: In September 2019 RFA Cardigan Bay hosted the International Maritime Security Conference. In support of this, Etwell provided a working breakfast and a buffet lunch, showcasing his renowned talent and flair to the 3 Star Admiral and ensemble of attendees.

Steward Cox joined RFA Cardigan Bay in the early Summer. The citation said “Stwd Cox is a talented leader and his performance has been remarkable; he sets high standards for himself and achieves impressive results. Cox performance is wholly deserving of recognition”.

Army Senior Chef: Warrant Officer Samantha Barton from 167 Regt

Junior Chef is Private Colin Wilson from 1st Battalion, Duke of Lancaster’s Regt.

Commanding Officer also nominates a 167 Rgt/Cooks Soldier of the Year: Sgt Mhairi Wilson who was also the first recipient of the Hodgson Salver, donated in memory of Mark Hodgson.

RAF: Senior Chef of the Year was Corporal Chris Curtis.Junior Chef was Senior Aircraftman Connor Mackie.

Recognising our affiliation with No3 Mobile Catering Squadron, RAF, based at RAF Wittering, the No3 MCS/Cooks Airman of the Year was Senior Aircraftman Sam Smith.

PRIZEWINNERS LUNCH

John Williams and The Master with Blossom Green and Jessica Thompson

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Chloë Dunnett won the Cooks award for best dissertation, having embarked on a career change after a previous life as a senior civil servant in central government. After six months working full-time at a ten-acre biodynamic farm in Herefordshire, living off-grid in a shepherd’s hut, she has started a new venture: creating a farm comprised of a patchwork of small growing spaces in London. The aim is to produce vegetables, herbs and salad leaves all year round using organic techniques, and sell them as weekly seasonal veg boxes with a proportion of each harvest going to those in need of fresh food.

Stemming from ideas sparked during her Masters degree, it’s about taking action locally. Growing where you stand. Being part of what she passionately believes is the transformation required to the food system and the health, social and environmental benefits a more localised food system can bring. “The food system is not fit for purpose, contributing climate change and biodiversity collapse, obesity, and food poverty, even in wealthy countries, “ she argues. “Urban areas hold great untapped potential for food growing, with a recent Sheffield University study for example highlighting the opportunities city farms could provide”. The Lord Mayor has also welcomed an expansion in inner city agriculture, recognising the many social, health and environmental benefits.

Chloe’s project now has four sites, including a disused primary school, a playground, and a large back garden, and she hopes to be ready for her first harvest around now. Food production is of course key work and she has been able to continue despite Covid restrictions and says she has been bowled over by the generosity of strangers and friends offering their time to volunteer in clearing weeds, donating old wood and bricks to build beds, even buying sacks of compost.

Chloe’s Farm coming to a back garden or waste plot near you

Chloe is creating a farm made up of a patchwork of small growing spaces

Chloe with John Williams and The Master at the Prizewinners lunch

If you’d like to find out more information about the project, know of underused patches of land in London, or indeed would like to buy one of her weekly boxes of fresh seasonal produce (think fresh borlotti beans, juicy purple tomatoes, yellow courgettes and edible flowers…) then get in touch with her at chloedunnett@gmail.com.

PRIZEWINNERS LUNCH

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Dr Morwenna Carrington, who was admitted as a freeman last year, has been at the frontline in the battle against Coronavirus.

She was working full-time on Covid-19 from the beginning of March to the end of May as Deputy Strategic Incident Director. She says she is now “picking up the threads of my day job as deputy director for Health Protection Policy but within the context of a ‘Covid-world’, for example, rethinking how we deliver routine immunisations and cancer screening, and how we would incorporate delivery of a Covid-19 vaccine (should we be lucky enough to get one) into our existing operational systems”. Dr Carrington is well placed as she has recently been leading work on food-borne infections such as E. coli and the problem of antimicrobial resistance in humans. Coronavirus is believed to have jumped from bats to humans.

chef, Gary Jones and the patronage of Raymond Blanc. “Working in a res-taurant with two Michelin stars is clearly a step up and a huge challenge, but I am working extremely hard and making every

effort to adjust to the demands. Marco Pierre White (a past prodigy of Le Man-oir) once said that ‘hard work reveals the truth about a person’. Living up to that motto in his footsteps has in my experi-ence proved to be true.

Alex Costa Gregoriou, who works at the Manoir au Quat’ Saisons, has joined as the latest Cooks Company apprentice.

Three years ago Alex was an apprentice chef attending Westminster Kingsway College. At the time he was mentored by Nick Gunyon from Westminster and Benjamin Jegu, head chef at The Royal Automobile Club. He achieved “Distinction” in his apprenticeship and and says “I couldn’t have done so without their support and influence giving me the confidence to take a bigger step towards

SPOTLIGHTthe attainment of my goals and continuing to walk down the path of self-discovery.” Herbert Berger, head chef at the Inn-holders, his Apprentice Master, and Alex worked alongside him during his appren-ticeship through college.

Alex says: “I remember a few years ago when I was preparing for a culinary com-petition, he was the first person I sought counsel and advice when constructing my signature dish”. Alex is now a commis chef at Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons in Ox-fordshire, under the mentorship of head

Feeding Britain by Tim Lang Dr Morwenna It could not have been more timely. As countries began to go into lock-down in response to coronavirus and the prospect loomed of panic-buying Cooks freeman and City University food

policy Professor Tim Lang released his new book. Feeding Britain argues that in an age where climate change, mass obesity and global market volatility and cyber insecurity are – to use a now slightly overdone phrase - the new normal, relying on other nations for our food supply is not a sustainable strategy. Initially more galvanised by Brexit than the surprise global virus Prof Lang claims that for 170 years, Britain’s default food policy has been to rely on former colonies and trading partners to feed itself and that ‘imperialist’ position has dangerously resurfaced, ignoring lessons learned in two world wars.

This wide-ranging review of UK food – its sources, industries, consumption patterns and impacts on health, environment and economy – shows that Britain’s food system is more fragile than officially recognised - home production is in slow decline, too many people live on the food poverty frontline, unhealthy diets carry huge hidden social costs (not least to the NHS), and ecosystems are stressed.

“We spent £225.7 billion on food and drink in 2018 but money barely flowed back to growers. Instead, there’s economic concentration, distorted labour markets and a naïve belief that science can ‘fix’ things or that business will get things done. Leave it to Tesco et al is not a food

policy,” says Lang. Wider UK food defences are weak; naval protection has frayed yet the government seems intent on sourcing more from far away, even though ship and truck-based delivery can be disrupted by malware. In a scathing review of food contingency planning, Lang concludes the food industry knows the risks but the government is ‘dangerously complacent’ – a criticism that may chime with recent comments about the health system. Britain’s departure from the EU is an opportunity to fix the system. “Food is a crucial part of our national infrastructure; not a bargaining chip in trade.”

Feeding Britain shows why the public, industry, and policy-makers, should take food security seriously. It calls for an overhaul of food infrastructure, new regional supply systems, the rebuilding of horticulture and reducing inefficient cattle culture, while beginning a cross-party, decades-long shift in consumer behaviour towards sustainable diets.“We’ve come a long way since when British food was known as brown and bland, but future security depends on us rebuilding food governance which is fit for purpose. Currently it is not,” he writes.

Lang founded the Centre for Food Policy at City University of London in 1994. he has researched, written and lectured on the role of national, local and international policy in shaping and responding to the food system, particularly in relation to health, environment, social justice, the political economy and consumer culture. He previously spent seven years as a hill farmer, an experience which has shaped his work ever since.

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RECIPE

Cooking MethodRecipe: Cooking Time (approx 30 mins)

Place in a baking tray the Toulouse sausage, thyme, rosemary, salt, black pepper and a dash of olive oil. Mix aromatics well to fully incorporate flavorings. Roast in an oven pre-heated to 200o/Gas Mark 6/400o for 8-10mins Drain and retain fat. Remove aromatics from Sausages.

In a saucepan including the sausage fat, sweat off white onions followed by garlic without colour. Add smoked paprika, sausage meat. Deglaze with white wine and reduce by half. Emulsify with cold butter.

Incorporate all remaining ingredients (excluding balsamic vinegar and olive oil). Bring to a light simmer for 15 - 20 mins. Check seasoning consistency.

(Optional) – Combine olive oil and balsamic vinegar and glaze on top of dish. Best served with crusty bread.

400g Toulouse Sausage (Cut into Circular Chunks)

400g Plum Tomatoes

500g Butter Beans

10ml Olive Oil (Optional)

20g Butter (Unsalted)

100ml White Wine

X (1) White Onion (Peeled and Finely Sliced)

X (2) Cloves Garlic (Peeled and Finely Sliced)

X (3) Springs Thyme

X (1) Spring Rosemary

X (1) tsps. Caster Sugar (to balance acidity)

X (1) tbsp. Smoked Paprika

50ml Balsamic Vinegar (Optional)

Salt (to taste)

Ground Black Pepper (to taste)

Ingredients List: Serves x (2) Portions

Cooks apprentices Marie McWhinney and Alex Gregoriou are cooking meals for NHS doctors and nurses in London through Furloughed Foodies a volunteer organisation set up to help feed the NHS Covid-19 frontline staff of London.

This is Alex’s furlough recipe for Toulouse sausage stew:

Alex GregoriouMarie McWhinney

27

Although only in its third year the Show-case Event, which brings together Year Eleven students from London schools and potential employers has slotted in seamlessly with the long-running Adopt-a-School programme aimed at primary school children and the sponsorship of young adults at catering colleges, princi-pally Westminster Kingsway.

In January, 90 pupils from schools mainly in West London gathered at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in Bayswater. They took part in a range of core hospitality displays including cocktail making (or rather more age-appropriate mocktails), cake decoration, and bedroom checks as well as a ‘speed dating’ session at which they quizzed industry professionals, and a sustainability display.“It’s a question of showing students that if you do something you love you will go far,” said Thomas, the hotel’s head bar tender who led the mocktail-making.

The cost of the day is shared by the venue, the Innholders and the Cooks. The event is run by Springboard, the organisation for disadvantaged young people, whose chief executive Anne Pierce is a freeman of the Cooks, but the Cooks source the venue and invite the potential employers.

Graham Craddock, the chairman of the Assistance of Cookery Committee, said: “What are we trying to achieve is to raise the status of cookery in particular and hospitality in general as a career by choosing an iconic high-end venue and running a full day careers activity day.

He said students also benefit by “hearing notables in the industry talk about their careers often from modest beginnings to

SCHOOLS SHOWCASE

The second tranche of the Cooks education programme has gone from strength to strength with a record number of secondary school pupils attending the most recent event.

Speed-dating and mocktails give London school children a taste of the possible

achieve top positions”. We heard from Sal-ly Beck, hotelier of the year this year, who has worked hard to climb the ladder from a childhood in Scunthorpe to achieve the position of general manager at one of the most prestigious hotels in London.The results of the activities were extraor-dinary showing a degree of involvement that grew during the day allowing plenty of spirited enthusiasm. The students also had the opportunity to meet and ques-tion a hospitality professional at a ‘speed dating style’ one to one session. Finally a very well supported careers fair with stands from some of the largest compa-nies in the country as well as Westminster Kingsway College.

“Our thanks go to [Cooks freeman] Philippe Rossiter who was mastermind and chief ‘honcho’ of the event.”

City luminaries attending included Vicky Russell, who chairs the City of London Livery Committee, and Elizabeth Mainelli the wife of the Sheriff.

Ms Mainelli said: “With my background in hotel management, albeit rather a long time ago, I was most interested to see that a career path in hospitality is now proactively promoted to young people in London. I feel sure that the fact that two City institutions are seen to be supporting this initiative will help many pursue worthwhile hospitality careers.”

The Master, David Smith, who until recently also worked for the City of London Corporation, said: “It definitely was a success, and justified all the preparations and inevitable frustrations, from the reaction of the teachers and the vast majority of the students - the noise

level from their chatter and the smiles on their faces said more than words. Several teachers commented very positively about the value of getting their students out of the classroom and talking to ‘real’ people in the industry, who can give first hand accounts of what the jobs are really like, rather than what they see on TV.”

The art of the possible

Second Master Virginia Bond works off the calories

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Defence Food uses key contractors to supply food for our Armed Forces, primarily those on Operations or Exercise, within the United Kingdom and throughout the world including British Forces South Atlantic Islands, the British Army Training Unit in Kenya and British Gurkhas Nepal. We also supply world-wide in-flight catering and dog food ( important not to get them mixed up). We are also responsible for Operational Ration Packs (ORP). These are designed for personnel on the front line and unable to eat at an established site, often in difficult and dangerous locations. We produce about 1.5 million rations a year, divided between ten-man packs (for use by chefs in field kitchens), to individual boxed rations designed for one person for one day. So, what is it like to operate this from home?

StringentIn very early March Exercises in Belize, Germany, Norway and Oman were cancelled or postponed as those countries were either affected earlier by Coronavirus or imposed more stringent restrictions. I was at the cinema on March 17, the day before they all closed, when to the consternation of the two other people there my mobile rang with the cancellation of a large Exercise in Germany. In fact, that morning we had already been advised that as many of us as possible were to work from home. Since there were still some key joint decisions to be taken, my team continued to operate from our Bristol offices. That week was surreal as very few of us were in the building and we had to complete our work as quickly as possible. This included an audit of the Meal packs being assembled at the production plant, where we first witnessed the now common social distancing measures. On Monday March 23 it was clear that office-working would end that evening. We packed laptops, keyboards and screens and headed into a new world. At this stage the military were being stood up to tasks as varied as logistic support, the assembly

byNigel Shepherd

Liveryman

LIFE UNDER LOCKDOWN

The organisation that Liveryman Nigel Shepherd heads provides food to the military across the globe. Now he is feeding soldiers sailors and airmen and women from his spare room.

From feeding the Army to supplying the country

of Nightingale hospitals and support to ambulance staff. Fortunately we have very flexible contracts that allowed us to switch feeding locations with ease and thanks to the highly versatile Single Meal Ration we can provide an ambient, shelf-stable one-meal solution (it comes with a flameless ration heater).

BedroomAll this was going on as I occupied the smallest bedroom (thank goodness the last of the children moved out with great reluctance in January) and found, along with many, the joys of Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype – and if all else fails the telephone conference. Interviewing a new member of staff without having formally met her was one of this periods most different moments. Compared with so many in the hospitality industry my experience counts as nothing against those who have lost businesses, their lives or their self-esteem. However, it demonstrated to me that working

from home (previously a cover to get the shopping done) does work, productivity has improved as there are less distractions and we are still feeding the Forces. Long term you do lose that essential team focus. However, I cannot believe that this period will not result in a fundamental change to the way we conduct business.

Nigel Shepherd heads food logistics for the military

Soldiers enjoying the end result -even during lockdown

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LIFE UNDER LOCKDOWN

As Coronavirus has worked its way across the country frequent references have been made to war-time conditions, particularly World War Two. On the other hand, few people, even among the mature ranks of the Cooks, have actually been around long enough to give a first-hand account. One of them is the wife of twice-Past Master John Balls who as Brenda Chiesman was there at the beginning and the end.

On September 3 1939 war was declared over the wireless by Neville Chamberlain. The siren wailed and I took my teddy – Teddy Torrington Marjoribanks – up to our nursery. Almost immediately our parents sent my sister and me to a boarding school in Eastbourne. It was the worst place possible as the bombers came over there from Germany all the time. Therefore, the whole school was evacuated to Herefordshire and we went to a large house which was also the vicarage.

Recently life has changed considerably and for someone who lived through the War the flurry of people piling their trollies with packaged food and especially toilet rolls seemed extraordinary.

Although my own war years were spent at a girls’ boarding school we knew there was not much food about – particularly from abroad but we all had enough. Although we did not go home during those early years everyone adapted. Sometimes chickens were available and rabbits nearly always. Eggs were on the ration but if you lived in the country you could sometimes find more. I cannot remember how much milk one could get but as we were children that seemed always there.

At the beginning of this current life-threatening disaster I felt that those who had been through the war could just get on with it and couldn’t understand why people were stockpiling. But this is not the same scenario. It is frightening as no one knows the outcome.

However, one positive element links to the article about Michelin-starred chef Tom Aikens in the previous What’s Cooking which pointed out that Domestic Science (as it was called in my day) was no longer being taught in schools.

The current crisis has meant that people have turned to home cooking – especially bread – and demand for flour and yeast has soared.

We will get through it all and we will carry on - perhaps Carry on Cooking.

The way we were thenand the way we are now

When war broke out in 1939 petrol was the first com-modity to be controlled. In January 1940 bacon, butter and sugar were rationed and other foods followed. Sugar rationing lasted until 1953 and true last restrictions were not lifted until 1954.

Past Master consort Brenda Balls - when she was Brenda Chiesman

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Giving up on meat is not going to save the planet, said Professor Louise Fresco, when she delivered The City Food Lecture 2020 at London’s Guildhall.

Cooks freeman Alice Goodinge had made the case in a recent issue of What’s Cooking for the benefits of a vegan diet. But In her lecture Fish nor flesh or both? Foods for the future, Prof Fresco, a Dutch scientist, academic and broadcaster said: “In future, we will not eat meat every day, but doing away with meat and animals completely would be the wrong choice – from a human health point of view, from the point of view of the use of our environment, and from the point of view of equity.

The City Food Lecture is organised by the seven City of London Livery companies in-volved in agriculture and food: the Wor-shipful Companies of Bakers, Butchers, Cooks, Farmers, Fishmongers, Fruiterers and Poulters.It brings together industry leaders, aca-demics and liverymen as well as HRH the Princess Royal and its main sponsor is Rath-bone Investment Management.“If you ask millennials, eating meat, and to a lesser extent fish, is the wrong thing to do,

CITY FOOD LECTURE

Meat begins to fight back

The Princess Royal is know for a robust sense of humour but the Master, David Smith (centre) has been reticent about the joke shared at the event. If anyone has any suggestions he is offering a “good bottle of claret” to the most apt. No bishop/actress gags please. The editorial team is already close enough to The Tower as it is.

Professor Louise Fresco

HRH the Princess Royal is a regular and often forthright guest speaker at the City Food Lecture

something they don’t want to be associat-ed with. They want to be flexitarians, they want to be vegetarians, or they want to be vegans,” said Prof Fresco.

“But there are very large parts of the world that we cannot use for crops, and what we now know for the first time, is that grasslands [used for grazing] are probably the best possible way for us humans to capture carbon and leave it in the soil.

“As much as 500 calories per person, per day, are leftover, lost, or damaged from what is grown in the field to what comes on the plate. That is an enormous amount of food. If we could use that at least by feeding animals, that then provide us with other nutrients, we are already a lot better off.”

In her lecture, she addressed key questions such as: should our diets be local or global, vegetarian or flexitarian? Can cities restore their link to the countryside as to where the food comes from? Plus, what will science bring us in terms of new proteins, intensive and vertical agriculture and personalised nutrition?

City Food Lecture organising chairman, John Giles said: “The fact the evening was attended by over 700 people from the UK and international supply chain shows that this is the single most important subject for our sector to get to grips with over the next five years and the City Food Lecture was spot on with its choice of speaker and subject area.”

Professor Fresco is the latest in a list of food industry leaders to have given the lecture, including Dominic Blakemore, chief executive of Compass Group; Tesco CEO, Dave Lewis; and former Cadbury Schweppes chairman, John Sunderland.

31

I was shocked to read the statistic the other day - it made the national press - that one third of ALL food produced is wasted, from farm through the supply chain and onto our plates, or into our bins.

My son Will suggested for my birthday treat we try a restaurant which uses leftovers and less fashionable cuts, and even offcuts.As The Ugly Butterfly’s website puts it, the aim is to “encourage a reduction in food surplus and waste by showcasing tasty, innova-tive snacks and small plates alongside a sustainable-focused Cham-pagne list”. To be honest, the mention of champagne clinched the deal for me.

Our charming, informed waitress proudly showed us the trailer which is towed behind a folding bike up the Kings Road to the Adam Handling Chelsea restaurant to collect the offcuts and leftovers.She advised three snacks or small plates apiece, doubling up where not divisible by four.

We started with the left-over cheese doughnuts, small beignets with gooey cheese centres, the banana bread with chicken butter, the “butter” light and whipped and rich, flecked with crispy flakes of what we presumed was chicken skin. These were so glorious we recklessly ordered the same again whilst moving on to the zero waste croquettes and devilled and scotch eggs, both made with pullets eggs, the latter encased with leftover breakfast black pudding.

Corn on the cob was cut into finger length “ribs” sprinkled with chopped peanuts, simple but tasty finger food. Two portions of the caviar tarts went down a storm, too fiddly to try to cut in half, they contained a taramasalata like mousse, tiny cubes of sturgeon and a little caviar.

SUSTAINABILITY

Not just a waste of thyme

Patricia Wright (left), liveryman Will Wright, Ms Wright and Past Master Peter Wright tackle the leftovers

Adam Handling, chef patron at the Ugly Butterfly

Although these were snacks, we were left anything but hungry. Nevertheless, in the pursuit of culinary science, we chose one item each from the small plates list. Lobster shell soup was utterly delicious (we had four spoons), broccoli stalk Caesar (shaved into long strips) was a revelation and will be added to my repertoire, the beef and bone marrow cottage pie was rich and tasty, and the ox cheek and cheese toastie was the best toastie any of us had ever tasted.So we had a memorable meal, can virtue-signal we were eating waste, and a portion of the profits supports the Felix Project, which collect food that cannot be sold and delivers it to charities and schools so they can provide healthy meals. What’s not to like?

by Patricia Wright

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Michel Roux was 78 when he passed away, the younger brother of Albert and a significant part of the most formidable and influential family within the restaurant scene in Great Britain.

The Waterside Inn, Bray, which he ran with his son Alain, is the epitome of French haute cuisine and Michel was a chefs’ chef. For 35 years the Waterside held three Michelin stars, the holy grail of great food - longer than any other restaurant outside France. He achieved this by only using luxury seasonal ingredients, creating the finest patisserie and executing his dishes with great skill and precision.

The Waterside has produced some of the very best chefs, including Pierre Koffman, Christian Delteil, and Mark Dodson. His son Alain took control of the kitchens in 2002 and Michel became a roving ambassador for the profession, opening restaurants and acting as a consultant from Bangkok to Switzerland preaching the gospel according to Michel.

He wrote more than a dozen books some with his brother Albert, but for me the one that made the biggest impression and inspiration was New Classic Cuisine.

Michel was made a Meilleur Ouvrier de France in patisserie in 1976, the highest accolade for any chef. In 2002 he was made an honorary OBE and in 2004 Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur.

One could not do anything but look up to Michel in awe. With everything he achieved he was one of the most charming men I have had the privilege to know but where the kitchen was concerned a very tough task master who did not suffer fools. He was a great bon viveur who loved to be involved and did everything with great style. He loved great food and wine and was always willing to give advice whenever I asked, whether for work or the Royal Academy. He was highly driven with his businesses always moving

MICHEL ROUX

John Williams, executive chef at the hotel and Cooks freeman, knew and admired Michel Roux, who died earlier this year.

‘Mr Ritz’ pays tribute to the founder of new classic cuisine

forward. He never stopped, a true leader in the kitchen who certainly helped change and shape food in Britain today.

The Roux scholarship, which has produced some truly amazing chefs in this country, is not just a competition but has become an element of the Roux dynasty as the winner can work at any three-star restaurant in the world for three months before being brought into the “Roux family and carry on their education in travelling all over the world learning about food and wine”.

Michel was one of the pioneers of what is now the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts. He remained part of the Academy throughout his life and one of the very best supporters in any way he could. I was always humbled by his support and generosity for the Academy. Why did he do it? Quite simply, he cared and he wanted to make us better!

He championed the Meilleur Ouvrier de Grande Bretagne (now the Master of Cu-linary Arts) which would not have hap-

pened without his perseverance, knowl-edge and contacts and now happens every four years. He was a huge supporter of the Cooks-sponsored Adopt a School back in the early 1990s often welcoming primary schoolchildren into the hallowed grounds of the Waterside encouraging them to think about food and eating in a healthy way and how food affects the mind and body.

Even during recent years he took a keen interest in the progress of the RACA and Adopt a School, together with Alain, open-ing the doors of the Waterside Inn last Sep-tember to host a fabulous fund-raising din-ner which raised record profits as well as boundless goodwill.

Michel was a very special man of the kitchen of historic standing. We should appreciate France and Michel for their teaching and not forget where we came from!

He lit up any room he entered, never for-getting the kitchens. One of the very best.

Michel Roux’s restaurant is the epitome of French classic cuisine

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It was with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Colonel Wally Torrington just after Christmas. He was born into a post-war family with his Dad (Wally senior) serving in the Welsh Guards and Mum, having been de-mobbed from the wartime ATS, trying to make ends meet. Wally decided at a young age that he would ‘do his bit’ to help by earning pocket money. One of his many early, entrepreneurial activities was to charge stall holders in the local market for delivering tea and sandwiches from the nearby street café. He would also collect unwanted petrol station free gifts and sell them on, including periscopes for the Queen‘s coronation! During his teens Wally worked evenings and weekends for a local greengrocer.Wally and his brother Paul spent many school holidays in South Wales where his father was born These visits were like something from Enid Blyton’s Famous Five, starting with a long steam train journey from Paddington, no traffic, no smog and no school! Wally was a lifelong football fan with his loyalty concentrated on Fulham Football Club. He probably had one of the best autograph collections a boy could hope for including, not only Fulham players, but many of the country’s top stars of the time. He continued to be an armchair fan and when they were promoted to the Premier League, Wally and his wife Rowena attended Fulham’s first Premier League match where they watched the game from seats in the George Cohen Box. He enjoyed the honour of being joined at the post-match dinner by one of his football heroes, no less than George Cohen himself, who played for England in the 1966 world cup.Wally was not a natural academic, but made up for this with sheer dogged determination. However, in the sports arena he flourished at just about everything, achieving school and county caps in a number of disciplines. Perhaps not surprisingly, these personal attributes led him to join the Army and he enlisted as an apprentice in the Army Catering Corps. His departure from the family home left a huge void in Paul’s life which resulted in him deciding at the age of 18 also to enlist, albeit into the Royal Engineers. He arrived at St Omer Barracks in September 1963. After his apprenticeship, Private Torrington was posted to the Army Youth Team in London in 1966 before serving with 23 Parachute Field Ambulance, achieving the rank of Corporal. Wally was selected to attend an Officers Course at Beaconsfield in 1971 and entered Mons Officer Cadet School that same year. Following commissioning, Lt Torrington was posted to the Army Apprentices College initially as Platoon Commander then as Company 2IC in the rank of Captain. He was then posted to the Royal School of Artillery followed by HQ Northern Ireland where he met his lovely wife Rowena. Further postings in Germany followed before he headed to the Falkland Islands shortly after the end of hostilities in 1982. Amongst his many achievements:• He had become a member of a small but notable band of Airborne Chefs whilst serving with 23 PFA, as well as enjoying sport parachuting

OBITUARYColonel Wally Torrington

23rd September 1946 – 27th December 2019

• He had trialled as a professional goalkeeper for Fulham football club and played football for

Aldershot Services, the ACC and several local teams• He was an Aldershot Services water polo goalkeeper and a member of the Army Swimming Team• He was an Army 100 shot at Bisley and regular Corps Skill at Arms and Rifle Champion• He founded the ACC Ski Association, which still exists today as The RLC Ski ClubIn 1982 Wally was posted to the ACC Directorate before being fortunate enough

to be posted to Hong Kong. He returned to the UK as a Lt Col before assuming command

of the Army Apprentices College (ACC). Around this time, he became a Royal Logistic Corps officer

upon the amalgamation of the ACC into The RLC in 1993. He finished his service as a full Colonel when

he retired in 2001. In addition to his sporting abilities, Wally was a stalwart of the ACC Association which is still going strong more than 27 years.

Having retired from the ACC, he and his brother Paul continued, amongst other things, to share their love of music attending gigs by the Rolling Stones, ELO and Florence and the Machine. These outings were squeezed in between Wally’s work organis-ing reunions, military dinners and his work with the Worshipful Company of Cooks. Here he devised an apprenticeship scheme helping youngsters from deprived backgrounds gain experi-ence and qualifications in the catering industry. It was during his retirement, with Rowena by his side, where Wally built his most powerful legacy, supporting people and causes that were important to him. His passion, enthusiasm and commitment for the ACC in particular, and the catering profession in general, is unquestionable. Wally was an inspiration to so many former members of the ACC and many others during his life.

One of his military colleagues recalled that he once came upon a file containing an internal memorandum for the Director of the Army Catering Corps which he shared with Wally. This described how a staff officer from the post-war Garrison in the Falkland Islands had visited to advise on what would be needed there in future. The report on the system for garrison catering was very favourable and, to ensure its continuity, he asked that the ACC replaced the current Commander Catering with “another Wally Torrington”. The memorandum, which of course was never intended to be read by anybody other than the Director ACC, concluded with the words “regrettably of course we only have one Wally Torrington”. There were tears in his eyes when, years later, Wally recounted his reading of those words and realising that his success and worth were actually recognised at the highest level as being true and real. “There was only one Wally Torrington” would be an epitaph that would surely please him. May he rest in Peace…

by Wally

Vincent

34

Undoubtedly this is the strangest article that I have written since becoming Clerk in 2011 – not just because of the situation we find ourselves in, but also because the way forward is anything but clear. At the time of writing, it is not yet known when anything more than small gatherings will be permitted in the near future and, with social distancing rules in place, how formal functions will actually work. I am also acutely aware that with the age of a number of members of the Company and concerns around public transport, who will actually attend is anyone’s guess. And that is all quite right - but it also has to be balanced against the need to support our linked trade – cooks and chefs working in the hospitality industry - when we can. There is a delicate balance and any number of trade-offs to be taken into account here.

In the middle of all this uncertainty, thankfully there are some fixed points and the Court’s decision to invite the Master and other officers to remain in their current posts will undoubtedly give us welcome continuity as we emerge from this enforced period of

CLERK’S CORNERMAY 2020

isolation and there is a determination to pick up the traditional Cooks, Livery and City programmes as soon as we are allowed to do so. Obviously one key event each year is the Company dinner in October – which this year is planned to be a sumptuous banquet in Mansion House with the Lord Mayor, Lady Mayoress and the Sheriffs – whether this will go ahead is very much in the balance at the moment and certainly it will not go ahead if there is any doubt as to its success – Ideally it would be good to have at least 200 people attending (there are normally about 150 at the Company dinner) to enjoy this special occasion. Planning will continue for now and it is to be hoped that, by the time the invitation to apply for tickets is issued in the middle of July, the go or no-go decision can be made.

It has been good to communicate with members of the Company during lockdown and I hope that you are finding the Cooks’ website a useful place to go to pick up infor-mation. It is still early days for the Members’ section of the website but the more we all use it – the more helpful it will become.

Finally, you will read articles elsewhereabout the work of the Master’s Committee and the Cooks’ Charity’s Trustees during lockdown making sure that the WCO Cooks has been assisting those in need due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Everyone involved has been extremely conscientious and we should all be proud of their efforts on our behalf.

Thank you to all those who havecontributed to this edition.

Contributions for the Winter editionshould reach the editor no later than

Friday 8th Novemberand should be sent to Liveryman

Peter Balls by email:

r.pete.j@gmail.com07879 486507