First Choice Coffee is delighted to announce its forthcoming partnership with Caterer and Hotelkeeper at the 2008 Chef Conference, which will take place at the InterContinental London on the 12th May. Now in its 26th year, the conference is one of the most high-profile dates in the calendar for chefs with a full programme of seminars, masterclasses and interviews, followed by a Gala dinner prepared by some of the hottest names in the industry. Delegates at this year’s conference will be able to look forward to a range of speciality drinks provided by First Choice Coffee baristas, including freshly brewed premium coffees from the new hand crafted traditional Italian espresso Adonis machine.
Throughout the day a dedicated coffee station will meet the need for top-class coffee with professional baristas, expertly engineered equipment and premium beans. There will also be a tea station, supplying award-winning real leaf teas from Java Republic. First Choice was recently named as the exclusive UK distributor for Java Republic Real Leaf Speciality teas, made with the whole of the herb, fruit and flower to maximise both flavour and the drink’s natural antioxidant properties. Both the coffee and tea on offer are award-winners in their own right and are of the quality needed for an event attended by such a collection of international and Michelin-starred chefs.
A highlight of the conference will be an interview session with acclaimed chef and restaurateur Marco Pierre White who will be discussing his entire career - from the fiery 1980s to his recent success on Hell’s Kitchen. There will also be a filmed masterclass with two-Michelin-starred 2007 Catey Chef Award winner David Everitt-Matthias and a masterclass from the new rising star of the culinary world – Denmark’s René Redzepi.
The keynote speech will be on the hot topic of how to run a sustainable kitchen and restaurant. Given by Arthur Potts-Dawson of The Acorn, the speech will address the issue of sustainability – something that is at the heart of First Choice Coffee’s approach to business. First Choice was the first supplier to bring Fairtrade coffee to the foodservice market and has continued to lead the way ever since with its Grand Café Certified range of coffees with Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance and Soil Association certification. They are even looking at ways to develop the market’s first fully recyclable coffee machine.
First Choice will also be serving coffee and tea at the prestigious Gala dinner that follows the conference. Prepared by top international chefs including Sat Baines (of Great British Menu fame), Jason Atherton of Maze and Claire Clarke from the world-renowned French Laundry, the coffee and tea will need to be of a quality fitting to a menu put together by such world-class chefs.
“We are delighted to be serving the coffee and tea at such a highly regarded event and it really gives us the opportunity to show how a great cup of perfectly prepared premium coffee or tea can be the perfect way to end a meal. The Chef Conference shows just what a culinary centre the UK has become and a quality coffee offering can really enhance customers experiences of dining out, as well as helping restaurants to increase their profit margins,” comments Elaine Higginson, First Choice Coffee managing director.