Stella’s Scoop

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY!

*Although the podcast states that today is National Women’s Day, it’s INTERNATIONAL Women’s Day so excuse my mistake! 

Today we are celebrating fantastic female leadership throughout the food and hospitality industry. One woman in particular caught my eye, someone who is proving that progression and meaningful success are not the same for everyone. Another thing that she told me is that a love of trying new food is not always ingrained from birth, but something we all need to learn. That woman is Amber Francis. 

If you’re a chef in a fine dining kitchen, you’ve most definitely had some tough critics. If you’re a member of the front of house, you’ve most definitely had to formulate a polite response to negative comments. Now you try serving 600 school kids within a 30-minute lunch window and see what reactions you get. Oh, and your budget is 90p. 

Hailing from a fine dining background working for legends like Robin Gill to opening restaurants such as Maene and Bermondsey Larder, Amber Francis has made an exciting step within the gargantuan food industry. She is now heading the catering department at a school in North London as their head chef and senior food educator. Amber’s career so far prepared her to tackle challenges within her new role; her extensive culinary education, and working under the pressure of new openings with brand-new kitchens and systems. 

Amber is brilliant and intelligent, she excelled academically when she was younger and now utilises those skills in her culinary career pathway. She and I discussed the mixed excitement and heartbreak when choosing your career pathways. We talk about the transition from learning and note-taking in class, to putting all that knowledge into action. And then once you learn an abundance of skills, how do you then teach others? What kind of manager will you be? 

Amber has been a bright bulb within the industry, aiming to aid and inspire those around her - from her team creating a tasting menu to developing the tastebuds of children at school. 

I am Stella and I’m gonna take you out for dinner. 

Mentions:

https://tomkerridge.com 

https://www.thehandandflowers.co.uk 

https://www.chezbruce.co.uk 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjs5KCt_OKEAxVESEEAHfWWDUoQFnoECCYQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecollege.co.uk%2Fcourses%2Fspecialised-chefs-apprenticeship-scholarship&usg=AOvVaw3XpppZ-KnG8zhaBuu9VVZS&opi=89978449 

https://www.instagram.com/chefdanbarber/ 

https://www.thomaskeller.com/tfl 

https://www.greatbritishchefs.com/chefs/robin-gill 

https://www.belmond.com/hotels/europe/uk/oxfordshire/belmond-le-manoir-aux-quat-saisons/ 

https://www.brawn.co 

https://www.maenerestaurant.co.uk 

https://www.instagram.com/_homehospitality?igsh=MTRqcGR5dWx1aXFiaQ== 

https://chefsinschools.org.uk 

Kitchens sound like hell to some: the hours, the pressure, the heat. But for Diarmuid Goodwin cooking makes his head go quiet; he loves the serenity and stillness of mind that pure concentration brings. 

Currently head chef at Sager and Wilde in Bethnal Green, Diarmuid grew up in Belfast before moving to London to work for Angela Hartnett at Cafe Murano. Following his passion to The Grain Store and Trullo, he discovered his particular adoration for Mediterranean cuisine and his need to always be busy! Alongside his full-time job, this chef still finds time to build his pop-up company ‘Close Ties’ hosting wine raves sustained by his delicious food. 

He works hard to create systems and ways of working that incite creativity and self-acceptance. Each member of his team creates a dish monthly to encourage this growth and confidence. Identifying as queer, Diarmuid places utmost importance on the fact that kitchens should be a safe space in which London’s diverse and multicultural community are respected and celebrated wholeheartedly. 

I’m Stella and I’m gonna take you out for dinner. 

Mentions:

https://www.instagram.com/diarmuidg94/?hl=en 

https://www.sagerandwilde.com/ 

https://www.instagram.com/close_ties_/?hl=en  

https://angelahartnett.co.uk/ 

https://www.cafemurano.co.uk/ 

https://www.greatbritishchefs.com/chefs/bruno-loubet 

https://www.grainstore.com/about 

https://www.trullorestaurant.com/ 

https://www.crispinlondon.com/ 

https://58andco.com/ 

https://carousel-london.com/ 

https://www.satanswhiskers.com/ 

https://www.orenlondon.com/ 

https://www.instagram.com/neiljohncampbell/ 

https://ottolenghi.co.uk/restaurants/rovi 

Say hello to the *almost* new kid on the block, Ernesto Gabriel - the founder of EMBERS, a restaurant concept. Most of the podcasts so far have presented so-called “settled down” chefs with a restaurant, staff and fully-formed stories of hardship, struggle and success. Today we are learning about the grind to start a business endeavour. 

Now, EMBERS is still in its infancy and awaiting a permanent home; which explains why this podcast was filmed in a motorcycle cafe in Shoreditch!

Ernesto has travelled far across the world on yachts owned by world-famous stars like Jerry Seinfield and survived and excelled through the constellations of the London Michelins. After working closely with chefs like Clare Smyth and Matthew Abel, Ernesto wants to carve out his own path and open a restaurant in East London. He’s already got the founder, director and head chef sorted but where is the site? 

Ernesto has been investing his time in pop-ups at sites such as The Sea, The Sea and Renegade Winery to develop his menu ideas and scout out a potential kitchen team.

Join me for a new scoop on how one tackles finding a site, creating a known brand through pop-ups and introducing yourself within a competitive market. 

Who’s gonna volunteer as my plus-one when EMBERS opens? 

I’m Stella and I’m gonna take you out for dinner. 

Mentions:

https://www.instagram.com/embers.london/ 

https://theseathesea.net 

https://www.therestaurantatthecapitallondon.com 

restaurant-gordon-ramsay 

https://corebyclaresmyth.com 

https://www.instagram.com/chef.mattabe/?hl=en 

https://www.instagram.com/chef_bone/ 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Seinfeld 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Ronson 

https://rogueslondon.uk 

https://www.zoilo.co.uk 

https://rekki.com 

https://www.renegadelondonwine.com 

https://www.instagram.com/whyte_rushen/?hl=en 

Let me introduce you to Ryan Walker, the 23-year-old Head of Fermentation and R&D - one of the masterminds behind Silo's sustainable insurgence. Ryan is both crazily creative but also approaches cooking from a scientific standpoint so he's a chef and an alchemist. Hard to imagine anyone more perfect to achieve a spot on the 30 under 30 Code Hospitality Awards 2023.

There were only two things I knew about Silo before visiting for Ryan's podcast. First and foremost, it is located above a popular stomping ground for Gortex-trainer-wearing, Puresport-runner loving, "I heart craft beer" finance bros who wish that they were creative but they can simply just buy it at Craft Brewery in Hackney Wick instead. All jokes aside, the beer is banging.

And secondly, Silo is the first-ever zero-waste restaurant in the whole world. If you've ever worked in hospitality you may be thinking - now seriously mate, how the fuck does that work? The answer is it takes a lot of time and effort to truly make your restaurant sustainable. You've got to think about the little stuff like getting washable metal milk pails straight from the dairy farm rather than plastic bottles, repairing your tableware if it breaks rather than throwing it away and thinking about how to use your waste veg trimmings in a digestible and tasty way. Now that is Ryan's forte.

As Silo states, 'waste is a failure of the imagination'. Hit the play button to be immersed in the undeniably nerdy but charming brain of Silo's fermentation king.

Mentions:

-Silo, Hackney Wick, London

https://www.silolondon.com/

- Douglas McMasters, owner of Silo

https://www.douglasmcmaster.com/

- MAD Academy, Copenhagen

https://madfeed.co/  

- Kolae, Borough Market, London

https://kolae.com/

- On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Food-Cooking-Science-Lore-Kitchen/dp/0684800012