New Covent Garden Market recently welcomed the London Produce Show Demonstration Chefs and Catering Students from Westminster Kingsway College for a private tour.

London Produce Show Chefs including Executive Chef Jordan Sclare and Head Chef Michael Paul of Chotto Matte along with Hari Ghotra, creator of HariGhotra.com toured the wholesale market to learn about new products and find inspiration for their respective chef demonstrations at the London Produce Show on June 4.

Chef Ghotra was inspired by some of the newer products, especially the micro herbs from Westlands Wow.
“We tasted micro coriander, which was really interesting for me. Coriander is used a lot in Indian cooking but I’ve never used any micro herbs so I think I might be giving that a go,” said Ghotra.
Hari

Chef Sclare and Chef Paul’s main focus was on the quality of the produce, noting that they like to buy from traders that can tell them how and where the produce is grown. He added that respect of the produce is very important.
“We look around and see how immaculate some of the stalls look. We like to [buy from] traders that are treating the fruit and veg with the respect that we [had] when we were training as young chefs. It’s in our blood.”
Jordan Sclare and Michael Paul

Students from Westminster Kingsway College attended the tour to get a better understanding of the fresh produce wholesale and food service industry. The trip to the market also afforded the students an opportunity for recipe ideation for London Produce Show’s annual Canapé Competition.

The students were also introduced to Gary Marshall, Chairman of Covent Garden Tenants Association and owner of Bevington Salads Limited. He offered advice to the students about choosing produce from New Covent Garden Market’s vast selection.
“It’s very important that you don’t let your eyes do the buying. It’s very important to feel the products, smell the products when searching for the best quality fresh produce.”
Gary Marshall
The students will create a Seasonal Cold Canapé recipe that highlights the best fresh produce the UK has to offer. The winning Canapé will be featured at the Opening Cocktail, hosted by Official Show Partners Stubbins Food Partnerships, on June 3.

The second edition of the London Produce Show and Conference will take place at Grosvenor House, a JW Marriott hotel on Park Lane, London, on June 3-5, 2015. The 2015 show will stand out as the UK’s produce event of the year, attracting a full house of exhibitors and attendees from around the globe to London for a boutique one-day trade exhibition. The show will be complemented by a series of educational seminars, chef demonstrations, a gala cocktail reception, a student programme and a thought leaders breakfast panel hosted by world-renowned Perishable Pundit Jim Prevor.

For more information, please visit: www.londonproduceshow.co.uk
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