Taste Swansea Food & Drink Magazine - Issue 14 - May/June 2020

I SSU E 14 : MAY/J U N E 2 0 20

F RE E

B o o k R e vi e w | L i f e I n T h e K i t c h e n | F o o d i e N e w s W h a t ' s Y o u r T i p p l e ? | R e c i p e s | F i ve T o T r y | T r a d e t a l k

Swansea's Original Dedicated Food and Drink Magazine

Welcome The more observant of our previous readers will notice that we disappeared for a while. A little too long for our liking, but it couldn't be helped. Anyway, we are back with huge optimism, renewed vigour and now in great health.

In view of the present closure of eateries throughout the UK we are concentrating on publishing the magazine in digital format only, but it allows us to offer all advertisers totally FREE advertising space for the foresable future with no catches. Yes we understand that many places won't be open but this is restaurateurs and chefs' opportunities to showcase what they will be offering in the future and for those still in the food delivery/collection marketplace to promote their wares, all without incurring any marketing costs.

In the meantime, let me introduce you to the team. Back with us is Gigi Gao, owner of Award Winning Gigi Gao's Favourite Authentic Chinese in Swansea Marina. She'll be sharing more about Chinese Cuisine and culture, our

regular lovable cookbook reviewer Katie Bowman, who will bring her unbiased views to the readers, and new to the team, Chef Michele Treharne of The Village Bar, Cafe and Bistro in Killay, who will be bringing an array of fresh dishes and ideas to the table.

As for content, gone are a few of the regular articles (sorry) and new columns will take their place. A few of the more loved features and introduce some new ideas are retained and importantly, greater support for the food and drink trade! We're not going to pretend for one minute that forthcoming chat and discussion will relate solely to food from Wales (or using only Welsh producers), as nice as they are to cook and consume. We firmly believe that there is such a wealth of ingredients and a range of exciting cuisines available that Taste Swansea & West Wales should take you on a variety of culinary journeys including abroad.

Finally, don't be surprised if there is a little controversy thrown into the culinary pot. It's there to get you thinking!

Enjoy this issue!

Steve

EDITOR & CONTRIBUTOR

CONTRIBUTOR

CONTRIBUTOR

CONTRIBUTOR

STEVE HOMER

GIGI GAO

KATIE BOWMAN

CHEF MICHELE TREHARNE

Cover image: Gigi Gao's Favourite Authentic Chinese

e are back!

Taste Swansea Magazine | May/June 2020 | Publisher: Taste Swansea Magazine General Enquires & Advertising info@tasteswansea.com| Editor: Steve Homer | Design: Steve Homer TasteSwansea.com | Twitter: @Taste_Swansea | Facebook: facebook.com/TasteSwansea Disclaimer All effort has been taken to ensure that the information contained in this magazine is accurate at the time of publication. However Taste Swansea Magazine accepts no responsibility for the consequences of errors or omissions. All text, artwork and photographs submitted for publication within this magazine are accepted on the understanding that prior permission has been sought by the subscriber where relevant. Opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher, editor or designer and the magazine is in no way liable for such opinions. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher.

FNOEOWDSI E COVID-19

TAKES ITS TOLL ON HOSPITALITY BUSINESSES

U nless you have been hiding under a bush

in some local park, you will be aware how the Coronavirus crisis has hit the hospitality industry, with restaurants closed, limited takeaway services on offer, some restaurants and shops turning their hands to delivery and basically making it up as they go along. Supermarkets shelves were stripped of goods within hours by inconsiderate and ignorant hoarders, (and incidentally, much of that food was thrown away as it hadn't been used by the appropriate sell-by dates), and smaller shops tried their best to handle the social distancing problems that came with the virus and yet still carry-out important business in feeding the nation, and keeping their businesses afloat.

Grants and loans have been offered up to small businesses but taking on more debt is never the answer. The sad result is that many food and hospitality businesses will fold during the next 3-6 months. Indeed, Taste Swansea has heard that some owners have stated that they'd sooner go into administration than take on new debt.

There will be an end to the coronavirus crisis but that may come far too late for some businesses as we watch some of our favourite eateries fall by the wayside.

HIGH STREET CHAIN CASUALTIES

withstanding the issues N ot surrounding Coronavirus the

High Street has taken a hammering in recent years with an abundance of high profile dining chains either going to the wall, or drastically reducing their network of restaurants. With the likes of Carluccio's, Byron Burgers, Prezzo, Jamie's Italian, Gaucho, Frankie & Benny's, Eat, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Strada and more all reducing the number of outlets, or re-financing or in some cases sadly going into administration, the dining market is taking a significant bashing, and for those small single site independents who withstand the effects of COVID-19 and re-open, the future could be ok providing the public visit.

TIME TO WHAT'S RE-EVALUATE AND COOKING? TAKE STOCK WHERE DOES THE DINING INDUSTRY GO FROM HERE?

At Taste Swansea we'd like to think that the future for the dining industry is going to be buoyant following the COVID-19 outbreak, but the reality is that the dining market is set to change, and for restaurants it's not going to be a pretty scene.

The current lockdown enforcement has played directly into the hands of the delivery service companies, Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats, who are actually doing the takeaway outlets a dis-service (see Trade Talks article on page xx), Many of the general public will have taken to these serivces like ducks to water, and the heightened experience of staying/dining at home will only increase, and the dining-out market will diminish.

O ne thing that restaurateurs never had is time to

sit back and reflect on their business. How it's performing, where it is headed and how it can be improved. If there's one thing that those same restaurateurs do now have it's time on their hands to reflect and re-evaluate their business model.

We've seen restaurants, cafes and shops close because they had no contingency model in place, and despite some still trading in their own sweet and helpful way, they are having to adopt a very hit and miss approach to deliveries and collections.

Time and people consuming telephone or email ordering of products, takeaways or such like all costs the outlet unnecessary money. However, if you know where to look or better still, take a little free advice then online ordering doesn't have to be a full-blown all singing all dancing e-commerce website built at extortionate cost. There are free online delivery/collection ordering systems available allowing owners to do away with time consuming telephone calls. The systems can streamline the ordering process, allow multi-orders at once and provides an efficient and accurate method of working. Let's see business owners work smarter not harder!

LOCAL PRODUDCATEES

M AR K E T S

FO R TH E DI ARY

SWANSEA AREA MARINA MARKET, SWANSEA

GLYNNEATH MARKET

10AM - 3PM on the second SUNDAY of each month at Dylan Thomas Square, Marina, Swansea SA1 1T T.

3PM - 7.30PM on the third FRIDAY of each month at Heathfield Avenue,

MUMBLES LOCAL PRODUCE MARKET

Glynneath, SA11 5AH.

9AM - 1PM on the second SATURDAY of each month at The Dairy Carpark, Mumbles, Swansea SA3 4BX

PORT TALBOT MARKET 4PM - 8PM on the last THURSDAY of each

PENCLAWDD LOCAL PRODUCE MARKET

month at Station Road Port Talbot SA13 1DE

9.30 - 12.30 third SATURDAY of each month at Banc Bach,Victoria Road, Penclawdd.

PENNARD MARKET 9.30am-12.30pm Second Sunday of each month Pennard Community Hall

SKET TY COMMUNITY MARKET 9.30 to 12.30 first Saturday of each month St Paul's Parish Centre, De La Beche Road, Sketty

UPLANDS MARKET

9AM - 1PM on the last SATURDAY of each month at Gwydr Square, Uplands, Swansea SA2 0HD.

Are we missing any?

Please contact us via our website The following dates are correct as far as we know, although all are subject to change. Please contact the market organisers directly for more information.

UPPER KILLAY MARKET 12.30PM - 3.30PM on the third SATURDAY of

each month at Upper Killay Community Hall.

WEST WALES HAVERFORDWEST FARMER'S MARKET EVERY FRIDAY 9.00 TO 2.00

Cookery Book Review: Gino's Healthy Italian for Less

by Gino D'Acampo

T hree words initially attracted me to Gino D’Acampo’s latest offering, ‘Gino’s Healthy Italian for Less’, and they’re all in the title. Oh, alright, four things

(he has got lovely eyes).

REVIEWED BY KATIE BOWMAN

It’s split into nine helpful sections and covers a wide array of dishes, from pastas and risottos, to one pot dishes and puddings. It also comes with a really useful introduction, telling the reader how long things can be frozen for, which recipes can be paired up so that there are no wasted ingredients, and how to generally run a frugal, tasty, healthy kitchen. As someone who tends to try and keep to a tight food budget while not skimping on quality, I was sold on the ethos of the book alone.

First on my ‘to try’ list was the butternut squash and asparagus risotto. I heartily recommend this to my fellow potchy cooks out there. Not only were the instructions easy to follow but they contained the words ‘stir continuously’ and ‘keep adding’. Bliss.

The result was, though I can hardly take the credit, delicious. It tasted rich, looked pretty and only contained 580 calories.

The other dish I’ve tried (twice) is lemon chicken with honey and rosemary. One word of warning though, if you own a dog, my experience suggests you should barr them from the kitchen when making this. When the scent of roasting lemon chicken hits their nasal passages, their brains fall out of their ears and they go into hysterical begging mode. A close second to cooking by potching, is cooking by complete abandonment. This was quick and easy to prepare (the second time round I made it from memory) and left to its own devices for an hour and a quarter in the oven, giving you time to crack on with something else. I chose to spend it looking at all the lovely photographs of Gino. His recipes I mean. Honest.

Gino's Healthy Italian for Less is published by Hodder & Stoughton and is available through all good booksellers.

ISBN: ISBN-10: 1444795228 & ISBN-13: 978-1444795226 - RRP £20.00 but also available at a discount

FI VE TO TRY: POST LOCKDOWN G ASTRO PU BS

W e c o ul d ha v e m a d e t hi s T e n t o T r y b ut j us t d o n' t ha v e r o o m i n t hi s i s s ue . T ho s e w hi c h d i d n' t m a k e t hi s l i s t w i l l und o ub t e d l y m a k e a f u t ur e l i s t e s p e c i a l l y i f t he y g e t t hr o u g h t hi s C O V I D - 1 9 c r i s i s . W hi l s t m a ny d i ne r s f l o c k t o t he ' c ha i n b r a nd s ' g i v e a t ho u g ht f o r t ho s e i nd e p e nd e nt e a t e r i e s w ho o f t e n l o s e o ut t o t he b i g g e r b r a nd s . I t ' s ne v e r b e e n a m o r e d i f f i c ul t m a r k e t t ha n i n 2 0 2 0 a n d w he n t he y r e - o p e n t he s m a l l e r i nd e p e nd e nt s ne e d a s m uc h s up p o r t a s t he y c a n g e t , a nd f r a n k l y , g e ne r a l l y t he o v e r a l l q ua l i t y i s b e t t e r t ha n t he b i g b r a nd c ha i n s .

THE FOUNTAIN INN

THE CROF TY INN

Already a very successful mulit-award winning gastropub which is still continuing to draw in the accolades with an array of the freshest local ingredients and creative ideas, The Plough & Harrow in Murton, under the watchful eye of chef and proprietor Nick Jones has really set the bar high for other local bistros and gastro-pubs. Not only is chef Nick creative but his dedication and passion exude through his food.

Have attended this restaurant on numerous occasions I can hand on heart say I've never had a poor meal. Head of kitchen is a talented and experienced chef and he has a passion for producing tasty wholesome food.

Very popular with locals. The Fountain Inn has worked hard in developing its reputation in the dining arena. Traditional Sunday lunches at The Fountain are renowned and well worth a visit.

This is the dark horse of the gastro-pubs, and those that have experienced the creative flare of proprietor chef Wendy 'Thomas' McCarthy will understand what we mean! Whilst it appears off the beaten track, great food is always worth travelling for and this is no exception.

Food presentation from the al la carte menu is second to none and we doubt if there is a better restaurant on Gower.

Highly recommended.

THE VILLAGE, KILLAY

EAT WITH YOUR EYES!

THE BRITANNIA INN

PLOUGH & HARROW

No apologies for including The Village in Killay when Chef Michele Treharne is already featured in this issue and has joined the Taste Swansea team. The food at The Village is gaining an enviable reputation borne out by the great Trip Advisor reviews and it is worthy of being included in this feature.

If you wish to make your own judgement, then by all means pop along and give it a try, but I recommend you book in advance.

Arguably the most popular country pub and dining room on the Gower Peninsula, serving traditional fare made from local ingredients, and cooked up by proprietor chef Martin and his team. Large outdoor garden terrace and facilities with stunning views (on a clear day) over Loughor Estuary and beyond. Worth the drive but get there early if you want a seat by the open fire! Bar menu and restaurant menus available.

Everything in moderation...

How One Small Business Is Coping During Lock-down.

I

first came across Carwyn and Alex of Olives & Oils when I was doing a photoshoot for a restaurant opposite their home. The chef/restaurateur at the time had made copious amounts of food and needed willing foodies to help eat it after the photos had been taken. As a result of that encounter Carwyn commissioned me to shoot their fresh olives and oils for their first ever publicity. That was in 2004. We've been friends ever since. I've watched their business grow from literally zero to the fabulously brilliant delicatessen and specialist Welsh and French cheese shop it is today, housed in the tiny premises in Newton Road, Mumbles.

Today, despite the lock-down the business is keeping its head above the water line but it could have been so very different. As with many businesses, faced with an overnight government instruction to close restaurants, cafes, pubs and other eateries, and for Joe Public to remain indoors Olives & Oils was faced with a dilemma many food businesses share. “What's my contingency? What business model do I now have to adopt to stay afloat and do I have the resources to change quickly? Enter a local home delivery and collection service. But how do you establish from a standing start a delivery and collection service? Do I need to man the telephone?

Someone to collect email or social media orders? That's very costly, time consuming and requires man-power, accuracy and precise organisational skills. I really need something technological. An e-commerce site takes time to establish, is very costly and needs to be marketed hard...besides it doesn't handle delivery and collection."

Faced with lock-down Carwyn and Alex sought advice and direction from a local food and drink consultant.

“What's my contingency? What business model do I now have to adopt to stay afloat and do I have the resources to change quickly?"

Having installed online takeaway ordering systems for restaurants in the past, the consultant suggested adapting such a service for the delivery of goods rather than merely takeaway foods. But of course the likes of Deliveroo, Just Eat and UberEats platforms have that market sown up. Or do they? Between Carwyn, Alex and the consultant they had a fully functioning online delivery/collection service in situ within two to three days. Said Carwyn recently “It’s working so well, the thought of every customer phoning orders through for random amounts to random addresses with no payment record sends a shudder through me...this system is the way forward for sure...” And what's more, is that not only does this allow Carwyn and Alex's customers to order anytime, day or night, even when they aren't there to man the phones, the

service allows Carwyn to manage his week and it is, incredibly, entirely free!

Sure there are little improvements that can be made for the local shop, but bear in mind that this was built for takeaway outlets and restaurants...so there has to be a little give and take on both sides.

But it works.

"It’s working so well, the thought of every customer phoning orders through for random amounts to random addresses with no payment record sends a shudder through me..." www.olivesandoils.co.uk

In

this ever changing world, there is rightly, great emphasis on the need to

protect the planet and consider our actions when planning future projects, our lifestyle and activities. Recycling of product, where possible, is one way to assist in pre-longing the prosperity of the natural earth.

In business too there is a need to be innovative, different, creative and to stand out from the crowd whilst still recognising the need to service clients, customers and have a happy environment for staff, all in the process of making a profit.

With this in mind a challenge was set amongst some colleagues within my previous food magazine in Spain to develop a 'visual concept project' that could meet all those aforementioned aspects, and this article by Luc van de Brand* outlines the finer points of the task. Luc has taken on the challenge based on a 'pop-up' tapas bar and associated delicatessen.

Recognising the need to start with eco and produce something trendy, fashionable, but totally practical, the concept project centres around the conversion of a number of recyclable materials.

*ED's NOTE: I should add, Luc was an intern from the Food Design College in the Netherlands and he and another student spent three months working with me on food projects. This article Luc prepared secured him his place in the food industry and he's gone on to head his own design company... designing restaurant interiors.

He was highly commended for this work.

Recycled Materials Rigid steel shipping containers form the base structure for the pop-up bar and deli. There''s a glut of these rigid shipping containers around the world (due to new innovative design of flat pack containers), and they are inexpensive to buy.

They are also solid in structure and easily converted. Shipping containers make an ideal structure as they are transportable should one wish to re-site the project.

Reclaimed wood accounts for the cladding both inside and outside the container, and the counters and the wooden delicatessen units are created using recycled wood materials, finely finished to create a modern look.

The trendy feature wall is created using second hand brick collected from a local reclamation yard.

Sliding windows and associated frames are recycled from those of domestic use along with a collection of toughened glass industrial cycle conversion.

Externally the tables are made from reclaimed industrial cable spools and cut down where necessary on the lower base in order to allow high stools to get closer and the decking flooring is made from reclaimed wooden pallets.

ECO-Friendly

ECO Logical Apart from the use of recycled and reclaimed materials (as previously mentioned), the eco-friendly aspects of the project include the use of solar panels on the roof of the unit to generate power, along with mini wind turbines. The wind and the light are used in a complimentary manner to power the lighting and heating within the bar and delicatessen.

Continuing on the eco-friendly theme, only locally grown organic (or in the case of meats, locally raised) produce is sold either through the bar's menu or via the delicatessen. Where products cannot be sourced locally then we continue to the eco theme sourcing fair trade products like coffee and teas.

ECO Style

Local produce is sold either through the bar's menu or via the delicatessen

Shipping containers make ideal structures as they are transportable should one wish to re-site the project.

ECO Conceptualise

What's Behind Chinese Five Spice?

By Gigi Gao

Gigi Gao is the owner of the award winning and incredibly successful Gigi Gao's Favourite Authentic Chinese, in Swansea Marina. The restaurant specialises in Northern China cuisine and is a popular venue for a variety of tastes including vegetarian and vegans. The restaurant was awarded the accolade of Best Oriental Restaurant in Wales 2018 at a very prestigious ceremony in London.

A lthough the exact origins of five-spice powder are lost to history, there is some thought that the Chinese were attempting to produce a "wonder powder"

encompassing all of the five elements — wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. These elements are represented by the five flavours sour, bitter, sweet, pungent, and salty.

Depending upon which part of Asia you travel, there are different variations of Five Spice. Some variations include orange, ginger, nutmeg and other spices.

Five spice may be used with fatty meats such as pork, duck or goose. It is used as a spice rub for chicken, duck, pork and seafood, in red cooking recipes, or added to the breadcrumbs for fried foods. Here is your basic Five Spice recipe...

Ingredients Cloves Fennel seeds Cinnamon stick – broken into small pieces Star Anise Szechuan Pepper Corns

"C are! S om e co m m erci al Fi ve S p ic es ofte n u se B la ck P ep p er C orn s. Th e ta ste is fa r in fe ri or!"

Method Place the cloves, cinnamon stick and the star anise into a pan and roast. Keep moving the ingredients around the pan so as not to overcook and burn.

Once they have clearly given off the aroma and a little smoke appears place in a receptacle to cool.

Add the fennel seeds and the Szechuan pepper corns to the pan and roast these, again moving the ingredients around the pan so as not to burn. Likewise, once roasted (care: it will be very fast) add these to the receptacle to cool.

Once cooled either place in a mortar bowl and crush to a fine power using a pestle or transfer everything into a fine coffee grinder. (It's recommended that you keep a separate grinder solely for use with spices and don't mix it's use for coffee or you'll have the taste of spice in your coffee power!) Once fully ground, place in an air-tight container until required.

LIFE IN THE KITCHEN:

CHEF MICHELE TREHARNE

The Village Bar Cafe, Killay After a 34 year career in the beauty industry Michele Treharne followed her heart and passion and retrained as a chef. Now Head Chef in a busy local in Killay, she together with the management are transforming The Village Bar Cafe into a destination venue for creative and delicious food at a reasonable price. Taste Swansea caught up with Chef Michele between shifts.

What was the first meal you ever cooked?

My response to this isn't exactly straight forward. In school I studied woodwork and metalwork in preference to home economics and so my first cooking experience wasn't in school like many other kids. It was more so in terms of looking after myself having left home.

As I grew up on a small-holding I believe the first cooking experiences I had were producing preserves and chutneys, as we were surrounded by fabulous fresh produce and especially fruits and vegetables. Then, for years after I only ever considered food as fuel for a growing family and so food creativity wasn't exactly important to me until I retrained as a chef in 2014.

What's your favourite meal to cook for yourself?

I'm fascinated by the huge variety of curries, be they Thai, Indian, Bangladeshi, Indonesian or Sri Lankan. There is such a massive variety of spices and combinations that I'm always discovering something new, and with each curry it's a new and special experience.

Do you have a favourite ingredient with which to cook?

Fresh herbs, ideally straight from the garden that day, from garden to plate within minutes.

Rosemary, Thyme, Sage, Mint, Lavender, you name it I've used it... and again like spices the combinations and the freshness that it gives a dish, is uplifting. Aside from that, all fresh

produce be it from the farm or the sea is

creativity of working with a multitude of

paramount in producing the best and tastiest dishes.

ingredients to create sometnhing memorable on the plate. The great late Antonio Carluccio once said "A chef cooks for a living and a cook cooks from the heart" - I'm more aligned to a cook than a chef.

What's the most popular item on your menu at the moment?

On the main menu Moules Marinière, but we deliberately keep the main menu small (in comparison with other restaurants) because we like to offer very special themed evenings everything from French, Spanish, Thai, Indian etc. Watch out for our themed evenings they are a great hit with the customers! (Ed note: you'll have to book well in advance as they get booked up very quickly!)

When you are not working, where else in Swansea do you enjoy eating out?

Chefs will resonate with this, but having time to eat out is a rarity. On my one day off I catch up with house-work, family, kids and grandchildren and on top of that I flake out!

What's the best thing about being a chef?

Being a chef isn't a job - for me it's a passion...and that passion is driven by the

And the worst?

I'm notoriously hard on myself as I always believe I can improve and so self-criticism is the worst part - I can't switch off to it!

Do you have any culinary heroes?

Apart from my son Ryan Treharne, who is Demi Sous Chef at Sosban in Llanell (and who is one of my greatest inspirations), I admire Raymond Blanc for his creativity and passion and for entertainment I really enjoy The Two Spice Men, Cyrus Todiwala and Tony Singh.

Finally, if you weren't a chef, what would you be doing?

I was 34 years in the beauty industry, prior to retraining, so had I not made the deliberate choice of a career change I guess I'd still be in that industry.

Teisen Lap, ANYONE?

Whilst TEISEN LAP, commonly known as 'Cup of Tea' Cake, is considered to be one of Wales' classic traditional baked cakes, there are very few bakeries or shops producing this particular delicacy. Here, Chef Michele Treharne shares her recipe with one and all.

BY CHEF MICHELE TREHARNE

I 'm a great believer in tradition and it would be

remiss not to celebrate this easy to make cake.

Historically made for the miners of South Wales, as the cake is moist it wouldn't crumble in their lunch tins. Typically cooked in a shallow tray or on a plate.

Delicious with another memory of mine, Shirgar Welsh Butter which I use extensively throughout my menu. We are blessed to have such quality products surrounding us including Caws Canarth Cheese to local meat from Howell's Butchers (Penclawdd), Dunvant Farm Produce, and Swansea fish as you can see we support local businesses first and foremost. The freshness and quality speaks for itself.

If you have eaten at the Village Bar/Cafe in Killay I'd like to think that you can taste the difference.

Anyway, now it's your turn! So here's what you'll need in way of ingredients...

INGREDIENTS 225g plain flour 1 teaspoon baking powder Pinch of nutmeg 115g Shirgar Welsh Butter 200g sugar 225g currants 3 eggs Milk You'll also need: Shallow plate or tray

METHOD: 1. Pre-heat the oven 180°C, gas mark 4. Grease and flour a shallow baking tin.

2. Sieve together the flour, baking powder, sugar and nutmeg.

3. Then with your fingers, rub in the butter until crumbly.

4. Add the fruit. Add the beaten eggs and mix well. You want a soft, dropping consistency so add as much milk as is needed.

5. Put the mixture in the tin and cook for 20 minutes before lowering the temperature to 170°C, gas mark 3, for another 40 minutes or until firm.

6. Cool, remove from tin and sprinkle with sugar.

Store in an airtight container.

Yes it's that simple!

Finally, put the kettle on and make yourself a nice cup of tea (Welsh Brew of course!) and yes, using a proper China cup and saucer and slather your slightly cooled Teisen Lap with Shirgar Welsh Butter.

Gwaid ddim Beud!

KATIE HOME-COOK PENCLAWDD PIE Taste Swansea & West Wales food and drink magazine is thrilled to welcome onboard our team, Katie Davies known better as 'Katie Home-Cook', and moreso as a quarter-finalist on Best Britsh Home Cook, the BBC TV series featuring Mary Berry! Whilst Katie didn't win the event, her cooking was extolled by Mary Berry and the other judges and her enthusiasm for cooking and anything food is infectious! Katie intends to run a regular column for us here in the magazine sharing some of her favourite recipes and if you wish to catch up on other dishes then you can visit her website and You Tube channel, details of which appear at the end of this recipe.

Ingredients Makes 4 individual pies 1 quantity of rough puff pastry 30g butter 1 shallot 2 garlic cloves 150g smoked streaky bacon 50g flour 100g fresh cooked cockles 300g chicken thighs skinless & boneless 200g Mushrooms

9. Add the cream and cheese to taste (a little at a time) and stir.

10. Add the laver bread (to taste a little at a time) and cockles and season (you may not need salt).

11. Put the filling in the pie dishes. Leave to cool (ideally the filling should be put in the fridge for at least an hour).

12. Egg wash the lip of the pie dish. Put a strip of pastry around the top of the pie dish, then egg wash.

50g mixed dried mushrooms 200 ml fresh chicken stock 50g laver bread 50g Perl Las Cheese 150ml Single Cream White pepper Salt

13. Roll the rest of the pastry over the pie.

14. Seal the edge and crimp with thumb and back of knife.

15. Cut a hole in the top of the pastry.

16. Repeat with the other pies.

17. Egg wash.

18. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes.

Method 1. Preheat the oven to 190 C fan.

2. Finely slice the shallot, dice the bacon and mince the garlic.

3. Dice the chicken and slice the mushrooms.

4. Melt the butter and cook the shallot and bacon gently until caramelized.

5. Add the chicken and mushrooms and brown.

6. Increase the heat.

7. Add the flour and cook.

8. Add the stock.

Store bought puff pastry would make this recipe super easy... I promise not to tell!

Katie's Top Tip The pastry on this pie rises much better when the filling is cold so it can be prepared the day before, it can even be assembled and left in the fridge, making it a breeze if making them for people coming over.

If you want Katie to undertake cookery demonstrations at food festivals, private events, or develop new recipes, work with producers to jointly promote their produce or for any other type of promotional work, then you can contact Katie on katiehomecook.co.uk, or you can just visit the site and try out some of her fabulous receipes. Follow Katie on You Tube - Katie, a Home Cook, on Instagram or Facebook/Twitter.

R e g r e t t a b l y t h e w or d ' S a l a d i c i ou s ' i s n ' t a n

or i g i n a l i d e a of T a s t e S w a n s e a . I t ' s t a k e n f r om w h a t w a s a h u g e l y s u c c e s s f u l r e s t a u r a n t of t h e s a m e n a m e l o c a t e d i n Du b a i , a l t h o u g h w e w i s h w e h a d i n v e n t e d i t . S a d l y , w h i l s t t h e n a me r e i g n s o n i n Du b a i t h e r e s t a u r a n t h a s c h a n g e d h a n d s a n d c on c e p t a n d i s l i k e a n y ot h e r r u n of t h e m i l l e a t e r y . W h a t w a s s o u n i q u e w a s t h a t i t on l y p r e v i ou s l y s ol d s a l a d s . . . ov e r 5 0 of t h e m a n d t her e w a s a t hr ee w eek w a i t i ng l i s t t o g et i n.

A n y w a y , I d i g r e s s . T h e w or d s u m s u p e v e r y t h i n g

a b ou t s u m m e r – ' s a l a d i c i ou s ' d e l i c i ou s s a l a d s , i n t h e s u n . S u m m e r i s f a s t a p p r oa c h i n g a n d t h e r e i s n o b e t t e r w a y or h e a l t h i e r w a y t o d i n e i n t h e s u mme r t h a n b y p a r t a k i n g i n t h e f r e s h s a l a d p r od u c e . W i t h t h i s i n m i n d , w e b r i n g y ou f i v e g r e a t s u m m e r s a l a d s t h a t w i l l r e f r e s h a n d i n v i g or a t e y ou .

Do y o u h a v e a f a v o u r i t e s a l a d y o u ' d l i k e u s t o f e a t u r e ? W r i t e i n w i t h y ou r i d e a s a n d r e c i p e s t o i n f o@ t a s t e s w a n s e a . c om a n d w e ' l l s e l e c t t h e b e s t s u m m e r s a l a d f o r o u r n e xt e d i t i o n .

Orange & Rocket Summer Salad Ingredients: 150 grams of fresh spinach leaves, washed and dried 50 grams of rocket 3 branches fresh mint or basil, roughly cut 100 grams of feta cheese broken in to chunks 1 orange, finely diced and cut into quarters 3 table spoons of mayonnaise 6 table spoons of yoghurt 1 table spoon honey salt freshly ground pepper pinch of cinnamon pinch of ground red pepper

Tomato "Salsa" Salad Ingredients: 50 grams of cherry tomatoes, different kind of bright colours 50 grams of rocket 1/2 red onion finely diced 1/2 green pepper, sliced in to small cubes 30 grams of feta cheese (optional) extra virgin olive oil red wine vinegar salt

Walnut & Goat's Cheese Salad Ingredients: 1 head green or red leaf lettuce 100 grams of sun dried tomatoes in oil 100 grams of chopped walnuts 100 grams of goat cheese in chunks For the dressing rice wine vinegar extra virgin olive oil salt freshly ground pepper

Spanish Summer Bean Salad Ingredients: 100 grams of beans 1/2 diced tomato, cut in quarters 50 grams of canned corn 1/2 of sliced white onion a mixture of fresh basil and rocket olive oil

Sausage & Crunchy Green Salad Ingredients: 1 white onion, diced 1 tomato, cut in slices 2 Frankfurter sausages or little chorizo sausages, sliced 1/2 cucumber, sliced and cut in quarters 1 spring onion, finely sliced 30 grams of roasted pine nuts 35 grams or 10 mini-gherkins good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon of vinegar pinch of salt pinch of freshly ground pepper

NO SHOWS... and Booking Responsibly Y ou need a tradesman to sort an immediate

problem at your home. You've called him and he's agreed to visit your property at a pre-arranged time. You may have even had to take a day off work, or had to change your arrangements for that day.

The agreed appointment time arrives, and there's no tradesman to be seen. What's more you haven't received a call from the said tradesman to say he's going to be late.

How bad is the problem? It can be the difference between profit that evening and a thumping loss for a restaurant, after all they may have had to buy in fresh stock specifically to cover that table booking. Research indicates that in big cities up to 20% (i.e. one in five diners) represent 'no shows'.

One restaurant reported 140 no show diners in a single evening, representing 50% of the restaurant's capacity.

Nothing. No communication. A blank. Thirty minutes later still no word. Your call goes straight to answer-phone. He never shows up. The cost to you? Maybe financial and/or maybe purely that of wasted time and inconvenience. Naturally, you are upset!

A similar scenario is occurring on a daily basis at restaurants, which has far greater consequences and ramifications than merely lost time and inconvenience. For dining establishments there is a very definite financial implication. This scenario is where a table booking has been made at a restaurant and the diners don't turn up, i.e. what the industry calls 'No Shows'. It's a very real problem and over ÂŁ16bn is lost by restaurant No Shows each year, just within the UK. This isn't merely a cancelled table booking. No shows specifically refers to those table bookings where no-one shows up, doesn't cancel and that table has been held for a reasonable time in case the diners are genuinely late. Often the restaurant cannot resell that table that evening and may have earlier turned custom away because the table was reserved.

The answer is of course for the restaurant to take a debit/credit card deposit, and many London restaurants are now adopting this strategy.

Indeed, for top celebrity chefs' branded restaurants you'll be expected to pay a ÂŁ100 deposit for lunch and a ÂŁ150 deposit for dinner.

But the real question is would you now be prepared to pay a deposit to reserve your table at a restaurant?

Taste Swansea recently under took a quick, rough and ready online poll via Facebook and Twitter and of the sample 66% were prepared to pay a deposit and 34% were not. Perhaps the 34% can't recall ever having been let down by a tradesman who promised to come to fix their home. Next time you book a restraurant table 'Book Responsibly' and think about the restaurateur or at least take the trouble to call in well in advance if you are going to cancel.

TRADE TALK:

There are many dining businesses in the market place who will only be concerned with what is happening locally, and won't be looking at the wider picture. They may not therefore be aware of the potential impact on the businesses that are just 'around the corner'. In this Trade Talk section of the magazine Taste Swansea

brings you news from elsewhere that may affect your restaurant/takeaway and your livelihood.

How Many Online Takeaway Ordering Services Are Killing Your Business...and what you can do to counter it!

L et's face it, we are all in love with takeaways, at

and lost their customer details to the platform

some time in our lives. Some more than

and realised that they aren't making a profit

others. Pizzas, Chinese, Indian or any other

(and in many cases a thumping loss) do they

concoction of food that has now formed an

wake up to the reality of the cost of the service.

alliance with technology is flying out of the takeaways and directly into consumer's homes

Let's look at the main players and how they

on a huge scale. This and the advancement of

work. They provide a central platform and add

the internet, phone technology, and apps has

the

led to a new era of takeaway ordering and for

encourage the outlet to offer an introductory

many outlets has moved the onus away from

discount to attract new customers to use the

telephone to online. For many it's a really

service....as much as 20%. Secondly they take

convenient way to order and of course, at first

the orders online and charge the outlets for the

glance, there are without doubt advantages for

service (up to 35% commission on each order,

the outlet to use online takeaway ordering

plus delivery charge)... Next they retain the

services. The accuracy of the order reduces

outlet's customer's contact details and most

errors. Money is paid in advance of delivery,

refuse to share those details with the outlet,

albeit the outlet doesn't actually receive their

citing the Data Protection Act as their excuse

share for at least 7 days! Some eateries tell me

not to share. In some cases the platform will

that they wouldn't survive without them....or so

then use the outlet's database of customers to

they think! The fact of the matter is that many of

drive them to a new and alternative outlet that

the online takeaway ordering platforms (such as

has just signed-up to their service. In some

Just Eat, Deliveroo and Uber Eats - they are the

cases the money received by the platform is

main players in the Taste Swansea catchment

retained up to 14 days before being released,

area) are very detrimental to the outlets, and

less commission, to the outlet. Not a pretty

IT'S GOING TO GET A WHOLE LOT WORSE! For

picture is it? So for an outlet that has gone along

some eateries it's only after having signed up

with the suggestion of a discount whether it be

outlet's

menu.

In

some

cases

they

for students or merely to attract customers in

the regular customers of almost every outlet

the first place, they could, including commission

which is already signed up to their service! If you

charges be parting with 55% of the cost of the

are a Deliveroo outlet, they are are in a position

order before having to take VAT at 20% into

to crucify you and your business! And do you

account! A great deal for the consumer and the

know what's more galling? You have been paying

platform, but a bum deal for the outlet, whose

them at a rate of up to 35% per order to steal

usual average profit margin (pre-charges from a

your business from under your nose!

platform) will be about 3-5% (admittedly some could be as high as 15% but on average the

If you are a restaurant and you don't do

industry agrees with a 3-5% profit margin).

deliveries, then you too will still feel the pain, because Deliveroo's proposals will change the

Now, you'll also note that the platforms retain

face of the dining market and less and less

the all important customer database, and the

people will go out to eat.

poor outlets that has slaved away to make the food, doesn't even know how to reach his

So what's the answer? As a Food & Drink

customers! And as I have stated, in many cases

Business Consultant I strongly recommend that

the platforms are known to drive the outlet's

you ACT NOW!

customers away from their outlet! Enter an entriely new and potentially very worrying

~ Firstly, invest in a website if you haven't already

problem (for independent outlets) which can

got one, and be careful in this regard because

have

the

website agencies are notorious in screwing their

marketplace and could see you closing your

huge

repercussions

throughout

clients, especially when they wish to swap website

business, quicker than you ever imagined

designers.

possible!

~ Secondly, drop your use of the third party platforms that charge commissions. Use only

One such platform, i.e. Deliveroo, has just

third

announced that they are to open their own

commissions. (Yes, they exist, and one of my

kitchens and produce their own food for

client's has used one for over two years).

delivery! Have you grasped the implications of

~ Thirdly, use only a third party platform who

this yet? The have used all YOUR outlet's data

allows you to retain the customer data. (Care

details, who, where, what they order, when they

here because new data protection and direct

order it, from whom they order it and THEY

marketing regulations have just been introduced

intend to supply directly to YOUR customer

in the UK, which prevents you from merely

cutting your outlet out of the loop. They can re-

writing to your customer database, without their

create your dishes perhaps even with your

opt-in permission) - Yes they exist and again the

recipes, and go straight to your customers....and

service my client uses does indeed allow the

there will be nothing to prevent them. Of course

outlet to retain all collected data.

they won't merely be supplying your customers

~ Finally, find a reliable 'delivery service' which is

with their regular dishes (rather than you

prepared to deliver for you. Maybe team up with

supplying them) but they will also be supplying

like minded outlets and you control the team or

party

platforms

which

charge

use your own staff within your business.

NO

Running A Restaurant During Social Distancing Given the issues and government directives surrounding the Coronavirus and the need for social distancing, there is a very real prospect that as the country unlocks itself from isolation, the hospitality industry in particular will be told "you may open but you have to introduce socialdistancing measures". Here we examine what that could mean for your restaurant or cafe.

T here's

no doubt that COVID-19 took the

change the way you serve customers, in order

whole of the hospitality industry by surprise

to avoid close contact. It also means that you

and literally within a matter of hours of the

may have to remove tables and thereby

Prime Minster's statement that restaurants

reduce seating capacity in the restaurant, or

could remain open but for the public not to

allowing only a reduced number of covers in

visit them, the whole sector was thrown into

to the premises at one time, or allowing

the biggest crisis known. Customers cancelled

customers a given time allocation per table in

bookings in their droves and restaurants'

order to turn over tables. In addition, how are

income went from healthy to zero overnight.

you to protect your staff?

Of course, some are not likely to survive. And it wasn't as if the industry was in a great state in the first place with numerous chains going to the wall. But having been taken by surprise once there is no necessity to be taken by surprise a second time.

The bare truth of the matter is that if you are one of the fortunate eateries which is likely to

Should restaurateurs have to adopt such

survive this crisis then you currently have

unusual methods then there will undoubtedly

plenty of time to prepare for re-opening and

be a hit on their income levels. We have

the potential complications that such could

already seen local shops allowing only one

involve. There is a very distinct chance that

shopper in at a time in order to accord with

the release from lock-down will be phased in

social distancing and that has without doubt

and that the restaurants and big events will be

impacted on the income and profit levels of

the last sectors to be allowed to re-open. That

the businesses. For some, it may be a matter

said, there is also talk of extending the social

of offering buffet service, certainly in the

distancing measures beyond the lock-down

shorter term, or introducing/increasing the

period. That therefore leaves you as a

takeaway and delivery model. This lock-down

restaurateur with the dilemma of opening an

is certainly the right time to be addressing

eatery with the complication of having to

these issues. As a business, is social distancing in restaurants even feasible?

WHAT'S YOUR TIPPLE? 'What's Your Tipple?' is a trip around some of the less well known tipples that may grace the bar or restaurant that you may next frequent, but you've always been too shy to try them!

Some of the drinks featured are frequently drunk on the European continent, but less so in the UK.

T o start this 'What's Your Tipple?' column we have a couple of Spanish classics, Cuarenta

y Tres and the classic Sangria which I bet you only ever bother to drink on holiday!

Sangria is a great al fresco or BBQ drink...and the weaker bottled similar SANGRIA version you find in Spanish supermarkets Ingredients is Tinto de Verano ("Red Summer"). But, 3 parts red wine you can't beat making your own!

1 part orange juice 2 parts lemonade LICOR 43 ice & fresh mint Licor 43, or Cuarenta y sliced fruit such as oranges and lemons Tres (Spanish "43"), is a Spanish liqueur. It is Method made from citrus and 1. Mix all the ingredients together in a fruit juices, flavored large jug and add more red wine, orange with vanilla and other juice or lemonade according to taste and aromatic herbs and desired strength. spices, and consisting 2. Pour into glasses, garnish with mint of a total 43 different sprigs and fruit. Serve chilled ingredients (hence the name). It is 31% abv/ 62 proof and is a light bodied, sweet liqueur.

In color it is yellow tinged with a touch of gold. The aroma is sharp, warm, and complex, with vanilla up front; and then tangy sweet fruit, spices, and an aged rum-like presence. The flavor is similar to the aroma; vanilla, complex intermixed spices, tangy fruits, and hints of citrus, carried by a flavor similar to aged rum. I drink it on the rocks but it can be used to create cocktails too!