New look for 2011 Skills for Chefs conference

The conference organised by the University of Sheffield will be held at Sheffield College, which has recently undergone a £65m refurbishment and now has some of the best facilities in the UK, and the aim is to make full use of them, said conference director David McKown. "After the same format for 14 years, we have decided to make a key change and make use of these fantastic facilities at Sheffield College for the annual conference taking place from July 11-12," he commented. In addition to the traditional keynote speeches and theatre presentations, delegates will also have the unique opportunity to attend master class workshops using the college's kitchens, he added. "The opportunity to attend workshops in smaller groups will create an opportunity for delegates to learn new skills and the format will also improve the interaction between them and renowned chefs," he explained. There will be a strong line up of speakers and business sessions for the conference will feature a significant number of award winning chefs from all sectors of the hospitality industry. A trade exhibition will also run alongside the business programme enabling suppliers to interact with delegat s. Opening the conference will be renowned chef Richard Corrigan, who heads Corrigan's Mayfair restaurant in London, and has also made many appearances on TV from BBC's Full on Food and Saturday Kitchen to the popular Great British Menu programme. On day one, the first chef in the demo kitchen will be Mark Sargeant, formerly head chef at Gordon Ramsay's Michelin starred restaurant at Claridge's in London, who is now creative director of the Swan Collection. Other celebrated chefs involved include Tom Kitchin, chef owner of Michelin starred The Kitchin restaurant in Edinburgh; Bryn Williams, owner and head chef of Odette's restaurant in London and another winner on the Great British Menu programme; and Steve Smith, who has worked in and led some of the country's top kitchens and one of the youngest chefs to gain a Michelin star. Mick Burke, a senior lecturer at Sheffield College, is part of the project team for the conference and he will be delivering a pastry skills master class. Burke, who is an expert in his field, has seen his students moving on to work in many of the world's leading establishments. One of these prodigies is Rupert Rowley, the head chef at Fischer's Baslow Hall. He will be running one of the workshops at the conference. The keynote speaker on day two will be Nigel Haworth, chef patron of Northcote Manor, and his head chef Lisa Allen, a further star of the Great British Menu series and one of the first women to rise to the ranks of head chef in the Michelin starred Northcote, will be showing her culinary skills. The conference's social programme includes a 'Restaurant Safari' around the City of Sheffield and a spectacular gala dinner served in Firth Hall at the University of Sheffield. Residential delegates will be accommodated in the new Ranmoor Village at the University of Sheffield. • For further details, call 0114 222 8907/8909, email skillsforchefs@sheffield.co.uk or visit www.skillsforchefs.co.uk