The Roman writer, senator and historian Tacitus once called described the British weather as being ‘objectionable’ and lamented that our climate wasn’t beneficial to the growing of certain types of vine and other crops, ones that would typically flourish in the warmer climes of Italy.
We’ll forgive him for his disparaging remarks, but at least we know that some Romans tried to establish vineyards here in Britain. And that should really come as no surprise given that by all accounts the Romans were fond of a glass of wine or two – a bit like us really.
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If you have had one eye on social media whilst dancing round the kitchen in preparation for the evening dinner rush, you surely can’t have missed the debate –and furore – surrounding the Twitter account @WeWantPlates. There have been some staunch defenders of traditional table-tops and some fierce critics of it, arguing that the current trend for theatrical centre-pieces adds to the enjoyment of dining out.
But are burgers on boards (surely standard practice?), bread in flat caps (how Yorkshire) and fry-ups on a spade (so customers can literally shovel down a few sausages and rashers of bacon) really necessary?
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Mead, the drink from the age of dragons*, conquests and war is about to be reinvented for the modern market.
The fermented honey drink is alleged to be one of the oldest alcoholic beverages in existence and there’s a good claim that it could be one of the most popular too. Back when Kings and Queens ruled with an iron fist and waged war on neighbouring nations, mead was commonplace in the taverns of Great Britain.
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National Doughnut Week is scheduled to take place between the 9th and 16th of May. The seven day bonanza is a unique opportunity for bakeries, cafes, coffee shops and restaurants of all sizes and statures to promote the doughnut, whatever its variety.
And as always, we here at CS Catering Equipment are ready and prepared to ensure that you have everything that you’ll need to create and promote some truly delicious doughnuts. (Or as we called them in our house, “duffnuts”)
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The origin of the doughnut is very ambiguous; to use a well-worn cliché you could say that it’s clear as mud.
But whilst its derivation may be muddled the snack is something of an American institution and a global phenomenon. From bakers to supermarket shelves through artisan bakers beset about reinventing the wheel, you’ll be able find the humble doughnut in some form.
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After spending twenty years working with consumers on a daily basis to solve beverage problems and running a market leading juicing company, you could say that Robert Leo had squeezed the most out of his profession. However, you’d be wrong.
With two decade’s worth of experience under his belt and countless customer queries and recommendations to go on, Leo thought that he could create something from scratch that would stand out in a congested industry.
He believed and he did.
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When it comes to creating a delicately tailored drinks menu to compliment your array of finely chosen mains, where do you typically look to source your wine from?
Normally, we’d expect that the vast majority of options in high street restaurants and fine dining establishments originate from the traditional wine-growing powerhouses of Spain and France, backed up with a couple of options from different nations such as Chile and Australia.
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The first quarter of 2015 is now consigned to the books. Initially, we saw that the catering and hospitality trades had a strong start to the year with positive January and February results being posted, but did that trend continue through the month of March and how does the calendar year so far it compare to the same period last year?
Well, according to Barclaycard’s latest consumer report, those at the top, along with Julius Caesar, should beware the Ides of March.
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Chefs look away now. The future is coming and we’re all about to move into a world where smartphone operated robots cook downloadable recipes to perfection. The human race is doomed.
“Whether you love food and want to explore different cuisines, or fancy saving a favourite family recipe for everyone to enjoy for years to come, the Automated Kitchen can do this,” said its inventor, Mark Oleynik.
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Towards the end of May the catering and hospitality trades will be joining forces to celebrate the hard work of frontline staff such as waiters and bartenders, whose efforts often get overlooked.
National Waters Day has been devised it pay homage to the profession’s skill and dedication, and to promote the amble career opportunities that are associated with front-of-house and service jobs within in the industry, from pulling espresso shots, to tending bars, right through to managing a team of waiting staff.
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Author
Damien Wilde