When Ben Burdass, head chef at the Townshend Arms, near Hertford, entered a Schwartz for Chef free prize draw for the chance to have a one-to-one session with Cyrus Todiwala, he hoped to win so that he could learn some new styles of cooking that could be incorporated into his menu. “I saw the competition and entered because spending a day with Cyrus at his restaurant, Café Spice, seemed like a unique opportunity to increase my knowledge and learn how to use spices more effectively in the kitchen. And he didn’t disappoint! I’ve come away with some great ideas, some of which I’ve already used back at the pub, and some I’m saving for the future. Beetroot Samosa starters have been a hit with our customers and I now know how to make authentic Onion Bhajias, which we put on the bar for customers to nibble at on a Friday night. Cyrus has taught me how to be more confident when using spices, how to use the correct blends and how to treat them when cooking. Rather than buying a generic ‘curry powder’ in future, I’m definitely going to be experimenting much more!”
James Millward, Commercial Director, McCormick UK Ltd: “Once again Cyrus has helped us to share some insight into the many uses of spices in the commercial kitchen. Through various activities like this, and by working directly with chefs, we want to be able to demonstrate how versatile spices can be and how menus can be transformed by using spices creatively. Ben has been able to take a number of ideas back to the Townshend Arms and with his new experience, he is being inspired to create some pretty special recipes to tantalise his customers with.”