When Matt Mitchell and Robert Dant, from Christ’s Hospital School, in Sussex, won the Schwartz Flavour Pairing Challenge at Hospitality 2011 they also won a day with Cyrus Todiwala, celebrated chef and renowned master of spice; recently they went to meet their hero.
The pair managed to impress the judges at Hospitality and take ‘Gold’ with their creations but it was they who were impressed this time as Cyrus shared his intimate knowledge of spices, their history and some creative ways to use them in the kitchen. Some of the dishes they sampled were Papae Pur Eedu, Hyderabadi Curry, Coconut Rice South Indian Style and Leeli Murghi ni Curry.
Matt Mitchell and Robert Dant, Christ’s Hospital School, Sussex; “Today has been a revelation, truly eye-opening. After spending time with Cyrus, we have been inspired to look at, and use, spices in a very different way. We are bursting with ideas and look forward to sharing what we’ve learnt when we go back to our kitchen; it will be quite easy to adapt some of the recipes and introduce new flavours to the children, which they will love.”
James Millward, Commercial Director, McCormick UK Ltd; “It’s important to give young chefs the opportunity to learn from some of the great chefs in our industry, such as Cyrus, and it’s something we are keen to continue through various sponsorships and activities. Matt and Rob now have some great memories of the day, but also take away a number of ideas to trigger their inspiration and are keen to utilise them in their place of work, sharing their experience with others.”