Employees at Sodexo will prove they have star quality this week, as they battle it out as part of a country wide culinary event.
Over 100 members of staff will descend on Scotland’s National Stadium Hampden Park on Thursday 3 October, as part of the company’s annual Salon Culinaire event designed to demonstrate the talent and passion from all areas of the business.
Employees will be invited to compete in over 15 master classes designed to showcase their talents, as well as giving them an opportunity to hone their crafts. Master classes include everything from jam and preserve making to canapé creation and afternoon tea to napkin folding.
The majority of the competitions at the event will be focused on testing the cooking skills of competitors such as the ‘Super Bowl’, where chefs will be asked to present a flask of hot soup using fresh seasonal produce.
The Great Omelette Challenge
There will also be a chance for competitors to show off their talents and speed in the kitchen with the Great Omelette Challenge, sponsored by catering recruitment firm Blue Arrow. Competitors will pit it out against each other to determine who can make the best omelette in the fastest time, with the top four being invited back to a live showdown, to determine the winner.
Sodexo will demonstrate its commitment to using the very best local Scottish produce, as part of a supplier village where Sodexo partners will show the latest in produce and food innovation. These include food from Campbell bros, Fresh Direct Local, Leathams, Food Partners and Lockharts Catering supplies.
Graham Box, Sodexo’s Managing Director in Scotland, said: “I am delighted to be able to support this year’s Sodexo Salon Culinaire, which, if it matches last year’s, will undoubtedly be an exciting event.
“We at Sodexo have many talented chefs and competitions like this give us an opportunity to show off and celebrate the skills we possess, not just as a company but as individuals.
“Developing culinary excellence is fundamental to everything we do and this Salon is a great way to demonstrate our strength in this area.
“I hope all the competitors enjoy the experience and wish them all the best of luck in their competing categories.”
It’s Not All About the Cooking
Marketing skills will also be assessed for example in this class competitors will additionally be invited to exhibit creative promotional ideas used to increase margins, upsell and add value to their soup.
Another marketing focused opportunity for competitors is in the Class M competition where teams of 3 will be challenged to design an innovative and creative marketing promotion for a restaurant with a Commonwealth Games 2014 theme.
As well as master classes, this year’s event will also benefit from a series of demonstrations from some of Sodexo’s world class chefs including Wille Pike, OBE
Stephen Frost, Executive Chef, at Sodexo Prestige, said: “As a company we have a strong commitment to using local products and suppliers, in order to produce the best quality dishes and menus possible.
“Events like our Salon Culinaire are a great platform for showcasing not only the talents of our chefs and team, but also the quality and in many cases award winning ingredients behind all of our food.
“The hospitality industry demands an exquisite attention to detail in relation to both the preparation and presentation of food and we believe that competitions like this provide the perfect occasion for our staff to cultivate these highly desirable skills and finely tune their culinary flair.”
