Why I Love Wales and Its' Food
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
ISSUE 6 WHY I LOVE WALES AND ITS’ FOOD EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH LEGENDARY MICHEL ROUX JR ALSO INSIDE // + Oakbank + Really Pro + HCC (Meat Promotion Wales) + Food Standards Agency FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE // A TASTE OF WALES ENTREPRENEURS IN WALES From east to west, north to Global Entrepreneur Glynn south, we uncover the growing Pegler talks to SME Wales food sector in Wales making about supporting young its mark on our developing talent in the Principality economy PAGES 20 - 33 PAGES 38 - 41 TheKnow Big Interview How 14 The Big Interview The Legendary Editor’s Exclusive by Gary Baker He was here a few months ago to enjoy a He said: “I have recently fnished a food-based shark-fshing trip of the Carmarthenshire week I have every year in Henley-on-Thames coastline, but our nation and its’ food is never at their festival and every year we get students too far away from the mind of the renowned from Bridgend College to help us for the week. Chef or, for that matter, from the table at his They work their backsides of. They are kids two Michelin starred restaurant, Le Gavroche, who are 17 or 18 years old and are full of in London’s Mayfair. enthusiasm. The clatter of pans and knives ring out down “Wales has fantastic food. I love the Gower the phone as we speak, signalling another Peninsula cockles, the shrimps and the seafood. busy morning of preparation for a lunch Then there is the Welsh hill lamb, which is service of exceptional quality at Le Gavroche. revered all over the world.” Nothing but perfection will do for Michel, as has been the case throughout But, as fantastic as these foods are, the gastronomic dynasty of his there are many other products legendary family, which includes which make Wales great in father, Albert, and uncle gastronomic circles. Michel Roux , both of whom have been described as Michel added: “You have ‘the godfathers of modern wild sea trout and other restaurant cuisine in the UK’. freshwater river fsh and there are other products that “I love Wales,” said the 54 year Wales is less well known for, old, who has become known to like Welsh Black beef.” millions of people through his appearances on cuisine television Food, however, is a business and programmes over the years. “It is one from the volume of people who attend of those places I love to visit and I don’t get Food Festivals across the Principality, such to enough. as Cowbridge, Cardif and Abergavenny – three of the biggest of the year – there is no doubt of “It has so much to ofer. The people are lovely its popularity in Wales. and they are very welcoming. I love Scotland as well and it is just great that we have so But even Michel seems surprised to hear how much on our doorsteps in Great Britain that important it has become to our economy. you don’t need to go to far-fung places.” Welsh Government fgures show that all the sectors that make up the food and drink Michel understands frst hand how passionate industry here account for 230,000 jobs and, in Welsh people are about their food in all its’ generating £6.5bn of sales revenue each year, it guises, from cafes and restaurants to farming has become our largest combined industry for and dairy producers. employment. 15 TheKnow Big Interview How Yet, as much as this is incredibly good news for the Of course, nobody is suggesting placing plush SME markets, the ‘service’ sector of the food industry restaurants or gourmet outlets at football or – cafes and restaurants – are paths to be trodden rugby stadiums, but certainly supporters deserve with extreme care. Start-up cafes and restaurants something more tasty than multi-pack burgers have one of the highest frst-year failure rates of any and fries? Maybe pasta, pizza slices or even Asian business sector in the country, so sinking your teeth street food, for example? and cash into the dream of opening an establishment needs careful business consideration, acumen and Michel agrees that the average fan deserves planning – as well as some bravery. better. Michel agrees and believes he knows why. He said: “Yes, I defnitely think so. I am lucky enough to be invited into hospitality at games I attend. The He said: “Most defnitely. That’s the failure, I suppose, food there is very good. However, in my opinion, of our industry. We make it look so simple that on the terraces and in the rest of the stadium it people think they can get away with just making is money-led and just cheap and not that great. I good food; but they need to know about business as have yet to come across what I regard as a decent well. I would say, do your homework frst.” burger or hotdog. If, though, there is one business issue that Michel “One of the best stadium foods I have had was at cannot fathom it was one highlighted during another the Nou Camp stadium in Barcelona, where they fshing trip to West Wales in 2013. After returning grilled chorizo with a decent bread. Even at a cheap to shore, he spotted local fshermen landing their price, food should be good and wholesome.” catches. Back in Mayfair, Michel’s team needed Michel said: “I was in Milford Haven last ‘The Master’ back before midday year and I was on a shark-fshing trip. service. The food needed to be Milford Haven used to be a fantastic checked for presentation and fshing port. What shocked me quality at ‘The Pass’ to ensure one morning was that there was that every plate was perfect a batch of about 10 tonnes of for the diners at Le Gavroche. whelks which were being landed from around the waters. They So, does Welsh produce were put onto refrigerated trucks make it onto the menu for and driven to the North East of lunchtime City diners in England to be processed and then London? sent across Europe. “Yes, of course,” said Michel. “That’s crazy! They only cost about two- “Seafood, crabs, mussels and wild and-a-half pence each but were being salmon to name a few.” transported across the country. Surely it would be far better to have a processing plant nearby to do But the fnest meal with Welsh produce must come this?” from a leg of Welsh lamb that falls of the bone? Food and its production have become box ofce “Not a leg,” said Michel. “A slow-cooked shoulder is these days, but with many thousands of jobs already outrageously good. I also love leeks as a veg.” in situ across Wales and the UK as a whole, does the industry have room for more culinary entrepreneurs? There was so much more to ask Michel but time was ticking away for lunch and it was back to the “There is defnitely room for more,” said the prep work. legendary Chef. But, with such a rich and diverse food and Fishing is one form of relaxation Michel enjoys produce industry around Wales, Chef friends like away from the heat and the steam of the kitchen Steven Terry at The Hardwick and Shaun Hill at the but another passion he shares with the Welsh is a Walnut Tree, two amazing Welsh restaurants near love of rugby union. He is an honorary member of Abergavenny, and some more fshing to be done English Premiership side Harlequins but agrees that in the ‘clear waters’ of the West Wales coast, don’t stadium food at matches throughout many sports – be surprised to see Michel Roux Jr eating our great the burger, pie and chips and sandwich vans – could Welsh food here again soon when he is able to be improved so fans could enjoy a better experience. make another trip to our fantastic culinary nation. 16 The Big Interview 17.