VERSATILE ESSENTIAL CUISINE STOCK, LOOKING GOOD FOR TED BAKER

Although the traditional lunch is declining in popularity, there are still some places where workers appreciate the value of a cooked meal at a reasonable price.

One of these is the London headquarters of designer fashion brand Ted Baker, where 85 percent of staff uses the restaurant on a regular basis.

A four-strong team, lead by head chef Jay Wynne, serves up freshly prepared, quality food at the Ugly Brown Building, St Pancras Way, with a little help from Essential Cuisine, maker of stocks, jus, glace and gravy for the professional chef.

The restaurant provides a self-service breakfast from 8am-9am on weekdays, with a choice of cereals, toast, fruit juices and yoghurts. Bacon and egg is available on a Friday. A three-course lunch is served from 12.30pm-2pm and consists of soup, a main course of meat, fish or a vegetarian dish, with a side dish of vegetables or salad, and a dessert.

“We serve between 150-190 covers a day,” said Jay. “I’d say 95 percent of the staff use the restaurant regularly, although that figure can go down in the summer when people are trying to diet. It’s helped by the fact that the nearest high street catering establishment is a good 15-20 minutes away, but I genuinely don’t think people would eat here if they didn’t like our food.”

Staff at Ted Baker have an amount deducted from the wages to pay for their meals. The exact figures varies according to their salary level but equates to a daily spend for Jay and his team of about £3.20 a day for each person. Staff are free to opt out if they choose.

“It isn’t a lot of money to work with but we still manage to source good quality natural ingredients, with everything freshly prepared on the premises,” said Jay. “We don’t do any canteen-style food, like pies or lasagne.”

Stock answer
One essential ingredient that Jay would not be without is Essential Cuisine’s comprehensive range of stock mixes, which includes beef, chicken, vegetable, veal, fish, lamb, ham, turkey and mushroom. Expertly created to give the taste and flavour of a traditional stock, they come in powdered form and dissolve instantly.

“A good stock gives depth and balance of flavour to the final dish, which is why we would prefer to make our own stock when we can,” said Jay. “Unfortunately, we don’t always have time, which is when a good quality, pre-prepared stock comes into its own.

“I’ve been using Essential Cuisine’s stocks since they were introduced and I can honestly say that they’re the best I know. They come a very close second to a good, home-prepared stock. I find the taste, flavour and texture every bit as good as a liquid stock. You get none of the powdery flavour usually associated with a powdered stock, and they dissolve instantly.”

Jay uses Essential Cuisine’s powdered stocks mostly in the preparation of soups and sauces, but also adds them to a variety of other dishes.

“We’ll use them like a seasoning if we’re doing something like meatballs or burgers, or sprinkle some on couscous before we add the water,” he said. “We’ll even put some in the flour to add a bit of extra flavour when we’re breading fish. They’re also great if you’re making a raw marinade, like marinating a chicken; the powder goes straight into the marinade, almost like a curry mix.”


08/06/2010|