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At Essential Cuisine, we believe that constant learning, inspiration and sustainable practises are vital to staying ahead in the ever-evolving foodservice industry. This week, our team had the privilege of attending an educational trip hosted by the talented Colin Wheeler-James at Ground Up Cookery School - a day that not only inspired our sales team but further cemented our working relationships.

Colin’s passion for food and his deep knowledge of foraging, preservation, and sustainable cooking techniques to minimise food waste stunned and captivated the team from the moment we arrived. Ground Up Cookery School is renowned for its use of foraged and seasonal ingredients, blending traditional methods like pickling, fermenting, and curing with modern culinary techniques. This fusion of old and new gave our team invaluable insights to bring back to our customers.

A Day of Discovery and Learning

The day began with light refreshments, followed by an overview of the agenda. Colin introduced us to the world of foraging, outlining the laws and etiquette associated with it. Soon after, we headed out to the surrounding lanes to begin our foraging adventure. It was a beautiful, fresh, sunny day - perfect for exploring nature’s pantry. Colin’s expertise transformed the hedgerows from simple greenery into a treasure trove of edible delights. We tasted a variety of plants, including thistles and primrose leaves while Colin educated us on which species to avoid.

Back at the cookery school, we created a visual infographic of our foraged finds, challenging ourselves to remember the names of the different species we had gathered. The exercise reinforced the knowledge we had gained and built a sense of camaraderie among the team.

Preserving the Harvest: An Eye-Opening Experience

Colin then took us through his impressive collection of preserved ingredients, neatly labelled and stored in jars lining the shelves. The sheer variety and quality of preserved wild foods left us in awe. As we tasted these unique flavours, Colin shared his preservation techniques, sparking countless ideas in the team on how we could incorporate these methods into our own demonstrations.

We were particularly inspired by the potential for using preservation techniques to combat food waste - a topic that resonates deeply with our customers across various sectors. Colin’s innovative approaches to preserving seasonal ingredients left us buzzing with ideas on how we could promote health-conscious, trend-led applications using these methods.

A Wild Cooking Challenge: Creativity and Teamwork

Next, the team was divided into groups for a fun and competitive cooking challenge. Our mission? To create a delicious lunch using a selection of seasonal ingredients, the foraged ingredients we had collected, combined with Colin’s unlimited pantry. Ground Up’s kitchen and outdoor fire cooking areas offered the perfect setting for experimentation and collaboration.

The results were nothing short of spectacular! The counter was filled with vibrant, colourful dishes that reflected each team’s creativity and skill. Some standout dishes included:

• Local roasted lamb shoulder served with lamb jus made using the cooking liquour, with added coffee miso and pine cone-infused honey
• A smoked red pepper salsa finished with fermented garlic
• Fennel salad with fermented fennel seeds
• Smoked aubergine baba ghanoush, featuring burnt twig honey and sesame chickpea tahini
• Baked carrots with fermented cumin
• Spiced pumpkin topped with smoked sage powder and pine cone honey 

The flavour combinations were outstanding, showcasing the team’s ability to work together and push culinary boundaries with new techniques and ingredients. After presenting our dishes, we enjoyed a leisurely lunch in the sunshine, celebrating the day’s accomplishments and discussing how we could apply these insights in our own roles.

Diving into Fermentation and Food Waste

After lunch, the learning continued with an introduction to fermentation - a hot topic across our customer sectors. Colin introduced us to a range of fermented products such as garum, miso, tepache, kombucha, kvass, and more. We explored how to use ferments as seasonings, and creative ways to incorporate food waste, helping us better understand the importance of sustainability in modern cooking.

One of the highlights of the session was a demonstration of Curtido, a traditional Central American fermented cabbage dish. We then got hands-on, returning to our stations to make our own Curtido to take home - a perfect memento of the day’s learning.

Reflecting on the Experience

The day concluded with a relaxed dinner, where the team reflected on the valuable lessons learned. We discussed how we could share these new techniques with our customers and incorporate trend insights into future product demonstrations.

A Lasting Impact on Our Team

Inspiration and learning are at the heart of everything we do at Essential Cuisine, and trips like this allow us to invest in our team, further expanding their knowledge. The experience at Ground Up Cookery School was truly unforgettable, inspiring us to think creatively and embrace new culinary trends that we can pass on to our customers.

We believe that fostering a culture of learning and innovation is key to delivering the best possible service, and this trip is just one example of how we continue to empower our team to grow and excel.

We look forward to applying the knowledge gained from this incredible experience in our ongoing efforts to inspire and support the chefs and culinary professionals we work with every day.

For more information about Ground Up Cookery School, click here.