From the north to the southern hemisphere

September being the month for food festivals all over the Uk , whether it will be  “Feast of Dorset” , the repetitively famous “Taste Cumbria Food Festival” or the Brogdale Farms Cider Festival, I invite you to browse online via the numerous website available calendars of events on the subject.

Here are a few links for your interest:

http://www.countryfile.com/news/food-festivals-calendar-2011

http://www.cardiff-festival.com/

http://www.nantwichfoodfestival.co.uk/

http://www.foodloversbritain.com/FoodMatters/This-Month/UK-Food-Events/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/may/20/food-festivals-august-to-september

and for those adept of the Taste of London , still travelling to some cities around Europe and willing to attend its equivalent in Milan , Amsterdam or Dublin please refer to the below so familiar link …

http://www.tastefestivals.com/london/

The summer season peak is looking towards the end with regards to summer fruits coming from the continent (if not already as looking now through my lounge wide window showing the interminable flow of rain falling on us on this day) as peaches,  nectarins and melon are showing their best fully mature and ripe flavours as if dressed for an occasion so to excuse themselves until next time.

Although Pears are now juicy and gorged with the sweetness of  a honey pot , apples falling from the tree announcing their readiness , demanding one thing that a little of short crust pastry to be placed under and over them as a blanket , a duvet telling us to start covering ourselves , reminder of the colder days to come.

Don’t we simply love the turn of the seasons , the changes in our eating  and taste as tomatoes and fennels will slowly leave place to cabbages and roots , parsnips and celeriac , game birds  and stews , I read you already looking for to finish your sauce with a drop of chocolate or cranberry jelly so to accompany the venison loin  gently roasting in the foam of the light butter , a crispy sliced beetroot placed delicately atop as per ornament with alongside freshly sautéed Spaetzle  .

Lets open our minds on the goodness simple dishes as such are to bring upon us , the sheer joy shared with our family usually expressed by Mmmmmm’s and Yuuuum’s.

As per one of our previous update , our still very new and what I may announce to be of a certain success, our Facebook page was created for the purpose and is to be used as a professional platform  , we are therefore welcoming any of you to bring along your knowledge , sharing with us all your deepest secret place or favorite food fair tucked into your area perhaps , or any original product you may have stumbled upon  that could wows us all or a new magazine that could be of any interest allowing us discovery  ….and so on

Until next time , I wish you happy cooking !

This Month

We are to be of course celebrating the arrival of the Association’s new president. With the renewal of its stronghold leading the team and bringing new ideas we may only see tomorrow as a better place. He is in fact lifting his glass so to offer a toast as well as himself , so to receive to your well deserved support and words of encouragement.

These are happy days , willing to constantly improve , share and strive for the Association Culinaire Francaise not only to keep its well and respectable established position in the United Kingdom but also its existence and contribution to the industry that has well proved the importance of its genuine and forward thinking attribute , having permitted youngsters of the trade brushing shoulder with the more experienced , thus allowing for the respect of the well needed classical training topped and reworked by the fabulous dynamic so for trends and fashion our industry is being subject to while being caressed by its regular wave of renewing ideas and innovations so regularly and so for new beginnings springing and to be witnessed so often , we have therefore put into place a newsletter that we will now be able to forward to our members in a more efficient and thoughtful manner with the hopes that the future of the Association Culinaire Francaise , having never as much belonged to its faithful members than before , will keep on seeing development throughout the year via the billet of the various events , competitions and other shared joyful times that maybe enjoyed , felt and created via its platform.

As ever prior , the ACF is looking for to the contribution and alliance of its members to strengthen its core , as much as these wording may appear to be strong they are being the soul and supportive structure of any successful happy and respectable enterprise. Without these , walls have been found crumbling under the lightest breeze or melting away under the soft but eroding drop ….We are all growing to become better , at what we do , our job , towards others , and this may be well demonstrated in many various ways. For this , the Association Culinaire Francaise has put in place earlier on this year , not only a new text so to explain the philosophy behind the new page on our website for the Secours Mutuels , but so to provide with an assistance and support in the case of need for our members sometimes forgotten and so to remind ourselves our great master respect of the workforce surrounding him , making a team what it is , walking into one another’s footsteps.

We wish of course to hear from you whether it is by word of support , the provision of funds for our colleagues in the need , added help and ideas so for your participation to be supplementing its weight of importance to your membership and making you an active and closest friend in this great family.

This Year

This year we may have seen a number of events taking place, amongst a few competitions creating platform so for catering students and professional to develop and demonstrate their craft skills

We have been spoiled by the enthusiasm with which we have been approached by the candidates who have shown great knowledge and execution on their task.

Here are a few reminders.

^26th March 2011 

The Association Culinaire Francaise annual AGM with the election of the new committee and the announcement of our President resignation.

27^th March 2011

On a happier note the 2^nd Edition of the annual Pastry Day  with its Chocolate challenge requiring the entrants to provide 4 plated dessert composed of 3 different structures was made to become a real success.

With our sponsors present so to demonstrate some of their products and supporters  here so to enjoy them during a degustation , brought  an atmosphere and outcome beyond our best of thoughts that has allowed us to believe so much still may be possible in the near or far future.

Benoit Blin along with Yvon Coignard, Joannes Bonin , Javier Mercado and Sebastien Bruno where amongst the judges having the delight but nevertheless serious as very difficult task in proceeding with the selection of the winner dishes we have seen on the day.

Who would not want sampling chocolate dessert executed before your “emerveilled’ eyes , having discovered perhaps a newcomer within the industry bringing along his or her new ideas and search for perfection? Trust me when I say the sound of the spoon made by the judges when clinging the bottom of the plates , letting us hear and easily covering oumf and woaw that were now background noise as if considered leftovers

^08th April 2011

As we have lost not only a great member but also a good friend , there is never enough wording available so to replace anything felt on this occasion and the days after to come.

Fernand Jules Cesar Boulert has left us after a long lifetime participation and contribution not only to his country and the Association Culinaire Francaise but also to the Industry and its foundations

We are all , and will be missing him for a very longtime.

26^th April 2011

Benoit Blin , Head Pastry Chef at  Le Manoir au Quat’Saison , Presiding the Uk Pastry Team for the Coupe du Monde De La Patisserie in January 2013.

To do so the Uk team in need of serious and skilled professionals will have to qualify at the ‘Open des Desserts’ next year in March 2012.

Applicant may join the team by completing the downloadable form available on the Association Culinaire Francaise front webpage.

29^th May 2011

The Award for the Young Commis and Waiter of the Year were presented at the Blackburn College by the North West Branch President of  the Association Culinaire Francaise Peter Cooke and Sue Kenyon committee and branch Secretary.

28^th June 2011

Hosted by Tameside college ,  the North West branch of the Association Culinaire Francaise , has seen taking place its final  round of the 3^rd Edition of the challenge Escoffier

While we thank you for your support not only by continuously adhering with the idea the Association Culinaire Francaise is being always and in an intermittent re-shuffling , we look for to calmer times thus in the longer run so for a set up in its structure and balance to be commonly found , giving the healthy stability it deserve.

The forthcoming events and other matters of interest to our members , its committee and sponsors  along with perhaps food enthusiasts , will be announced and always forwarded to you in a way of information by the billet of this newsletter which we sincerely hope you will not only find instructive but also a great tool , allowing yourself keeping in good records not only with the ongoing within the Association but also in the hospitality business whether in the Uk or abroad.

Kindly yours