NUMA - Portimão, Portugal

Hi Everyone,

So, for starters my name is Bruno Silva. I’m in year 3 of BA (Honours) Culinary Arts. I started my placement on the 5th of September in this Restaurant called NUMA. It is near the centre of Portimão, Portugal.

NUMA is a restaurant created and named after the owners Nuno and Manuela. It was their dream to open a restaurant. Numa has been open for 2 years and is going well.

Nuno is the executive chef, and he has dedicated himself to intense training in Cooking and Professional Pastry, learning the best confection techniques, choosing the best ingredients, and refining the palate. He worked in several renowned restaurants in the Algarve and the United Kingdom, where he improved the flavours, textures, and experience in a frenetic pace of restaurant cuisine, valuing the team that manage to share the daily challenges with him. He is also a certified trainer at IEFP in the area of Cuisine’s Chef. Chef Nuno is going to be my mentor while on placement.

I came to this placement as it is one of the best restaurants in Portimão.

I decided to come to Portugal because I'm from here, but I've never experienced actually living here. So, I took the opportunity to gain experience more about my culture and its cuisine.

At the beginning I was nervous because I never collaborated with the owners of an establishment, but Nuno and Manuela are very welcoming.

I was put in the pastry section of the restaurant, and I love it. The platings are beautiful and different and the meals are traditional Portuguese foods made differently. I've learned a lot just in the first week and I keep learning new techniques. I also do the cold starter plates and the amuse bouche.

This is one of the plates I did, it´s a cold starter, seasoned fish, oyster, cucumber, caramelized orange, cucumber gel, orange gel, Parma ham, and a nori crispy in a coral design

This is one of the Amuse Bouche I made, it usually changes all the time, this is seaweed, tomato gel, on a seared sardine with mash potato and squid ink on a toasted brioche slice, this is a sustainable dish because we use item from dishes that were used and create a new item for customers to enjoy while they wait for their meal.

One of the desserts we serve, this is a modified version of a traditional dessert. This is a white bean and almond mille foils with lemon curd and dill gel, decorated with powdered sugar.

 These are just some of what I did so far. I can't wait to see what is in store for me for these coming days!

by Bruno Silva

The Glorious Gleneagles: Part One.

Week 1-4: The Strathern and Private dining. 

Hii everyone, Sarah here, my blog is going to be a reflective piece, as that’s how I felt it would better express my time here, so let’s begin.The first week arriving in Scotland was amazing. The views were just breathtaking with the people being  lovely as ever. The architecture here is beautiful. I spent the first few days looking around in Edinburgh, getting used to the area.

           

Before being in any restaurant I was given a very detailed induction that stretched over two days. This was a full briefing of how the hotel operates and what your role will be. The first day was mostly looking around and getting comfortable with the place, because it’s massive. 

We were given our badges which are cards we use to tap and activate rooms/ doors around the hotel, uniforms and where to get them each morning. I thought this was great, every morning you would exchange your whites for fresh ones only having to wash your trousers. Everything here is very efficient. Day two was just for chefs, taking us through kitchen safe procedures and how to use certain machines. 

Finally actually getting to the kitchen.

I started in the strath my first few weeks at Gleneagles. It is a fine dining/ rosette type of restaurant.  I was put on the garnish section which was extremely prep heavy, as every dish on the menu practically had a garnish and side coming from me. At the beginning they just left me in the section on my own which was very intimidating but looking back it was helpful, you won’t always get help in every kitchen you are in so having them throw me in the deep end was beneficial.Working here was brief but an experience, I learned so many new techniques and flavour combinations that I can make my own, working  with some very intelligent chefs was also refreshing. Seeing how different people use different ingredients and why is something you learn heavily in the strath. 

A week after I arrived a special was put on, allowing me to work closely with the sous chef to have the components to complete the dish. It was a grouse dish and this was the garnish.

 I had no idea what grouse was until I was preparing for this dish.Now that I do, I have an idea of what flavour notes can pair nicely with the bird, in this case it was blackberries, mushrooms and bread. This was a joyful moment to start my time here. This was my little peek into the fining world which I enjoyed, yes it was hard work but worth it.

The level of respect they have for one another in that kitchen is admirable. They each recognise what each member brings to the table.

Apart from work I spent my first few weeks here exploring my area. There’s a little village called Auchterarder that’s 30 mins on foot, away from the hotel but there are buses that do go that route as well. It has a lot to offer, there’s a supermarket, clothing in shops, pharmacies, restaurants and pubs. It's a cute little place.

 

Private Dining 

This kitchen specialises in catering for functions, it’s a plated service type of kitchen.When I started we had a south Asian wedding, this required us to prep canapés, starters and mains for 400 guests over the course of 3 days. I’ve never in my life been more intimidated. It was a challenge, but I loved every second. I can't lie, there were times where I thought I wouldnt be able to cope. A part of PD was being in the cold room which was like a big fridge also called the plating suite. This is where you would plate the starters and mains. Obviously this was my least favourite part of the job as I  was always cold.

In my fourth week, I was put in the position to lead some functions, this was just making sure everything was prepped, organised and presentable. which was a great confidence booster knowing that the Chefs thought I was able to do this. 

These were some of the dishes,

This kitchen really helped me work on my technical skills, repeating the same action multiple times until you finally perfect it. I also worked on BBQ’s up at the shooting lodge for VIP’s, which was very fun. It was weird  seeing familiar faces you see in movies and having to act normal.

     

We had a taste of Scotland event, this is where a piper comes in to tell the stories about Scotland and haggis, I got the privilege to carry out the haggis twice for it, got to white a white hat and all. It was a strange experience but enjoyable, and got me out of my comfort zone. Our biggest week in PD was catering for 2000 people for our Google event. Having to continuously count and remember different ingredients, plates, additional dietaries and allergens.  Working in this kitchen greatly improved my organisation skills, having to work with an exact number you need to work on reducing waste and using up all of what was ordered. I had a wonderful time in this kitchen, having built close bonds with the chefs and feeling appreciated every time I came into work, they really took care of me.

Until next time, S.A.

Final Days In Belfast - Ben Roche

Final Days in Belfast

 

As my final days here in Belfast draw to a close, I want to use this final blog post to discuss the time I spent here in Belfast and how much I enjoyed working as part of the kitchen team at the Grand Central Hotel. I arrived here the 26^th of September, part of me was nervous, but I was also full of excitement. I was looking forward to working as part of a progressive and creative team as well as developing my skills as a chef. I found myself working mostly as part of the team in the Grand Café. After a swift introduction to the starter section, I was quickly trained in on the garnish section; a fast-paced section, responsible for garnishes and sides for the main course dishes, and for cooking the hot starters.

 

While here I learned many new recipes and great techniques. From making the most delicious and smooth pepper sauce to coming up with ideas for specials during the week I both enhanced my cheffing skills and became more creative in my work. My attention to detail and ability to season dishes has also developed rapidly while I have been here.

 

We enjoyed a quiet period between late October and early November. The Belfast Christmas markets began on November 19^th – and we knew all about it. We found ourselves with all hands-on deck, busy all day, every day. During my time off here however, I enjoyed exploring what Belfast had to offer. I tried a lot of coffee shops around the city, and I think my recommendation for the best cup of coffee around would have to be Napoleon coffee, just minutes away from the hotel. I dined at many different establishments around the city such as Deane’s Eipic and while I walked around the city on my day-to-day excursions, I gained a more in-depth knowledge of Belfast’s and indeed, Northern Ireland’s history.

 

I also went further afield, taking a Paddy wagon bus tour to the Giant’s Causeway, which included a number of other stop offs. If I were to offer anyone advice on where to go for their placement, I would certainly recommend Belfast and the Grand Central Hotel. So far, myself and multiple other SETU students have gotten on extremely well here working with Chef Damian Tumilty and the rest of the team. I would certainly consider coming back to work here in the future.

My last days in Barcelona

 Last Days In Barcelona

This is Panos again from Barcelona. December has just arrived and the city is fully decorated with Christmas lights. The streets are busy and the city is as lively and festive as ever. The weather remains pleasant and people are still sitting outside enjoying their coffee and tapas. 

My study placement has almost come to an end. It is hard to believe how fast the time flew by. It feels like I arrived here yesterday. I had an amazing time in Barcelona. It is a fabulous place. It doesn´t matter what part of the city you are at, there is always something interesting and worth seeing nearby.  

The international placement is truly a once in a lifetime experience and I am already looking forward to my work placement.  I explored a big part of the Catalonian region and discovered a lot about the local food scene. Catalonia has a lot of bakeries and pastry shops. The ones who like pastry will definitely love Catalonia. I was lucky enough I was able to taste some of the best desserts/pastries in the country. From Hoffman´s pastry shop to Canal´s award winning croissants and Jordi Roca´s most famous ice-creams. I feel I have learned a lot just from sampling the work of some of the best chefs in their field. I am going to miss Catalonia but I hope to come back some time in the future.  I am excited to be moving forward and can´t wait for the fourth and final year of my degree.

Michelin starred dining at Deane’s Eipic

Deane’s Eipic is a one Michelin starred restaurant located in Belfast’s city centre. It has held the accolade for just over six years. The kitchen team here has been led by chef Alex Greene who comes from Dundrum in Mourne Country, Northern Ireland, for the past two years. Having worked in prestigious restaurants such as Petrus by Gordon Ramsay, Claridge’s by Gordon Ramsay as well as the House Restaurant at the Cliff House Hotel in Ardmore, County Waterford, chef Alex Greene has a wealth of knowledge and experience. I was lucky enough to dine at Deane’s Eipic for a tasting menu experience on one of my days off. The restaurant is open from Thursday to Saturday for both lunch and dinner and offers a range of dining experiences such as the menu surprise and the tasting menu/vegetarian tasting menu experience. In addition to Deane’s Eipic, the group which is owned by chef Michael Deane also owns a range of other ‘Deane’s’ experiences such as Deane’s Love Fish and Deane’s Meat locker.

I opted for the twelve-course tasting menu for my dining experience. This consisted of five snacks, two starter courses, two main courses, two desserts and a selection of petit fours. The highlight courses for me were the linseed, lovage and nasturtium snack, the venison with pumpkin puree, pickled blackberries, and compressed beetroot and the souffle of hazelnut, banana and tonka bean.

Linseed crisp, lovage emulsion and nasturtium leaves. This course was the first course of the tasting menu, it was full of flavour and set the bar for the rest of the meal.

 Venison, pickled blackberries, pomme anna, pumpkin puree, pickled beets, bone sauce. Although I am not usually a lover of venison this venison was flavourful and tender and not overpoweringly ‘gamey.’

  Souffle of hazelnut, banana, caramel and tonka bean. This souffle was light and airy. It involved a tableside preparation element whereby the waiter put a quenelle of ice cream on top of the souffle in front of the guest. It was a nice touch to the dining experience, which saw a more personal interaction between the guest and the wait staff.

To add to my dining experience, I opted to pay an extra supplement to try the ‘incredible edible book’ experience. Chef Alex Greene created this dish when he took part in the series the ‘Great British Menu.’ It is an edible book based on a book by famous author C.S. Lewis. This was an incredible way to bring the meal to an end. The book was completely edible, and you could also look through some pages of the book. For £85 this was a very reasonably priced dining experience. The edible book was £20 extra but personally it was a must….

By Ben Roche

My first impression of Barcelona

 My first impression of Barcelona

Greetings from Barcelona. A city of great architecture and art.

Hello everyone, this is Panos posting from Barcelona city. 

I arrived here a week before my orientation day as I wanted to give myself the opportunity to settle in before the semester starts. So far, I have enjoyed every moment of my staying and I am thrilled I am going to stay here until the end of January. 

The first few days were a bit difficult for me because of the language barrier but I have managed to get by with a bit of help from a  dictionary. Being Greek, I was amazed with the cultural similarities between Greek and Spanish people. The lifestyle here as well as the shops and the food are similar to the ones I am accustomed to. People just love sitting outside and sipping their coffee for hours and just having a chat and a good time. 

The overall atmosphere is very relaxed and the people seem to be fairly laid-back. So far, I am really liking it. Barcelona is a well-connected and a very tidy city. It is very quiet around lunch time because the locals would eat at home and some of the shops close around that time just to reopen later in the day. Because 

Barcelona is so well-connected, it is very easy and affordable to visit the tourist attractions of the city. So far, I’ve visited Ramblas, Barceloneta and the iconic cathedral of Sagrada Familia. The timetable of the University is very good too. My Mondays and Tuesdays are full but Wednesdays and Thursdays aren’t as busy so it’s not too bad. I’m also off every Friday, Saturday and Sunday and that allows me to explore the city as much as I like. The food here is good and a lot more affordable compared to Ireland. There are also a lot of restaurants with foreign cuisine so the people of Barcelona are spoiled for choice. If time allows, I am going visit other parts of the country too before the weather gets cooler.

  

More on my next post

Panos

My first few days in Belfast!

 

Belfast is the capital city of Northern Ireland; it is located on the river Lagan. It is home to a population of 659,000 people. I arrived here on the 26^th of September, where I was checked into the Grand Central Hotel. The Grand Central Hotel opened in 2018 at a cost of £54 million, and it is the newest hotel in the Hastings Hotel Group. It boasts three hundred bedrooms, of which ten are suites. The culinary team here is led by Damian Tumility, while Stephen Meldrum leads the hotel as general manager. Through hard work and determination, the team here helped the hotel to achieve its fifth star just over a year ago. I will both work and live here as part of the culinary team for the next three months for my international work placement – in integral part of the BA (hons) in Culinary Arts.

 

 The evening I arrived, after unpacking my bags, I took a stroll around the city which is just a two-minute walk away. I find the weather here to be far colder than that in the sunny south-east. While I was walking around, I stumbled upon Victoria Square, a high-end shopping district in Belfast. While the area itself is outdoor, it is covered by an all-weather roof which makes the location ideal for shopping all year round. The next day I had my induction at the Europa Hotel. This hotel is the sister hotel of the Grand Central Hotel, and it is the most bombed hotel in the world because of incidents during ‘The Troubles.’ After the induction I went with the Human Resources Manager; Rose Nagra back to the Grand Central, where I was introduced to chef Damian. He showed me around the hotel and invited me to dine in the hotel that night, as well as have a drink in the hotel’s observatory lounge. The views from the observatory were incredible.

I started work the next day on September 28^th, at 9am. I worked on pastry, where I will be primarily stationed for my first three weeks of placement. The afternoon tea menu, al a carte menu and other places for which we must make pastries were explained to me by Danielle, one of the junior sous chefs. Throughout the day I made many different things such as scones, meringue, and lemon tartlet filling and I was introduced to many of the chefs working in the hotel, as well as other staff such as the General Manager, Stephen Meldrum. I then went to help plate goats cheese salads for a function that night. After I finished that and cleaned down, I was free to go. I have so far really enjoyed my time here in Belfast.

                    All the best,

                   Ben Roche.

Leaving Vienne

 Leaving Vienne

So my internship is officially behind me! The last few weeks there were a brilliant kind of

hectic. There were plenty of regular services, a few more special lunches and dinners, nights

out with friends from the restaurant, “weekends” packed full of visits to my favourite spots in

Lyon, or wandering around Vienne. Highlights of the small town were definitely the park a

short walk from the restaurant, and visiting my favourite patisserie on my walk home. I was

so lucky to have learned so much in such a short space of time, with some really talented

chefs.

The standout dessert, the reason that ‘La Pyramide’ caught my attention, was the piano. With

its tempered chocolate piano shaped moulds, praline, coffee espuma, gold leaf covered

chocolate sorbet, coffee anglaise, and so much more, this dessert was more impressive than

its pictures suggested. During my time in the restaurant, I had the opportunity to work on

each element of the dish, in preparation, and plating. I developed a stronger appreciation for

the time, dedication, and patience it takes to produce a dessert of this standard.

I finished out my internship with an invitation for a complementary lunch at the restaurant.

While I’d tasted a couple of the dishes from other sections during my time there, it was

something else entirely to sit down for my 11 course meal (they were too good giving me a

second dessert). It was so surreal to sit at the table and have dishes that I had spent the past

few months working on come to my table, seeing the service from a different perspective.

Working in France is something I’m so glad I’ve done, and absolutely hope to do again in the

future.

Signing off for good, Erika.

La Pyramide 2

 La Pyramide 2

With a few weeks under my belt, I can gladly say that my French has much improved, and

my fear of sinking under the pressure has disappeared. The pastry team has gone from 5 to 8

in a very short amount of time. Two members of our team work in the bistro ‘PH3’, and those

of us on the team for the gastro restaurant welcomed a couple of other interns. I never

thought there would be this many people on the pastry section, but given that there is a lunch

and dinner service every day, it’s given us a break in terms of hours, making everything run

much more smoothly.

The menu changes regularly here, and a new dessert is usually introduced during one of the

special lunches or dinners with special guests. Never forgetting the impressive history of ‘La

Pyramide’, a dessert named ‘La Marjolaine’ has returned to the menu. Originally created by

the great, chef Fernand Point, during his time as head chef and owner of ‘La Pyramide’

during the 1950’s, it was extremely exciting to see its return, and the modern twist it was

given by the head pastry chefs here.

While I’ve spent a lot of my spare time in the city, I’ve had no issue finding entertainment in

Vienne. For such a small town, there is so much to see. The place is littered with bakeries,

chocolate shops, gorgeous parks, and plenty of landmarks to visit. To top this off, there was a

carnival-style festival for a week. Not a 10 minute walk from my apartment there were

amusements, games, and food trucks down by the river. The festival is completely fitting for

this town, seemingly understated, but offering so much when a closer look is taken.

Catch you guys in the farewell post! Erika.

La Pyramide

 La Pyramide

Hey guys, It’s Erika again here to fill you in on my semester two work placement. I loved life

in France so much I decided to come back. It was amazing to see how different life can be

just a 20 minute train journey south of Lyon. The small town of Vienne, where the restaurant

I’m working in is located, is extremely quiet and traditional, compared to the bustling

‘melting pot’ Lyon is known to be. The change of pace is much appreciated, but it is still nice

to know that there is such a short distance between me and all the places, and people, that

made me want to come back.

The restaurant itself is part of the hotel ‘La Pyramide’, named for its proximity to the statue

of a pyramid in Vienne. My internship coincided with the 200 year anniversary of the hotel’s

opening, with special meals, and guests, chefs, and otherwise, making appearances

throughout the year. I found out that this was a special year when I saw the camera crew

wandering through the kitchen on my first day. If I had any uncertainties that my experience

here would be memorable, this definitely gave it away.

Since the hotel, and restaurant, close for the month of February, it’s cool seeing the place re-

stocked, with everyone learning a new menu at the same time. Even though the chefs here

have held 2 Michelin stars for years, they couldn’t be more humble, with all of us tasting

each dish, and our opinions taken into account. Since the pastry kitchen is separated from the

main cuisine area, it’s hard to know if I was the only one that felt like a deer in headlights

initially.

Catch up with you guys soon, Erika.