Gather & Gather Ireland collaborated with Chef Ramael Scully of Scully Restaurant in London, to inspire the next generation of Gather & Gather chefs.
Scully shared his skills and expertise with a team of Gather & Gather chefs in an exclusive masterclass on building salads and working with seasonal vegetables which was designed to inspire and challenge the chefs as they continue to push the boundaries and shape the future of workplace catering in Ireland. He also hosted a special culinary evening with friends, clients and media at Bread 41, Dublin on Tuesday, November 5th.
In true ‘Scully style’, the salads were a highlight of the evening and included lots of local produce teamed with robust flavours such as Roast Heritage Carrots, Rose Harissa and Hazelnuts; Autumn Greenes with Sour Cream, Pickled Garlic and Burnt Scallion; Hippy Slaw with Oyster Mushrooms and Yeast Dressing; Roast Aubergine, Sorrel Yoghurt and Pickled Radish; Butternut Squash, Blue Cheese, Apple and Walnut; and Freekeh Pilaf Salad served with artisan bread from Bread 41.
Salads were followed by mains of Crispy Pork Belly with XO Sauce and Buttermilk Cod with Dahi. Desserts saw a selection of Autumn Berry and Rose Mess with Pomegranate; Coffee and Pecan Fancies; and Chocolate Ganache, Spiced Hazelnuts, Orange and Cardamom Creme Fraîche. The feast was enjoyed alongside wine pairings from Whelehans Wines.
Mark Anderson, Culinary Director at Gather & Gather Ireland, said, “Scully is one of my favourite chefs and I am delighted to have him here in Dublin with us. He has inspired so many of our wonderful food team so having him cook lunch with us and share his skills with our team during the masterclass has been just fantastic. And hats off to the chefs who have produced some really top quality food. I can’t wait to see how our chefs bring what they have learnt here into their cooking across all of our client sites”.
This event is part of Gather & Gather’s initiative, The Gathered Table. The initiative aims to bring the best and brightest culinary minds together to share new trends in food and drink, challenge and inspire the Gather & Gather chefs and help to shape the future of workplace dining.
Scully said, “I’m privileged to be here in Dublin. It has been exhausting, fun and non-stop, plus it’s always nice to meet the new generation of very talented Irish chefs. What I’m doing here is passing on the knowledge that I’ve been taught. When you have great conversations with people it always leads to new ideas and knowledge, and it’s good for me to learn from different cultures too. I think food in Ireland is really getting its own identity right now and it’s great to see the new generation of chefs bringing in new elements and to see Gather & Gather doing great food in the catering business. I practice the same ethos as Gather & Gather and what we’re doing is the future of food for our kids and their kids. It’s very important to start pushing that ethos.”
Pauline Cox, Managing Director of Gather & Gather in Ireland, said, “Every day we get the opportunity to feed thousands of people in Dublin. That’s a big opportunity to influence them in the right way, focusing on fresh locally-sourced produce, cooking authentic dishes from scratch underpinned by a sound approach to health and wellbeing. To do that really well we have to employ the best chefs in the business. Events like this give our chefs the opportunity to learn new skills and engage in great conversations about the future of food. That’s hugely important for us, it keeps a high level of engagement that drives creativity in our offering and keeps us at the forefront of what’s happening in food, locally and globally”.
Each collaborator of The Gathered Table brings their own individual offering and Scully didn’t disappoint bringing his passionate, creative and trans-global approach to food and cooking, reflective of his Chinese, Indian, Balinese and Irish descent along with his mother’s influence, this has encouraged a breadth of knowledge in combining ingredients and a blending global flavours.
For more information on Gather & Gather visit www.gatherandgather.com or follow them on social @gatheredireland.
