Jamie's Kitchen highlights opportunities for chefs
Last week's TV programme Jamie's Kitchen was the end of the course for the first 15 young hopefuls and the beginning of the selection process for the next 15.
Those who graduated have been offered jobs in some of the most exciting places in the world. I was sad that they haven't been snapped up by UK establishments, but hopefully they will go overseas, learn and bring their skills back home.
The programme has shown that catering has few barriers to entry.
A positive attitude and a willingness to apply yourself and most youngsters can have a useful trade that can take them around the world, into their own business or enable them to stay in their own backyard. Catering is a world of choices, not the last choice.
BOB WALTON
Vice-chairman, Restaurant Association, Trunkwell Mansion House, Berkshire
Why are kids excluded from 'real' restaurants?
In response to DM Dubber's claim that British parents have lost control of their children (Caterer, 18 September, page 22), the answer is not all of them have, but we're not really encouraged to dine out in restaurants in Great Britain unless they specialise in frozen chips with everything.
I was sorry to hear that four small children misbehaved one afternoon at Mr Dubber's restaurant. But, knowing of our experiences trying to dine out with our daughter, I can't help wondering if part of the problem is because children are excluded so much from "real" restaurants. They don't know what's expected of them when invited to one.
Our daughter behaves well, appreciates fine food and service but only because restaurants in France welcome her with open arms. She sees how French children behave and has learnt from them. In fact, for the millennium we chose to go to France, as our country treated us as weird for wanting our daughter (then aged nine) to be with us for the celebrations.
As with parents and children there are exceptions to the rule - the Ivy was fantastic at my husband's 40th, and when I asked if our 11-year-old could attend, the reply was "certainly madam, of course she can."
F LEONARD
Chester
Probes a waste of money if restaurants can't pay
Bob Cotton is absolutely right when he says the Inland Revenue must "have regard to practicality in their demands" ("Inland Revenue serves restaurants with huge national insurance bills," Caterer, 25 September, page 12).
The Inland Revenue goes out of its way to make it clear that its intention is not to put a restaurant out of business (this may come as a surprise to some victims of the investigations) but I've found several cases where restaurants which are already struggling to make ends meet are given a demand for unpaid National Insurance even when there is absolutely no prospect of the restaurant paying.
Sometimes, a lot of effort goes into an investigation which, on a practical level, is useless because the restaurant can't afford to pay anything.
It's high time the Inland Revenue looked at the affordability issue at an early stage in an investigation, rather than waste everybody's money pursuing a liability which will never be paid.
Incidentally, the article was incorrect in saying that "no restaurants have yet challenged a demand from the Inland Revenue". We challenge demands on a regular basis and find that, when challenged, the local inspectors retreat quickly. We have negotiated settlements at levels far less than the demands originally made. It's certainly not all one-way traffic.
Steve Wright
Wheawill & Sudworth, Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditors, London
Plenty of worthy eateries to be found in Milan
Contrary to Simon Wright's findings on eating in Milan (Caterer, 18 September, page 24), I can vouch for the existence of many worthy eating places in the city.
Perhaps Simon relied mostly on Michelin's recommendations which, especially in Italy, don't give the full story on what really is on offer (he does note that appearances take precedence over substance in the restaurants he visited).
I recall lovely and technically truly Italian meals recently enjoyed at Bice, La Bagutta and Alla Collina Pistoiese to name just a few. They're all eager to provide the best ingredients and excellent service.
With a little help - London is full of Milanesi - Simon could have found culinary delights and saved an awful lot of money.
E Nuonno di Agnone
Conference and hospitality manager, Kingston University, London
Quality scheme was a flawed product
All supporters of Scottish food will be saddened by the news that Taste of Scotland has gone into liquidation, not least myself, having both family and marriage connections with the organisation going back to the 1980s, and a personal involvement for eight years, five as chief inspector.
Taste of Scotland first appeared in the 1970s, and all members and guardians who were at some time involved with the scheme can be justly proud of the guide's sustained progress, year on year, culminating in the highly successful 2000-2002 editions. Shirley Spear's kind remarks about my own involvement (Caterer, 2 October, page 20) are appreciated and I readily share them with my dedicated team of inspectors.
But Shirley unfairly pours scorn on the trade for not supporting VisitScotland's Food Quality Assurance scheme. Lack of support was a consequence and not a cause of Taste of Scotland's downfall, responsibility for which rests solely with those who entered into a flawed contract to sell a flawed product. Why should food providers carry the can?
Shirley wonders why I was "asked to leave before the new scheme was launched". Expressed that way it might suggest I left under a cloud. Clouds were indeed gathering, and had been for some time, but not over me. In the end, we parted company "by mutual consent" in September 2001, when my yearly contract expired.
I have still to meet a member who received the agreed joint statement which Taste of Scotland undertook to circulate.
WENDY BARRIE
Director, scottishfoodguide.com, Edinburgh
I'm surprised at all the furore following Andrew Fairlie's comments about Scottish food.
It's a bandwagon which has been running for years, and what Shirley Spear (Caterer, 2 October, page 20) must recognise is that, as with Gary Rhodes before him and many others, it's all a publicity stunt. Business or profile poor? Then shoot some respected target - eg, Gary at Delia - and wait for the publicity.
CHRISTOPHER TROTTER
Chef, Myres Castle, Auchtermuchty, Fife