New is the buzz word for ScotHot 2003, so if you want to keep up with the latest trends, Glasgow is the place to be from 17 to 20 March. There will be enough new products and competitions to make the show - at the Scottish Exhibition & Conference Centre (SECC) - unmissable.
Competitions
The line-up of classes in the 24th International Salon Culinaire d'Ecosse now includes chefs from all sectors. "This year, the salon is spread across the different elements of the hospitality industry," says Salon Culinaire director Tony Jackson. "We wanted to include competitions for people who felt their sector wasn't covered."
Junior chefs will be in the spotlight when the inaugural Junior World Culinary Grand Prix takes centre stage in the Restaurant of Nations. Hosted by the Federation of Chefs Scotland, the competition is a sister event to the World Culinary Grand Prix which takes place every four years. International teams each made up of four chefs aged under 24, led by a chef mentor, will compete in both hot and cold kitchen events.
Eight teams, from Scotland, Ireland, Wales, the USA, the Czech Republic, Malta, Iceland and Luxembourg, have signed up for the competition. The hot event involves preparing a three-course meal for 55 covers in the Restaurant of Nations. The cold event requires a three-course lunch menu, hot presented cold, for one; two restaurant platters, hot presented cold, for two; and three plated desserts. The judges will be chefs from the World Association of Cooks Societies (WACS).
Also new for this year's salon are two events aimed at chefs working in specific divisions of the cost sector - correctional services and university catering. Ten teams of two will compete in the Prison Services Foodservice Challenge, put to the four regional bodies responsible for prison catering - England and Wales; Scotland; Northern Ireland; and Southern Ireland. The challenge involves preparing a three-course meal for four covers suitable for restaurant service within a food cost of £1.60 per person.
The brief for the TUCO (University Caterers' Organisation) Scotland & Northern Ireland University Chefs Competition specifies the main ingredients to be used by the 10 chefs who will compete as individuals, preparing a two-course meal for three covers. Cod is to form the basis of the starter, with beef fillet for the main course.
One of the highlights of the show will be the Brakes Scottish Chef of the Year competition. Eight chefs have made it through the regional heats to the final. They will have three-and-a-half hours to prepare a four-course menu for four covers, and will be battling for the prestigious title, gold medal, trophy and £2,500 prize money.
The heat will be on trainee chefs when 10 teams each of three students from catering colleges throughout the UK take to the stoves for the Brakes Student Chef Team Challenge. Three regional heats held in London, Buxton in Derbyshire and Edinburgh have produced one team each from South Lanarkshire College, Glenrothes College, Ayr College, Liverpool Community College, High Peak College in Derbyshire, and Radbrook College in Shropshire, plus two each from Westminster Kingsway College in London and Plymouth College of Further Education. They will prepare a three-course meal for four covers in one hour and 45 minutes. The prize is a four-day study tour at a location yet to be disclosed.
Food and equipment
Besides soaking up the excitement of the live theatre, visitors to ScotHot will have plenty of opportunity to catch up with the latest launches in food, drink, catering equipment, entertainment systems, IT, workwear, tableware, furniture and interior fittings from about 400 exhibitors.
Setting the style for bars and restaurants is Andy Thornton (stand 4565), who will be showing items from his company's new range of leather-upholstered furniture, including sofas, lounge chairs, dining chairs and stools. Representatives from the company's design and contracting division will be on hand to offer advice on interior refits.
Celebrating the opening of its Scottish office, Call-Systems Technology (stand 4345) will exhibit several new products at ScotHot. ServiceCall is a wireless system originally developed for hotel lounges and large restaurants where it may be difficult to attract a waiter's attention. It allows customers to summon staff discreetly via a pager while telling them the customer's location. It can be used in any situation where customers need to call for service, and comes in various formats including TableCall and ConferenceCall.
Details of the Eco Pure patented system for purifying in-house water supplies and refilling and sterilising empty water cooler bottles will be on the Classic Crystal stand (4919). The company says that, for a monthly rental charge, the system offers a limitless supply of water for staff or customers without the need for storage, order processing, stock control or deliveries.
A promotional price will apply to Decotel's (stand 3716) hygiene bag system, which dispenses sanitary waste bags from a compact white or chrome holder. Refill packs of 35 bags are pushed into the unit from the bottom without the need to remove a cover.
Displaying its latest developments in refrigeration technology will be Foster Refrigerator (stand 4751), with new undercounter models, the Gastro Pro range and the 410 budget range. The new undercounter fridges and freezers are available with either one or two doors, in a white laminate or stainless steel finish.
More fridges and freezers for tight spaces are on the Gram stand (4437), where the company's Compact range makes its Scottish debut. Models with capacities of up to 400 litres come with a choice of solid or glass doors, stainless steel or white finishes, and features such as electronic control, digital temperature display and reversible doors.
A range of new colours in table linen and a new short-sleeved chef's jacket will be displayed by Johnsons Stalbridge Linen Services (stand 4922), which in January 2000 opened its Glasgow depot, providing linen hire and laundry services.
From across the Irish Sea comes Magners Irish Cider (stand 3504), a medium-dry cider of 4.5% abv. Served over ice, the cider is designed to appeal to young, affluent customers seeking an alternative to beers and lagers.
Cooking demonstrations using Major International's Mari-Base range of marinades will take place on the company's stand (4837) with an opportunity for visitors to taste the dishes and take away recipe leaflets and samples. Chefs will be cooking with five varieties - steakhouse, containing crushed black pepper and aromatic spices; barbecue, oak and hickory-smoked flavour; fajita, a blend of peppers and Mexican spices; Bombay, a blend of Indian herbs and spices with coconut; and tropical, featuring pineapple, passion fruit and ginger.
Blenders, mixers, juicers and ice crushers are to be found in action on the New Classics stand (4651), including the new Stik Blender and Pro-Prep Chopper Grinder by Waring.
Designed as a solution for operations wanting to site a large-scale commercial oven in a theatre-cooking environment without having to install an extraction system, Rational's (4223) AeroCat system will show how it removes cooking odours and smoke directly from the company's CPC combi-steamer.
"Have you had a Stiffy tonight?" is the question from new drinks company Stiffy's Shots (stand 3422), which will be launching three flavoured shooters - Kola Kubez, Strawberriz'n'Cream, and Black Lik (blackcurrant and liquorice). The products are targeted at the 18-30s consumer and come with supporting promotional material.
Iced tea will be on tap courtesy of Twinings (stand 4944), whose jet-packers will be roaming the exhibition hall serving the drinks from jet-pack tanks. Varieties available for sampling on the stand include a new lemon flavour as well as the 2.5g Twinings Traditional Blend teabag, designed for the larger cup or mug.
A full spectrum of refrigeration equipment will be shown by Williams on the Aga Foodservice stand (4636). Williams Easy Blast 1-2-3 is a new blast-chiller control panel aimed at simplifying operation and providing more diagnostic information, for easier servicing and maintenance. Also new is a stainless steel top-loading bottle well, designed for quick service and restocking. A selection of refrigerated cabinets and counters, a modular coldroom with the company's Pod system for mounting the cooler above the coldroom ceiling, and a Thermowell wall-mounted well system will also be on display.
Competition timetable
Monday 17 March
09.30-10.15 Meat dish - whisky (heats 1 and 2)
10.00-10.30 Vegetable preparation
10.30-11.15 Meat dish - whisky (heat 3)
12.00-15.00 TUCO Scotland & Northern Ireland University Chefs Competition
15.15-17.15 Prison Services Chefs Challenge
07.30-14.30 Restaurant of Nations - Ireland, Iceland
Tuesday 18 March
08.30-11.30 Brakes Scottish Chef of the Year final
12.00-12.30 Pasta dish (heat 1)
12.45-13.15 Pasta dish (heat 2)
13.30-14.15 National dish (heat 1)
14.30-15.15 National dish (heat 2)
15.30-16.10 Original poultry dish
07.30-14.30 Restaurant of Nations - Wales, Malta
Wednesday 19 March
08.30-09.00 Shellfish dish (heat 1)
09.15-09.45 Shellfish dish (heat 2)
10.00-10.30 Napkin folding
10.00-10.40 Poultry/feathered game (heat 1)
11.00-11.40 Poultry/feathered game (heat 2)
12.30-13.45 Brakes Student Chef Team Challenge
14.30-15.30 Modern restaurant dessert
07.30-14.30 Restaurant of Nations - Scotland, Luxembourg
Thursday 20 March
08.30-09.00 Shellfish dish (heat 1)
09.15-09.45 Shellfish dish (heat 2)
10.00-10.45 Original fish dish (heat 1)
11.00-11.45 Original fish dish (heat 2)
12.15-12.45 Pasta dish (heat 1)
13.00-13.30 Pasta dish (heat 2)
12.00-14.30 Restaurant of Nations - USA, Czech Republic
ScotHot 2003
Dates: 17-20 March 2003
Venue: SECC, Glasgow
Opening times: Monday-Wednesday, 10.00-17.30; Thursday, 10.00-16.00
Ticket registration: Free in advance or £10 on the door
Ticket hotline: 01923 690661
Website: www.scot-hot.co.uk
Tickets for the Restaurant of Nations cost £15 and can be booked in advance from Caroline Lawrie on 0131-556 5152.