MAX Brent is a self-confessed foodie and now he wants others to follow his lead. He has teamed up with renowned Bexhill chef Malcolm Emmanueil, who runs the Sobremesa restaurant in Sackville Road, to launch a cookery school.
Mal specialises in bringing the taste of Latin America to our British palates and, like Max, is keen to spread the word by teaching others how to create simple, cost effective and, most importantly, a tasty array of dishes.
In recent years British households have increasingly turned to ready meals when they get home from work rather than spending time in the kitchen whipping up something for themselves and their families, This is an unhealthy trend that Max fervently believes has to be reversed.
“Cooking should be seen as fun, not a chore, he explained. “We both want to spread that message. Spend time in the kitchen rather than just slumping down in front of the television the moment you get through the door in the evening.”
Hence the launch of Food Social, with its ethos of meet, greet, eat.
The cookery school practical sessions will take place every Monday, Wednesday Thursday and Sunday and are suitable for all levels of ability and experience, whether you are a complete novice who wouldn’t recognise a wok even if you were hit over the head with one or consider yourself the next Jamie Oliver.
Remember, even the best chefs are continually adding to their skills and creating new recipes.
In terms of food classes, the focus initially will be on Mexican street food, tapas, Thai and Brazilian street food, but there are other aspects of the restaurant trade which will also be thoroughly explored with expert tips from Max and Malcolm.
“Our cookery school evenings will be held in a relaxed and convivial atmosphere,” added Max.
“The era of head chefs screaming at and verbally abusing their staff must be consigned to history.
“We want to support new chefs and restaurant staff coming in to the sector without them fearing it will be an intimidating atmosphere.
“In effect we want to create a hospitality hub and address the root cause of issues which may crop up.
“We are out to establish a support network and also act as a platform for restaurants in Bexhill.
“For anyone involved in the restaurant trade, support and mentoring is absolutely vital.
“We are determined to be a focal point when it comes to helping and advising local chefs, regardless of who they work for.
“The hospitality industry is tough, but working towards a common goal and meeting up regularly means you are not alone when dealing with challenging situations, whether it be finance, setting up a restaurant, creating menus or just needing any other expert help. Basically it will be very wide ranging because we have so much knowledge we want to pass on.”
During the course of our conversation, Mal whipped up a cornucopia of delights for sampling and it tasted as good as it looked as we tucked in to a veritable feast.
But then it was back to business as Max outlined the dynamic duo’s objectives with the cookery school up and running from February.
When asked about their short and long-term objectives, Max said. “The core of Food Social is going to be our hugely informative cookery classes which are all built on the ethos of Sobremesa
“It is all about having conversations around food and enjoying that feeling you have after you have eaten and you connect with a person.
“That being said, we wil alsol be working with local communities, doing free sessions and demonstrations to raise understanding in the local area, while also working with the Ukrainian hub plus school and colleges to help put something back into the community .
“The plan is to create a network of like-minded individuals within hospitality to attract the best talent, cement Bexhill as a destination to go out and eat and create a forum for hospitality professionals to ask questions to hep overcome challenges and create opportunities.
“Some of the other key services we will be offering will be things such as micro accountancy, menu/concept design, social media and so forth.
“In addition we can offer marketing support for restaurants as well as valuable advice on food hygiene.”
Regular classes will be up and running from February onwards.
You can find out more by visiting www.foodsocials.co.uk or alternatively emailing info@foodsocials.co.uk.
