How we develop our people
At The Woodspeen
Some of our training happens right here, in our own cookery school, led by our own master chefs.
BREAD
Bread is one of Peter’s passions. Done properly, it’s pure alchemy. He believes all chefs should be able to make a crisp, flavourful and well-fermented sourdough before they leave his kitchen. The art of fermentation plays a big role in many recipes, so having a good basic grounding puts the cook and team in a strong position to develop other dishes.
CHOCOLATE
Chocolate is another dark art. Our pastry team were fortunate enough to spend time with Barry Johnson, Europe’s best chocolatier, to navigate the complexities of working with chocolate.
FRONT OF HOUSE
Our front of house team develop their skills under the management of Alex Fasoli, who in 2017 was awarded a Master of Culinary Arts (MCA), the UK’s highest culinary and hospitality honour. Both he and General Manager Andre Marchand, are keen to share their knowledge and skills with our team with a great emphasins on mentoring and developing carrers.
On Location
Whenever possible, our teams go on trips to our suppliers, where they learn about the production process firsthand.
COGNAC
Some of our restaurant and bar team visited the Hennessy distillery in Cognac, where they had the chance to learn about the process and history of making cognac and sample the eau de vie and cognacs themselves.
COFFEE
Last year, some of our team flew to Milan to visit our coffee supplier Musetti. Over two days, they learned the secrets to making the perfect espresso, cappuccino, latte, macchiato and more – the perfect end note to a good meal.
GIN
Our bar team visited Bombay Sapphire’s gin distillery at Laverstoke Mill, Whitchurch, where they discovered not only the complexity of creating a gin, but the importance of choosing the right tonic and garnish to compliment it. Today, we offer more than 40 gins from all over the world, each paired with the perfect tonic and garnish.
CHAMPAGNE
Our champagne supplier, Metzendorff, invited some of our team to visit their maison near Reims. On day one, they took a private tour of the wine cellars, followed by a tasting session with a master. On day two, they visited the house of Bollinger, where they toured the vineyard and cellars, learning about everything from barrel scratching to wine racking.
MEAT
Our bar team visited Bombay Sapphire’s gin distillery at Laverstoke Mill, Whitchurch, where they discovered not only the complexity of creating a gin, but the importance of choosing the right tonic and garnish to compliment it. Today, we offer more than 40 gins from all over the world, each paired with the perfect tonic and garnish.
FISH
Our two-day fish training courses take place at our fish suppliers Flying Fish, in Cornwall. Our chefs are up early to start the day at the fish market, to help them understand the cost of fish. Then, they go on a couple of visits to local shellfish farms, depending on the weather or the season. Finally, it’s back to the depot to see how the fish is stored, prepped and packed for delivery. We follow this up throughout the year with classes in our own cookery school, including how to prepare flat, round fish and shellfish, and the five things to look for when choosing quality fish.