Michelin-starred chef and restaurateur Jason Atherton has announced exclusively to The Caterer that he has embarked on his first-ever food brand ambassador role with speciality egg producer, Heritage Breeds commencing from January 2018.
Atherton, who has Michelin stars at both Pollen Street Social and City Social, will use the speciality eggs on his menus in his London restaurants and create exclusive recipes and content for Heritage Breeds.
Launching the partnership at Pollen Street Social last Thursday, Atherton told of his recent visit to one of Heritage Breed's farms.
"Howard, the owner, is like the chicken whisperer. His farm is amazing, and he taught me how to walk through the barn so that we didn't stress the hens. He has such a rapport with the animals and they trust him, he's devoted his life to caring for them."
"I believe in the eggs available through Heritage Breeds," he added. "This is the first food product I've been associated with, and it's been a lengthy process, visiting the farms, meeting the farmers, trialling the different varieties in the kitchen. And we've created some fantastic dishes with them already."
Atherton said the Copper Maran eggs were best for poaching and the Gladys May's duck eggs for soufflés.
"I travel the world and I've cooked in more countries than I can count, but apart from Japan I believe Britain has some of the best produce in the world. We used to be so ashamed of our food, I wonder how we ever got ourselves into that mess? The food in the UK; the cheese, the milk, the eggs, the fish, the meat, everything we have here is incredible. Our young chefs have access to this now and are working with the farmers and the producers, it's as much about produce as it is about restaurants now," he added.
The Heritage Breed range features hen, duck and quail eggs from genuine special breeds at handpicked British farms and boast rich yolks, exceptional quality egg whites and a stunning palate of delicate shells; from deep brown and pastel blue to porcelain white.
Stuart Agnew, category and marketing director, for Heritage Breeds added: "We are really looking forward to our partnership with Jason and are excited to have him on board. Heritage Breeds eggs taste, look and cook impeccably, and to have a globally renowned chef creating rich culinary content for the brand and endorsing it within his award-winning restaurants is a testament to the quality of the range."
Atherton concluded: "For me, the quality and provenance of my ingredients has always been incredibly important. With Heritage Breeds taking pride in the welfare of their small British flocks, and the incredible quality of the eggs they produce, the partnership was a natural fit. I am looking forward to creating dishes and content which showcase the depth of the range to inspire food lovers across the country to cook and enjoy more delicious speciality eggs."
Dishes created on the launch day by Atherton and his team at Pollen Street Social included:
Heritage Breeds (part of Noble Foods) eggs are British Lion approved and are available in the foodservice sector through Haines Farm eggs, Food Speed and Chapel Farms at trade prices.
Runny eggs now safe to eat for risk groups
Jason Atherton awarded Michelin star in New York
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