Toque d’Or 2021 cookbook released

Nestlé Professional has released Taste the Future, a collection of food and drink recipes and inspiration from the UK’s up and coming students and apprentices.

Featuring locally sourced and seasonally inspired dishes and drinks, the recipe book has been compiled using recipes from front of house and back of house finalists from this year’s Toque d’Or competition.

The competition focused on the theme ‘sustainable futures’ and covered elements including nutrition, health, food waste and seasonality. In a series of challenges, competitors were tasked to develop recipes that met these criteria, using seasonal and locally sourced produce where possible.

Past winner turned food writer, Julie Jones, was on the judging panel and provided tips on developing an authentic voice through biographies and recipes. Finalists also learned how to stage and capture enticing food shots while boosting their Instagram and Facebook presence with help from creative media specialists, Shuttersmith.

The downloadable book includes recipes such as
mackerel and rhubarb, inspired by fishing trips to Dover pier, by London-based back of house winner Sarah Morton; Botanical Brasile, a coffee-based mocktail with Scottish alcohol-free spirit Feragaia, by front of house student winner Sophie Taylor from Edinburgh; and Pink 6, a Jasmine green tea refresher made with Sheffield honey and raspberries, inspired by Sheffield’s snooker championships by Jessica Nicholson, front of house student finalist.

Katya Simmons, managing director of Nestlé Professional, said: “As ever, we’ve been blown away by the standard of the dishes and skills of the contestants.

“Social media has transformed the landscape for foodservice professionals. Now it’s easier than ever to broadcast your recipes to a global audience, but there’s only one chance to make a first impression. That’s why skills like photography, and writing recipes and biographies are now vital.

“We’re delighted to have this book as a lasting reminder of the 2021 finalists and their involvement in the competition. As our entrants keep telling us, the real reward for entering Toque d’Or are the skills you develop and the people you meet.”

To download the recipe book, or register your interest in Toque d’Or 2022 click here