At the Craft Guild we have had many great moments during this past year and already we have some great ideas to move into 2012. Having said that we always welcome more ideas and if you have any, please contact our head office.

With regards to our head office, after nine years our national secretary Suzanne Barshall has left our employment to take up a new post in her chosen field; we thank her for all her efforts and wish her well for her future.

We had another very successful Graduate Awards event this year, and next year marks the 10th Anniversary of these examinations. This is where we are finding the talent of the future and I urge you to look around your kitchens and nominate someone from your brigade for the event next year. Entry forms will be available in the very near future.

National Chef of the Year, now an annual event, built upon all the groundwork from previous years, and if you were lucky enough to see the final you will have seen Freddie Forster of Nuovo restaurant take this crown at the fourth attempt. When he jumped from the stage and landed on his knees, head in his hands, you just knew what this title really meant to him.

At our awards back in June we celebrated some marvellous chefs in 16 categories, who are right at the top of their profession, showing just what is great about our industry. Already plans are well underway with Wembley the venue for June 2012, the theme being ‘Going for Gold’, and for the 20th anniversary awards in 2013 we have already secured The Grosvenor House, so planning ahead is one of our key aims.

Along with our head office, we have as you may know many regional representatives around the country who are there to help anyone who would like local assistance. We really need to know what YOU want, not just at national level but within your local areas, and I ask that you contact your regional representative – their contact details are on page 5 in Stockpot – and introduce yourself to them and find out what is happening. You never know you may find that they are very near to you.

Please take time to visit our website, where we update events, competitions, etc, that we are lining up, and give us your views on your Guild.

The AGM for next year will be held at The Royal Garden Hotel on Sunday, April 15. Please check your diaries and put this important date down as a must attend event where we will be presenting the Honours and Awards for 2011 at the lunch.

All it remains is for me to wish you all, along with your families and businesses a very happy, peaceful Christmas, and a very healthy and prosperous 2012.

Andrew Green
National Chairman
Craft Guild of Chefs