A London chef has called on both the retail and foodservice sectors to build relationships with suppliers and “treat them with the same respect that they show you”.
Mark Read, executive chef at Malaysian and Thai fine dining restaurants Awana and Mangotree, warned that this is the only way to achieve consistency, especially on the restaurant scene.
He stressed that this is the main challenge in a commercial kitchen, “not just from suppliers, but from staff, from everybody - you only get something from your suppliers if you treat them with the same respect that they treat you”.
He added: “Supermarkets sell fruit and vegetables so cheap, but you always read about how well they are doing. No one questions how much supermarkets are paying for the product but, of course, everyone who sells is selling for a profit.”
Read gave four Malaysian cookery demonstrations over Taste of London, held in Regent’s Park last week.
The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) hosted the Taste of Malaysia pavillion at the event, as part of Malaysia Kitchen 2010, a year-long programme focused on celebrating the cuisine across the UK.
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