René Chapman

Wales UK
02
Feb
Kraft paper food pouch labelled no sugar, no additives, one hundred per cent natural.

Hidden Sugars and Additives in Catering Menus: How to Spot Them

How to spot the hidden sugars and additives that manufacturers slip into catering ingredients, what they do to a dish, and what to buy instead.
7 min read
02
Feb
Spread of prepared food with overlay text reading unnecessary ingredients, ingredients that are not needed to make the food taste good.

Unnecessary Ingredients In Our Food, can you spot them ?

The unnecessary extras hiding in everyday catering products, how to read a label properly, and why it matters when you cook for other people.
6 min read
21
Jan
A baked lasagne, a bowl of saffron risotto and a bowl of spaghetti carbonara together on a wooden table.

Authentic Regional Italian Food Recipes: 3 Traditional Dishes

Three traditional regional Italian dishes scaled for 50, starting with a proper lasagne alla Bolognese. Simple food, done the way it should be.
5 min read
21
Jan
Pans working on flat induction hobs in a daylit stainless kitchen, waste bins lined up along the wall behind.

How Commercial Kitchens Can Cut Costs While Going Green in 20226

Sustainable sourcing has stopped being a niche concern. The quick wins that cut costs immediately, and the bigger changes worth planning for.
6 min read
13
Jan
Steak and ale pie with a golden crust in a pie dish, steam rising, on a dark wooden table.

Celebrate National Pie Day 2026, Classic British Steak & Ale Pie

A classic steak and ale pie for 50 portions, ready for National Pie Day on 23 January. Full ingredients and a step by step method.
4 min read
13
Jan
A chef plating a dish at the pass under copper heat lamps while two others work the range behind.

From Startup to Scaling Your Catering Business

Seven principles for building a commercial kitchen that grows with the business, rather than one you outgrow in eighteen months.
7 min read
09
Jan
A lit candle on a laid restaurant table with glasses, an oil bottle and a pepper grinder at dusk.

Valentine's Day Menus Ideas For 2026 To Help Maximise Profits

Valentine's Day still catches kitchens out. Three menus built to hold margin on the busiest covers of the year, from someone who has cooked plenty of them.
5 min read
06
Jan
Dark sign showing a crossed knife and fork above the letters AI.

The Benefits of Using AI in the Catering Industry in 2026

Where AI earns its place in a catering business, from automating the admin to cutting energy use, judged against 35+ years in hospitality.
4 min read
01
Jan
A plated white fish dish with green herbs and a yellow sauce on a wooden pass, more plates waiting behind.

Trends in the Catering Industry for 2026 in the UK

Hyper-local sourcing, waste reduction and functional food. The 2026 trends worth acting on, and the ones that will not survive a real kitchen.
5 min read
29
Dec
Piper in full highland dress playing the bagpipes beside a chef in whites carrying a haggis on a platter.

Make Profits from Burns Night, Valentine's Day, and Mother's Day

Burns Night, Valentine's Day and Mother's Day in one run. The dates, the menu thinking and the prep that protects margin on the night.
5 min read