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    All About Colombia & Granja Luker...

    June 14, 2017

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    Chris Burt & Claire Bosi

    Casa Luker – A Chefs perspective 

    By Chris Burt

     

     

    I pull the Tumaco 65% parfait out of the mould, cut the Dorado brownie and make the Santander 85% hot chocolate.  Blow torch an Auraca tart, then we ready to assemble.  Just sprinkle with the nibs, couple of nasturtiums from the garden.

     

    That completes my tasting plate of Luker Chocolate.

     

    Smart chefs are beginning to learn about Casa Luker.  Their single estate 100% origin chocolate is grown and prepared in Colombia.  Their ethos and support toward local farmers is exemplary.  Their products are a genuine competitor that can stand tall and proud against the more famous couverture producers.

     

    Why was I tempted to use Luker as opposed to the “others”?  That, I have to credit to Vicky Endersen, former pastry chef and the girl now catapulting MSK Ingredients from their depot and training facility in Chesterfield to an international must-have supplier for chefs across the world.  MSK are the sole UK distributors of Casa Luker, and I was invited along for a chocolate tasting day.

     

    Getting to grips with a new ingredient can sometimes be a challenge for a chef.  Especially when you have your old favourites, and don’t feel the need to change.  From the first taste of Lukers ‘Fino de Aroma” chocolate, I knew that my preconceptions had been challenged.  This was a chocolate that stood out amongst its competitors like the Monserrate Church stands out over Bogota.  Proud and pure, steeped in history, made with love and dedication.

     

    Vicky Endersen, or ‘Lady Luker’ as she is affectionately known suggested a trip to Colombia to visit Casa Luker, to meet their producers and farmers and follow the journey from bean to bar.

     

    Skip forward a few months, and I find myself in misty, temperate, downtown Bogota.  Sampling some traditional arepas or corn pancakes with egg and avocado, we await our connecting flight to the heart of the chocolate country – Granja Luker.  Here lies the research and development hub of Casa Luker.

     

    Ordering ingredients can sometimes be a very impersonal thing.  Engaging with produce is becoming more and more important to us chefs.  Understanding the processes, the origins and the people is key to understanding the ingredient.  And when we understand an ingredient fully, new inspirations arise.

     

    A tour of the farm at Granja Luker is a sight to behold. Cacao trees carpet the floor, heavy with ripe pods, ready to be harvested. 

     

    Years of scientific research, fabulous philosophies and great techniques all form part of the Luker heritage.  The company looks after its people, whether they are farmers, or distribution.  They believe in the well-being of all.  Luker grows all its own Cacao trees.  These are then given to the farmers.  Consistency for Luker, ease for the farmer.  It’s a win-win situation.  In an industry and an environment where we all too often hear how the corporates make their money and neglect their people, I know I can serve this chocolate 

     

     

     

     

     

    with a clear conscience that it is fair for all. Our entourage of chocolatiers, chefs, distributors and bloggers are all in agreement.

     

    As is said, ‘the proof is very much in the pudding’. So, what does Luker have that the others don’t?  I urge you, as a chef, to get a sample and see for yourself – you will not be disappointed.  For me, the complexity and depth of the flavours. The texture & mouthfeel. The dazzling array of earthy tones, backed up with tobacco & coffee notes.

     

    This isn’t just the best chocolate I’ve ever used & tasted.  It is also the most ethical.  These days, providing support for the people who come under your ward is not just a breath of fresh air it’s a necessity.

     

    Go Casa Luker. 

     

     

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    Kirstie Lewis - Managing Director

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    What can we say, she is the boss & defo rules the roost at River Town, with a very keen eye on attention to detail, Kirstie dots the eyes & crosses the t's.

    'Running Operations is what i Love to do', she's says with a smile.

    With over 10 years FOH & Event Management skills under her belt Kirstie is a force to be reckoned with.

    Kirstie enjoys, global food, fitness, fast cars & bikes & loves her cat Claus.

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    https://www.facebook.com/kirstie.lewis.9

    Liam Tinsley - Head Chef & Culinary Thief

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    Head chef Liam J Tinsley is from a family of chefs so the outcome of his career was clear. With a love of food drink music and art it was obvious he had to become a chef. 12 years later after putting in the hours in some of Shropshire’s top restaurants including the peach tree, lion and pheasant and drapers Hall. Liam is now head chef of not only rivertown but the Mytton and Mermaid hotel also. He first paid job in a professional kitchen was with “Shropshire’s favourite chef” Chris burt at The Peach Tree restaurant. This was where he also met Stu Carrington and where the chef bug started after walking into the kitchen and blink 182 was booming out the speakers. He knew this was the right job for him. He has worked with Chris on and off since and now they have both joined back together at the mytton and mermaid. During his time as a chef Liam has had the pleasure of teaching at schools and at the Walsall college as well as the local shrewsbury college. He said “ teaching someone a skill like cooking is a life saving skill. Chuck some passion in there and you are on to a good path”

    Stuart Carrington - Sous Chef

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    Stuart started in the industry aged 15 in a pub kitchen and immediately loved it. He loved the buzz and camaraderie that a kitchen creates especially during a busy service. A love of fine food and drink was a theme that had always permeated the Carrington family anyway. He attended Plymouth university for his qualifications in Hotel and Catering Management. Once this was completed he entered the world of pub management, but after 12 months of this he just missed the kitchen too much and returned to it as a sous chef of a small restaurant in London. He spent 12 months there before returning to Shropshire (being a country boy at heart) where he was appointed head chef of a new restaurant in Shrewsbury.  It was whilst back in Shropshire that he met Chris and went to work for him at the Peach tree where he gained his love of asian food. He worked at the Peach tree for 7 years before moving to Shropshire's iconic Mytton and Mermaid hotel. That was in 2010 and he was reunited with Chris and Liam in 2017 when Chris was appointed executive chef. With 3 such passionate chefs in 1 kitchen exciting things were bound to happen, and they did both for the Mytton and for us - Rivertown was born!