Festive Flavours have come to Eatwise cafes on campus
Ever wondered how our festive menu comes together? We caught up James Brougham, Development Chef, who is part of the team behind the scenes who started cooking up Christmas flavours in the middle of summer!
When did you start working on the recipes for the Festive products?
We started working on the first products in July this year, it always feels far too early! It was peak summer and I was in the kitchen braising red cabbage, the whole place smelt like Christmas on a hot, sunny day.
What are your favourite dishes on the menu over the Festive period and why?
For me it has to be the roast potatoes and gravy which will be available in the Eatwise Van on Market Days, it’s something that makes pretty much everyone happy. Val, the Product Development Manager, loves our homemade stollen, new this year, it’s full of comforting festive flavours such as orange and saffron, and is perfect for dunking in a cuppa.
Of all the traditional Christmas bakes, what made you go for stollen? What inspired the recipe?
Because stollen is a quintessential Christmas bake from Germany, who do Christmas like no one else. For me, it’s not Christmas without stollen. The addition of saffron isn’t traditional but I’ve included it as it’s really tasty and feels extra special.
How is stollen made?
We make an enriched bread dough and knead in orange zest, dried fruit and spices. Once it’s proven we roll it out into a large sheet and roll it up with marzipan in the middle, like a giant sausage roll before glazing and baking it.
Chocolate Orange and Chocolate Mint are classic Festive flavour combos, what made peppermint win out in the Peppermint & Chocolate brownie this year?
We already had orange in the stollen, so peppermint won this year! We do find that chocolate flavour combinations are quite divisive in the kitchen, everyone has their favourites.
Spud's new loaded fries offer at Wednesday's market seems really popular, do you have a Festive version we can try?
Yes we have the Festive Loaded Fries, based on a deconstructed, traditional British Christmas dinner. It includes gravy, cauliflower cheese sauce, crispy sage & onion stuffing crumb, crispy turkey bacon bits, cranberry sauce and a sprinkling of fresh thyme.
Now that the Festive menu is done, what are you working on next?
We’re working on new seasonal soups to launch in Term 2, some new ‘Flavours of the Month’ and some delicious blondies and bakes that you’ll be seeing in the cafes early next year.
Where can I find the festive menu on campus?
The roast potatoes with gravy are only available in the Eatwise van on Market Days.
The Festive baguettes are available in Eatwise Test Kitchen and Café Gibbet Hill, and the Eatwise van on Market Days.
Festive Loaded Fries are available at Spud on Market Days.
You can find all our offers here