Ask most people to name a rice-based dessert and many will recall stodgy rice pudding with a blob of raspberry jam from their school days. Not so the case at the award winning, 15th century Bell at Horndon-on-the-Hill. Stuart Fay, head chef, serves an average of 700 covers a week, with 70% of total sales coming from food, and Stuart’s dessert menu features rice frequently, but none of them is a 'rice pudding' as you'd know it!
The Bell's modern, European menu changes regularly and Stuart looks for suppliers that offer him quality and consistency, making the most of produce sourced both locally and nationally. Stuart uses Tilda as his rice brand because of the versatility of the range and recent sweet creations have included; caramelised risotto and Basmati baked mango tart served with coconut ice cream, crème brûlée made with Tilda Thai Jasmine rice, and baked rice pudding wrapped in a brandy snap ring.
So, there is a big opportunity for chefs to design some exciting new desserts using this flexible, if a little unexpected, ingredient, no matter what size of operation, kitchen skill level or style of menu.
Variety is the rice of life!
Stuart adds, "If you are looking for quality then I would definitely recommend Tilda. It is an excellent product that offers great consistency and confidence. I used to just use rice as a side order to a main, but there are lots of great ways to use it, across an entire menu."
Mark Lyddy, Foodservice Controller, Tilda, adds, "We know that speciality rice’s such as Basmati and Thai Jasmine command premium prices on menus because of our experience in retail; consumers are aware of the superior quality and taste. By offering rice-based desserts similar to those that Stuart sells at the Bell you can increase sales, which means greater profits. For instance, if you were to sell 25 desserts a day, with one portion returning a GP of £2.75, you could return profit in excess of £25,000 after 365 days!" |
