Le Cordon Bleu London Hold Culinary Conference with Paul Newnham and Chantelle Nicholson

Le Cordon Bleu London were joined by Paul Newnham and Chantelle Nicholson for a demonstration and discussion about the Chefs’ Manifesto, a chef-led project bringing together culinary professionals from around the world to explore how we deliver a sustainable food system.

Paul Newnham, Director of the SDG 2 Advocacy Hub, discussed what the Chef’s Manifesto is and why it is important for chefs to bridge the gap between farm and fork. Chefs are in a unique position to influence what we grow, put on our plates and how we think and talk about food. The manifesto is not a set of rules but rather guidelines to help action change.

Hosting the practical part of the event was Chantelle Nicholson, Chef Patron at Tredwells and advocate for seasonal eating, zero waste and plant-based eating. Chantelle presented a dish that used every part of the vegetable, in this case cauliflower.

Chef Chantelle prepared Roasted Cauliflower, Pickled Cauliflower Stems, Caper Dressing and Saffron Mayonnaise, an entirely plant-based and zero-waste dish, as every element of the cauliflower was used. One challenge when creating truly great plant-based dishes is replicating the richness of meat or dairy products, so it requires skill to create a well-balanced dish only using plants.

Chantelle’s parting message to guests was to be conscious of what you’re doing and to try to minimize your footprint. If you can use something that would otherwise go to waste or start using a reusable water bottle, just do one thing and it will gradually snowball and start to make a difference.

Paul Newnham followed the demonstration with a discussion about biodiversity and sustainable ingredients, referencing the Future 50 Foods report, and closed the event by taking questions from guests and summing up the key messaging of the Chefs’ manifesto. He imparted that every change is important, and the more that sustainability is talked about, the more it becomes the norm.


To read more about the event to see more upcoming events like this please visit our culinary conferences and demonstrations page. If you want to learn how to prepare amazing plant-based dishes for yourself, why not sign up for the Diploma in Plant-Based Culinary Arts?