Head Chef's Page - Quality Beef & Meat Online: Scottish Butchers Donald Russell

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Head Chef's Page

Meet the Head Chef

Stefan Kolsch:
Head Chef and New Product Development Manager

"I began my career at Donald Russell more than five years ago and was immediately amazed at the level of commitment that went into producing every single product. My previous experience is in Michelin starred restaurants and I count myself very fortunate to have found a company that will allow me to continue developing my passion for producing only the best."

What a difference a small change makes...

Our Bolognese and Chilli – now chunkier and better than ever!

As some of you will already know, we have been revisiting the recipes of our Classic Bolognese and our Chilli over the last few weeks, and it has amazed me just how much of a difference a small change in approach can have to these dishes.

With the previous method I browned the minced beef and pork just as you would at home, breaking it up fairly rapidly, but during the review cooking trials, I discovered that sautéing the mince in larger pieces, and allowing more controlled stop-and-start intervals between breaking it up, into finally larger chunks overall, really makes a big difference to this dish.

So you will now find a chunkier mix of our grass-fed beef Steak Mince and Freedom Food Pork Mince in both the Chilli and Bolognese. I feel that by making this small change to the cooking method, the finished texture ensures the meaty flavours really stand up against the deliciously deep and rich background of the sauce.

The end result is an even more rustic, home-cooked style, authentic Bolognese and gently spiced Chilli for you to enjoy!

Please let me know what you think by getting in touch via Facebook or Twitter.

Your hardworking chef,

Stefan

Product Development - How do we define quality?

Stefan Kolsch and Liz Webb test products in the on-site kitchen

We never compromise on quality, but how do we ensure our products are up to scratch?

We know quality is a degree of excellence and that no less will do

Our 'secret weapon' when it comes to guaranteeing our quality remains constant is taste tests

We cook our products in the development kitchen on a daily basis - taste tests are conducted regularly and at random.

Help & Advice
Staff Training
Specialist Advice

Help & Advice

I'm always glad to hear of your own favourite recipes, or suggestions for new gourmet foods. Please send me an email with your recipes, suggestions, comments and queries to headchef@donaldrussell.co.uk.

I also have my own category on the Donald Russell blog which I update regularly with hints, tips, news and product development news visit: www.donaldrussell.com/blog.

We have a range of recipes suitable for virtually any cooking technique which can be found on the recipes page of the website.

Oh, and have you seen our online videos yet? They feature videos with myself and Head Butcher Mark Farquhar and they are a great way to get bitesized information about the production and cooking of our products. Click HERE to view online videos

Staff Training

Stefan Kolsch and Liz Webb test products in the on-site kitchen At Donald Russell we pride ourselves on the passion of our staff, from the butchers to the people who pack your order, from the directors to the people who answer the phones. To help nurture that passion for great food, our staff have the option to attend my in-house cook school in the Development Kitchen.

This gives the staff regular opportunities to gain hands-on experience of cooking our products and. It also gives them a chance to ask me questions about them - this is the bit that I enjoy as it shows how interested they are.

They also have regular demonstrations by our skilled butchers, and the chance to taste our products, so each and every person knows about our products from where they come from to how to cook them. This knowledge allows them to give you the best service possible, and if we can't answer your question first time around, we'll find someone who can and get back to you.

Specialist Advice

Donald Russell has its own group of food specialists on hand to advise you on all your food-related queries. The 'Gourmet Team', all have first-hand experience of preparing and cooking a wide range of our products, and are happy to help you with any questions you might have, no matter how large or small. Many of our Gourmet Team have a background in cooking or catering, and they all have a great passion for food. Their knowledge and experience will help you to cook your Donald Russell foods to perfection, which will enhance the whole eating experience for you and your guests. You can contact the Gourmet Team by email at headchef@donaldrussell.co.uk, or by calling 01467 629666.

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