NEPO Kitchen Consulting AB

Goodbye to 2016 and hello to 2017, all the best for the New Year near and far.

We had a full-packed 2016 with lots of interesting projects and challenges, here’s a little recap.

Waxholms Hotel, Vaxholm Sweden

An intense November and December 2015 meant that there wasn’t much time to look for consulting work for the start of 2016, luckily I could fall back on my work experience and contact net and pick up some extra work at the newly renovated Waxholm’s hotel during January to March.  Waxholm is the gateway to Stockholm’s archipelago, a must see both the archipelago.

A mixed month

I Started discussions with Fritidsresor the Swedish subsidiary of TUI charter, preparations are underway for an executive chefs training week & congress in Mallorca in April.

Preopening

I also start to get involved as an under consultant to Preopening AB www.preopening.se, We’ll be combining our networks, Preopening is a fantastic little hotel & restaurant experienced based development company working with planning to implementation in the hotel and restaurant industry. I got my first “gig” in April through Peropening at a local boule bar, Ugglans Boule, check and assess the quality, solve service issues and logistical challenges, a small assignments. I have been dropping in all year, it feels good to be able to come back to an ongoing project and to help and follow it as it develops.

New York

March was topped off with a week in New York, wandering around the city eating and taking in the sights, every thing from vegetarian to upmarket, record shops and old ships, basketball and theatre shows, here you can indulge yourself with anything, I was very impressed with many of the markets, supermarkets and restaurants that focused on lifting local and ecological produce stating the origin of their produce and presenting their suppliers. I thought we were pretty good at it in Sweden, but here in Manhattan it seemed more natural & informal, less forced but mainly its all just Big Time.

With BBQ competition ambitions

We started our 2016 “season” in April we established two goals for the summer the Swedish national championships in May and the European championships in August. We started practicing and finalising our competition dishes in April a top 3 in Sweden and top ten in Europe were our goals.

We competed at the Grill and Barbecue European championships in Bremen, Germany a big trip without a travel sponsor, although we had a big help from BBQ Scout in Germany who sponsored us with grills and barbecues without them it wouldn’t have worked.

Beef brisket, chicken and side dish, dessert, fish and side dish, home country cooking, pork shoulder and pork ribs were the competition criteria our brisket tightened up and was a let down, we managed to fight back with the other dishes and managed to win the fish competition, totally we managed a fourth place in a field of thirty plus, a result above our expectations and with the win in the fish challenge as icing on the cake.

Spain, Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza

Alcudia Pins

My summer with TUI started in Mallorca with One intensive week filled with two executive chef congresses at Fritidsresor destination Alcudia Pins in Alcudia, a big focus on vegetarian & allergy dishes.

Coma Grand

In May I was back in Mallorca this time visiting Hipotels Coma Grand resort at Sa Coma on Mallorca’s east coast. A short walk from a great beach, I spent a few days here working with the kitchen team, a big buffet with big volumes of mixed European customers

Cala Bona, Mallorca

I also visited Grupotel's Cala Bona resort also situated on Mallorca’s east coast, another big resort with an all inclusive concept built on to a super beach front, I spent a few days here with the kitchen team, another big operation with guest focus.

Mar de Menorca, Capparot

Then off to Menorca and another Grupotel resort this one in Cappatot a village on a little rocky beach close to the airport. Menorca with its stone fences and low bushes, great pizza’s here with a couple of Italian pizza chefs in house, pools galore and a central location to explore the island, don’t forget the local Mahon gin or famous Mahon cheese.

Tarida Beach, Ibiza

In June I was back down to the Beleriacs this time Ibiza with a visit to Insotel Tarida Beach Sensatori resort, located on the west coast of Ibiza, this was the first time I’ve worked at a Sensatori, a real luxury resort built into a little sandy cove a great place for an escape, fantastic sunset bar and Spanish grill restaurant, drenched in holiday relaxation.

The Greek Islands

Kerkyra, Corfu

Situated a short taxi ride from the centre of Corfu town not much of a beach but with ample pools for everyone, a fantastic long view all the way to Albania, nice garden lawn and landscape area and a great little Asian crossover restaurant.

Alkanyas village resort Zakynthos

There was also a few days at Alkanyas village resort in Zakynthos, great sunsets and beaches make this a favourite destination, new pools, hotel rooms and landscaping make for a relaxing Greek holiday

Pane Fresco

June- September found me in an expanding Italian restaurant concept, I had the opportunity to deep dive into the Italian restaurant culture, at Pane Fresco the focus was on authenticity, not only do the ingredients come from Italy, but the chefs and many of the waiters do as well, my task was to create menu and recipe uniformity that would allow the planned expansion to be able to deliver Italian food of high quality in their new restaurants. That this assignment was through Preopening was an extra bonus.

Caribbean theme at Glommens seafood restaurant, west coast Sweden

I Jumped in to help my friend Bobo recreate his previous St Lucia restaurant “The Edge” on Sweden’s wast coast in July. The little seaside resort Glommen was the venue, we enjoyed a couple of days of typical Swedish summer weather which could’ve been much nicer to us.

Trosa Stats Hotel

Also during the summer I became reacquainted with some old friends from many years ago. Trosa is one of many quaint Swedish seaside villages that has become a destination in itself, many of these small towns have a a long established “city hotel” not many of these hotels are better run, maintained or have higher ambition than Trosa Stats Hotel, I picked up a few days work here which complimented my pane Fresco assignment.

Idre Fjäll

During early Autumn I was contacted regarding the Swedish skiing resort of Idre Fjäll, and together with some colleagues we were contracted for the winter season 2016-17 to Idre Fjäll one of Sweden’s largest winter skiing resorts.

Not only is Idre Fjäll a winter play ground but the resort has over the past couple of years developed a summer seasoned rivalled by few, mountain biking, trekking & rafting are on the activity list during the warmer months.

Copenhagen

An inspirational trip with Preopening a long weekend with a great gang of industry thinkers. 

Goodbye 2016, welcome 2017 and whatever challenges you bring.