Last week Lusso played host to the fiercely contested CH&Co Barista Championships 2013 in the rooftop auditorium of long-standing Lusso client Olswang. More than 20 coffee artists showcased impressive skills in front of an expert panel comprising Lusso MD Paul Hurren plus sponsor representatives Gareth Davies of Paddy & Scotts and Stephen Brecher of Peros. Clients and colleagues plus directors of the business made up the 50-strong audience.

19 year old Anita Kolodziejak was judged the winner from a very competitive and skilled line-up of baristas. She triumphed in a fast paced test of coffee skills where each competitor was challenged to create the ultimate espresso, cappuccino, latte and latte art work against the clock and head-to-head with other challengers.

The Barista competition, a new CH&Co tradition since 2011, was created to celebrate and encourage skills among our many talented specialist baristas, each of whom has been trained to the highest standards of coffee selection, delivery and presentation. This year’s competition was open to baristas from Lusso, Charlton House, and Ampersand and was supported jointly by Peros and Paddy and Scotts who donated the second and third prizes. Anita’s triumph saw her scoop the top prize of £250 in vouchers, together with a hi-tech teflon milk foaming jug. She also has the CH&Co endorsement for entry to the UK Barista Championships in April!

Lusso employee Vilma Arbuzaite of Investec who came second, takes home a V60 personal coffee kit and a teflon milk foaming jug, while third placed Edyta Ziolek, who works at Speechly Bircham for Lusso, won a V60 personal coffee kit and a teflon milk foaming jug. All competitors received a souvenir competition apron to take home. The three winners received a Champion Barista certificate and will be given the opportunity to participate in training sessions for new baristas, as well as starring in new business presentations and client events.

Lead judge Lusso MD Paul Hurren commented: “We judges had a hard time choosing between such a dedicated and skilled lot of entrants, but in the end Anita showed her class to take the prize. Behind the fast-paced fun of this event is a serious endeavour, the determination and desire to be the best that we can be in every aspect of what we do. Coffee is an area that commands a lot of passion and Lusso’s baristas exemplify that passion. It’s been great fun to judge although I’ve drunk so much coffee in the process that I probably won’t get to sleep for a week!.”

Lusso has announced the appointment of Simon Macfarlane as Director of Operations. Simon joins Lusso from Bite Catering where for two years he was Director of Operations and Sustainability, looking after clients in the City and South East.

Simon’s appointment strengthens and enhances Lusso’s senior management line-up and he brings with him a wealth of knowledge across all areas of food service, hospitality and client dining.

Simon’s particular expertise in sustainability is a great fit for Lusso, which is heavily invested in sustainability in all areas of its operations and is noted for award-winning sustainability and provenance initiatives such as Ugly Fish Friday and Neighbourhood Crops.

Lusso MD Paul Hurren commented: “We are delighted to welcome Simon to the Lusso team. My belief is that his experience and expertise will make him a great asset in developing our services and building even stronger client relationships for Lusso.”

Lusso Managing Director Paul Hurren and his team are celebrating today after scooping a top prize for Lusso's ground-breaking Ugly Fish Friday initiative at last night's Food Service Management Awards, held at London's five star Royal Garden Hotel.

Paul, who collected the prestigious Innovation and Marketing Award trophy, was the brains behind Ugly Fish Friday which raised awareness of and worked to combat the wastage of thousands of tons of 'discard' fish which are thrown back, dead into the sea because, despite being plentiful and delicious, are not the fashionable, premium priced species sought after within EU fishing quotas.

By bringing Ugly Fish Fridays to Lusso sites, and creating a wildly successful Ugly Fish pop up restaurant at London's Whitecross Street food market, Paul and his team have promoted this serious issue and educated clients and customers about the issue, whilst also showcasing alternative species of fish which, while ugly and less famous, are just as delicious as their fashionable cousins, and a whole lot more sustainable.

Ugly Fish Friday

Lusso MD Paul Hurren, together with clients and colleagues attending the Woman of Achievement awards lunch were delighted when the winner was announced as Denise Jagger, a Partner at Eversheds. Denise was the winner of the Legal Services category sponsored by Lusso and chosen by a panel including CH&Co HR Director Alison Gilbert.

Denise received her award from Women in the City Founder Gwen Rhys at the 10th Annual Women in the City Lunch at Plaisterers’ Hall. The Woman of Achievement Award aims to highlight and recognize women who, as well as fulfilling a demanding senior level role, are actively promoting and encouraging the progress of women in their organization and sector. Seven finalists, who each won their categories, competed for the overall prize.

On winning the Woman of Achievement Award Denise Jagger said; “I am delighted to have been honoured with this award, which provides another opportunity to keep the issue of women’s education, development and advancement in the public eye. Whilst progress is being made most recently in relation to women on boards across a range of sectors, there still remains much to do to create working environments where women are as likely as men to fulfil their potential."

Lusso is in its third year of supporting the Woman of Achievement Awards. As an organization dedicated to excellence, Lusso recognizes the contribution to its business of talented, high achieving women and understands the importance of supporting and promoting the career ambitions of women who have the potential to reach the top. Lusso Managing Director Paul Hurren commented: "Lusso supports and applauds the endeavors of Women in the City in promoting the progress of women in business. Specifically, Women in the City recognizes and rewards women who’ve achieved excellence in their chosen sector, and also despite a hugely demanding role, somehow manage to find the time and energy to give other women a helping hand in terms of networking and mentoring. We are thrilled and delighted for Denise, who is a tremendously deserving winner of this prestigious award."

On the 30th of October, at a celebration event sponsored by Lusso and held at the Museum of London Docklands, Denise Jagger, a partner with Eversheds LLP, was named the winner of the Legal Services category in the 2012 Women in the City Woman of Achievement Award.

Guests enjoyed a menu specially selected by Lusso, based around a sustainable, foraged theme, as the winners for all seven categories, Accountancy, Facilities Management, Financial Services, Insurance Services, Legal Services, Medicine & Healthcare, and Technology, were revealed.

This year, for the first time since the Awards scheme was created, the Lusso sponsored Legal Services category received the greatest number of nominations, with a 100% increase from 2011.The category is endorsed by the Bar Council which has the remit to promote, judge and present the category award to the chosen winner.

As Denise collected her award, Lusso Managing Director and event co-host Paul Hurren commented: “This year we have seen a record number of entries of an amazingly high calibre. These women inhabit the very highest echelons of the legal profession and I know that the judges have found it both fascinating and challenging to pick a winner from so many strong candidates. Denise is a worthy winner with a stellar career and an impressive track record of supporting women at all levels through career mentoring and setting up career support networks. We wish her luck in the judging for the overall Woman of Achievement Award.”

As a category winner, Denise is one of seven women who now go forward to the judging for the overall Woman of Achievement Award. The 2012 award prize includes a place on the prestigious Accelerated Development Program delivered at the London campus of The University of Chicago Booth School of Business. This will be presented on Friday, 23rd November at the 10th Women in the City Annual Celebration Lunch held at Plaisterers’ Hall in London.

The Award judging panel is chaired by Prof Susan Vinnicombe, OBE, Director, Cranfield International Research Centre for Women Leaders. The principal aim of the Women in the City Woman of Achievement Award is to highlight and formally recognise those women who, as well as fulfilling a demanding senior level role, are actively promoting and encouraging the progress of women in their organisation and sector.

Limited places are available at the 2012 Women in the City Lunch & Awards Ceremony, visit Women in the City to book.

In response to one of the worst apple seasons for a number of years, Lusso has launched “Neighbourhood Crops”, a pioneering partnership with the National Fruit Collection, to bring forgotten, rare or unfashionable home-grown varieties of apple to some of the Square Mile’s most prestigious workplaces.

Based at Brogdale Farm, near Faversham, since 1952, the National Fruit Collection is the world’s largest amassment of fruit trees and plants, encompassing over 3,500 apple, pear, plum, cherry, and cob nut cultivars. It is owned by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as part of a programme to protect plant resources for the future, while The University of Reading has responsibility for maintaining the collection.

This exciting partnership with Brogdale is a first in food service, allowing us to bring some very unusual apple varieties to the table this autumn. Crops such as Red Charles Ross, Ribston Pippens, and Oaken Pin will be picked in tiny quantities from just two trees of each variety. Each 5 kg box will identify the variety inside, but will be delivered without any other advance warning.

Not all the fruit will necessarily look pristine, but for many it will be an once-in-a-lifetime chance to taste ancient varieties of apple that are found more frequently in history books than fruit bowls. The initiative is launching initially with three clients: Hogan Lovells, SJ Berwin and Norton Rose.

Lusso Managing Director Paul Hurren commented; “I want to commend Brogdale for its commitment to keeping these varieties on the planet. Once they are gone, they are gone for ever. Our nation is simply wonderful at producing apples of the highest calibre, but that most of us never get to see, smell, or most importantly. taste. Until now that is. Our talented chefs will work with tiny quantities and ensure our clients can try either cooked apple dishes or simply take a bite of a unique variety of apple.”

Following the success of our Ugly Fish Fridays, launched as a stand against the fishing quota system that sees dead fish thrown back into the sea, Lusso is staging an “Ugly Fish Friday Pop Up” at Whitecross Street Market in London on Friday 6th July.

Assisted by “The Fisherman’s Apprentice” Monty Halls, and his fisherman mentor Nigel Legge, our expert chefs will produce street food which is also elite food with a lunch-time pop up stall. We will be serving a range of delicious fish dishes using sustainable species landed by Nigel in the now famous Cadgwith Cove in Cornwall the previous day. The stall will start serving lunch from 11 am and will continue until we run out of fish.

Less well-known and fashionable than their more glamorous but increasingly overfished cousins, our Ugly Fish are as good to eat as they are unlovely to look at. Most importantly, they are all species on the Marine Stewardship Council’s approved list of sustainable fish.

Lusso Managing Director Paul Hurren, who created the “Ugly Fish Friday” concept comments: “Many delicious, sustainable fish species are overlooked and under-used by chefs and diners. We aim to change this by putting our talented chefs to work, demonstrating that Cod, Halibut and Seabass are not the only choices, and that there are literally plenty more delicious fish in the sea.”

Many of our regular diners from city banks, accountancy, law and insurance firms will be encouraged to leave their offices and head to the “Ugly Fish Friday Pop Up” to try a street food lunch with a difference - and raise money for charity. All profits are being donated to Monty’s chosen charity; The Fisherman’s Mission, which provides emergency welfare support to fishermen and their families.

Follow Ugly Fish Friday on Twitter @uglyfishfriday and look out for the #Uglycatch every Friday.

Niche City Caterers Lusso, whose bespoke catering is served to leading legal, media, accountancy, insurance and banking firms, has announced the creation of an Executive Chef role to further strengthen its quality food offering. Jim Wealands, previously Executive Chef for Lusso’s client, law firm Hogan Lovells, has been promoted to the role of Lusso Executive Chef; reporting directly to Lusso Managing Director Paul Hurren.

As Lusso’s new Executive Chef, Jim, who has worked for Lusso for almost four years, will be responsible for setting standards across all aspects of food quality, innovation and creativity, for menu development, food delivery and for special events. He will also play a key role in chef training and new business tenders and will be heavily involved in openings and mobilizations. Jim brings a decade and a half’s experience on the fine dining side of workplace catering to his new role together with a real passion for top class, innovative food.

MD Paul Hurren commented:  "Lusso's reputation is built on the back of its imaginative, impeccable and inspiring food.  Having such a talented, passionate chef as Jim championing quality standards and leading our skilled, dedicated chefs towards ever greater excellence in workplace dining demonstrates our commitment to putting our clients at the heart of everything we do."

Jim was born into the hospitality industry, both his parents being publicans, and he identified his calling as cheffing early on in life. He trained at Thanet College in Broadstairs. He is married, with two young sons.

Sell out launch day success on inaugural "Ugly Fish Friday"
Lusso launches a cutting edge pescatorian culinary feast with a conscience!

Niche city fine dining business Lusso has launched "Ugly Fish Friday" in a stand against the North Sea fishing quota system that sees half of all the fish caught there thrown back, dead.

Every Friday, Lusso locations will feature a variety of "Ugly Fish" on the menu, cooked to order in a choice of ways. Less pretty and fashionable than their more glamorous but increasingly overfished cousins, Lusso’s Ugly Fish are as good to eat as they are unlovely to look at. Most importantly, they are all species on the Marine Stewardship Council’s approved list of sustainable fish, sourced through Lusso’s supplier Seafood Direct. As part of the initiative, and to underline the "Ugly Fish" sustainability message, Lusso is naming the dayboat and skipper whose catch is on offer, even specifying the harbour at which the fish were landed.

Lusso Managing Director Paul Hurren who came up with the "Ugly Fish Friday" concept having been inspired by "Hugh’s Fish Fight" comments; "70% of assessed fish stocks in large parts of the EU are overfished, and yet many delicious, sustainable fish species are currently overlooked and under-used by chefs and thus under-ordered by diners. We are helping to change this by putting our talented chefs to work, demonstrating that Cod, Halibut and Seabass are not the only choices, and that there are literally plenty more delicious fish in the sea."

"Most of our customers really care about the provenance of their food as well as its taste. We are asking our diners to be a little more adventurous - safe in the knowledge that our chefs will turn them into dishes that even the most discerning diners will love."

"Ugly Fish Friday" was launched at Lusso’s client Investec restaurant and will roll out across the Lusso estate of restaurants within banks, accountancy, law and insurance firms . Distinctive "Ugly Fish" logos are being displayed on menus, posters, even on staff’s "Ugly Fish Friday" t-shirts, and details of the "Ugly Catch" of the day will be tweeted to employees of Lusso clients on the morning of "Ugly Fish Fridays" to whet their appetites ahead of lunchtime.

Chefs and customers at Investec have really been getting behind this commitment to sustainable food sourcing in the workplace. More than 70 portions of Megrim Sole, Pollock, Plaice and Sardine were served during the first Ugly Fish Friday at Investec, with supplies actually selling out.

In the 6 months post launch, Lusso predicts sales of upwards of 4,000 "Ugly Fish" portions and also plans a pop up "Ugly Fish" stall at Whitecross Street Market - the hub for urban street food in the heart of the City of London.

Lusso is proud to be shortlisted for a prestigious Footprint award in the sustainable sourcing category of the awards.

The shortlisting recognises Lusso’s dedication to sourcing its produce in a responsible and sustainable way, always conscious of our carbon footprint and working tirelessly to further improve on our already impressive track record.

Lusso builds its sustainable approach on thinking global and acting local and by developing long term, respectful relationships with suppliers whose business approach we can help to shape based on good sense and responsible principles.

One example of our approach is our dedication to sustainable sourcing of fish. We were the first caterer to ban cod from menus when stocks dwindled to dangerous levels (since re-instated when stock levels improved). And more recently we have launched our Ugly Fish initiative which celebrates the wonderful and sustainable fish on the Marine Stewardship Council approved list.

Wherever possible we buy British. The Red Tractor mark guarantees animal welfare, environmental responsibility standards and full-chain British origin, and has monthly product ranges featuring products appropriate to the season so was a natural choice for Lusso. We have Red Tractor accreditation across our business, as do many of our core suppliers.

Lusso celebrated Christmas with its clients in the grand Venetian tradition, with a masquerade in the magnificent drawing room of Goldsmith’s Hall. The evening showcased Lusso’s talent for flawless food and service and featured fine Italian wines and canapés served by masked, liveried waiters.

Guests from the cream of the city’s legal, media, accountancy and banking firms took a private tour of the Goldsmiths’ exhibition and then enjoyed an operatic performance and a display of silhouette artistry; fortified by a very special Champagne tasting from Laurent Perrier, gourmet canapés created to compliment the Champagnes, and freshly shucked oysters on a giant oyster shell ice sculpture.

A prize draw for a silver-gilt salt cellar from one of the UK’s leading silversmiths saw Christmas come early for one lucky guest.

Julie Kortens, Head of Corporate Services at Channel 4, beat off the competition to win the Facilities Management category for the 2011 Women in the City Woman of Achievement Award at the Celebration evening sponsored by city fine dining caterers Lusso in the Museum of London, Docklands.

Julie was one of seven eminent women who secured success and won their category. The highly competitive award scheme saw a wide variety of talented female executives from across London then go head-to-head to compete for the Women in the City award, announced on Friday 25th November 2011.

Ms Kortens said: "I am extremely proud to be recognised for this award and hope it provides inspiration to other women to take full advantage of the myriad of opportunities the FM profession offers. I look forward to sharing my experience and offering support and guidance to others.

"My role as Head of Corporate Services at Channel 4 brings with it huge responsibility and every day is a challenge but I enjoy it enormously. I am passionate about my job and equally passionate about my team and the fantastic work they do."

The Facilities Management category is sponsored for the second year running by Lusso, the niche city caterer, and endorsed by the Facilities Management Association. Paul Hurren, Managing Director of Lusso and one of the category judges, presented Julie with her prize at the awards luncheon on Friday 25th November. He commented; "We have the privilege of working alongside many dynamic, passionate people in client organisations. We see this award as an ideal opportunity to recognise the sometimes under-rated yet crucial role that facilities management professionals play within city organisations.

Julie is a deserving and inspirational winner. Her enthusiasm and passion for her career and her ability to impact positively on those who work with her and on the environment in which she works makes her a very positive role model not just for women but for all everyone in FM."

The overarching aim of the Women in the City Woman of Achievement Award is to highlight and recognise the outstanding contribution these women make to the City and in particular to identify those who are actively promoting and encouraging the progress of women above and beyond their everyday job. The Award identifies excellence and celebrates the achievements of senior and partner-level professionals working in London’s business hubs. Now in its fifth year the Award draws over 350 women to the Annual Women in the City Celebration Lunch in November when the 2011 Woman of Achievement Award Winner is announced.

Lusso chefs took part in an inspiring salt Masterclass with Raymond Blanc OBE at his two Michelin- starred Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons restaurant in Oxfordshire on 15th September.

All part of Lusso's Wellbeing Being Well healthy eating initiative, the event, which was inspired by consultant nutritionist, Amanda Ursell, really lit the fuse wire and sent the chefs off buzzing about how they could reduce salt without comprising flavour. It also underlined the CH&Co group's salt pledge under the Government's Responsibility Deal.

The evening included three thought-provoking salt tests and demonstrations to highlight the many alternatives to seasoning food. Another highlight for the chefs was a tour of the impressive kitchen gardens at Le Manoir.

Raymond Blanc said: "It was great to talk to a group of passionate, craft-trained chefs who already have a very good perception of salt levels but are hungry to learn how they can improve.

"If every chef who took part in this event goes way and uses a little less salt tomorrow, I will have achieved my goal."

Lusso hosted a wonderful evening for Women in the City at the Museum of London Docklands on 2nd November when the seven category winners of this year's Woman of Achievement Awards were announced.

The Facilities Management category award, sponsored by Lusso, went to Julie Kortens, Head of Corporate Services, Channel 4 Television.

Commenting on her award, she said: "I am extremely proud to be recognised for this Award and hope it provides inspiration to other women to take full advantage of the myriad of opportunities the FM profession offers. I look forward to sharing my experience and offering support and guidance to others. My role as Head of Corporate Services at Channel 4 brings with it huge responsibility and every day is a challenge but I enjoy it enormously. I am passionate about my job and equally passionate about my team and the fantastic work they do."

The seven finalists will now go on to compete for the overall 2011 Woman of Achievement Award, which will be presented on Friday, 25th November at the 9th Annual Women in the City Annual Celebration Lunch held at Plaisterers' Hall, London.

Always conscious of miminising its impact on the environment, The Green Team at Investec held a Sustainable Food Day on 21st October 2011.

Patrick Erni, Lusso on-site general manager and a member of The Green Team, explained how Lusso works in partnership with Investec to fulfil its sustainability goals: "As caterers we play an important supporting role in reducing Investec's carbon footprint through our ethical purchasing policies such as our use of Red Tractor and Fairtrade products, and by also keeping food miles as low as possible and by composting waste."

The event also gave the Lusso team an opportunity to demonstrate its on-going commitment to health through its dedicated www.wellbeingbeingwell.co.uk programme. The award-winning journalist, Amanda Ursell, consultant nutritionist to Lusso, was on hand to answer any questions and to explain why replacing meat with vegetables not only makes good environmental sense but can also be beneficial to health.

Patrick continued: "The world simply can't sustain the current levels of meat consumption. There are many clear benefits of reducing meat intake occasionally in favour of a vegetarian dish such as a healthier diet, lower carbon footprint, sustainability and cost."

Executive head chef, Mike Worters, also successfully tested his 'Day Boat' concept, offering the catch of the day in a made-to-order 'fish shop' in line with Lusso's sustainable purchasing ethos.

Lusso has launched a range of calorie-counted salads and sandwiches under its 'Wellbeing Being Well Light' healthy eating label. The new range includes ten sandwiches and five salads, including roast salmon fillet with jewelled cous cous and harissa dressing (327 calories).

The initiative is part of Lusso's parent group, CH&Co's pledge to improve public health under the Government's Responsibility Deal.

The award winning health journalist and consultant nutritionist, Amanda Ursell, has worked closely with Lusso chefs to ensure that each 'light' option is nutritionally balanced and as healthy as possible. She has analysed every single recipe and is currently working on a range of desserts which will be introduced at a later date.

She said:"It's quite a complex process and one of our main concerns has been to ensure that the food tastes great too. Dressings, fillings, breads and protein items have really come under scrutiny and it has been fantastic working so closely with Lusso chefs to achieve the right balance. It's good that they are getting into the spirit of this and taking their responsibility so seriously because they can make a big impact on people's diets during the working day. The Responsibility Deal is entirely voluntary and quite challenging for a business like Lusso, which feeds thousands of City workers every day".

Lusso is sponsoring the Facilities Management category of the Women in the City Awards 2011.

Launched in 2007 the awards recognise senior level women working in London's business hubs, who, in addition to fulfilling a demanding role, are actively encouraging the progress of women.

The Facilities Management category is open to women responsible for a wide range of out-sourced services including catering, cleaning, landscaping, pest control, reception & telephony, security, waste & environmental management, front-of-house services, event management, building management and maintenance.

Applicants will compete first to win their Category Award, with the winners of all seven Category Awards going head-to-head for the coveted Woman of Achievement Award which will be announced at the Women in the City Annual Celebration Lunch on 25 November.

Paul Hurren, managing director of Lusso, said: "This is our second year sponsoring the FM category. As caterers, we have the pleasure of working with many dynamic FM people within the City and we see this as a fantastic opportunity to highlight this essential role which rarely gets the attention it deserves."

On-line nominations open via www.citywomen.co.uk from 27 July and the closing date for the application forms is 23 September.

Lusso is introducing a new generation of rapeseed oil into its restaurants nationwide. The new Essent-oil™ comes from existing suppliers, R-oil, who have worked closely with natural seed breeders, Syngenta Seeds, to produce an oil which has even more health benefits.

Paul Hurren, managing director of Lusso, said: "We first introduced rapeseed oil into our restaurants over four years ago because it has one third less saturated fat than sunflower oil and less than half that of olive oil or corn oil. Essent-oil is building further on this initiative to ensure that our customers reap the additional health benefits."

One of the key improvements is that levels of Omega 6 essential fats have been reduced to provide an optimum balance with Omega 3s.

Amanda Ursell, consultant nutritionist to Lusso explains: "All rapeseed oils give us a mix of important Omega 6 and Omega 3 essential fats. While we definitely benefit nutritionally from Omega 6 essential fats, over the last 100 years, our diets have changed dramatically in composition. By eating more Omega 6-rich oils like sunflower, soy and corn oil which is used in everything from cooking oils and spreads to products like biscuits, cakes and ready meals,  our ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 has become out of kilter. We now have twenty to thirty times more of the former compared to the latter. Essent-oil has taken a step in the direction by helping to rebalance this ratio by lowering its Omega 6 content."