Latest news with #SantiagoLastra
Telegraph
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Anyone for a meat-tini? The rise of spirits infused with beef, oysters and raw turkey
In mid-March, Snowdonia Wagyu took a step beyond its usual briskets and burgers and launched a beef-infused rum. The following week, Hong Kong cocktail bar Tell Camellia went viral after posting an Instagram reel in which its bartender made an oyster gin. The secret? Blending the shellfish into a cream-coloured, gin-based paste before distillation. And then, on an April episode of popular food podcast Off Menu, Mexican-born, London-based chef Santiago Lastra ruffled feathers by championing 'mezcal de pechuga', an agave spirit distilled with raw turkey breast. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tell Camellia (@tellcamellia) Why the sudden uptick in spirits infused with poultry, game and seafood? While consommé-based cocktails (known as 'stocktails') have been around since the 1950s, and 'fat-washing' became popular among bartenders in the noughties, we're increasingly seeing the spirits themselves get the meat and mollusc treatment. I've come to the Mezcaleria in the basement of Lastra's Michelin-starred Kol in Marylebone to sample a selection with bartender Liam Cullen. Fowl play 'Pechuga, particularly, can be difficult to get your head around,' admits Cullen. 'People's first question tends to be: is the turkey cooked? It's not.' And, although the heat and alcohol levels in the stills kill any harmful bacteria, Cullen concedes that pechuga might struggle to attract a following if it was invented today. 'Thankfully, it's a tradition – it has a track record.' Tradition, however, hasn't stopped distillers experimenting. Cullen has an Australian bottle of kangaroo pechuga behind the bar, and a Mexican crocodile pechuga on the menu. 'We like to say that most pechugas are similar in texture to a buttery Chardonnay,' he says of the creamy style, which is achieved when oils from the raw meat mingle with alcohol vapours. The meatiest mezcal on offer at Kol is 'pechuga de venado', distilled using cuts of white-tailed deer. It's got a gamey flavour, slightly fruity and is the most pleasant of the pechugas I have tried. Meanwhile Stateside, New Hampshire's Tamworth Distilling is also utilising venison in the production of a whiskey named Deerslayer. Since starting up five years ago, the small-batch distillery has been experimenting using a rotary evaporator (a piece of equipment commonly found in pharmaceutical laboratories) to create bourbons flavoured with deer, as well as crab or goose. Where's the beef? In Britain, Snowdonia Wagyu's rum has a similar richness to that of venison-infused spirits. It's unctuous and more savoury than you'd expect from a sugar-derived spirit, but not obviously beef-based. 'With rigorous food safety oversight, we distil the fat, offcuts and bones,' explains Sioned Pritchard, co-founder of the Caernarfon-based brand. 'These are elements rich in flavour, but often underused. This way, the rum aligns with our ongoing commitment to sustainable farming and whole-animal usage.' The limited-run rum, which Pritchard describes as 'buttery, nuanced and layered', began as a joke, 'one that quickly turned into a compelling challenge'. Yet the Welsh appear adept at such alchemy. In 2013, Conwy Brewery used roast lamb juices to whip up a porter called 'Sunday Toast', and Llanfairpwll Distillery hand-harvests local shellfish for its Menai Oyster Gin. Conceived during the 2020 lockdowns, theirs is one of the few 'oyster gins' to use oyster flesh (other examples, such as that from Scotland's Isle of Bute Distillery, use only the shells). 'It gives the gin a rockpool salinity,' explains head distiller Rob Laming, who points out that Llanfairpwll uses only deformed or 'ugly' oysters that would otherwise be discarded in line with the company's no-waste ethos. 'We were happy to try something new and use the flesh,' he explains. 'The response it most often gets is disgust. Until they try it'. Shell shock The seafood-infused spirits perhaps seem less of a stretch. After all, caviar and vodka have long been close bedfellows (in 2019, Pernod Ricard even launched L'Orbe, a bottle of vodka with a caviar-filled tube at its centre). In Hong Kong, Tell Camellia's viral oyster gin was the result of owner Gagan Gurung's desire to bring 'a clean, briny essence' to his cocktails. 'Our goal was to concentrate as much flavour as possible,' Gurung explains, 'which required blending to break down the oyster meat thoroughly. We then slow-cooked the mixture to gently extract all the aromatic compounds, resulting in umami and rich oceanic flavours.' In the Netherlands, Oyester blitzes full oysters to create its Oyester 44 Maritime Vodka with similarly saline results. Distilled by drinks innovator Chris Liebau, he intends the spirit to be enjoyed alongside a plate of freshly shucked shellfish, and says oyster flesh was used as 'it adds a richness and creaminess that the shells alone couldn't'. Of the seafood-infused spirits I've tried, this is the best. I may not be sipping it from an oyster shell (as Liebau suggests), but it manages to brilliantly balance a briny character with sharp citrus notes. The Dutchman promises future seafood spirits, 'for now, though, I'm keeping my shucking knife close to my chest'. This initial offering is a smooth treat; it may be a 'meaty' spirit, but it doesn't feel gimmicky. Back at the Mezcaleria, this is what concerns Cullen. 'Interest is growing,' he says in pechuga and other meat-based spirits, 'but some London bars are now saying they make their own pechuga which is stretching the term. They may be putting meat in their mezcal and infusing it, but do they have a still? I just hope people don't start doing it for shock value.' Because, while bottles bearing 'contains mollusc' or 'contains raw meat product' warnings may seem sensationalist, most of these spirits – whether infused with uncooked poultry or high-grade beef – turn to meat and natural fats in pursuit of a creamier, more buttery texture than can be achieved using conventional ingredients or methods. Most succeed. So, if you can get over their provenance, only one question remains: will your future cocktail order be shaken, stirred or medium-rare?
Forbes
18-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
4 Trends Shaping The Food Future: A New Report Reveals How Chefs And Restaurants Are Transforming Global Menus
Written by Mallory Gafas After the crunch of a corn chip, fresh guacamole rushes the tastebuds with flavors of creamy avocado, citrusy lime and zesty cilantro. Except this guacamole has none of those ingredients. At the global unveiling of a landmark new report, renowned chef Santiago Lastra presented a science-driven adaptation of the staple in his native Mexico to a skeptical audience ('Guacamole with no avocados?!'). One by one, they delighted in its surprisingly authentic flavor, reconfigured with hemp seeds, fermented gooseberry juice and other substitutive ingredients local to Britain, where Lastra's Michelin-starred restaurant, KOL, sources regional produce to reimagine Mexican dishes. Chef Santiago Lastra, head chef of KOL, in a presentation on 'Borderless Cuisine' at the Future Menus 2025 global launch event. Unilever Food Solutions 'You leave your country behind until you realize that you're an ambassador … The best recipes in the world were created by adapting to limitations when the world was not as connected as now,' chef Lastra said in his demonstration on one of four global trends uncovered in Future Menus 2025, an industry-leading report from Unilever Food Solutions (UFS). Now in its third edition, Future Menus 2025 is both a trend forecast and a data-driven guide for chefs, operators and food service leaders to stay relevant, cut costs, increase sustainability and innovate new ways to delight in food. Culled from 312 million online searches, 1,100 chef interviews worldwide and hundreds of hours of research and social listening, it translates key findings into critical solutions for industry pain points. Unilever Food Solutions Brought to life at a dazzling launch event in Amsterdam, where top global chefs and food industry leaders converged to turn insights into action, this year's report uncovers four global macro trends: 'Borderless Cuisine,' 'Street Food Couture,' 'Culinary Roots' and 'Diner Designed.' Watch highlights of the Future Menus 2025 global launch event in Amsterdam here: 'What was really interesting for me, looking at the data, is that these four mega trends are really playing out in every country around the world. …Our global reach and local presence allows us to show how they are manifesting differently across countries, across regions, across cities, across [operators] Read on to discover how each trend is shaping the future of food and dining. Where migration and adaptation meet on the menu If fusion once implied novelty for novelty's sake, Borderless Cuisine reclaims it with purpose. In a hyperconnected world, this trend reflects a real, live blending of cultures in kitchens, cities, and communities. 'Chefs across our network are combining techniques, identities, and experiences to create something wholly new—but still anchored in authenticity,' said Subramanian. The data backs it: Latin American and Asian cuisines are driving the fastest growth in global culinary interest, according to the Future Menus report. And at the Future Menus launch event, it was on vivid display. Spicy Asian-glazed fried chicken and waffles with maple mayonnaise creatively reimagines comfort food at the Future Menus 2025 global launch event. Unilever Food Solutions At lunch, guests experienced the trend firsthand through a 'Borderless' bowl of ramen salad with foamed sweet-and-sour hollandaise—a fusion of Eastern and European sensibilities, designed for scalability in high-volume operations. According to Future Menus 2025, the Borderless Cuisine trend is driven by second-generation chefs and international kitchens blending 'cultural memory with precision technique.' Far from gimmickry, it is built on deep respect for origin stories and made possible by the wide availability of indigenous ingredients, digital exchange and travel. Borderless Cuisine isn't just about ingredients. It's about storytelling through food. UFS offers modular templates and costed recipes that allow chefs to localize global influences, whether that means smoky shawarma wraps in Toronto or fiery Filipino skewers in Berlin. Elevating the everyday with global inspiration Street food has long been a story of ingenuity—quick, flavorful, affordable. But what happens when chefs bring their expertise, technique and local pride to the street? You get Street Food Couture, one of the four defining trends of Future Menus 2025. 'Chefs are responding to a huge demand for informal formats that don't sacrifice quality,' said Ximena Hernandez, Head of Marketing at Unilever Food Solutions. 'This trend is all about flavor intensity, bold presentation, and reinterpreting culinary heritage in ways that still resonate with today's diners.' One of the 'Street Food Couture' dishes served at a dinner show in the theme of the trend at the Future Menus 2025 global launch event. Unilever Food Solutions At the Westergas Terrain dinner in Amsterdam, the trend took center plate. A rich Korean dakbokkeumtang was glazed with fermented chili. A reimagined cheesecake with guava coulis arrived on fine porcelain. These were not street snacks—they were statements. That juxtaposition of casual form with refined technique is at the heart of the trend. It reflects the influence of Gen Z diners, who seek affordability and authenticity—but also shareability and surprise. Future Menus 2025 describes it as 'affordable luxury'—a way to increase perceived value without raising costs, using high-impact sauces, theatrical presentation and high-margin proteins in handheld or shareable formats. A showcase of diverse origins of street foods at an immersive dinner show on the Street Food Couture trend. Unilever Food Solutions UFS' ready-to-execute recipes such as South African apricot Sosaties or creamy ramen with char siu chicken were developed to help chefs bring this bold-yet-approachable style to life—without operational strain. 'If you had just a gallon pack of mayonnaise, how does [an operator] drizzle?' Subramanian poses. UFS responds with innovations like portionable squeeze packs that allow street food operators to create visual flair more easily and hygienically. Looking back to reinvent what's next While much of the food world races toward the next big thing, the 'Culinary Roots' trend pulls us to origin, memory and meaning. At Unilever's global Foods Innovation Center, attendees tasted this grounding trend in dishes like Grilled Eggplant Escabeche and Kishka-stuffed Cholent—recipes rooted in heritage and identity. These weren't nostalgic throwbacks. They were acts of cultural stewardship. 'We're seeing chefs lean into their lineage,' said Subramanian. 'It's not about replicating the past, but evolving it with purpose.' Chef Ana Roš, executive chef and owner of Hiša Franko Unilever Food Solutions Ana Roš, the Slovenian chef behind Hiša Franko—a three-Michelin-star restaurant lauded for its sustainability—echoed this sentiment at the Future Menus event. She spoke candidly about how regional Alpine ingredients could evoke authentic memories when used with intention. 'Sustainability is not an award,' she said on stage. 'It's a responsibility.' Her dishes prove that local and global need not be at odds. Chef Ana Roš presents a unique potato dish at the Future Menus 2025 global launch event. Unilever Food Solutions Reflecting on his own experience at the heart of the Future Menus platform, UFS President Star Chen highlighted the role of food as an emotional connector. 'A great chef can create a memorable experience,' he said. 'A truly great chef creates an unforgettable one. And that often starts with a personal story.' For UFS, Culinary Roots is not a trend to merely observe—it's a practice to support. Templates built around traditional techniques, like marination and fermentation, provide a foundation chefs can customize, remix, and build upon. In today's environment—where diners increasingly ask where food comes from—this trend gives operators a way to deepen authenticity, connection, and trust. Menus that listen, meals that engage The rise of personalization isn't new. But in food service, its implications are only now being fully realized. Diners no longer want options. They want control. The Diner Designed trend reflects this shift—toward co-creation, flexibility, and tailored experience. At the Future Menus event, chef and provocateur Gaggan Anand brought this idea to life with his now-famous 'Lick It Up' dish—a literal invitation to engage, not just consume. The dish—and the philosophy behind it—underscored a larger truth: today's diners want to be part of the story. Attendees of the Future Menus 2025 global launch event enjoy an experiential 'Lick It Up' dish presented by iconic chef Gaggan Anand. Unilever Food Solutions 'Gen Z in particular expects interaction,' said Hernandez. 'It's not just about customization, it's about relevance. Diners want menus that feel made for them.' Vegan burgers prepared by UFS chefs from Unilever's AI application. Unilever Food Solutions To demonstrate the future of this idea, UFS debuted a Chef AI prototype during the event that allowed guests to personalize a dish based on dietary needs, spice tolerance, and mood. It was a playful proof of concept—but one grounded in practical utility. The trend is also deeply operational. UFS' support includes ingredient swap suggestions, modular dish builds, and digitally integrated planning tools that allow operators to deliver choice without overcomplicating execution. 'Being future-fit means understanding diners not just as customers, but as collaborators,' said Subramanian. 'That's what this trend captures.' As the event drew to a close, guests gathered for a final dinner at MOS Amsterdam—a moment of reflection, but also momentum—and readiness to address key challenges. 'Operators are under pressure,' said Subramanian. 'Labor, cost, expectations. Our role is to help them cope with those shifts—not just through inspiration, but with real tools.' UFS chefs prepare food for guests of the Future Menus 2025 global launch event in Amsterdam. Unilever Food Solutions And that's what Future Menus 2025 offers. Grounded in research, shaped by chefs, and tested in professional kitchens across six continents, it is less about prediction and more about preparation. For the chefs, restaurateurs, and food leaders navigating what's next, this report is not just a reference. It's a resource—and a reason to believe that innovation can be both practical and profound. Beyond the Future Menus report, UFS is committed to training chefs and operators within its portal, which houses thousands of recipes, practical kitchen and team solutions, content for inspiration and free modules with the latest professional trainings—all created and filmed with expert chefs from around the world. An immersive dining experience concludes the report's dazzling event marking the global launch of Future Menus 2025. Unilever Food Solutions
