“We hope to inspire and empower the next generation of chefs through the HIT course by highlighting just how easy it is to add creative meat-free dishes to menus.”

HIT Training has launched a new plant-based culinary school in the UK.

The chef academy has teamed up with meat-free pioneer, Quorn to present an eight-month plant-based training session called Plant Forward, for people who are already working as chefs.

The programme has been designed to provide specialised culinary education for the growing demand for vegan, vegetarian and plant-based restaurants and products.

The first trends and insight webinar will be conducted on Tuesday 26th January featuring HIT Academy’s lead trainer Rory Mitchell and vice-principal Mark Belford. The webinar will also include a cookery masterclass by plant-based, conscious cooking chef Chantelle Nicholson.

“It’s a pleasure to work with Quorn to launch our Plant Forward training programme and help to grow talent and support the next generation of chefs,” Paul Mannering, the academy’s principal, said.

“Our objective is for chefs to finish the programme with a core set of skills and depth of knowledge across a variety of plant-based ingredients and products.”

We're extremely proud to be launching the UK's first plant-based chef training programme, Plant Forward!

Find out more and sign-up to our FREE online launch event on Tues 26th January at 10:30am: https://t.co/DqVFugI9jj#plantforward #vegan #vegetarian #vegprotein #veganuary pic.twitter.com/kMQ3buqZJM

— HIT Training (@HITTraining) January 9, 2021

Growing plant-based food trend

Interest in plant-based eating has soared in recent years.

According to data expert company CGA’s report, customers are actively demanding delicious meat-free options. 25% of the people polled said it is important that the meals they eat outside their homes must not contain much meat.

The report also found that health was the main reason for 68% of the people wanting to reduce their meat consumption.

 Quorn X HIT

UK-based meatless brand Quorn – which offers several vegan products, including chicken nuggets – was founded in 1985.

 In 2018, it opened what it described as the “world’s biggest” vegan and vegetarian meat factory.

While HIT’s training programme will include a module on Quorn’s products to showcase its versatility across different dishes and cuisines, it will also incorporate a module on sustainability to highlight how plant-based proteins can have a positive impact on both the health of the planet and people. 

“We’re really excited to be part of HIT’s first-ever Plant Forward training programme. We have big ambitions at Quorn to help reduce the impact of our diets on the planet and our health,” Claire Roper, Head of Marketing & Innovation Foodservice at Quorn said.

She added: “Meat-free and plant-based dishes need to be exciting and full of flavour to capture imaginations. Lack of choice and innovative ideas frustrates consumers of plant-based foods when eating Out of Home.

“We hope to inspire and empower the next generation of chefs through the HIT course by highlighting just how easy it is to add creative meat-free dishes to menus.”

Interested chefs can enrol for the course here.

• Read: IKEA UK is all in for Veganuary 2021

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