Andrew Kay talks about his International Chef Exchange project

This year’s Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival Spring Harvest programme saw the launch of a new project. International Chef Exchange was an idea that Andrew Kay conceived whilst enjoying a very fine meal at the Beaumont Hotel in Maastricht. Here he describes what ensued:

“I was sitting alone at Beaumont Hotel, enjoying what was possibly one of the best meals I had ever had, and wishing that I could share it with my food loving friends. There and then it came to me, why not try to organise a chef exchange within the food festival, after all my reason for being in Maastricht was to enjoy their food festival.

“On my return I got together with festival managing director Nick Mosley over our usual few drinks and outlined the idea. It was a big project for sure but one that he immediately supported. With the bones in place I then went back to my friends at the Netherlands Board of Tourism and Beaumont Hotel. Within hours they had both replied and said that they would love to be involved. All I needed to find now was a suitable chef to swap from Brighton.

“The decision was easy, I needed a great chef who worked at a hotel. That would make the swap easier logistically. Drakes has long been a favourite and Andrew Mackenzie is a chef that never fails to impress. I called them and they too were delighted to get on board. In a matter of days the wheels were in motion.

“Seven months is not a long time when it comes to this kind of planning but before I knew it all the component parts were in place. Audrey Eussen would be in Brighton for our festival and would cook at Drakes. Andy would go to Maastricht in the early summer for the return leg of the project.

“Leg one is now complete. Audrey and her boss Chris Beaumont have been here for four days during which time they went on a gastronomic tour of Sussex, ate at some of our finest restaurants, saw a great play at Brighton’s Theatre Royal and Audrey and Andy cooked a meal of such note at Drakes that people are already telling me that it was their best dining experience – EVER!

“Here at Latest Media managing director Bill Smith gave me full reign to make a film of the Brighton part of ICEx and has now said that I can film the Maastricht event for latest.TV. The footage is looking great and we are all very excited that it will make a fascinating and fun programme.

“ICEx started as a small idea but I now have hotels and restaurants, some highly acclaimed, all asking if they can join in. I hope that they can, but of course all this takes time and money. Time I can find, I already have a sleep debt that I can never repay so what’s a few more hours, especially when I am doing something I really love. What I do need now are serious sponsors. People who can provide the project with the funding that it needs to continue. Maybe you can help, or maybe you know someone who can? Please write to me if you do: andrew@thelatest.co.uk.