Content area
Full Text
In our regular series, Jackie Mitchell talks to George McIvor, Executive Chef, Baxters Food Group about his life and work
When George McIvor, executive chef, Baxters Food Group, was working at a client's staff restaurant in Speyside, he noticed they were serving "stoup" - a word that means big and chunky, but they didn't specify soup. "That's because it was much more than a soup," says George. "It was something warm, hearty and nutritious, with big handfuls of chunky vegetables. I thought there must be a market for this."
So began George's development work for Baxters' "Big and Chunky Range", which is described as "a variety of big soups with big personalities". George says: "I wanted to create a meal in a bowl. People are eating soup as lunch and are looking for something more filling and appealing."
Originally there were 12 varieties, but these were streamlined down to five after tastings - Lentil, Vegetable & Bacon; Spicy Chicken Dahl; Beef Goulash; Thai Chicken and; Tuscan Bean, all free from artificial ingredients.
George considers "Big & Chunky" one of his greatest achievements, which took about 12 months to develop. "A major part of this was extensive taste panels until we got the products exactly right," he added.
George works closely with his team of three chefs, ten development assistants and ten food technologists.
More recently, he has been developing a range of light summer soups, which will be launched in April (see Hotelympia review page 32).
A major part of his work is sourcing and looking at new and innovative ingredients. "I do travel extensively," he says. "I like dining out. Although I work in development, I need to be exposed to restaurants and see what...