Danny Leung

ward winning contract caterer, Lexington Catering, prides itself on providing the highest quality culinary delights to its customers via a team of dedicated chefs.

Head Chef, Danny Leung, winner of the prestigious Tilda Chef of the Year 2012, who has worked at Lexington Catering for 7 years, has taken time out of his busy schedule to talk to us about his passions and how Tilda helps him deliver excellence in his food.

Catering for over 300 covers a day, Danny faces a number of daily challenges, from satisfying the demands of his customers’ palates, to sourcing only the highest quality ingredients to ensure consistency and taste in his dishes. “One of the biggest tests we face is that we serve the same customer base every day, so the need to stimulate them is vital. The ability to experiment with dishes is key, not only to keeping our customers excited, but also to try and make sure that they stay on site at meal times. The summer is particularly tricky, as most will want to take their lunch in the sunshine. I therefore need to ensure that our food offerings are appealing enough to delay that walk and they decide to sample our dishes. It can be tricky, but it’s a challenge I thrive on.”

A staple ingredient that Danny insists on is Tilda’s rice range. Due to its versatile nature, Tilda is served and incorporated into dishes at least three times a week, with Basmati & Wild being a particular favourite: “Basmati & Wild enhances any dish as it has such a unique texture and bite. Visually it’s very appealing and is also great for time saving as it’s so easy to cook. We’re currently featuring a stunning recipe using Basmati & Wild on our menu, Persian Jewelled Basmati & Wild Rice with Moroccan Spiced Poussin. Delicious!”

Another dish which Danny is currently delighting his customers with is the light, healthy and summer themed Wholegrain Basmati Super Food Salad with Royal Jubilee Dressing using Tilda’s Wholegrain Brown Basmati rice. “I think that wholegrain rice generally is really underused in cooking at the moment. It’s such a great ingredient and adds a different dimension and flavour to dishes. I highly recommend trying it for yourself.”