Kitchen-Angels support the community by taking lead in hosting different charity events
Allergy Magazine UK May 2005
- Learning to cook

With a little know-how, you can whip-up a restaurant-quality meal for you and your children even if, like the Hislop family, you have been diagnosed with a long list of allergies. We team-up with mum Cahterine (allergic to yeast, wheat, dairy, chocolate, all fruits except apples, potatoes, animal products like beef and pork, egg and sugar. She is intolerant to soya, and has multiple chemical sensitivity), Marie-Antoinette (Allergic to wheat, dairy, some nuts, cocoa, chocolate, salicylate and some fruits. Sensitive to sugar and food additives, and showing signs of multiple chemical sensitivity) and Sarah (Allergic to wheat, dairy, food additives, some nuts, cocoa, chocolate, some fruits and sensitive to sugar) with award-winning chef, Hassen Guerroudj from Kitchen Angels, so he can show them how to get out of the teatime rut.

I have suffered from food allergies for as long as I can remember says mum Catherine who is local contact for Allergy UK in Watford where she lives. From an early age both my daughters (aged 15 and 8) seemed to have similar allergies or sensitivities, so in our case, genetics has definitely played it part. Both of Catherine's parents died from cancer in their fifties.

One man who does understand is master chef, Hassen Guerroudj, partner at Kitchen Angels, a catering company that devises bespoke menus for parties and events so that people with special dietary needs are well catered for. As all their chefs are either multi-rosette or Michelin-starred, the food is always something special too.

When Catherine first told me about her family's food allergies, I knew that creating a meal would be a fantastic challenge. I decided to devise a menu that could be eaten by everyone in the family, so the dishes can be cooked at home and they can all sit down to eat together and enjoy it says Hassen. It's not actually as hard as it may seem to make a delicious, healthy meal if you have various food allergies. There is a great range of free-from foods in supermarkets these days, and a number of alternatives that can be used to add exciting colours, flavours and textures.

Hassen with his expert team, Tam MacDonald and Kevin Clark made: Bacon, red onion and leek salad; Cucumber and Coriander soup for starters, Chicken and basil with rice and Chicken and prawn paella for mains, Apple and rice pudding stack and apple sorber for Dessert. The verdict: Catherine There was still quite a lot here that I couldn't really eat but I did enjoy the chicken,basil and rice dish and the apple stack. Fresh herbs are great to use at home. Marie Antoinette I ate the bacon salad by myself and I enjoyed mucking-in in the kitchen with the chefs-the soup was fun to make. The apple stack was my favourite dessert. I liked the two main meals best and the apple sorbet for dessert was yummy says Sarah.

Newbury Weekly News 22 December 2005
- Spreading festive spirit to those less fortunate

When people settle down to enjoy their Christmas dinner on Sunday, many will spare a thought for those less fortunate than themselves.

This year, four volunteers from the Loose Ends Project have chosen to serve a meal to those who may have otherwise have no meal at all. The executive chef at Kitchen Angels, which specialises in high-quality catering, is another benevolent soul who will spend Christmas day cooking for elderly people who would otherwise spend the day alone. I really want to make their day says Mr Guerroudj. The enjoyment you get from doing something like this is unbelievable. It leaves you feeling dizzy with joy.

Mr. Guerroudj himself will be helping with the food this year, and the chef is another person with strong feelings about the true importance of the festive season. He regularly helps out at Christmas time, and last year provided food for a Christmas event at Thatcham Baptist Church.



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