AMADEUS GLORIOUS ISSUE 3_lowres

DEVELOPING TALENT MEET OUR CHEFS
What I’m loving
this season
With delicious asparagus and vibrant purple sprouting broccoli
grown down the road in Evesham, Jason Taws is blessed with the
local produce on his doorstep. The Executive Chef looks after the
Genting Arena which holds nearly 16,000 people. Glorious speaks
to the chef who is about to celebrate ten years with Amadeus
Executive Chef Jason Taws oversees
all catering at the Genting Arena, one
of the Midlands’ most outstanding
entertainment experiences. Some of
the world’s best comedians, musicians,
sportspeople, daredevils, and everything
in between, perform at the venue.
Jason’s role as a leader in the kitchen
is to ensure all guests who dine
have a great experience, from the
retail food outlets through to
hospitality dining.
Jason is on the cusp of celebrating
ten years with Amadeus and has
witnessed many great advances
during this time. “When I first
joined I was reporting to an
Executive Chef and now I’m in
that role and working with the
General Manager,” says Jason.
“For me personally I have more
control and decide what is on
the menus. In the Arena we
offer a vast array of catering with
a real eclectic mix of food which is
constantly evolving. Amadeus has
grown and come on leaps and bounds during
this time and I’ve loved every minute. We have
developed from the catering arm at the NEC to
a recognised sister of the group. We’ve won
major contracts, worked on many external
events and obviously also did the Olympics!
I believe we are now a force to be reckoned with
as we continue to raise the bar and never rest on
our laurels. The food we produce rivals, if not
betters, what our competitors do. It is no longer
the case that one menu suits all, we will
tailor our food to suit the audience
profile and our food concepts are
constantly evolving to keep things
fresh, which in turn energises and
motivates the whole team.”
Jason has an enthusiastic
yet calm persona and his
experience shines through
when talking about the
Arena and the team who
work with him. “We can
hold such massive numbers
and although they may
not all dine, we will still serve
thousands of covers during an
event. There are food offers which are
set in stone, for example the fish and
chips and the burger. However at
Amadeus we can get really creative
and produce new concepts. The
recent trend of street food is no
secret and now we play with this offer and are
always looking at how we create new cuisines
here. It’s hard work but great fun at the same
time and truly wouldn’t be possible without the
team around me. I have got to where I am today
with the chefs that work alongside me – Chris
Durden, Steve McCarthy, Victoria Bolton and
Stuart Garbett. We can serve 800 covers on
a night across many restaurants.”
It’s a modest approach from a chef who clearly
cares about his team and the guest experience
when dining. Jason has in the past worked at the
House of Commons and he argues this really
makes you or breaks you. “The House of
Commons is one of those places where some of
the staff has worked there in excess of 25 years.
When you first enter it is very hard to establish
yourself but you have to be persistent and
contribute where you can. You slowly get more
“It is no longer the case that one menu suits all,
we will tailor our food to suit the audience
profile and our food concepts are constantly
evolving to keep things fresh”
Jason Taws, Executive Chef at Genting Arena
Season’s best: Using the finest
local produce in every dish
Eye-catching: The first bite is with the eye!
10 GLORIOUS AMADEUSFOOD.CO.UK 11