COOKERY COUPLE ON WORLD STAGE: CALEY HOME IN ON BRITAIN

TOP chef Tony Jackson and his wife Maureen will serve 15,000 portions in three days in Brussels as Scotland sells its fish world-wide. The couple, who have a four-star hotel near Peterhead, situated in a former RAF Officers Mess, are leading a five-strong team at Europe’s largest seafood exhibition in Brussels. The global showcase is just one of a number of high-profile events at which Tony, 59, originally from Durham but now living in Aviemore, and Aberdeenshire-born Maureen, 53, are involved with their event management company. It was formed after they catered for 1,200 people over seven days as the Royal and Ancient celebrated their 250th anniversary. The lead a jet-set lifestyle and have just returned from Singapore where they assisted Scotland’s promotion at Food and Hotel Asia. Organisation is the name of the game for the couple who run the 47-room, Buchan Braes Hotel at Boddam. It also has a 60-cover restaurant and they specialise in Scottish seafood. They prepared as much of the food as possible in Scotland before arriving in Brussels. Their kitchen at the event is around 15-feet square on the Scotland stand at the busy three-day show which closes today (THURS) and is on course to attract 20,000 delegates from around the world. Tony, a former catering director for Macdonald Hotels, who has worked in a number of the world major cities, and who teaches hospitality at Fraserburgh College, and Maureen, who used to teach at Glenrothes College, work up to a 12-hours day at the show. He said: “Delegates come from all over the world to the European Seafood Exposition and it is crucial to serve them something they remember. “We’ve done this before – Maureen seven times and I’ve done it six times - and this year we’ve got the biggest kitchen we’ve ever had. “We’ll serve around 15,000 people over the three days and that includes delegate tasting, lunches for invited guests and receptions.” Tony, who will judge at the Olympic Culinary event in Germany later this year, was manager of the Scottish Culinary team for 12 years. During that time the senior team was third and the junior team first in the world. He said: “We used the best of Scottish produce here (in Brussels) and in our hotel. Quality is so important and we’re spoiled in Scotland as we have such a fantastic supply of produce. “We’ve got lots of seafood, beef and venison and every chef in the world envies what we have in our natural larder.” CALEY Fisheries from Peterhead currently the majority of their business abroad – but that is about to change. Boss Stephen Jon Buchan revealed that the 78-year-old company is set to launch a business drive at home. The news came as the Aberdeenshire-based firm woo potential clients at Europe’s biggest seafood exhibition in Brussels. Currently, London’s famous Billingsgate Fish Market and the busy Birmingham Fish Market are customers. And the Castle Street firm are keen to open new domestic doors. Company services include fishing vessel management and supply, fish landing and auctioneering, procurement of all species of fish including whitefish, Palagic fish, shellfish and fish from deeper waters. They also process fresh catches and do freezing and cold storage as well as marketing and global distribution. Mr Buchan said: “We’re bucking trends in the recession and we’re looking forward to next year. “We are confident we are going in the right direction and we aim to develop our sales in the UK. “Currently, 95 per cent of our product is exported. The five per cent British sales have been business we’ve had for the last 15 years but we are determined to increase that.”