The Miraculous Egg

A simple egg is a marvellous thing.

Not only is the egg a nutritious and versatile food in its own right, it can be used to create structures ranging from a light and airy meringue to a dense and rich custard. During this seminar, Tom Coultate and David Mason will explain the science behind the egg. What happens to it when it is heated, moussed, or added to an emulsion? This seminar will demystify some of the wonderful properties of the humble egg.

About the speakers:

Tom Coultate, food scientist, started his scientific career as a lab technician and then research assistant at Unilever’s Colworth laboratories. In 1972, he graduated from Leicester University with a PhD and moved to London to work as a lecturer in Food Science at London Southbank University. He recently retired as their Principal Lecturer in Food Biochemistry. In the early 1980s the Royal Society of Chemistry asked Tom to write a textbook on Food Chemistry for use by school teachers of both Chemistry and Home Economics. A great success, it is now in its fifth edition and a leading undergraduate textbook for food science courses around the world, and has been translated into Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Chinese. Tom writes occasional articles for food industry magazines and recently contributed to Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck Cookbook.

David Mason took the passion for food he developed in five years working in the catering industry and transferred it to the classroom, where he taught Food Technology and Catering. David’s company, Culinary Science, trains school teachers and college lecturers about the important role of science in preparing and cooking food. David strives to promote Food Technology as a professional and academic subject that not only utilises culinary knowledge but also incorporates science and mathematics.