Well known
for hosting many a hard fought battle on the pitch, the Amex Stadium in
Brighton moved play inside to the kitchens on Tuesday 29 October, as six of
Sussex’s finest young chefs took part in a sizzling cook off to win the coveted
prize of Sussex Young Chef of the Year award, sponsored by Sodexo Prestige, as
part of the Sussex Food and Drink Awards 2013/14.
The contestants were Nick Bennet from The Curlew
Restaurant in Bodium, Adam Gibbs from The Coach and Horses in Danehill, Perry
Foord from Deans Place Hotel in Alfriston, Ricki Weston from South Lodge Hotel
in Lower Beeding and from Brighton & Hove, Joseph Otway from The Ginger Pig
and James McGarry from L’Église.
The chefs,
who were nominated by public vote and then shortlisted from their written
application, had to prepare and produce a full three-course menu based on
seasonal, locally sourced Sussex ingredients in only 90 minutes. They were asked to create a menu that would
be suitable to serve at a gala dinner to local dignitaries in celebration of
the Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club being chosen to host some matches
for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
The judging
panel, Sodexo Prestige’s Principal Chef, Malcolm Emery and Craft &
Food Development Director, David Mulcahy, along with Leroy Clarke
from City College Brighton & Hove’s Catering Department, were looking for
innovation and the sourcing of ingredients in this final stage of the
competition. However, also of great
importance was the taste, presentation, creativity, saleability and consumer
appeal of their menus and after much deliberation on the part of the judging
panel the three grand finalists were agreed as follows:
Twenty three year old Joseph Otway from The Ginger
Pig in Brighton & Hove is an ambitious young chef and his passion for
perfecting new techniques was apparent throughout his menu. The judging panel applauded the bold flavours
he used in the combination of his hot and cold line caught, Sussex mackerel
starter. This was followed by roast
crown and crispy stuffed leg of wild partridge with blackberry dressing and a
classic pear tarte tatin to finish, with prune and Armagnac ice cream and dark
butterscotch sauce.
Twenty five year old, Nick Bennet from The Curlew
Restaurant in Bodium, East Sussex is one of the youngest serving Sous Chefs
working in a Michelin starred restaurant in the UK and his boundless energy and
enthusiasm prevailed in the final menu that he delivered in the cook off. He started with Rye Bay scallops with a butternut
squash and Olde Sussex cheddar garnish, followed by loin of venison with spiced
blackberries. His poached and roasted
Sussex Pear was hailed as an amazing dessert with one judge saying ‘I would
like to sell this in my restaurant!’
Twenty one year old, Ricki Weston from South Lodge
Hotel in Lower Beeding, West Sussex has an eye for detail and this was
certainly a factor that got the judges attention in this competition. Creating stunning plates of food, his
fantastic starter of perfectly cooked mackerel with a beetroot, horseradish and
pear garnish got him off to a great start.
He chose South Downs Game venison to follow, served with parsnip, purple
carrot and a dark chocolate sauce. To
finish, he prepared a delightful spiced sponge with apple, caramel and
pistachio nuts.
Said Malcolm
Emery, Principal Chef at Sodexo Prestige, “We have been so impressed with the
standard of cooking in this competition as well as the professionalism shown by
all six chefs. All the menus produced
were of outstanding quality and to choose just three was a difficult challenge
for all the judges. I am delighted for
the winners today, but I shall be watching the careers of all these chefs with
interest and have no doubt that they will all be hugely successful in the future.”
Other
categories in these sought-after awards include best Sussex eating experience,
food producer, drink producer, farmer, food/farm shop, butcher and farmers
market. Grand Finalists will be
announced later this month and winners and runners up will
be revealed at the ‘Sussex foodie event of the year’, the Sussex Food &
Drink Awards Banquet, at the Amex Stadium on 30th January 2014, hosted by
patron of the awards Sally Gunnell and Danny Pike from BBC Sussex. Tickets for the superb, seven course Sussex
feast and awards ceremony are now on sale.
To find out more visit www.sussexfoodawards.biz
