Yorkshire’s Kurtus Auty taking on the world in chef competition

Kurtus Auty is taking on his counterparts from around the world as he battles for votes as part of the San Pellegrino Young Chef Academy competition.

Kurtus last year became executive chef of Bosun’s in his home county of Yorkshire, following spells working for Monica Galetti and, previously, Gordon Ramsay.

He then went on to work at The Cliff in Barbados, before returning to the UK.

Kurtus competed on MasterChef: The Professionals in 2019 and is now looking for success in this year’s San Pellegrino Fine Dining Lovers Food for Thought Award, which features chefs from across the world aged 18-30.

“Last year I entered the San Pellegrino competition,” Kurtus told The Staff Canteen.

“I wasn’t actually expecting to get in to cook against the 10 finalists. But then I went to go and cook where we had The Fat Duck, Alex Dilling’s chef, all these top chefs there.

“Then after, I didn't win the initial award, but I won the People’s Choice Award, where everyone was voting in the UK for my dish basically.

“A couple of days before, someone messaged me and said, ‘by the way you’re on for another award’. It was pretty cool to hear. Then when I realised I’m actually up against the whole world, I was like wow.”

VOTING NOW OPEN

Chefs were all asked a question when coming up with their entry, which was: “What message, history and identity would you like to convey through this dish?”

Voters are now being asked to choose the finalist they feel 'best represents their personal beliefs with their selected dish'.

Kurtus said: “I've got until May 30 to get votes in, but they're more focusing on who tells the better story of the dish.

“I did ‘courgette dive’ as a story of using sustainable ingredients, but from the ground. Crab, mussels and then linking it with a nice premium turbot.

“So it's about being sustainable using courgettes. I did my theme on pop art, how you would see rows in a courgette farm. So I did stripes, linking the yellow and green. But then I actually wrapped my fish around with stripy pasta. It’s a bit odd or weird, but I was linking it to pop art to tell a story.”

PUSHING FOR MORE

Discussing his decision to enter the competition, Kurtus said: “I entered it when I was younger, about 18, but I didn't think I was as prepared as I am nowadays.

“I just thought I'll re-enter it and test my luck and I got through.

“When I came back from Barbados last year, I said to myself I was going to enter as many competitions as I can.

“I do like to push myself. I like to strive. It keeps you on the edge, getting to see all these amazing other chefs competing and seeing what they're producing. It’s just good networking as well.”

Discussing his food style, Kurtus added: “I like to be different. I don't like to be copying other people. I like to be known for putting quirky ingredients together.

“If you can cook the same dish at home, then why would you come to a restaurant? You have to be really different.

“The first thing I did when I came back to the UK was pairing kiwi with pate and people were like ‘what? That is odd’. But then it actually really worked.”

LEARNING THE HARD WAY

It has been far from all plain sailing for Kurtus in his career in hospitality, overcoming some early struggles before his breakthrough on MasterChef.

He explained: “My career path started through college, working in a pub on my weekends, a lot more hours than I was supposed to be working. It's how I wanted to learn my trade and graft.

“Then I did the Golden Apron (in 2015), which was my first ever competition. That gave me good stepping stones and made me produce three dishes for Asda. I worked with James Mackenzie on that and James Martin actually promoted it.

“After that I was looking at where else would you want to go. You go to London to basically push your career up.

“At 18 it was tough times. I didn’t have enough money in the bank, but I just went for it, took the risk and luckily got through. I was working 80 to 100-hour weeks in the Gordon Ramsay Group and it just built you.

“It broke you down, but it was just about having that goal, where you want to see yourself in life in a restaurant.”

Kurtus worked in Gordon’s restaurant, which is now Lucky Cat, before also spending time at Pétrus and then two-Michelin-starred Le Pressoir d’Argent in Bordeaux, which he described as a “brutal” experience.

Kurtus then left the Gordon Ramsay Group to compete on MasterChef.

“It was the best thing I ever could have done to be honest,” said the 27-year-old.

“I got to work for Monica Galetti afterwards. She was a really good mentor. She brought me down to earth with the way of how you should be in a kitchen.

“I still remind myself of moving to London at 18, literally not having the money to actually live and then just striving and pushing myself to actually make ends meet.

“It was tough, but it builds you into the person you are today.”

CULTURE CHANGE

Asked how he found returning to Yorkshire after life in the sunnier climes of Barbados, Kurtus said: “Luckily enough I see the river outside, so I can basically imagine that’s the sea! I just have to imagine it blue.

 

 

 

 

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“It was interesting. After staying two years in Barbados and then coming back, it was like, wow, everything's gone up and different, you know?

“But it was good, because I’d never actually cooked in Yorkshire. I started off my career in Yorkshire, but then I was always away. And then for people to come back and actually try my food now from when I was that young kid, it creates a really good buzz and vibe. Every week I'm getting people who know me coming through the door.”

Ambitious Kurtus is not planning to stop at the San Pellegrino competition.

“I've re-entered the same competitions I entered last year, like National Chef, and we'll see how that goes,” said Kurtus.

Follow this link to vote for Kurtus in the San Pellegrino competition.