nice to pay homage. In the semi-final, I think that the flavours, the colours, the vibrancy of the dishes really shone through and it paid off for me!
This is my fifth time this year that I’ve done it – I’ve never got to the final before. Firstly, it’s a very specific, high-end brief, using ingredients and techniques that I wouldn’t normally use in my day to day job being in the casual dining sector, so it’s a great opportunity for me to learn and test out new skills. If I don’t win this year, I’ll go back again next year and try again.
How did it feel to get through to the final?
I’m quite used to not hearing my name now, so when that happened I was really shocked! I knew that I had a strong starter and a strong main so the only thing that could have let me down was the dessert.
I sat down to do an interview with some of the judges after I cooked and they were raving about the first two and when it came to the dessert, they weren’t as enthusiastic. I thought, I hadn’t nailed it because it should be a nice balance across all three courses. So standing on that stage waiting for the finalists to be announced, in my head I thought I’d already lost, so that’s why I was very shocked to progress and win my heat for the first time!
Knorr and Unilever Food Solutions are proud to be longstanding sponsors of the National Chef of the Year competition. The foodservice industry is a significant and important part of Knorr’s business and we’re proud to have been by the side of culinary professionals since 1838.
Remember your first day? Watch our campaign film at www.ufs.com/knorr1838
