South West Chef of the Year 2014 launched in Exeter

South West Chef of the Year 2014 was launched in Exeter this week with 2013 winner Nathan Cornwell demonstrating two of his dishes at the Source Taste of the West Food and Drink Trade Show. This year’s competition is once again open to professional and amateur chefs, offering two classes for professional chefs (senior and junior), one class for junior chefs (under 16), and another class for home cooks where keen amateur chefs are asked to enter a favourite main course dish. Last year’s winner Nathan recreated his winning plate of roast loin of venison, squash puree, Savoy greens, red wine shallots and cherries which was then presented by 2013 South West’s Best Dish home cooks winner Steve Ashworth. Nathan, chef de partie at the Michelin-starred Lucknam Park near Bath, also produced pan-fried hake, scallop and fennel mousse, mussels and a mussel nage under the watchful eye of his executive chef Hywel Jones. There is once again a long list of widely respected judges for this year’s competition:

? Michael Caines MBE - ABode Hotels and Gidleigh Park
? Paul Ainsworth - Number 6 and Rojano’s in the Square, Padstow
? Peter Gorton - Gorton’s,

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? Neil Haydock - Watergate Bay Hotel, Newquay

? Mark Hix - Hix Restaurants, Lyme Regis and London

? Darrin Hosegrove - Ashburton Cookery School

? Simon Hulstone - The Elephant Restaurant, Torquay

? Hywel Jones - Lucknam Park, Bath

? Matt Mason -The Jack in the Green, Rockbeare

? Nathan Outlaw - Restaurant Nathan Outlaw and Seafood & Grill

? Rob Rees MBE - The Cotswold Chef

? Chris Tanner - Tanners Restaurant and Barbican Brasserie

? James Tanner - Tanners Restaurant and Barbican Brasserie

The finals of the competition will be held in October 2014, the Junior and South West’s Best Dish finals on the 4^th at Ashburton Cookery School and the Professionals final on the 27^th at Exeter College. There will then be a glittering awards presentation dinner later that evening at Exeter Golf and Country Club where all winners will be announced. The South West Chef of the Year competition is being staged by Michael Caines MBE and Taste of the West. More information on the event can be provided by emailing [email protected] or by calling 01626 334841. You can also visit the website or follow @SWChefComp on Twitter.

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