South West Chef of the Year semi-finalists revealed

The semi-finalists for this this year’s South West Chef of the Year Awards have been announced, including 2009 Masterchef winner Mat Follas. The short-list of professional and young professional chefs from some of the region’s best restaurants has been selected which amongst others features Mat Follas, now with a new restaurant of his own in Dorchester, restaurants including Manor House Hotel, Castle Combe; Merchants Manor in Falmouth and Bovey Castle in Moretonhampstead. The Young Professional Class features chefs from Lucknam Park in Bath; Gidleigh Park in Chagford; Castle Hotel in Taunton and the Five Bells Inn in Clyst Hydon. Michael Caines comments: “The standard of entries was exceptional this year with entrants putting a lot of thought into their chosen menus and creating dishes that really impressed the judges on paper. South West Chef of the Year is a prestigious award which is held in high regard by chefs and restaurateurs in the region. The line-up of semi-finalists reflects the importance within the industry of competing in, and winning, this award.”

The shortlist of 16 semi-finalists in the Professional and Young Professional classes was chosen by an illustrious panel of chef judges that includes Michael Caines MBE, James and Chris Tanner, Mark Hix, Paul Ainsworth, Peter Gorton, Matt Mason and Nathan Outlaw. The semi-finalists will cook their menus for the judging panel on Saturday 11^th October where they will have just one and a half hours to prepare their two-course menu for three people using two compulsory ingredients. The Professional class semi-finalists must include mackerel and lamb neck fillet and the Young Professional semi-finalists are required to work with cod and Red Ruby rump tail. With meat supplied by Pipers Farm and fish by Kingfisher Brixham, the semi-finalists delicious and diverse menus include cod ravioli, mackerel three ways and Ruby Red rump tartare.

The successful semi-finalists selected

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for the final will return to prepare a three-course meal using a mystery box of ingredients presented only 30 minutes before the competition begins on 27^th October.

The full list of Professional and Young Professional semi-finalists are:

Professional Class Semi-finalists - sponsored by Ritter Courivaud Cornwall • Dale McIntosh, Head Chef, Merchants Manor, Falmouth Devon • Stuart Brown, Senior Sous Chef, Combe House Hotel, Gittisham • Greg Newman, Junior Sous Chef, Bovey Castle, Moretonhampstead Dorset • Mat Follas, Chef Partron, Restaurant Mat Follas, Dorchester Somerset •Martin Blake, Sous Chef, Homewood Park Hotel, Bath •Eddy Rains, Head Chef, The Wheatsheaf, Combe Hay, Somerset •Craig Small, Junior Sous Chef, Claytons Kitchen @ The Porter, Bath Wiltshire • Dean Westcar, Junior Sous Chef, Manor House Hotel, Castle Combe Reserve: Stephen Cole, Junior Sous Chef, Victoria Inn, Salcombe

Young Professional Class Semi-finalists:

Devon • Daniel Gambles, Chef de Partie, Gidleigh Park, Chagford • Joshua Martin, Chef de Partie, Bovey Castle, Moretonhampstead • Ravid Tripp, Sous Chef, Five Bells Inn, Clyst Hydon Somerset • Dan Adkin, Demi Chef de Partie, Lucknam Park, Bath • Alexander Brownrigg, Demi Chef de Partie, Homewood Park Hotel, Bath • John Godfrey, Senior Chef de Partie, Castle Hotel, Taunton • Thomas Westerland, Demi Chef de Partie, Lucknam Park, Bath Wiltshire • Elly Wentworth, Chef de Partie, Manor House Hotel, Castle Combe Reserve: Steffan Davies, Commis Chef, Gidleigh Park, Chagford Amateur cooks have also been selected to go straight through to the final of the South West’s Best Dish class and impress the judges with their talent and knowledge of regional produce. The 2014 finalists in this class include last year’s winner Steve Ashworth from Taunton; Oonagh Eggerton from Salisbury; Alexandra Jenkins from Honiton; Benjamin Martin from Penryn and Beverley Milner Simonds from Burnham on Sea.

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