Cheshire champion completes line up for North West Young Chef 2013 finals

The winner of the Cheshire heat of the Essential Cuisine North West Young Chef competition 2013 is 22-year-old Samuel Mairs from Warrington.

Sam, who is a junior sous chef at Grill on the Square in Warrington, won the Cheshire heat of the competition to complete the line up of contenders at the finals on 13^th June at Manchester college.

On winning his heat Sam said: “I didn’t think I had a chance of winning. I saw the other competitors’ dishes coming past me to be served and thought they all looked really good.

“I put a lot of long nights into preparing for this competition; I really focused on what was seasonal and local to me. It’s taken a lot of hard work and practice!”

Competing at South Cheshire College, Crewe on 25^th April, Sam cooked a starter of Boudin of Goosnargh chicken, Richard Wilding asparagus, wild mushrooms, morels and white wine sauce. His main course included butter poached Muncaster lobster, tempura claw, spring vegetables and Cheshire cheese sauce. He finished up with a desert of Willington Farm cox apple tart tatin, Walk Mill handmade pastry and Ampleforth brandy cream.

Sam will join four other finalists – Jaques Verite, winner of the Merseyside heat; Sam Palmer, winner of the Greater Manchester heat; Lee Brown, winner of the Lancashire heat and Daniel Akrigg, winner of the Cumbria heat.

The regional finalists get to attend a masterclass with a top chef. Last year’s finalists spent the day at Harthill Cookery School in Tattenhall with Aiden Byrne giving a fish masterclass.

The overall champion will win a stage at a top restaurant and automatic entry into the Craft Guild of Chefs’ National Young Chef of the Year awards.