The winners of Essential Cuisine’s Best Brigades 2016, the chef team at the Hilton Manchester Deansgate, have been treated to a culinary tour de force from the mercurial Aiden Byrne, Chef Patron of the city’sManchester House.
Alongside the trophy and a cheque for £1000, the masterclass was part of the prize for winning the nationwide competition, which saw the brigade, led by Executive Head Chef Stuart Duff, edge out seven other UK regions in the search for the best of the best.
The masterclass, held in the kitchens at the hotel, began with a Stocks and Glace tasting session from Essential Cuisine chefs Robin Dudley and Howard Beasley, before Aiden took the mantle to cook three dishes while imparting words of wisdom borne of his experience at the passes of establishments such as Pied a Terre and The Dorchester.
The chef is well-known for being a champion of British produce and demonstrated a Teal dish with juniper berries and textures of kale, alongside turbot with broad beans which used the juice from a blowtorched langoustine head to add incredible flavour and theatre.
Aiden said of the masterclass: “The idea of the demonstration was to give the young chefs an insight into day-to-day life at Manchester House, and also what 30 years of experience looks like. What was clear from the outset is that with skillsets diminishing in kitchens, Stuart is a lucky man to have such a great team around him. When you have that kind of group, it can be the most exciting and inspiring place to work.”
Executive Head Chef, Stuart Duff, added: “The team are still buzzing about the masterclass and really enjoyed it. Aiden was able to give my guys a full ‘warts and all’ account of being a chef which is so valuable for people coming into the trade – it really hit home. We also saw some fantastic cooking both from him and the Essential Cuisine boys. We’re extremely proud to be Britain’s Best Brigade and I’m thrilled the team have got the recognition they thoroughly deserve.”
After an initial paper judging stage, which saw scores of entries from around the country, eight regional Best Brigades finalists were tasked with creating a short video to encapsulate the sense of camaraderie, teamwork and cooking prowess within the kitchen walls. The brigade at the high-rise Hilton Manchester Deansgate Hotel, triumphed by a handful of public votes after almost 1300 people took to the internet to have their say, with the team’s video effort, representing North West & Northern Ireland, being judged as overall winner.
United by a frequent diet of masterclasses, day trips to suppliers, food shows and 6am harbour side starts, the hardworking Hilton Manchester Deansgate team put food at the forefront of their video – showcasing dishes from the sumptuous menu, cut with imagery taken from their many educational tours.
