On 28th May 2014, our 6 North West Young Chef finalists landed at The Manchester House for a special master class with Aiden Byrne, and it certainly was one to remember.
The chefs and their mentors were each treated to a tour of the bar, restaurant and open plan kitchen, followed by a demo at the Chefs Table with Aiden himself.
Whilst visiting the restaurant, the finalists were honoured to meet the renowned Pierre Koffmann, one of only a handful of chefs with 3 Michelin star acclaim. Pierre offered invaluable experience, and gave the young chefs the benefit of his lifelong experience.
At the chefs table, and preparing a wild sea bass with avocado, lime and ginger dish, Aiden Byrne gave some words of advice to our finalists.
“You need to enjoy yourselves, and it should be a pleasure to come to work. We have a lot of fun but we get the job done, everyone knows what they’re doing without shouting.”
“Entering competitions is a test of character, and I didn’t do it until Great British Menu – on a national stage! You have to pick yourself up and learn from your mistakes.”
“If I could give you one piece of advice, it would be to carry of learning until you retire; the more you learn the better you get as a chef, and the more potential you have to make it big. And don’t focus on what other people around you are doing, keep your head down and believe in yourself.”
Chairman of Judges Brian Mellor added “you may have to put in the extra hours, and work hard, but your passion and dedication will pay off. There’s no reason why you can’t be a judge for this competition or have your own restaurant in 20 years time.”
The 6 finalists hoping to take the crown are Sam Nash from Cumbria, Danny Young from Lancashire, Cara Maguire from Flintshire, Ben Costello from Cheshire, Dan Heffy from Merseyside and Steven Halligan from Greater Manchester.
All 6 will now go on to compete in the final on 18th June at Manchester College, Didsbury, before the winner takes their place in the semi-final of the Young National Chef of the Year Competition.
