The semi-finalists have now been announced for the 10th South West Chef of the Year competition 2013.
This year saw the highest number of entrants to date and of an exceptional standard, resulting in the judges inviting a higher number of participants than previous years to prepare their menus at the semi-finals.
Chefs selected for both the Professional Class and the Young Professional Class are to attend the semi-finals at ExeterCollegeon Saturday 12th October. Three chefs will be selected from each class to return for the finals on Monday 28th October at Exeter College.
Professional class semi-finalists:
Adrian Andrews – Chef de Partie, Ode Restaurant, Shaldon
Sam Burfield – Sous Chef, The Castle Hotel,Taunton
Andrew Chan – Sous Chef, Thornbury Castle, Thornbury, Bristol
James Clark – Route 2, Topsham and Travelling Cookery School
Daniel Hutchinson – Senior Chef de Partie, Lucknam Park, Bath
Maciek Kijewski – Head Chef, Beales Gourmet Catering
Daniel Moon – Head Chef, Ston Easton Park, Bath
Brett Sutton – Head Chef, The Eastbury Hotel, Sherborne
Young Professional class semi-finalists:
Nathan Cornwell – Chef de Partie, Lucknam Park, Bath
Jonah Kellar – The Elephant Restaurant, Torquay
Harriet Pecover – Head Pastry Chef, The Jack in the Green, Rockbeare
Kristian Press – Gara Rock Restaurant, South Pool
Richard Townsend – Junior Sous Chef, The Eastbury Hotel, Sherborne
Camilla Waite – Chef de Partie, Paul Ainsworth at Number 6, Padstow
Amy Ward – Apprentice Chef, Magdalen Chapter Hotel, Exeter
Dominic Weeks – Chef de Partie, Lumière, Cheltenham
Meanwhile, the South West’s Best Dish class, sponsored by Ashburton Cookery School, received a record number of entries from the keen home cooks of the region. Faced with a wide range of dishes, the judges decided to invite four entrants, rather than the usual three, to the final to be held at the Ashburton Cookery School on Saturday 19th October.
South West’s Best Dish class finalists:
Steve Ashworth, Taunton
James Chubb, Exeter
Oonagh Egerton, Salisbury
Beverley Milner Simonds, Burnham on Sea
The competition will be judged by a panel of some of the finest chefs in the South West and the results of each class will be announced at an awards presentation dinner on the evening of Monday 28th October, sponsored and hosted by Exeter Golf and Country Club.
Despite the decision to bring more competitors to the finals, the judges still found the task of narrowing entries down an extremely difficult one. The standard of entries and the menus submitted grows each year as competitors vie for the prestigious and widely recognised title ‘South West Chef of the Year’.
“We were so impressed with the creativity exhibited by entrants this year in putting together their menus and recipes,” commented Michael Caines MBE. “Entrants have put a great deal of thought into their recipes, demonstrating their skill and dedication to creating interesting and balanced menus based on the wonderful array of produce available to them here in the South West.”
Entries for the new Junior class, launched for the first time this year, close on 12th September. The final will be held on Saturday 19th October at Ashburton Cookery School.
South West Chef of the Year is renowned for recognising the skill and dedication of professional chefs, up and coming young chefs and amateur cooks. Over the years, the competition has highlighted the very high standards that exist in the hospitality industry in the South West, helping raise the bar for all involved and improve the profitability and sustainability of an industry that is so significant for the region’s economy.
To book tickets to the awards presentation dinner, prepared by three previous winners of theSouth West Chefof the Year competition (Matthew Downing, Sous Chef at the Magdalen Chapter, Exeter; Tom Scade, Head Chef at Tides Restaurant, Rock; and John Walton, Head Chef at Paul Ainsworth at Number 6, Padstow), please contact 01626 334841 or [email protected]. £75 per person.
