WHO’S MEAT WILL MEET THE MARK?
Essential Cuisine is brais-enly sponsoring Meat Pub Chef of the Year in PubChef’s Food Excellence Awards for the second year running.
The three finalists have now been announced and will do battle in a cook-off at the Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board at Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, on January 28th.
For this category, the judging panel of chefs and food writers will be joined by Essential Cuisine managing director Nigel Crane, formerly a development chef at RHM and sous chef under Anton Mosimann at The Dorchester.
Meat Pub Chef of the Year 2009 finalists
• Simon Goodman - Duke of Cumberland Arms, Fernhurst, West Sussex
Dish: Goodwood organic confit belly of pork, apple and calvados glaze, creamy Savoy cabbage, sauteed potatoes and a thyme and Madeira jus
• Tim Payne - Paradise by Way of Kensal Green, London
Dish: Braised pork cheeks and osso bucco sauce
• Ben Bulger - Clanfield Tavern, Clanfield, Oxfordshire
Dish: Blade of beef in Porter, roast shallots, celeriac and walnut relish
A total of 34 pub chefs from across the UK are set to battle it out in a series of cook-offs in a bid to be crowned a Pub Chef of the Year 2009.
Judges include Alastair Sawday's Pubs & Inns Guide editor David Hancock, Which? Good Food Guide editor Elizabeth Cater, Craft Guild of Chefs chief executive Martin Bates and Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge, who will be tasting dishes across 10 categories including young chef, global cuisine, game, bar dishes, seafood, pub classics, team, poultry, desserts and meat.
Winners will be announced on the March 12th at the PubChef Food Excellence Awards at Plaisterers' Hall, London. The overall Pub Chef of the Year 2009 will have the honour of having a menu devised by them served to the 350 guests at the awards night.
Last year’s meat category, sponsored by Essential, was won by owner and head chef at Herefordshire’s The Wellington, Ross Williams, with his roast rack and faggot of speckled-faced Welsh lamb with shallot and red wine sauce, roast garlic mashuté and garlic and thyme jus.
Selling points included the pairing of the rack and the faggot for distinct but complementary flavours and textures. The faggot was also considered a great way to up GP and use up parts of the animal normally cast aside. Judges also praised Ross for his “fantastic butchery skills”.
The former PR director’s overall chef skills led to a 15% growth in food sales at The Wellington, paving the way for a restaurant extension and pub refurbishment.
27/01/2009|