PURRING WITH PRIDE AT YOUNG CHEF COUNTY HEAT !
A savvy young chef who runs his own reputable restaurant at the tender age of 23 has made it to the last leg of the race to become the most promising culinary property in the North West.
Chris Rawlinson, who did his training at South Trafford College, Altrincham, won Thursday’s Cheshire heat of the Essential Cuisine-sponsored North West Young Chef of the Year.
Alongside four other 18-25 year old finalists, the talented chef and owner of The Red Cat in Whittle-Le-Woods, Chorley, was challenged with cooking up a winning three course meal for two using local North West produce costing up to £25, clinching the heat with £7.27 to spare.
He impressed judges with his Reg Johnson’s wood pigeon ballontine with haggis tortellini and fried quails egg for starters, West Coast turbot with saffron risotto, parmesan tuille, cauliflower beignets, pickled cauliflower and Watt’s
Farm micro herbs for mains, and quartet of rhubarb, crumble, trifle, carpaccio and lavender tarte tatin, to finish up.
Chris, who has worked in London and Sydney, has been waiting seven years to make the North West Young Chef final, first entering at 16, and intends to give it his all against county winners from Cumbria, Merseyside, Greater Manchester and Lancashire in May’s showdown.
“I absolutely love competitions and they are a great opportunity to demonstrate your skills as everything has to be made from scratch. said Chris. “Even better if you win!
“It was the buzz of the kitchen when I first stepped into a proper catering unit in my first job at Heathcotes in Manchester that got me hooked on the business. I was fascinated by the way the head chef had such control on that first day. After this initial buzz, the food took over and I began to love the intensity of creating amazing dishes under pressure.
“I’ve had The Red Cat for two years now and this year, we made it into the Michelin Guide, which is fantastic. I have to say, though, while I relish the challenge of running the whole operation, I’m still happiest in the kitchen.”
At yesterday’s nerve wracking cook off, Chris faced a scrupulous judging panel; competition organiser and British Masterchef Brian Mellor (Chef ‘n’ Farmer, Wirral), Aiden Byrne (The Church Green, Lymm) – who worked under Tom Aiken at his Chelsea restaurant and at the age of 22, was the youngest chef to receive a Michelin Star - and Nigel Crane, chef and managing director of competition sponsor, Essential Cuisine, based in Cheshire.
“I used a lot of regional food on my menus which is back in fashion and applied the same philosophy to my cook off dish,” said Chris.“I have close relationships with my butcher, greengrocer etc, which means my menus are always up to date. For example, I’ll know if there will be a delay on a certain crop due to bad weather.
“My role model is Dave Aspin, executive chef at Rocpool Reserve, Inverness, who I trained under at Heathcotes and then The Establishment in Manchester. I also think Gordon Ramsay has done a lot of good for the industry. ”
If Chris goes on to win North West Young Chef of the Year at the final in front of regional producers, food writers, media and top chefs, he will receive a week long bursary in a top European restaurant with mentoring from an accomplished chef. He will also win a weekend for two at a luxury hotel and a set of Global chefs’ knives.
North West Young Chef aims to give chefs the opportunity to increase their chances of achieving long term goals, demonstrate skills to a professional audience and get invaluable feedback.
Judge Nigel Crane from Essential Cuisine said: “It not only gives chefs the chance to experience the thrill of competing, but the chance to learn from peers and give employers something to think about when they look at a CV. It’s a competitive industry and accolades such as this play a big part in shaping an aspiring chef’s future. We wish Chris all the best in the final.”
04/03/2009|