Competition round-up
Roux fine dining awards Two chefs de partie excelled to take the top two places in the inaugural Roux Fine Dining Hospitality Skills Competition last month at London's Westminster Kingsway College.
Tom Matterface and Daniel Cox, both from the Merrill Lynch contract in London, finished first and second respectively in an eight-strong field that saw them compete against sous and head chefs. Third place went to sous chef Lee Clarke of UBS Warburg.
In the same competition, Glen Harris, assistant manager at Restaurant 24 in the City's Tower 42 building, was the winning waiter, also from a field of eight, with Rebecca Lee, advanced booking supervisor at UBS Warburg, in second place and Christophe Robinel, supervisor at Vertigo, also in Tower 42, third.
Robinel also clinched the Champagne-pouring prize, for which the waiters had to pour eight equal glasses of Champagne, leaving the bottle empty and without revisiting any of the glasses.
The cook-and-serve competition was the idea of the late Roger Naylor, who died, sadly, three weeks before the competition. As executive chef for Roux Fine Dining at Merrill Lynch, he had mentored both Matterface and Cox.
Albert Roux, who joined Naylor's widow, Angela, in presenting the prizes and a Roger Naylor Memorial plate and trophy, commented: "It shows the level and standard of teaching those two chefs received."
To achieve the accolades, the chefs had two hours to prepare a four-course menu, to include cheese and biscuits, for six covers, four of which were then served to diners by the front-of-house competitors. The main course had to incorporate a saddle or best end of lamb, to be carved at the table by the waiter.
Matterface wins a week-long course at the Lenôtre school in Paris, while Harris will head to Bordeaux later this year for the grape harvest.
TUCO student competitions Young chefs working in the UK's universities and colleges were also vying for honours last month, in the inaugural Tilda-sponsored TUCO (The University Caterers Organisation) Young Chef of the Year competition.
Walking off with the winner's laurels was Andrew Whalley, 23, who represented Keele University. Like his four fellow competitors, he had to prepare and cook a four-cover, two-course meal in a two-hour cook-off.
The combination of courses was left to each finalist, although the chefs were required to reflect the growing popularity of ethnic cuisine among their target markets of 16- to 25-year-olds, and to incorporate one of Tilda's ready-to-use sauces.
Whalley chose to put out an offering of a starter and main course. His dishes were vegetable kofta kebab in vegetable curry sauce, followed by Nilgar turkey korma, basmati rice with saffron and palak kalti.
The competition was held at Blackpool and Fylde College, alongside several other TUCO events. These included the annual TUCO Chefs Challenge, held in 2003 for the 10th time.
This year a record 20 teams competed in the challenge, but it was the three chefs from Wales's Cardiff University who impressed the judging panel, chaired by Peter Griffith, executive head chef at the Manor hotel, Meriden, in the West Midlands.
The team cooked a three-course meal, which had to make use of fish and meat supplied by competition sponsors Norwegian Seafood and the Meat & Livestock Commission.
It comprised cod fillet topped with Welsh rarebit served on crab cake with warm caper dressing; fillet of beef wrapped in mousseline and spinach leaves served on a fondant potato accompanied by mini batter pudding, red onion marmalade and vegetables in filo pastry; and a trio of desserts - chocolate and raspberry tart, blackcurrant sorbet, and panna cotta with fruit compote and a tuile biscuit.
Gordon Ramsay scholar If you fancy becoming the next Gordon Ramsay scholar, you need to know where you see yourself at the age of 30. The organisers of the annual competition are currently seeking entries from young chefs aged between 18 and 25 on 1 July. In addition to their crystal-ball predictions, competitors for the 2003 title must submit a recipe for their favourite dish, and 100 words stating why it is so.
The winner will receive prizes valued at more than £30,000, including a cheque for £5,000 and two stages in world-renowned kitchens. Entries close on 13 August. For details call 01737 224324 or e-mail ramsay.scholar@virgin.net.
Drambuie Scottish Chef of the Year Brian Hannan, organiser of the Scottish chefs Association's Drambuie Scottish Chef of the Year competition, has named the 10 chefs shortlisted for this year's award. The chefs vying to follow in the footsteps of last year's winner, Andrew Fairlie, chef-proprietor of Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles in Auchterarder (who also scooped the Newcomer of the Year Catey in 2002), are: Matthew Gray, Inverlochy Castle, Fort William; Tony Borthwick, the Plumed Horse, Crossmichael; Martin Wishart of restaurant Martin Wishart, Edinburgh; Jeff Bland, Balmoral, Edinburgh; Brian Maule, Chardon d'Or, Glasgow; Willie Deans, the Buttery, Glasgow; Peter Jukes, the Cellar, Anstruther; Craig Millar, the Seafood restaurant, St Monans; Alan Craigie, the Creel, Orkney; Charles Lockley, Boath House, near Nairn.
The winner will be announced on 11 May at a gala dinner at the Glasgow Hilton.
