Dessert of the Year

Having won bronze and silver in 2000 and 2001 respectively, the only medal Kofie Addai-Mensah wanted from this year's Dessert of the Year competition was the gold. And gold was precisely what he got.

As assistant manager at Nadell Patisserie in Islington, north London, Addai-Mensah was on home ground at the venue for the ninth annual competition, organised by the Association of Pastry Chefs (APC).

"The competition was set up to give opportunities for pastry chefs," said Alan Whatley, chairman of the APC. "They come with nothing and have to prove themselves on the day. Training for a competition like this brings up some good skills. It keeps skills alive and gives people a reason to do sugar and chocolate work."

The competition was open to all chefs aged 21 and over, and was not restricted to pastry chefs. "There have been entries from chefs once or twice but they are usually from pastry chefs," said Michael Nadell. Past winners of the Nadell Trophy, which is presented to the winner of the competition, include William Curley, proprietor of Patisserie One, who took the gold medal in 1996.

Addai-Mensah was one of 11 entrants selected from a paper judging to take part in the final on 12 October. Finalists had two-and-a-half hours to produce from scratch four plates of a free-interpretation dessert. The competitors were allotted a bench to work at and shared use of equipment, including a 10-burner stove and a bank of baking ovens.

The peace and calm of the first two hours gave way to a frenzy of activity as Nadell announced that there were 30 minutes left. The whirring of mixers, slamming of freezer doors and clattering of spoons on pans escalated as competitors shifted up a gear to finish off filo pastry parcels, miniature mousses and jellies, delicate sugar spirals, and flakes and curls of chocolate.

While working method and hygiene each accounted for 25% of the marks, presentation and, particularly, taste were of utmost importance, carrying 50% of the mark. "Taste has to be the most important of all," agreed Nadell and Whatley.

The judges were unanimous in their choice of Addai-Mensah as winner. Whatley and Claire Clark commented on the number of skills evident in his assiette Romanoff, and the consensus was that the dessert was "well balanced" with "nice flavours coming through" and "textures including cold, warm and frozen all on the plate".

"I've spent six months working on the dessert because I didn't want to lose that gold," said Addai-Mensah, who joined Nadell Patisserie six years ago and intends to defend his title next year. "My aim was to get hot, cold and frozen elements all on the plate, and also plenty of taste, because that's what makes a good dessert."

The silver medal went to Yuki Babaguchi, of the Great Eastern hotel, for a chocolate and pear délice; and in third place was Kayo Akiyania, also of the Great Eastern hotel, for a medley of Granny Smiths.

All finalists received a commemorative plate, a jacket and certificate.

The finalists

Kofie Addai-Mensah, Nadell Patisserie (gold)
Kayo Akiyania, Great Eastern hotel (bronze)
Fabrice Bleyiri, Royal Garden hotel
Yuki Babaguchi, Great Eastern hotel (silver)
Adam Coleby, Royal Garden hotel
Karl Hughes, Celtic Manor
Gabriel Riva, Patisserie Valerie (certificate of merit)
Darren Purchese, Browns
Christopher Nurse, Carlton Tower
Matthew Hodgett, Lehman Brothers (certificate of merit)
Harry Goicochea-Perez, Millennium Mayfair hotel

The judges

Michael Nadell, chef-proprietor, Nadell Patisserie
Alan Whatley, pastry lecturer, Brooklands College, Weybridge
Claire Clark, head pastry chef, Hilton London Metropole
Martin Powell, chef-pâtissier, RAC Club, London