Newcomer of the Year
It was one particular comment made during the judging of this category in 1999 that clinched the Newcomer of the Year award for Club Gascon and its head chef, Pascal Aussignac. David Wilkinson, general manager at the Dorchester, likened the tastes on the plate to those he had experienced at the renowned Oak Room at Le Méridien, Piccadilly. For a new eaterie in the crowded London restaurant scene, that is quite something.
Formal accolades came thick and fast for the 60-seat Club Gascon after the restaurant's opening in September 1998 close to the meat market in the fashionable Smithfield area of London. The key reviewers sang its praises with the AA's Restaurant Guide 2000 voting it Restaurant of the Year for England and giving it two rosettes. If the reservations book is anything to go by, its popularity has not waned in the slightest: there is a waiting list of up to three weeks for a table.
French delights
The focus on the gastronomic delights of south-west France - cassoulet, jambon de Bayonne, rillettes, garbure, millas and, of course, foie gras - presented simply in small portions, appears to have caught the imagination of the capital's food lovers.
Aussignac and his business partner Vincent Labeyrie have major plans for 2000. Cellar Gascon, a wine bar specialising in wines from south-west France, is to open at the end of January next to Club Gascon. It will sell wine and food for consumption on and off the premises from 11am to 11pm, offering 80 wines by the glass.
Hot on its heels will be a delicatessen offering regional specialities from Gascony, including bakery, patisserie, vegetables and fish to retail and wholesale customers. It is due to open in March.
But despite those projects, Aussignac is adamant that there will not be another Club Gascon. He does not want to fall into the trap of expanding in the light of glowing reviews only to spread himself too thinly and risk lowering standards.
So who will take this Catey in 2000? In addition to the criteria outlined below, the winner or winners must be an inspiration to other newcomers, the sort of person or people who will show the hospitality industry to be a thriving career option offering real opportunities for success and recognition.
If you know a potential winner or winners, nominate them by obtaining a form from Sarah Sutton, Tel. 020 8652 8349. Any support material in the form of menus, brochures or a statement of no more than 200 words will help the judges. Closing date for nominations is Friday 3 March and judging will take place at the Four Seasons Inn on the Park hotel in London on Friday 28 April.
