Zimmer wins through in Taittinger cook-off
Just 30 marks separated the winner of the 2002 Prix Pierre Taittinger (PPT) UK final from the highest-scoring runner-up in the most closely-fought battle in the competition's history.
Eyck Zimmer, senior sous chef at Claridge's, London, emerged as the winner after a five-hour cook-off at London's Westminster Kingsway College last month.
He will now represent the UK in the international grand final to be held in Paris on 19 November.
Six chefs took part in the cook-off after being selected from a paper judging round by Paul Gayler, executive chef of London's Lanesborough hotel, who was chairman of the judges and the UK member of the international PPT jury, and Andrew Bennett, executive chef of the Sharaton Park Lane hotel, London.
Zimmer's dish was based on the compulsory ingredients of a 3kg monkfish and a 1kg blue female lobster served with two garnishes of his choice. He presented the monkfish whole, baked with a Madeira and juniper berry glaze, accompanied by garnishes of carrot and scallop charlotte with asparagus, and artichoke and puff pastry flowers.
The judges - including Herbert Berger, Henry Brosi, Chris Galvin, Nigel Haworth, Paul Heathcote and Philip Howard - agreed that Zimmer's entry was "beautifully presented" and "perfectly cooked".
The chefs, marked out of 200, were also required to prepare 12 quenelles of pike mousseline with a sauce of their choice, and bake a tarte sabl‚e au citron with a coulis de fruits rouge to a given recipe.
It was Zimmer's second attempt to win a place in the grand final. "There was some excellent stuff going on out there and I really didn't think I'd win," he commented.
Zimmer will also represent the UK the 2003 Bocuse d'Or World Culinary Contest in Lyons, France.
The UK finalists
Winner: Eyck Zimmer, Claridge's, London
Neil Cairns, Royal Commonwealth Club, London
Neil Ferguson, Angela Hartnett at the Connaught, London
Nicholas Laridan, Le Gavroche, London
Peter Sawers, Wiltons, Jermyn Street, London
David Schofield, Ritz hotel, London
