Elior UK takes best team award at La Parade des Chefs
Elior UK has been named best team at La Parade des Chefs at Hotelympia.
Ten teams, including contract catering rivals Compass Group and Sodexo, as well as Claridge's and Jumeirah, took turns to compete at the five-day trade show.
They were each tasked with preparing a three-course menu for 100 covers in the glass-walled kitchens of the fine-dining restaurant, La Parade des Chefs.
The Elior team's winning menu of citrus and dill cured sea trout with crispy scallop, orange and fennel; Launceston lamb three ways with "cabbage and bacon" and thyme-baked beets; and banana cheesecake with warm sticky date pudding and salted peanut ice-cream secured the coveted award.
Tim Hammond, chief executive of Elior UK, said: "Elior takes pride in providing joy, pleasure and service with a smile to customers at over 650 sites across the country, so we're delighted that the culinary skill of our chefs has been recognised at Hotelympia."
The Elior team, made up of Mark Crowe, Hayden Groves, Peter Joyner, Ryan Hodges, Andrew Biggs, Ben Mansfield and Jack Malins, also took home the top award on the day for the food safety challenge, judged by a team of specialist Environmental Health Inspectors.
Other teams to compete were Westminster Kingsway College, Craft Guild of Chefs, House of Commons and Chefs of Ireland Culinary Team.
Hotelympia 2012 competition results >>
Hayden Groves leaves Elior to join BaxterStorey >>
By Janie Manzoori-Stamford
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