Chefs competing in Bocuse d'Or UK selection named
The cook-off will decide who will be the next UK Bocuse d'Or candidate and will take place on Friday 11 September at Le Cordon Bleu cookery chool in Bloomsbury Square, London.
Candidates in the competition will include Anthony Wright, chef lecturer, University College Birmingham, Christian Grebenstein from the Ritz London and Steve Love, chef consultant and former executive chef of Loves Restaurant.
Each chef will have 1.5 hours to prepare, cook and present three different hot garnishes (five portions of each, 15 pieces in total) suitable for accompanying a fillet of British beef provided by sponsor Aubrey Allen. The chefs will be judged on the techniques used and the presentation which should be in the style of the Bocuse d'Or.
Team UK president and chair of the national selection judges Brian Turner said: "To represent one's country in the world's most prestigious cooking contest is among the greatest challenges to be undertaken by any chef. We have a promising line-up of candidates in this year's cook-off and with the right preparation there is nothing to stop any of them from representing the UK one day. No one should underestimate how much thought, time and practice is required to compete successfully and the cook-off is just the start of what will be a tough but hugely rewarding journey for the successful chef."
LoÁ¯c Malfait, academic director at Le Cordon Bleu London, said: "This will be a fantastic opportunity to have so many great chefs under our roof. We are known for teaching classic and modern techniques and using the best ingredients when teaching our students, so I'm interested to see what challenges lie ahead of these chefs."
The winner of the Bocuse d'Or UK national selection will be announced at a Champagne reception sponsored by supporters MoÁ«t & Chandon at 6pm at Le Cordon Bleu culinary school. The successful candidate will then compete in the European heats which take place in Budapest from 11-12 May 2016.
Previous UK candidates have included Adam Bennett from the Cross Kenilworth, Simon Hulstone from the Elephant in Torquay and Andre Garrett from Cliveden House hotel.
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