Winners announced at UK South Asian Chef competition
Mariappan Sethurajapillai, chef at the Deli 6 Restaurant in Sutton, has won the 33rd annual UK South Asian Chef Competition (SACC).
He wins the title of the UK South Asian Chef 2015, a prize of £2,000 and a membership of the Craft Guild of Chefs, which helps to organise and judge the contest. This is the second win for Sethurajapillai, who scooped the same award ten years ago.
Kevin Hughes, chef tutor at the International Academy of Culinary Arts, Leeds City College, won second prize with £1,000; while Bishal Rasaily from Pushkar Cocktail Bar & Dining, Birmingham, won third prize with £750.
CH&Co chef Ranjit Salian, at the Law Society London, picked up the Healthy Dish award, while the Innovative Dish prize was presented to Rehan Ahmed from S&A Foods Derby.
There were eight finalists in total, judged by a panel including chair of judges Andrew Green, vice president and governor of the Craft Guild of Chefs.
The awards ceremony took place at the Annual Business Dinner at the Magna Science Centre in Rotherham, near Sheffield, and was attended by over 800 business guests.
The dinner also raised £125,000 for charity, with the Weston Park Hospital Cancer Care, Sheffield one of the main causes supported at the event.
The contest is open to all restaurateurs and chef nominated by their customers for their Asian-style cuisine. Chefs were asked to produce creative and innovative dishes of their own design.