Germain Schwab may be a man of few words, but don't think for a minute that he doesn't know what he'll be looking for when he joins the judging panel to find a successor to his title.
"I know exactly what I'm looking for," he says. "Someone who is breaking new ground, but not in a crazy way: combinations must work, not just sound obscure; someone who wants to cook - not be a celebrity and portray a good image but actually encourage young chefs into the industry; and someone who is giving something back to the industry, not just building their own empire. In short, a talented chef who has integrity and respect for his trade."
Schwab's words come as no surprise: he's just described himself - although he's probably too modest to admit it. You can't deny the impact he's made on the industry. He's got bags of accolades - two Michelin stars, nine out of 10 in the Good Food Guide, five AA rosettes - and his restaurant with rooms, Winteringham Fields in Lincolnshire, has just been named Harden's Best Restaurant in Britain.
But if you look beyond the accolades, you find more than just great cooking. The 52-year-old chef gives a lot of time to training chefs in local schools, colleges, even prisons. He is also a stern supporter of the use of British ingredients and goes out of his way to back local food businesses.
Schwab, who has run Winteringham Fields with his wife, Annie, for the past 15 years, recently put the business on the market. Looking back over that decade-and-a-half, Schwab says he has seen some dramatic changes.
"There's been a difference since Annie and I first came back to England from Switzerland 25 years ago. The British culinary scene was in the dark ages then. But the industry has opened up. With young people travelling more and being more worldly wise, they are entering the industry with a greater understanding of what is expected of them. You also now have chefs going out on a limb and not being afraid to do something different. I think it's fair to say we're leading Europe."
Elsewhere in the industry, the sensational food style of Ferran and Alberto Adrià at El Bulli is making an impact outside their native Spain; US chefs Charlie Trotter and Thomas Keller are leading chefs in other directions; and, of course, there's our own 2000 Chef Award winner, Gordon Ramsay, whose precise and solid cooking is much aped throughout Britain and increasingly around the globe.
Judges' criteria
The Chef Award is open to chefs from all sectors of the industry.
* It recognises trendsetters and innovators.
* The recipient must have made a considerable contribution to the industry as a whole, over and above his or her responsibilities and challenges at work.
* The award recognises an individual's input to the development of the profession.
This year's winner will be announced at the Catey Awards on Tuesday 1st July.
Previous Winners:
2002 Germain Schwab
2001 Michael Caines
2000 Gordon Ramsay
1999 Rick Stein
1998 Philip Howard
1997 Brian Turner
1996 Willi Elsener
1995 John Burton-Race
1994 Michael Nadell
1993 Shaun Hill
1992 Bernard Gaume
1991 Anton Edelmann
1990 Raymond Blanc
1989 Pierre Koffmann
1988 Nico Ladenis
1987 Peter Kromberg
1986 Brian Cotterill
1985 Anton Mosimann
1984 Michel Bourdin
Sponsored by: British Meat
Sponsor message:
British Meat is delighted to sponsor the prestigious Chef award for the sixth consecutive year. Our continuing work with chefs across all sectors of the catering industry provides us with a real understanding of the increasing demands facing chefs in today’s climate.
Skills and creativity are essential ingredients for success and the Chef award recognises both these attributes. British beef, pork and lamb provide chefs with the essential components of a balanced menu and the opportunity to create a whole host of unique and innovative dishes.
The Chef award is open to chefs from across the industry, from those up-and-coming young chefs who have demonstrated real talent at the start of their career, to those who are more established and have succeeded in making a positive and lasting contribution to the industry.
Back