Marcus wareing
It would be wrong to describe Marcus Wareing as a rising star - he's already established himself as one of Britain's leading chef-restaurateurs - but there's no doubt there's a lot more to come from this chef than the stall that he set out at Pétrus in St James's Street, London, in 1999.
This year will see Wareing blossom. Two months ago he took over the Grill Room at London's Savoy hotel to glittering acclaim - "some of the best reviews I've read in ages," commented judge David Foskett - he has transformed Pétrus into a more accessible restaurant called La Fleur, and later this month he will relocate Pétrus to the Berkeley hotel.
While the judges agreed Wareing still has much to show the industry - indeed, 1998 Chef Award winner Philip Howard believes the Lancashire-born chef has yet to play his trump card - they could not overlook the progress he has made in his career to date.
Pétrus is one of only half-a-dozen five-AA-rosette restaurants in Britain and Ireland. It is often cited by the industry as an example of best practice, and Wareing is already, at the age of 32, producing his own protégés, his most famous being Angela Hartnett at London's Connaught. That's not to mention the numerous students who pass through his kitchens via his links with his old catering college, Southport, as well as his mentoring of young chefs in the Gordon Ramsay Scholar competition he founded with his own mentor, Ramsay, in 2001.
But for the judges of this award, it was Wareing's dedication to the stove that most impressed them. "He doesn't hide his ambition," said last year's winner, Germain Schwab. "I call him Mr Motivator because he's such a great mentor. But when you look at his food he's a master, he's been very well taught and his cooking is extremely precise."
Early reviews of the Savoy Grill lavished praise on the restaurant which many were previously sceptical about. "The day I ate I am sure there was not a better meal served on this silly old island of ours," wrote Giles Coren in The Times.
Howard agreed: "He's a top operator, but he hasn't maximised yet. He's so bloody good. He's focused, he's talented and he's got this amazing new learning curve unfolding in front of him."
Judges
DAVID FOSKETT Associate dean, Thames Valley University
PHILIP HOWARD Chef-proprietor, the Square
ANTON MOSIMANN Chairman, Mosimann's
GORDON RAMSAY Chef-patron, Gordon Ramsay Holdings
GERMAIN SCHWAB Chef-patron, Winteringham Fields
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.
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