North West Young Chef
The organisers of the North West Young Chef competition have announced the competitors for its September final. They are Scott Price from the Rampsbeck Country House hotel in Cumbria, Lee Attwood from the Watersreach restaurant in Manchester, Joe Wright from the Chetwode Arms in Warrington, Paul Walker from Northcote Manor near Blackburn, and Ben Whitley from the Warehouse Brasserie in Southport.
The competition is the brainchild of North West Fine Foods and seeks to reward and encourage young chefs and focus on local produce. The finals will take place at Manchester Metropolitan University on 16 September. In addition to a cash prize, the winner will receive professional cooking equipment and work experience at Ristorante La Palombara in Umbria, Italy.
Craft Guild Graduate Awards
Twenty-five chefs have taken part in the first round of exams for the inaugural Craft Guild of Chefs Graduate Awards. The entrants were asked to perform butchery and fishmongery tasks and create a dish for four covers from a box of mystery ingredients, while their pastry skills were tested with a pithivier.
The 10 highest scorers - Gary Kilminster of Whittlebury Hall hotel, Towcaster; Robert Taylor of the Tenth restaurant, Royal Garden hotel, London; Chris O'Callaghan of Eastwell Manor hotel, Ashford; Simon Gallop of Restaurant Associates at Morgan Stanley, London; Richard Edwards of the Royal Garden, London; Jamie Gill of the Greenhouse, London; Ricky Martin of Boodle's, London; Nick Sinclair of the Novotel London Euston; Martin Sauer of Circadia, Merton, south London; and Rory Macdonald of Nutfield Priory hotel, Redhill, Surrey - will go on to compete in the second round of exams at Thames Valley University on 10 September.
New Ways with Bramley
Breakfast overcame two puddings in the inaugural New Ways with Bramley competition held last week at London's Westminster Kingsway College.
Eighteen-year-old Daniel Hills, from Glenrothes College in Fife, won the prize with his creation, Brighter Bramley Breakfast, a version of the traditional breakfast with three workings of Bramley apple as the accompaniment.
Hills served black pudding with sautéd Bramley wedges topped with a poached egg and crispy bacon with an apple pur‚e poured over. At the side, he made three small caramelised apple balls.
Judge Willie Pike, executive chef for Sodexho, said that although black pudding and apple was a traditional combination, what won it was the strength of flavour. "He made full use of the apple's potential - innovation is nothing without taste," said Pike. Chairman of the Bramley Campaign, Ian Mitchell, added that the judges were particularly impressed by the presentation.
The competition, organised by the Bramley Apple Information Service, is open to all full-time catering students over the age 15 and aims to encourage young chefs to think creatively about cooking with Bramley apples. The three finalists had one hour to produce two plated portions of their recipes, which had been chosen from about 50 paper entries.
Hills walks away with £500 for himself and £500 for his college. The two runners-up, Jermaine Weeks from Westminster Kingsway College and Stuart Rendall from Brooklands College, both win £250.
Avenance Grand Prix
Chefs Gary Periti, Amanda West, John Johnson, Kevin Price and Nik Johnson scooped best in show for their culinary displays at the Avenance Grand Prix regional finals, which took place last month. More than 200 Avenance chefs took part in the events, staged throughout Britain, with classes ranging from plated starters and buffet centrepieces to canapés.
Young Chef Young Waiter
The 19th Young Chef Young Waiter competition is seeking competitors. Organised by the Restaurant Association in partnership with the Savoy Educational Trust, American Express, Wines of Rioja and Champagne Louis Roederer, the competition is aimed at chefs and waiters working in the UK aged 25 and under. The total prize package includes £7,000, trips to Louis Roederer in Reims, Rioja in Spain, a weekend at Pennyhill Park in Surrey and equipment from Hansens. Philip Howard, chef-proprietor of London's the Square, will head up the chefs' judging panel for the first time this year, while the judges for the waiting competition will be led by Annie Schwab, proprietor of Winteringham Fields in Lincolnshire. Deadline for entries is 31 July. Go to www.ycyw.co.uk for further details.
UK Jeune Commis Chef
Daniel Hayes of the Bailiffscourt hotel in Climping, Sussex, has been named UK Jeune Commis Chef, following a competition at the Cordon Bleu school in London last week. Hayes beat off the efforts of six other competitors to secure a trip to South Africa, where he will represent the UK in the international version of the event on 4 September.
Chefs shine in City & Guilds Rising Stars
Two chefs joined five other achievers in a list of rising stars honoured by the City & Guilds at a UK awards ceremony to celebrate lifelong learning. Jacqueline Oliver from Jersey, who overcame severe back problems and diabetes to complete her City & Guilds qualification, picked up the Lifelong Learner of the Year, while Leonore Sherry from Stroud was awarded the Outstanding Achiever of the Year accolade for her efforts, despite suffering from cerebral palsy. Sherry is unable to walk or talk unaided but is still studying on the preliminary cookery course.