First Robbie Millar Scholarship winner named

Chris McClurg from SHU restaurant in Belfast has been named the first winner of the Robbie Millar Scholarship.

The 18-year-old chef triumphed at the final cook off held at the East Tyrone College in Dungannon last month.

The finalists had to create a three course meal using ingredients including scallops, beef fillet and Valrhona chocolate under the watchful eye of a judging panel including Northern Irish chefs Paul Rankin and Michael Deane.

McClurg’s winning menu consisted of a starter of hand dived scallops with curried cauliflower puree, raisins and sherry vinegar, followed by a main course of Tournedos Rossini, and a dessert of Valrhona chocolate fondant with pistachio ice cream.

The Robbie Millar Scholarship was launched in January this year in memory of the late Northern Irish Michelin-starred chef who died in a car crash in 2005.

The competition is open to chefs below the age of 23 offering the winner the chance to study under Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray at the River Café, with chef Richard Corrigan, and at Château Vignelaure in Provence, France.

By Kerstin Kühn

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