Well done to the team from Blackpool and the Fylde College for triumphing in this year's Nestlé Toque D'Or competition, which reached a climax last Friday at the Dorchester Hotel in London.
As ever, Nestlé's Martin Webster treated guests to a slick and pacy show, and guest presenter James Martin did a good job of hosting proceedings, even if his scatalogical references to chocolate puddings threatened to put the gathered throng off its lunch.
As he opened the gold envelope to reveal the winning team's identity, Alastair Sykes, Chairman and Chief Executive of Nestlé pulled off a dramatic pause that Brucie would be proud of on Strictly Come Dancing.
If you've ever been to a Toque D'Or final, you'll know just how bonkers the winning team goes when it hears its name announced. This year's winners were no different - and who can blame them? As well as the thrill of being crowned the best college brigade in the country, they get to enjoy a study tour at the Johnson & Wales University in North Carolina, USA.
Much screaming and punching of the air later, we settled down to a suitably lavish lunch created by Henry Brosi to mark the occasion:
* Seared scallops with cauliflower pureé, parmesan crisp and sherry vinaigrette
* Roast fillet beef with red onion marmalade and ravioli from shank, seasonal vegetables, horseradish mash, burgundy jus
* Citrus fruit granité with rosemary cream cheese sabayon and vodka sorbet cannelloni
If the rosemary sabayon sounds odd, take my word for it: it worked really well.
Comments (5)
By far the best day of my life! I was in the winning team for Blackpool - America here we come. Many thanks to all the sponsors and Nestlé and everyone who plays a part in Toque d'Or because without everyone it would not be the most prestigious competition in the UK.
Posted by Graham Floyd | June 25, 2007 2:09 PM
Posted on June 25, 2007 14:09
Graham, many congratulations to you and the rest of your team. Why don't you write back and tell us a bit more about the past 12 months, and your experience of competing in the Toque D'Or? What were the high points? And the lows?
Posted by Mark Lewis | June 25, 2007 3:33 PM
Posted on June 25, 2007 15:33
A rollercoaster is the only way to describe it. Ups and downs all the way through the competition between building and broken friendships but in the end, on the day that mattered we knew each others' every move. The weight taken off our shoulders when our name was read out at the Dorchester was the best feeling imaginable. All the hard work, the laughs, the tears all payed off in the end. A truely remarkable experience.
Posted by Graham Floyd | June 25, 2007 11:58 PM
Posted on June 25, 2007 23:58
Excellent! Let us know how the coming year pans out, and what happens on the trip to the States.
Posted by Mark Lewis | June 27, 2007 8:59 AM
Posted on June 27, 2007 08:59
Hi Mark, I'm writing to tell you how the study tour was. We had a five day trip to America. We spent Monday to Thursday in Boston then Thursday to Friday in New York. We did some site-seeing and shopping. There was no university study tour.
Posted by Graham Floyd | November 6, 2007 1:53 PM
Posted on November 6, 2007 13:53