Applications are now being invited for the British Culinary Federation’s (BCF) 2010 Chef of the Year competition, as the finalists for the Young Chef competition are revealed.
Sponsored by catering butchers Aubrey Allen, the BCF Chef of the Year competition has seen past winners such as Simon Hulstone, chef/proprietor of The Elephant in Torquay, and Luke Tipping of Simpson’s in Birmingham, go on to achieve ‘great success’.
Originally a competition for Midlands chefs only, the Chef of the Year became open to national applications in 2008, and last year saw Pierre Koffmann, Yolande Stanley, Jean-Christophe Ansanay-Alex and Christophe Marguin appear as judges.
The semi-final will be held at University College, Birmingham on 18 January 2010, with the live final taking place at Hotelympia at ExCel, London on 1 March. Applications can be downloaded from www.aubreyallenwholesale.co.uk/chefoftheyear, or by emailing daniela@aubreyallen.co.uk.
The BCF has also revealed the 16 finalists through to the last stage of the Young Chef of the Year competition, which is due to take place at University College, Birmingham on 16 November.
The finalists, all of whom are aged 23 or under, have been chosen from across the hospitality industry to participate in the competition that will require them to create a three course meal for two incorporating a fish starter using bream, a main course using British pork, and a dessert using pears and chocolate.
The winner will receive the David Bache trophy, along with £250 and a trip to Luxembourg. Previous winners have included Marcus Eaves of L’Autre Pied and Sue Ellis from Belle House.
The 16 finalists of the BCF Young Chef of the Year competition are:
Matthew Willdig, Moat house, Stafford
Tom Edmunds, Hyatt Hotel, Birmingham
Liam Davies, Manor Hotel, Coventry
Luke Staton, Keele University, Staffordshire
Edward Attwell, Loves Restaurant, Birmingham
Aaron Darnley, Edmund’s Restaurant, Solihull
Liam Dillon,University College Birmingham
Gary Brown, University of Warwick
Adam Degg, New Hall Hotel, Erdington
Steven Allery, Dorchester Hotel, London
Helen Evans, Simpsons Restaurant, Birmingham
James Diprose, RAC Club, London
David Ingle, Oakley Court Hotel, Windsor
Jack Allibone, House of Commons
Paul Kirk, Liverpool Community College
Jonathon Mills, Mallory Court, Leamington Spa
Find out what the judges will be looking for in our video of last year's competition, with Pierre Kauffman, Yolande Stanley and Jean-Christophe Ansanay-Alex: