Led by candidate Tom Phillips of London’s Restaurant Story, Team UK also won the prize for the Best Theme on Plate at the high-profile competition, which was held in Norway.
Sebastian Holberg Svendsgaard, Denmark was the winning candidate, followed by Gustav Leonhardt, Sweden winning silver and Håvard Werkland from Norway, who took bronze.
The six other national teams going through to the final are France, Hungary, Italy, Iceland, Slovaki and Finland.
Team UK comprised of president Clare Smyth, chef patron of Core by Clare Smyth and Oncore in Sydney, Phillips, coach Ian Musgrave of The Ritz and commis chef Harry van Lierop of The Ledbury.
Each team had five hours 35 minutes to prepare the Theme On Plate and the Theme on Platter. The Theme on Plate had to feature the reindeer meat of Røros, a flagship product of the Sami culture along with aquavit, Norway’s national spirit.
For the Theme on Platter, the candidates cooked Skrei, a migratory Northern European cod, Frøya scallops with two garnishes served on the platter and a third garnish served on the side. The chefs also had to include at least one ingredient from their country as a tribute to their culinary heritage.
“The general standard was exceptionally high and I believe that Europe is the toughest selection in the world. I’m very proud of how Tom and Harry conducted themselves, they worked immaculately and very cleanly and showcased the British identity in their own style,” says Clare Smyth, who judged the platters on day one and two of the competition.
Phillips added: “There are always ways we can do better but overall we’ve done ourselves proud. We showcased what we’ve been working towards and that we are pushing for the podium in Lyon.”
Team UK will now compete for a place in the podium in Lyon on 26 and 27 January 2025.
