Ricki Weston of South Lodge Hotel, London has been crowned winner of the 2014 Chaîne des Rôtisseurs’ Young Chef of the Year last night at the Dorchester Hotel, London. Weston will now continue on to represent Great Britain at the World Finals to be held in Durban, South Africa this September.
Weston battled it out against two top contenders, Deepak Mallya, on assignment at the Ritz, and Joe Gould, of the Lainston House Hotel, in the Grand Finals at the MOD Food Services Wing, Worthy Down earlier in March.
The three finalists, all of whom were under the age of 27 and working in Chaîne des Rôtisseurs’ establishments across the UK, were tasked with the ultimate challenge – to create a three course meal from a mystery ‘black box’ of ingredients, in just 3 hours.
Each three course menu was judged on presentation, originality, and of course taste, with Weston’s ambitious menu proving to be the winning combination with complex flavour combinations and exceptional execution.
Daniel Galmiche of The Vineyard at Stockcross and Chairman of Judges celebrated the finalists’ efforts by saying:
“All three finalists demonstrated an incredibly high level of skill, passion and creativity as well as a real understanding of flavour profiles. Ricki’s menu was exceptional and we congratulate him on his achievement.”
The Competition is supported by Gaggenau, Winterhalter, 3663 and a number of associate partners who are all passionate about supporting next generation skills and fine dining.
Chaîne des Rôtisseurs
The Chaîne des Rôtisseurs is an international gastronomic society. Founded in Paris in 1950, the society is dedicated to bringing together professional and non-professional members from around the world who appreciate wine cuisine and fine dining. Its long culinary history and tradition can be dated back to as far as 1248 and continues to be promoted today through its extensive local, national and international events. In an age of fast food culture, the Chaîne aims to sustain the appreciation of high quality food and drinks of all types and provide recognition for excellence.
The Young Chef Competition is just one of a calendar of world-renowned events hosted and promoted by the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs to encourage the aspirations of young professionals and provides a platform for them to compete with their peers. The Chaîne provides a network across over 80 countries where the spirit of camaraderie helps and welcomes travelling members.
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