By Angela Green, Content Executive, H&C News: Team UK secures place in the Bocuse d’Or World Final.
Bocuse d’Or candidates Ian Musgrave and Adam Beaumont, both of The Ritz London, cooked their way to a place in the Bocuse d’Or World final yesterday, winning the Special Prize for theme on the plate and securing 8th place.
The chefs were supported by coach Tom Phillips, head chef at Restaurant Story and President Simon Rogan of L’Enclume. Between them the chefs held six Michelin stars.
Team Denmark took the first place on the podium, followed by Team Hungary in second place and Team Norway in third.
Team UK Candidate Ian Musgrave and Commis Chef Adam Beaumont cooked against 16 teams for just 10 places at the grand finale in Lyon in January 2023. Both chefs had secured the opportunity to represent the UK in 2019 but were unable to compete in 2020 due to the pandemic.
On securing the theme on the plate prize and a place in the final Ian said, “We’ve had to wait three years for this, so to win the prize and have a place in the world final is amazing. I’m just so happy and can’t wait to do it all again in Lyon next year!”
This year the competing countries included Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, France, Finland, Iceland, Hungary, Latvia, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Turkey and United Kingdom.
The chefs had just five and a half hours to prepare and present both the theme on the plate and the platter which were based on two specific briefs using Hungarian produce. For the theme on the plate, the chefs had to create a vegetarian dish from Hungarian varieties of potatoes. For the platter, the chefs had to use a saddle and a leg of venison, one duck liver and to accompany this with two garnishes served on the platter and a third garnish served on the side, based on sour cream and cottage cheese with one sauce.
Team UK’s 2020 menu comprised the following:
Team UK’s Winning theme on the plate
- Hungarian potato, braised in brown ‘Fen Farm butter’ and whey.
- Wild garlic emulsion with a garland of spring flowers and shoots.
- “Isle of Mull, aged cheddar cheese” glazed in Roscoff onion broth.
- Sauce: Cream of English Asparagus, potato and ramson
Theme on the platter
- Cushion of Hungarian venison leg lightly smoked over heather, layered with duck liver, English seasonal mushrooms and wild juniper.
- Roasted venison loin with preserved black currants, pink pepper and lemon thyme.
Accompaniments to the platter
- Stuffed Heritage cabbage, crispy “Tamworth” bacon, dried parsnip and pickled kohlrabi.
- Cumberland glazed “Taylor’s gold” pear, spiced ginger sable.
- Wild mushroom and celeriac pie (served on the side).
- Sauce: ‘Huntsman sauce’ infused with coastal sea buckthorn, peppercorns and roasted venison bones.
The Bocuse d’Or World final will take place in Lyon from January 22nd -23rd 2023.