Team UK puts in a great performance in Lyon

Orjan Johannesson from restaurant Bekkjarvick Gjestgiveri (Austevoll) in Norway has won gold in the Bocuse d’Or - the world’s most prestigious and challenging chef competition.  Philip Tessier from the French Laundry in California won the silver trophy and Tommy Myllymaki from Sweden took bronze.

It is the ninth time that Norway has reached the podium and the second time that Orjan has competed in the world final. It was also the second time that Tommy had competed, having also won bronze in 2011. Despite investing millions of dollars over the past few years, this is the first time that Team USA, under the guidance of President Thomas Keller, have reached the podium.

Team UK secured 10th place, which given Adam

In a change to the competition, the candidates were asked to produce a fish dish with at least 50 per cent vegetable garnish - including one mandatory vegetable revealed the afternoon before the competition. Team UK and USA competed on the same day and had to use celery as a garnish.

Adam’s fish entry consisted of:

Fillet of French fario trout with a lobster mousseline centre and nori seaweed
Celery puree
Celery fondant
Braised celery stem filled with a smoked trout brandade, topped with smoked trout, horseradish and croutons
Cylinder of potato cooked in saffron stock, creamed leeks, caviar and trout eggs on top.
‘Champagne’ velouté (made with Nyetimber English sparkling wine) and a shellfish sauce.
Watercress and pea shoots

Adam’s striking meat platter was created by Heritage Silverware, a family firm based in Birmingham.

The meat menu:

Slow cooked leg of guinea fowl, Wiltshire ham, tongue and veal sweetbread
Parfait of guinea fowl livers, beetroot glaze
Crisp potato dentelle, St Georges’ mushroom cream
Evesham “red meat” turnips, quinoa and tarragon
Staffordshire cabbage cone with black lentils
Roasting juices with English apple verjuice and rosemary

Adam, Josh and Idris were cheered on by a crowd of more than 100 UK supporters, including students from University College Birmingham and the England Band which is fast becoming a fixture of the competition.

Photo from Le Photographe

Despite not matching his previous best of fourth place achieved in 2013, Adam remained positive about his Bocuse d’Or experience, “I’ve had a hell of a ride again and loved every minute. The strength of this competition is that every time the bar gets raised and it’s always an honour to represent the country.”

Brian Turner CBE is President of the UK Team and UK juror, added, “Adam, Josh and Idris did a fantastic job and I’m not the only one to be incredibly proud. We’re still in the top 10 of the world and with the funding we have we’ve moved forward significantly. Thanks to all our sponsors and everyone who has supported us on our journey to the final.

“Having looked at and talked with other competing teams it’s clear that they see the PR opportunity of the Bocuse d’Or for their country. We had great support out in Lyon so now we have to focus on turning that into the resource we need to match that of the most successful countries.”

In a bid to raise awareness and funds both for this campaign and future competitions, Team UK launched a crowdfunding campaign via Indiegogo. Perks are available in return for donations and full details are available here: http://igg.me/at/bocusedoruk

Why we've launched a crowdfunding campaign

With the Bocuse d'Or in Lyon now less than a week away, we've launched a crowdfunding campaign in a bid to improve our chances of success in the world’s most prestigious cookery competition.

Adam will compete in the world final on Tuesday January 27, 2015 - the first day of the two-day competition which sees 24 nations compete for a place on the highly coveted podium. This year he's supported by Culinary Arts student, Josh Allen and former UK candidate Idris Caldora.

Our goal is to raise £25,000 to help put the team in the best position for competing next week and to help build a strong succession plan for the UK. Whilst it might seem late to be raising funds, we will have plenty of bills to pay on our return from Lyon. Funds raised now will help ensure that Adam and his support team aren't left out of pocket and that we still have adequate finances in place when it comes to planning for 2017!

The campaign:
http://igg.me/at/BocusedOrUK hosted on Indiegogo and set up in collaboration with film partner Orama TV, will run until Sunday March 1.

The funds raised will go towards compensating and covering:

Practice time - To be in with a chance of securing a place on the podium requires months spent developing and practising every item on the menu.
Ingredients - The team require costly competition specific ingredients.
Logistics - Transportation of equipment and ingredients to Lyon.
Travel and accommodation for the Coach, Commis and Team support.
Raising awareness -  including website, advertising, PR, photography and film.
National Selection Competition.
Bid to bring the Bocuse d’Or Europe to the UK in 2018.
Future investment in the UK team.

Perks available in return for money donated include a Bocuse d’Or postcard, signed team posters, Adam’s 2015 menu brochure and the opportunity to bid for meals at his pub restaurant, The Cross in Kenilworth. Please give what you can afford, lots of small contributions will make a big difference!

Kenilworth Castle Sets the stage for Team UK Bocuse d’Or Poster

Bocuse d’Or Team UK has revealed its promotional poster, which can be voted for via the Facebook page of the Bocuse d’Or. 

Adam Bennett, candidate, Idris Caldora, Coach and Josh Allen, commis chef were photographed standing in front of the historic Kenilworth Castle, situated up the road from The Cross, the Michelin starred pub restaurant where Adam runs the kitchen.  

Team UK will compete in the Bocuse d’Or World Final on Tuesday January 27, 2015 - the first day of the two-day competition. 23 other countries will compete for a place on the podium, including Bocuse d’Or Europe winner Tommi Myllimaki from Sweden and Philip Tessier from The French Laundry who will represent Team USA.

It will be the second final for Adam, who achieved the best result ever for the UK when he competed with commis chef, Kristian Curtis in 2013. They will be hoping to achieve similar success next year. 

Adam will have just under six hours to prepare, cook and present a yet to be revealed fish for 14, along with a meat platter using Guinea Fowl ‘Fermière des Landes, Label Rouge’. The rules specify that 50 per cent of the fish plate must be vegetable or fruit based ingredients sourced from a market set up the day before the contest. The meat theme must include three garnishes and will be divided into 14 portions for the jury. 

The platter will be produced and supplied by Heritage Silverware, a Birmingham-based family business which supplies bespoke tableware to many of the world’s finest hotels and restaurants.

Preparing for the Bocuse d’Or involves a considerable amount of preparation which Adam will need to fit in alongside running The Cross, which was recently awarded a Michelin star.  He is working with Warwickshire-based butchers, Aubrey Allen, who sponsor the meat for the Bocuse d’Or team. 

Synergy Print teamed up with official photographer Jodi Hinds, to create the team poster.  The team is supported by financial donations with current sponsors including ACT Clean and Compass Group.

Bocuse d'Or fundraising dinner at University College Birmingham raises almost £25,000

Bocuse d’Or Team UK is delighted to announce that the fundraising dinner at University College Birmingham on Friday, November 28 raised £25,000.

Guests arrived to a Champagne reception sponsored by Moet & Chandon. The five course dinner was prepared by the University’s Level 3 catering students with fish provided by M & J Seafood and meat provided by Aubrey Allen. Paul Bocuse wines were kindly donated by Berkmann wines and served during the meal.

The event was held to raise much-needed funds to support Adam Bennett and Josh Allen before they head to Lyon for the Bocuse d’Or World Final on Tuesday, January 27.  It will go towards the cost of sending the team to Lyon, raising awareness of the competition in the UK and subsidising the travel and sustenance of students who will be attending supporters.

UCB Principal Ray Linforth and UCB chair Andreas Antona organised the event, which was attended by team President Brian Turner CBE and Idris Caldora team coach.  Former BBC swimming commentator Hamilton Bland hosted the auction which included many generous prizes donated by the industry and top UK chefs.

Next stop Lyon - Team UK qualifies with 6th place

Team UK and its supporters were back in action last week when Adam, supported by new commis chef, Josh Allen, took to the Bocuse d'Or stage once again.

Adam and Josh, culinary arts student at University College Birmingham and coach Idris Caldora from the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts were awarded 6th place in the Bocuse d’Or Europe which took place in Stockholm on May 8th.  The chefs will go on to compete at the Bocuse d’Or World Final in Lyon on January 28th and 29th, 2015.

Chefs from 20 countries competed over the two day competition, with the 12 top scoring  teams progressing to the Bocuse d’Or World final. First place was awarded to Tommy Myllymaki from host country Sweden who won €16,000, with Kenneth Hansen from Denmark in second place winning £9,000 and Ørjan Johannessen from Norway in third place collecting €6,000.

Team UK's supporters certainly made their presence felt with the help of The England Band and representatives from Compass Group, Fresh Montgomery, Nestle Professional and Vanilla Chef playing and cheering from the grandstand.

Adam, supported by his then commis chef, Kristian Curtis, also secured 6th place at the European final in Brussels in March 2012.  His Stockholm fish menu consisted of: Supreme of Swedish Coalfish, Seaweed Sauce, Mussel Ketchup, Coalfish with Smoked Salmon Mousseline, Saffron Potatoes filled with Creamed Leeks, Pea Puree with Baby Onions and Bacon, Cucumber with poached Oyster and Sea Pearls, Mussel Ketchup, Seaweed Butter Sauce.

His meat course of Ballotine of Young Swedish Pork with Braised Trotter & Hock and Verjus Sauce was served on a silver flat. The meat menu consisted of Ballotine of young Swedish Pork with Sage, Truffle and Bacon, Braised Trotter & Hock with Vegetables, Savoy Cabbage with Bacon, Carrot filled with Ham and Mustard, Potato Croquette with Black Pudding and Bramley Apple. 


It was a great performance and once again it is thanks to the wonderful support of our sponsors that Adam and Josh were able to compete at such as high level.  Many thanks to Aubrey Allen, Classic Fine Foods, M&J Seafood, Heritage Silverware, MSK Ingredients, Ritter Courivaud, University College Birmingham and Wellocks.

The full Bocuse d'Or European selection 2014 results:

1) Sweden

2) Denmark

3) Norway

4) France

5) Finland

6) UK

7) Iceland

8) Estonia

9) Hungary

10) Germany

11) Netherlands

12) Switzerland

13) Austria

14) Belgium

15) Italy

16) Spain

17) Turkey

18) Russia

19) Luxembourg

20) Bulgaria

Looking ahead to Bocuse d'Or 2017

Following a tense 1½ hours cooking, Adam Smith, head chef at The Devonshire Arms in Yorkshire, was awarded first place in the Bocuse d’Or National Selection at Hotelympia on Monday. Steve Love, chef patron at Loves Restaurant in Birmingham was awarded second place.

Smith was presented with the Bocuse d’Or UK trophy, donated by University College Birmingham and Villeroy & Boch winner’s plate. Love wins a trip to the Bocuse d’Or Europe in Stockholm next week, provided by Bocuse d’Or sponsor Nestlé Professional.

Provided current candidate, Adam Bennett secures a top 12 position on May 8th, both Smith and Love will have the opportunity to work alongside him as he prepares for Lyon in 2015.

(Adam Smith is presented with his award by the Bocuse d'Or UK Academy and joined by sponsors. From left to right: Simon Smith, Aubrey Allen, Ron Maxfield, Wellocks, Nick Vadis, Compass Group/ Bocuse d’Or UK, Andreas Antona, Simpons, The Cross in Kenilworth, Pure Bar & Kitchen, Adam Smith (Bocuse d’Ot UK winner) , John Williams, Exec Chef at The Ritz London, Claire Dolan, Nestle Professional, Peter Hunkermoeller, Manitowoc, Andy Daniels, Manitowoc.)

Armand Sablon, head chef at Ten Restaurant at Cafe Royal and Rajkumar Holuss from The Ritz also competed in what the judges said was a very close final.

John Williams, chair of the Bocuse d’Or UK team and 2001 candidate, led the judges which included Andreas Antona, former chef and restaurateur, Nick Vadis, culinary director of Compass Group and UK candidate 2009 and 2013, chef proprietor of The Elephant restaurant and brasserie, Simon Hulstone.

Williams commented that every candidate demonstrated excellent technical and culinary skills in very different ways.  “The standard today was excellent and congratulations to everyone who took part. We had some incredible talent competing today and our task of selecting the winner was not easy.  So much can happen between now and 2017 which is why we’ve decided to take two chefs on the journey.  We are very excited about the UK’s prospects with both Adam and Steve on board.”

(Steve Love, Adam Smith, Armand Sablon, Rajkumar Holuss)

Adam Smith, “I was thrilled to be announced as the winner at the Bocuse d’Or UK selection event, it was a tough afternoon with very strong competition from the other contestants. I believe that having taken part as a commis on 2 separate occasions with both Simon Hulstone and Andre Garrett respectfully, I  already had an idea of the style, standards, expectations and commitment of taking part, which I think is what helped me with the final result.”

The chefs had 1½ hours to prepare, cook and present three different hot garnishes, five portions of each suitable for decorating a Chicken Ballotine. In the style of the Bocuse d’Or, each entry was presented on a silver flat provided by Heritage Silverware, which also supplied the silver for Adam Bennett’s award winning meat platter in 2013.

The day is set....

It’s been a busy few months for Adam as he puts his mind to the Bocuse d’Or brief whilst running the kitchen at The Cross (www.thecrosskenilworth.co.uk).  However, he has still managed to cook for and dine with two European ambassadors over the past few weeks.

On February 11th, Adam teamed up with Swedish Candidate (and Bocuse d’Or 2009 silver winner) Tommy Myllymäki to cook a special three course lunch for the Swedish ambassador, Her Excellency Nicola Clase and guests, in the stunning and intimate setting of the Swedish Embassy. 

The lunch was in celebration of the Bocuse d’Or Europe taking place in Stockholm on May 7th - 8th this year. Some of the ingredients to be used by the candidates - Grebbestad oysters, Havor Farm Pork and Saithe - were showcased at the lunch. 

Adam’s starter of Tartar of Citrus Marinated Loch Duart Salmon with Beetroot, Horseradish and Caraway was paired with Chapel Down Kit’s Coty Estate Chardonnay 2001 - a celebration of fine British produce and cooking.

Tommy used the Bocuse d’Or fish ingredient of Saithe (coal fish) for the main course of Poached Saithe, Grebbestad Anchovies, Kalixlöjrom, Browned Onions and Butter sauce - paired with Jonsson Ale.

Both were award-worthy dishes and the chefs put their rivalry behind them to create a wonderful dessert of Caramelised Apples with Egg Foam and Brannland Ice Cider, Apple Sorbet and Oat Crumbs.  A fitting finale to a very special lunch.

A less labour intensive engagement took place on March 21st when Adam had lunch at University College Birmingham with the French Ambassador to the UK, Bernard Emié.  His Excellency enjoyed the hospitality put on by the students and was very impressed by the Bocuse d’Or replica kitchen which is once again set up for Team UK’s preparations.

Since then Adam, has been busy developing and perfecting his recipes for the Bocuse d'Or Europe. With Adam’s day of competition (May 8th) now days weeks away, the pressure is certainly on.  

Saturday Kitchen appearance for Bocuse d'Or Team

Team President Brian Turner and candidate Adam Bennett showed off their culinary skills on Britain's favourite cooking show, Saturday Kitchen last weekend.

Brian cooked a delicious rack of venison and Adam used ingredients from his winning Bocuse d'Or meat platter to create a more simplified ox cheek with mashed potato and carrots dish.

Adam to represent the UK in 2014

We're delighted to announce that Adam will once more represent the UK in this year's Bocuse d'Or European final which takes place in Stockholm.  Adam took part in a national selection on January 6th, competing against Craft Guild of Chefs National Chef of the Year 2012, Frederick Forster from The Boundary and Raj Holuss from The Ritz.  Each chef had to prepare and cook three different garnishes to accompany a chicken ballotine.  The chicken and garnishes had to be presented on the silver flats provided.

Adam first expressed his interest in taking part in the Bocuse d’Or for a second time last Summer but his position was only confirmed following a cook-off with two other potential candidates.  He competed against Craft Guild of Chefs National Chef of the Year, Frederick Forster from The Boundary and Raj Holuss from The Ritz.  Each chef had to prepare and cook three different garnishes to accompany a chicken ballotine.  The chicken and garnishes had to be presented on the silver flats provided.

Adam’s winning platter was ballotine of French farmed chicken with wild mushroom and truffle mousseline with fricassee of leek and chicken leg, carrot with chicken, tarragon and mustard, potato and cȇpe croquette with pickled mushroom, savoy cabbage with bacon, chicken jus and sherry vinegar.

Brian Turner CBE, President of Team UK commented on the result, “The standard of the entries today was very high and all the chefs demonstrated excellent cooking skills.  Adam once again demonstrated his talent for producing wonderful looking and tasting food and that, along with his experience at the Bocuse d’Or, make him the strongest candidate for 2014.  However, the Bocuse d’Or is the pinnacle of chef competitions so it’s essential that we continue to seek out candidates who have an interest in taking on the challenge, as well as the skills required.  We hope that both Raj and Frederick will be taking part in the national selection for 2017.”

The Bocuse d’Or UK Academy National Selection for 2017 will take place at Hotelympia on April 28th, 2013.  For more details and to receive an entry form, please email Michelle Diederichs - michelle@koyahpr.co.uk.

The ambassador’s reception

Last Monday was another great day for the UK team.  We were invited by this year’s Bocuse d’Or meat sponsor, Bord Bia, to attend a celebratory reception at the Irish Embassy in Grosvenor Place, London. 

It’s not every day that you have the opportunity to dine in such a venue and it was great to be among chefs such as Henri Brosi, Paul Gayler and Kevin Love from the Hinds Head. We listened to an inspirational talk from this year’s Bocuse d’Or butcher, Jean Denaux who’s love of Irish Hereford Beef has helped Bord Bia break into the French market.  Thanks to Jean, Irish beef is now served in many of France’s top restaurants.  

The true highlight came when we were presented with our ‘golden bull’ trophies by Bobby McDonagh, the Irish Ambassador and Michelle Butler, general manager at Bord Bia.  It brought back memories of Lyon and gave us all something to smile about. 

The Big Day

As we return to normality our achievement in Lyon is beginning to sink in.

We arrived in Lyon on Sunday January 27th, in good time for the Bocuse d’Or briefing on Monday.  This year for the first time, we had to choose our ingredients and plan our fish garnishes from scratch whilst we were out in Lyon.  This was coordinated in a supermarket-sweep style challenge which involved the chefs splitting into two groups - 12 for day one and 12 for day two.  Each team was given 30 minutes to select ingredients from a market created by sponsor, Metro.  Obviously at this time of year seasonal ingredients are limited but even though we’d done our research there were a few surprises in terms of what was and wasn’t available.

In the end we settled for potatoes, leeks, celery, apple, beetroot, a selection of herbs
and pea shoots, to create garnishes of creamed leaks cannelloni rolled in Espelette butter and salad of pickled vegetables with mustard seeds, apple and celery puree.

The following day was spent in the Labo kitchen, kindly loaned to us by Benjamin Grellier.  We ended up there for a good few hours, only getting to bed at 2.30am the morning of the competition.

So with three hours sleep we were on our way into the Bocuse d’Or kitchen.  We entered the kitchen at 8.10am and started cooking at 9.10am. We started in near silence but this was soon broken by the notes of ‘Rule Britannia’ played out by the legendary England Band. Hearing this put a smile on our faces faces and with the help of the band our supporters dominated the audience - another first for team UK.

Obviously our focus was on the food but we could hear the stadium filling and by 11am the stadium was already electric, we could tell that our supporters were out in force. Knowing that there are so many people out there who’ve taken time out to cheer us on is a fantastic feeling, like the athletes in the Olympics it really does give you the extra boost.

The hours flew by and as the meat platter was served we felt happy with our performance and relieved that it had mostly gone to plan.  Kristian was on fire - efficient, timely and tidy - the perfect commis.  Having worked as a partnership for four months in the Bocuse d’Or kitchen at University College Birmingham, we were well rehearsed and this really paid off on the day.  I’ve always said that the Bocuse d’Or is a team effort so it was particularly satisfying when Kristian was announced winner of the Best Commis prize.  We were absolutely delighted!

Winning the Special Meat prize was just amazing as it meant that we’d secured a good position.  That this position was fourth and only six points off the podium (to put this in context Team France secured gold with 1687 points we received 1598).  Coming so close to the podium is bittersweet but it’s the best result ever for the UK and gives us the belief that we’ll do it one day!  

The team also extends beyond those collecting the awards, by allowing us time off work and helping us with our planning, Andreas has been integral to our success.  Luke and the team at Simpsons carried on without us over the busy Christmas period.  Previous candidates, John Williams and Simon Hulstone, coach Nick Vadis and President Brian Turner have all been on hand to provide advice and feedback. 

Then there’s the staff and students at University College Birmingham, who made us feel very welcome over the past year! The purpose built kitchen really helped us to get into the right mindset and having them out in the crowd made it even more special.

We’ve had fantastic support from our many sponsors and I will be thanking every one of them.  I’d especially like to thank Heritage for creating the beautiful silverware which helped showcase our award winning meat platter, Aubrey Allen for the generous supply of beef, M and J Seafood for the generous supply of fish, Wellocks for all the vegetables, Ritter Courivaud for the dried goods and truffles, Nestle Professional for kitting out our supporters and the UCB for providing us with the training facility and organising the fundraising dinner last November. I’d also like to thank Compass Group for its generous donation and for loaning us Nick and Jodi Hinds our official team photographer who has given up so much of her time to capture our work - all these photos are hers. I don’t want this to turn into an acceptance speech but my last blog post does list all of you!

We are made up with the result but it would be wrong to believe that the journey ends here.  

We are proud and delighted to have achieved what we did but also mindful that we had the best foundation ever provided to a UK candidate.  No one previously has been given the privilege of time off and a replica kitchen to practise in.

To me, proving that with the right resource we can get this far means that we can’t go back.  It’s now time to make sure that the legacy of our success is passed on to secure Team UK’s place on the podium in 2015.

With thanks to our sponsors

On behalf of Team UK, I'd like to pass on our thanks to Calthorpe Estates, which has recently given its financial support to Team UK.  Calthorpe Estates join an impressive list of supporters who have donated product, time, space and money to help us on our way to Lyon.

The entire list includes A W Smith & Sons Ltd, All Clad, Aubrey Allen, Bablake Wines, Bamix, Big Green Egg, CCS, ChefTools, Classic Fine Foods, Clifton Food, Compass Group, Cream Supplies, Fundamentally Fungus, Heritage Silverware, Infusions for chefs, Loch Fyne, Lockhart Catering Equipment, M&J Seafood, MSK Ingredients, Moet Hennessy UK, Multivac, Nestle Professional, Oakleaf European Ltd, Park Sheet Metal, Ritter Courivaud, Robotcoupe, Rougie, Thermomix, University College Birmingham, Vanilla Chef, Villeroy & Boch, Wellocks, Westlands WOW.

The countdown begins

Well, the countdown has well and truly begun - in less than two weeks we’ll be in Lyon, hours away from the biggest professional challenge of our lives!

Despite spending the last few months in the Bocuse d’Or kitchen, there is nothing that can really prepare us for the finals on the 30th of this month.  The closest we’ve ever been were the European finals in Brussels, where we really enjoyed the buzz, we’re hoping that Lyon will offer more of the same.

Jodi Hinds, the official Bocuse d’Or UK photographer spent the day with us on Monday, taking photos for the menu.  She has a fantastic eye for food and really helps to show off each of the garnishes to their full potential.  However, these are the only teasers I’m happy to show for the time being....

This week we kick off the invited run throughs at University College Birmingham, where we’re inviting supporters to come along to see and taste my menu.  We have a few places left so if you’d like to join us please contact Julie Kendall.

A thank you to our supporters

I was delighted to hear that the fundraising dinner which took place at University College Birmingham last Friday raised £20,000. 

This is fantastic news and not only gives Kristian and myself a boost to our preparations but should also ensure that the next candidate has an easier start to his or her campaign.  It means that Team UK can continue to raise the bar in the competition. 

Kristian and I had a great time preparing the dinner with a team of fantastic chefs, it’s usually a challenge to cook with chefs from other kitchens but everyone pulled together and it was a good team effort.  Big thanks to Andy Waters, Marc Billings, Claire Hutchings, Aktar Islam and the award winning UCB Culinary Team for giving up your time to help.

The dinner itself was sponsored by Aubrey Allen, Classic Fine Foods, Loch Fyne, M&J Seafood, Oakleaf European, Ritter Courivaud Ltd., Rougie, Ruinart Champagne, Simpsons restaurant, Wellocks and Jodi Hinds Photography. 

However, there are many more companies who have helped us this far, to whom we are extremely grateful: http://www.bocusedoruk.co.uk/support/supported-by

This week also saw the announcement of the fish theme - turbot and lobster.  Like most chefs I love to cook with turbot, however in terms of ingredients they don’t come cheap! Fortunately, both M&J Seafood and Ritter Courivaud will be helping out with product - for which we are extremely grateful.  

A warm welcome from the Emerald Isle

Earlier this month, myself and Team UK president, Brian Turner, were invited on a study trip to Ireland by the Bocuse d’Or meat sponsors, Bord Bia.

I’ve done a good few study trips but this was particularly special as everyone we met was proud and passionate about what they produced and open to sharing their knowledge and experience with a bunch of chefs they’d never met before.

Our first stop was for lunch at the Roadside Tavern in Lisdoonvarna where we tasted an incredible stout brewed by Birgitta and Peter Curtin  in their microbrewery, we were joined by some great local characters who entertained us with their stories and we ate some delicious local food.  The Curtins are as commercial as they are enthusiastic about food and drink and have their own smoke house – Burren Smokehouse – with a small visitor centre as well as the brewery.

From the pub we headed over to Gregans Castle Hotel in Burren, via the stunning cliffs of Moher.  There, we had an amazing meal cooked by the extremely talented head chef, David Hurley.  We all agreed that he’s a rising star and could one day be competing on a global level himself.

The next day we were up bright and early to visit the ABP meat plant and abattoir where we were impressed by the scientific approach taken to rearing and cutting the Irish beef.  The team work very closely with the farmers, advising them on the best feed and lifestyle for the cows.  It’s all about getting the best quality meat possible.  

We then headed to meet the cows themselves, which are all grass fed and very happy. It was good to learn about the meat’s characteristics and flavour profile and it certainly gave me plenty to think about.

Whilst it was a whistle stop tour, I gained so much from our trip and it was fantastic to meet so many passionate people and producers. I’d really like to pass my thanks onto Henry Horkan from Bord Bia for organising the trip.  I hope to see you all again soon.

Parlez-vous Champignons?

My week in France delivered everything that I’d hoped for in that it helped me to open my mind and think differently about the challenge ahead.

I always find France inspiring, it has amazing quality produce, fantastic markets and a genuine passion for pushing culinary boundaries.  I capitalised on my trip by spending time with three very different chefs - first arriving at Daniel et Denise in Lyon to meet Joseph Viola, a chef who has returned to the basics of home cooking after having spent years in two and three Michelin starred kitchens.  

From Lyon, I headed to St Etienne, where I was collected by the esteemed, three Michelin starred chef Régis Marcon. Restaurant Régis et Jacques is a truly special place - not only is it run by one of France’s most talented chefs but it is surrounded by a bounty of superb produce.  The volcanic soil adds intensity of flavour to everything that grows there and the wild mushrooms there are something else.  

The restaurant is quite a contrast to Simpsons, which is just five minutes away from Britain’s second largest city, in that it is in the middle of nowhere.  The village Saint Bonnet le Froid, has a population of about 200 and yet the restaurant manages to do 120 covers every day.  Régis is understated and charming, for him it’s about food not celebrity.  That said, his presence is clear around the town - the family owns a hotel, bakery, bistro, cookery school and of course the three starred restaurant.

People will travel from miles around to eat Régis’ celebrated mushroom dishes and this is where he excels.  I have never seen such a variety of mushrooms as fresh and as abundant as these.  One day myself and seven of his chefs had the task of preparing 80 kilos of cêpes - which where then pickled, bottled and sent down to be sold in the Marcon family store.

A glut of mushrooms is a nice problem for any chef to have and Régis has the talent and imagination to take them to another level. His dishes surprised and inspired me - chocolate and cêpe praline was one that particularly sticks out. Régis’ use of acidity is very clever and his expertise has been honed from years working with such quality, earthy ingredients. 

Régis is not only a born chef, but he’s a natural mentor who keenly feels his responsibility for sharing his passion and knowledge with others.  Each Sunday, he gives a ‘lecture’ to the chefs and whilst I was there the topic was mushrooms.  Régis lovingly described each of the mushrooms, taught us how best to prepare them and explained how they reproduce. It was great to see such a talented chef, share his philosophies and approach with this class of future talent.  

Moving on from Régis, I stayed with another wonderful chef, Christophe Ansanay Ale.  Christophe is more of a personality outside the kitchen but has the focus and talent for running the two Michelin starred L’Auberge de l’île.  His food is considered to be among the best in Lyon so it was a privilege to spend time with him.

Whilst each of the chefs has a very individual style, what they each possess is a talent for getting the best out of their produce.  I’ve returned to Simpsons with my mind buzzing and I’m really looking forward to working on my own ideas. 

Bocuse d'Or UK: A shout out for the team

Bocuse d'Or UK: A shout out for the team: Over the last few weeks I’ve been spending most of my free time in the Bocuse d’Or kitchen, experimenting with different cooking techn...

A shout out for the team

Over the last few weeks I’ve been spending most of my free time in the Bocuse d’Or kitchen, experimenting with different cooking techniques for the Irish beef.  It’s fantastic to have the facilities to take myself away and focus purely on the competition and I can’t thank UCB and all the companies which donated equipment enough for making the kitchen happen.

This week, I’ll be working in a very different kind of kitchen, that of Régis Marcon, joint owner and founder of the three Michelin starred, Auberge et Clos des Cimes.   Régis won the Bocuse d’Or in 1995 and is still involved in the competition.  I have a huge amount of respect for Régis’ cooking and I’m really looking forward to working with his team.  Whilst I’m there I’m hoping to drop into Lyon and familiarise myself with the surroundings to help focus my mind and prepare myself for my greatest challenge yet.

Whilst it might be my greatest challenge, I certainly don’t feel like I’m going it alone as I have a great team behind me.  Andreas is allowing me three months off in order to prepare for the finals, the team at Simpsons are also a great support as are the staff and students at the college.  Kristian is going from strength to strength and is proving his competition through his performance in the Chef of the Year and Graduate Chef of the Year awards and it’s great to have the experience of Nick, Brian and John in the team.

Our next challenge is to raise the necessary funds to help us to make an impact in Lyon and to build a platform to help future competitors to succeed.  We’ll be holding a fundraising event at the UCB on November 23, please put the date in your diary if you’d like to show your support.

The date is set

Well the date is set, Team UK will compete on day two of the Bocuse d’Or (January 30th), after France and before the USA.  However, we can’t let the fact that we are competing right after the home nation or the biggest spenders change our form.

Now is the time to plan ahead and to determine what to include in our meat platter. The garnishes for the fish dish could be the biggest challenge, one of the garnishes has to be distinctively British, whilst the other two have to be created from ingredients bought at a Lyon market, two days before we compete.  January isn’t the best time for fruit and vegetables so it’s going to be restrictive, however, at least we know that all the other competitors will be in the same situation.

Whilst, I’m focusing my mind on what lies ahead, my commis Kristian has been getting into the competitive spirit - reaching the finals of both the Craft Guild of Chef’s Graduate Awards and the National Chef of the Year.  I’ve never doubted Kristian’s talent and passion for cooking but it’s great to have it recognised by such an important chef association.

Like the athletes taking part in the London Olympics, raising our game is essential if we have a chance of reaching the podium on January 30th. Last month, Kristian spent three days working in the three Michelin-starred kitchen of Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester.  He then moved onto another world class cuisine, that of the Danes, working with the team behind “A taste of Noma”.  

Continuing the sporting note, we were delighted and proud of Bradley Wiggins’ performance at the Tour de France.  It shows that we can compete well on their turf and even beat them at their own game.  I just hope that we can repeat his success in Lyon! 

Time to get started

Team Simpsons - Myself, Kristian, Leo and Andreas at the Gherkin
© Steve Ryan photography

It doesn’t seem two minutes since my last blog when I said that I couldn’t wait to find out the specifications so that we could start preparing for the final.  We now have these and there have been a few surprises this year.

I’m delighted to be working with Irish steer beef fillet, however, we won’t know what the fish will be until the end of November.  We were expecting some changes to the competition as our Sirha contact, Anne-Sophie, had given us the heads up.  However, the fact that the candidates will only have two months (previously candidates had six months) to create and practise the fish plate was a surprise.  Other changes include points for incorporating national influences into the dishes and having to create a garnish using seasonal ingredients sourced from a Lyon market - the competition is in January so I don’t think there’s going to be a wide choice! 

All this was announced at the press launch for both the Bocuse d’Or and the World Pastry Cup at Searcys at the top of London’s Gherkin last Monday.  Many thanks to GL Events, Andre Dang and Valrhrona for organising.  It was great to see some of our sponsors there too, including Ritter Courivaud, Nestle Professional, Villeroy & Boch, Rougie and Classic Fine Foods and Compass Group and to catch up with previous UK candidate Andre Garrett.  

The new rules provide us with a few challenges but I’m excited by the changes.  I’ve been cooking for 25 years and the Bocuse d’Or is probably the greatest test of culinary and creative skills in the world. Now where’s that beef?