9th May 2011 - 00:00
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Abstract
Three experienced competition chefs have been selected by the Academy of Culinary Arts (ACA) for its shortlist of potential candidates to represent the UK in the next Bocuse d'Or culinary challenge.
They include The Ritz sous chef Adam Smith; Adam Bennett, head chef at the Michelin starred Simpson's Restaurant in Birmingham; and Martin Hollis, resort head chef at Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire. All three chefs will now take part in trial cook offs before any further decisions are made.
The selection follows the decision by Simon Hulstone, chef owner of the Michelin starred Elephant Restaurant in Torquay, to step down from competing in the contest having already taken part in two consecutive finals in 2009 and 2011, coming 10th and 13th respectively. However, Hulstone has agreed to become a mentor to whoever takes up the challenge.
Bocuse d'Or is one of the culinary world's most sought after prizes, launched in 1987 by France's legendary chef Paul Bocuse to showcase the individual talents of young chefs, and it takes place every two years.
The ACA of each country chooses its own candidate and those taking part in the final epic cook off has to sacrifice an enormous amount of personal time for the task. In the final, the candidate also has to withstand the pressure of cooking in a 'stadia style' atmosphere most would not have experienced before in competitions. This year Denmark's Rasmus Kofoed won the gold trophy – continuing his winning streak having taken the Bocuse d'Or Europe trophy last June.
Smith, who has represented the UK twice in the Bocuse d'Or as commis chef to Andre Garrett and Simon Hulstone in 2007 and 2009 respectively, was also selected for the 2009 WorldSkills culinary contest in Calgary and won a gold medal. In 2010 he was awarded the Craft Guild of Chefs' Young Chef Award. In the same year, he was part of the British Culinary Federation's senior team line up for the English national team at the Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg.
Bennett has been a finalist in the Craft Guild of Chef's National Chef of the Year competition several times and last year came second. In the past, he has also been crowned Midlands Chef of the Year.
Hollis, a veteran culinary competitor from Scotland, has previously been team manager at La Parade des Chefs.
Whoever succeeds in taking on the role will have to take part in Bocuse d'Or Europe in Brussels next March in order to qualify the world final in January 2013 in Lyon.
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