A former head chef at the 2 AA Rosette Woolley Grange Hotel, and quarter-finalist on BBC MasterChef: The Professionals, Jethro joined apetito three years ago and works with its team of in-house chefs and dietitians to develop high-quality, delicious and nutritious meals.
He came through the semi-finals for which chefs were tasked with cooking an amuse-bouche or pre-dessert with the theme ‘A taste of summer’ using seasonal ingredients. They were asked to bring this to life with a story of a personal food hero such as a chef, family member, mentor or industry personality.
Says Jethro: “I made an amuse-bouche with a base of brioche, toasted with roasted crayfish oil, and crayfish and cucumber compressed in a yuzu and nasturtium oil and a thin slice of cured pork’s cheek. It was topped with rainbow trout roe and edible flowers.
“Getting ingredients for this dish was a real family effort. My kids and I actually went fishing to get the Signal Crayfish about half a mile from my house in Somerset.
“Crayfish is definitely the star of my dish. They’re an under-used ingredient and extremely sustainable, something which is very importantly to both me as a chef, and apetito.
“The idea for this dish comes from a few heroes of mine. Firstly, my children, who often head down to the river with me to catch fish and learn more about the food they eat and where it comes from.
“Secondly is food hero of mine, as well as a former mentor, Michelin-starred chef Simon Rogan, who created a Berkswell cheese bread pudding which helped inspire my dish and is genuinely one of the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten.”
General Manager of Healthcare at apetito, Mandy Chambers added:
“We’re all so proud of Jethro for having made it to the final of such a prestigious competition.
“He is a wonderfully talented chef and since joining apetito, he’s brought passion, knowledge and innovation to our product development team.
“Last year he did so well to get to the final of this competition, but this year everyone at apetito is cheering him on to win and bring back the trophy.”