Having beaten seven other finalists during the ‘intense’ live cook-off, Thwaites has secured his place in the company’s European finals (April, London), where see chef Jamie Oliver will offer advice and guidance to finalists throughout.
Thwaites said: “I wanted to challenge myself and to put my skills to the test against my colleagues at Aramark.
“I also thought the brief was very exciting and just by entering I knew that I could learn a lot and, hopefully, develop some new skills along the way.”
All contestants were required to produce two portions of a main course and desert using only plant-based ingredients, in just 90 minutes.
Thwaites’ winning menu comprised: Moroccan spiced chickpea pastille with cauliflower, coriander and radish; followed by a dark chocolate orange tart with Italian meringue and charred blood orange.
Also impressing judges, including Craft Guild national chairman Andrew Bennett, Pierre Koffmann and Paul Gayler, was Wioletta Kuszyk, who came in second place.
He served heritage florets lentils with dal Vada and black lime with curry sauce, and a date pudding with toffee and a whipped banana with peanuts sauce.
Third place went to Matt Doe for his cauliflower with Parmesan mushroom and spinach gnocchi, and coconut basil lime and pineapple vegan panna cotta.
Carolyn Hails, marketing director of Aramark Northern Europe, said: “The food produced today by each chef was breath taking and a testament to (Aramark’s) commitment towards delivering top quality, locally sourced, great-tasting food to our clients every day.
Culinary director Paul Bloxham added: “It was a great day learning about new food trends and initiatives.
“Nick’s dishes were an extraordinary piece of artistry – delicious food and perfectly executed. Despite being in competition with each other, there has been a real sense of team spirit and a strong relationship has formed among the chefs as they showcased their craft skills, passion and determination.”
Aramark foodservices UK managing director, Lawrence Shirazian, concluded: “Our eating habits have changed drastically in the last few decades.
“We hear our clients saying they are not only trying to eat more plant-based food, but are looking to incorporate more vegetables into their diet, so we want to offer solutions that help with this.
“By supporting this plant-based cooking challenge, we’re creating an opportunity for our chefs to experiment with ingredients and plant-based recipes that they will need to get more familiar with in order to satisfy customer demand."