Charlton House chef wins gold at Salon Culinaire

Andy Langford from Perrycrofts Crescent in Tamworth works for Charlton House as a chef manager at Airwave Communications in Rugby where he caters for approximately 250 staff on site. He competed against nine other chefs in the Figgjo Masterclass category. With just 45 minutes to produce a two-course meal, his creation featured spiced fillet of halibut with a butternut squash puree, poached quails egg and sauce vierge, clonakilty black pudding, stuffed saddle of wild rabbit with smoked pommes puree, baby carrots, and confit of young leek and a red wine, juniper and lemon thyme reduction. Commenting on his success, Langford said: "I was in complete shock because this was my first time entering this competition. I still can't believe it! I had spent months planning and worrying about the dishes I had come up with and changed them several times before the competition. To walk away with gold is beyond my wildest dreams." Langford also won Bronze in the 'Chefs at Salon' category and a hygiene award in the Connaught Compliance Salon Culinaire Food Safety Challenge.