Out of eight professional chefs competing for a place in the final, four will be going through. They are: Stuart Brown, senior sous chef at Combe House Hotel in Devon; Dale McIntosh, head chef at Merchants Manor, Falmouth, Cornwall; Eddy Rains, head chef at The Wheatsheaf, Combe Hay, Somerset; and Dean Westcar, junior sous chef at Manor House Hotel, Castle Combe, Wiltshire.
In the young professional chefs class, sponsored by award-winning chef and judge Michael Caines, those going through are: Dan Adkin, demi chef de partie at Lucknam Park, Bath; Alexander Brownrigg, demi chef de partie at Homewood Park Hotel, Bath, Somerset; Daniel Gambles, chef de partie at Gidleigh Park, Chagford, Devon; and Elly Wentworth, chef de partie at Manor House Hotel, Castle Combe, Wiltshire.
The Student Chef competition, sponsored by Nisbets, produced a further three finalists with places given to: Emily Colling of Exeter College, Benjamin Debrecini of Weston College, and Joe Fowler, apprentice at The Salty Monk in Sidmouth in Devon.
The judges included Neil Haydock, Peter Gorton, Michael Caines, Paul Ainsworth and Matt Mason, who all agreed that the standard achieved in each class was exceptional.
Ainsworth explained: “We have been staggered by the quality and inventiveness of the food we have tasted. Not only are we seeing real skill and flair, but a commitment to using the excellent regional ingredients that these chefs have at their fingertips; it is an exciting time for British cooking and the south west is certainly producing chefs we can be proud of.”
All the semi-finalists prepared a two-course meal using two compulsory ingredients supplied by local butcher and fishmonger, Pipers Farm and Kingfisher Brixham respectively. The ingredients included mackerel, cod and whiting as well as Red Ruby rump tail, pork tenderloin and lamb neck fillet.
The finals will take place on October 27, again at Exeter College, where the Professional and Young Professional finalists will have to prepare a three-course meal using a mystery box of ingredients presented to them 30 minutes before the competition. Student Chef finalists will be asked to prepare a two-course menu.
The winners of all classes of South West Chef of the Year will be announced at a special awards dinner on October 27 hosted and sponsored by Exeter Golf and Country Club, which will be prepared by three previous winners.
The competition is now in its 11th year. Overall sponsor is the Exeter Festival of South West Food and Drink, lead sponsor is Bidvest 3663, while class sponsors are: Professional Class – Ritter Courivaud; Student Chef Class – Nisbets Catering Equipment; and South West’s Best Dish – Ashburton Cookery School.
For more information, visit www.southwestchef.co.uk