The live cook off at Westminster Kingsway College in London today (September 12) saw Sulston beat off five other competitors with a dish consisting of caramelised Kentish pear, pear mousse, pecan crumble, vanilla fromage blanc, crisp pastry and Mövenpick pear sorbet, which the judges praised for its local and seasonal ingredients, flavours and presentation.
The pear sorbet, which was the centrepiece of the dish, recently won three stars in this year’s Great Taste Awards and was nominated in the top 15 for supreme champion.
Sulston's prize is a luxury weekend for two in Switzerland, the home of Mövenpick ice cream, staying in Lausanne at the five star Lausanne Palace Hotel and dining in its Michelin starred restaurant as well as the renowned Chateau D’Ouchy Restaurant.
He was thrilled with the result and said he had practised the dish many times to get it right, and has already planned to serve it at the School Governor’s dinner for 90 guests next week.
Runners up were Zhaokun Xu, formerly demi chef de partie at The Savoy and now freelance, and Javier Millet, pastry chef at Lexington Catering, who each won £200 to spend in a restaurant of their choice.
The competition, held in association with the Craft Guild of Chefs, is in its second year and offers chefs a chance to put their creative skills to the test to inspire dessert menus. Craft Guild chairman Christopher Basten said it was now a very successful competition that would keep raising the standards.
The judging panel consisted of last year’s winner Sarah Frankland from William Curley; executive pastry chef Cherish Finden from the Langham Hotel; Gary Hunter, head of culinary arts, hospitality and food & beverage services at Westminster Kingsway College; Mövenpick development chef Tim Futter; and Stockpot editor Sheila Eggleston.