Competing against seven other young chefs, Bird impressed judges with his set starter (selected by competition founder and MasterChef finalist, Larkin Cen) and “authentic” oriental main course of his choice.
The panel of judges, including Larkin Cen, president of the British Culinary Federation Peter Griffiths and Michelin starred chef, Glynn Purnell, were looking for “creativity, good use of flavours and restaurant standard serving.”
Taking home the winning title and prize trip to Hong Kong, where he will gain hands-on experience at the city’s Michelin-starred restaurants, Bird served: beef tartare with shallot ponzu and nashi pear to start followed by a main course of apple and miso glazed duck breast with honey heritage carrots, red cabbage puree, pak choi, sweet plum jus and miso dust.
He said: “It doesn’t happen often, but I’m speechless. I really did not expect this and cannot believe I have won! The competition presented lots of challenges, but I am elated all the hard work which I put into preparing for the tasks has paid off.
“The judges were brilliant and offered some excellent tips along the way – an experience I will take away with me and utilise on the trip. I cannot wait!”
Griffiths commented: “This year was incredibly tough for the contestants as we incorporated a set-starter course component, which really tested the culinary skill of the competitors.
“Culinary competitions such as this one are so important for the development of our chefs of the future, not only so that they can meet other talented chefs and share experiences but also so that they can obtain useful feedback, hints, tips and advice from the judging panel and mentors.
“Every single finalist did a fantastic job and should be incredibly proud of their achievement, in fact, this year it was the hardest year for the judges as the standard was so high, which is why we all agreed to award fourth place, for the first time”.
Also impressing at the final, which took place at the University College Birmingham, were runners up:
2nd Place - Drew Morris, University College Birmingham
3rd Place - Elyse Baxter, House of Commons
4th Place – Billy Jones, Saunton Sands Hotel, Devon
Director Brian Yip, who oversaw the competition, added: “The Young Chef competition is something which is very close to our hearts – we’re extremely passionate about championing aspiring young chefs from all over the country, and the competition offers an amazing platform for anyone who’s passionate about cooking, whether that’s Oriental or in other cuisines.”