Judges from the Craft Guild of Chefs, the catering industry and the catering education sector, represented by chair of judges Andrew Green, Stephen Gomes and Richard Jones, had the task of evaluating dishes and cooking skills, which was harder this year because of the very high standard of entries.
Coates, however, beat off the seven other finalists at the International Food & Travel Studio, part of Bradford College, to claim the crown and the top prize of £2,000 for her innovative menu.
This comprised griddled fresh king prawn with tropical fruit and citrus salad; Shropshire free range chicken breast marinated in Thai herbs and spices poached in red coconut curry sauce, with mixed seasonal own garden vegetables; steamed wild sea bass with mixed seafood, vermicelli noodle salad, with chilli, ginger and light soya dressing; and spicy marinated lamb cutlets with fresh Thai herbs, baked and served with root vegetables.
Second place went to Mushfiqur Rahman, chef director of the New Delhi 6 fine Dine Restaurant at Little Ashton, Sutton Coldfield, who won a prize of £1,000. Third place went to Kevin Hughes, head chef at Leeds College’s International Academy Culinary Arts, who won £750.
Rahman also won the special health award for producing the healthiest dish, while the special innovation award went to Shire Yu, head chef at Maguro Restaurant in London.
The competition, spearheaded by the Aagrah Restaurant Group, concluded with the winners being acclaimed at Aagrah’s 31st Annual Charity Business Dinner at the Aagrah Midpoint Suite in Bradford attended by 450 guests, and hosted by TV personality and broadcaster Gyles Brandreth.