Two Horsham chefs win Essential Cuisine Team 2009 title

Challenged with creating a fish starter and main course in 40 minutes, Tomas Kourek and Robert Dant worked in perfect synchronisation, beating seven other pairs of talented chefs at the Salon Culinaire on 21 January. The duo dished up a langoustine cauliflower cannelloni, crisp polenta and fennel foam with Essential Cuisine Lobster Glace, then a fillet of wild boar, black pudding, pancetta, leeks and potato with Essential Cuisine Veal Jus, to triumph. Culinary director of Sodexo and vice president of the Craft Guild of Chefs David Mulcahy said the chefs, who work for contract caterer Chartwells, part of the Compass Group, captured the essence of the award: "The starter was well executed with clean flavours, the overall menu was well balanced and they worked brilliantly together as a team." Nigel Crane, managing director of Essential Cuisine, said the two courses came together beautifully. "The cannelloni was creamy, but not overbearing, while the wild boar was rich in texture and flavour, and both chefs interacted positively with their partner to create each outstanding dish, despite facing their own individual challenges. "By launching this award, we like to think we have tapped into the industry's team players, who share common goals and vision and are able to put these into practice through teamwork. Unlike performing solo, working side by side involves a higher level of unselfishness and, without this, a group cannot realistically compete." Shortlisted teams were allowed 40 minutes to prepare, cook and present a fish starter using Essential Cuisine Lobster Glace, and a main course using Essential Cuisine Premier Veal Jus or Signature Beef Jus, both for two covers. Competitors had to provide all other ingredients and while mis-en-place was allowed, it had to commensurate with finished dishes. Dishes were judged by top industry chefs.