For their first course the duo cooked BBQ rump of beef, fermented hispi cabbage, brown butter mash, onion ketchup, ‘gentleman’s’ relish, beef tartare, egg yolk, radish, tarragon and BBQ brioche. Their second course was farro risotto, BBQ cavolo nero and sprouting broccoli, pickled apple slice, spicy beetroot, oil and pea shoots.
Their prize is dinner for two for each of the chefs at a choice of the judges’ restaurants – ACME Fire Cult with Andrew Clarke, hicce with Pip Lacey or Launceston Place with Ben Murphy.
Sarah Prentice, chair of ACE, said: “We haven’t held this event for a few years, and we all agreed now was the right time to completely modernise the whole event. The new cooking format and venue focussed on the chefs and guests having fun and networking which is what ACE is all about. Cooking over fire was a big new part of this year’s competition. The smoke, vibe and skyline views should make this an incredible event.”
BaxterStorey finished in second place and Houston & Hawkes were third. Leftover food ingredients were distributed by the venue Skylight to a Peckham Food bank that helps feed local people so nothing went to waste.