Robert Smith, 23, beat six other finalists to win the prize, which includes a work experience placement at Albert Roux’s Michelin-starred restaurant, Le Gavroche, in London.
Of the win, Smith said: “I’m delighted; I don’t think it’s sunk in yet! I started cooking with my gran and it’s something I enjoy. It’s not just been a great occasion for me, but for all the competitors and for the Highlands. It’s good that the judges come up to support the event.”
Albert Roux led the judging panel for the competition, which also included Andrew Fairlie of Gleneagles Hotel; Brian Maule of Chardon d’Or in Glasgow; Steven Docherty of The First Floor Café in Windermere and Glen Watson of The Belfry in Sutton Coldfield.
Roux said: “The standard of cooking was better than last year and the year before, it’s great to see it lifting. Although we have a winner, there are no losers; the very fact these young chefs have been selected for the final is an accolade.”
Robert, who is a sous chef at the Ulbster Arms Hotel in Halkirk, produced a winning meal comprising of, poached langoustine with soft herb mash, wilted spinach, roast shellfish bisque and light champagne essence for the starter; slow-cooked short rib beef served with haggis duxelle, glazed carrots and button onions, braising juices and truffle oil for the main and vanilla and apple crumble parafait with cloutie dumpling soufflé for the sweet.
Alongside his work experience placement, Robert’s prize will also include £500 prize money and a trophy. Runner-up, David Macdonald, 24, from the Lovat Hotel in Fort Augustus, won a week’s work experience at The RAC Club in London and £250.
The Young Highland Chef competition, now in its fifth year, is organised by North Highland College, UHI’s Burghfield House training hotel and the Albert Roux Consultancy in association with Caterer and Housekeeper magazine. Entrants aged between 18 and 30 were invited to submit a three-course dinner menu for two with langoustine in the starter, beef in the main and apple in the sweet, with a budget of £20 per cover. Seven applicants who were judged to have come up with the best menus on paper went on to cook their dishes at the final, held at the Burghfield House Hotel in Dornoch.
Russell Rekhy, Burghfield campus manager, said: “It’s been a pleasure to see the quality of cooking climb again this year and it has been an honour for Burghfield House Hotel to be involved in the Young Highland Chef competition once again.”
Other finalists in this year’s competition were Arkadiusz Swider of Kingsmill Hotel in Inverness; Stuart Calder of Skibo Castle, near Dornoch; Ryan Campbell of Duchally Country Estate, near Auchterarder; Aiden Macdonald of The Glen Mhor Hotel, Inverness and Jamie Farmer, a student at West Highland College UHI. Every contestant was presented with a Roux Brothers’ cookbook and trophy.