The winners of South West Chef of the Year 2022

The winners of South West Chef of the Year 2022

The South West Chef of the Year awards 2022 were presented during a prestigious awards ceremony at Exeter Golf and Country Club on Tuesday 25th October.

The finals of the professional and student/apprentice chef categories took place earlier that same day at Exeter College where the Home Cook and Junior Chef finals were also held on 1st October.

Thank you very much to everyone who entered and competed this year and many congratulations to all our finalists and winners, outlined below.

We are extremely grateful to our panel of judges who give their time so generously to support the competition and all those taking part and, of course, to all of our sponsors and hosts whose commitment and generosity enables us to stage the competition each year.

Thank you, also, to Steven Haywood, for his photography throughout the competition, some of which is featured on this page.

Congratulations to all the winners and finalists in 2022 outlined below:

South West Overall Chef of the Year

Sponsored by Cricket St Thomas by Lactalis Professional

WINNER: Nathan Johnson

Senior Chef de Partie, The Royal Crescent Hotel, Bath

Pictured above with Michael Caines MBE DL, Elena Fernandez (Lactalis Professional) and Dr Andy Kemp MBE (Bidfood)

South West Professional Chef of the Year

Sponsored by Ritter Courivaud

WINNER: Joe Cotton

Sous Chef, Àclèaf, Boringdon Hall Hotel, Plymouth, Devon

Finalists were asked to prepare a three-course menu (starter, main and dessert) using the following compulsory protein ingredients and a mystery box of ingredients presented 30 minutes before the competition began.

• Partridge
• Dover Sole
• Clams and mussels

Joe’s Menu

Starter:
Partridge, parsnip and mushroom fricassé

Main:
Dover Sole, potato and celeriac

Dessert:
Sablé, poached pear and vanilla

South West Young Professional Chef of the Year

Sponsored by Essential Cuisine

WINNER: Nathan Johnson

Senior Chef de Partie, The Royal Crescent Hotel, Bath

Finalists were asked to prepare a three-course menu (starter, main and dessert) using the following compulsory protein ingredients and a mystery box of ingredients presented 30 minutes before the competition began.

• Best end of lamb
• Turbot
• Clams and Mussels

Nathan’s Menu

Starter:
Turbot, mussels, celeriac, butter sauce

Main:
Lamb, cauliflower, salsify, girolles, lamb jus

Dessert:
Salted caramel crême brulée

South West Student/Apprentice Chef of the Year

Sponsored by Michael Caines Ltd.

WINNER: Dylan Evered

The Sardine Factory, Looe and City College Plymouth

Finalists were asked to prepare a two-course menu (starter and main) using the following compulsory protein ingredients:

• Sirloin of beef
• Cod
• Mussels

Dylan’s Menu

Starter:
‘Nelsons Egg’ – smoked cod scotch egg, mussel and pickled fennel salad with beurre blanc

Main:
‘Autumn beef’ – roasted sirloin of beef, creamed potato, forest mushrooms and celeriac

South West Home Cook of the Year

WINNER: Munopa Nhete

Taunton, Somerset

Finalists in this class were asked to prepare a main course and a dessert using a choice of two protein ingredients and a range of dessert ingredients:

• Best end of lamb OR Dover Sole
• Autumn fruits and berries

Munopa’s Menu

Main:
Spiced sole, cauliflower purée, za’atar beetroot crisps, white wine foam and sea vegetables

Dessert:
Orange cake layered with berry compôte, thyme and pistachio crust, vanilla custard

South West Junior Chef of the Year

Sponsored by Nisbets

WINNER: Syd Yarde

Torquay College, Torquay, Devon

Mentored by Mark Dodson, The Masons Arms, Knowstone and Scott Paton, Àclèaf, Boringdon Hall Hotel, Plymouth.

Finals were held in each of the six counties of the South West during June and the winners in each county met at the final. Each benefitted from mentoring from one of our county judges in preparation for the final.  Competitors were asked to prepare a main course dish for our judges which they they worked on with their mentors to adapt and enhance for the South West final

Syd’s dish

Lasagne this is not….

West Country fillet of beef, goat’s cheese, and mushroom ravioli served with a rich roasted tomato & balsamic sauce and King Oyster mushroom

Best Showcase of Regional Ingredients

WINNER: Jayden Watson

Lympstone Manor and Plymouth High School (Student/Apprentice Chef finalist)

Starter:
Cod, mussels, cauliflower purée, date purée, cumin foam, roasted cauliflower, cauli crisp, samphire

Main:
Sirloin, parsnip purée, braised red cabbage, roasted parsnips, glazed onions, chestnut crumb, jus

Best Menu

WINNER: Nathan Johnson

Senior Chef de Partie, The Royal Crescent Hotel, Bath

(Young Professional Chef finalist)

Finalists were asked to prepare a three-course menu (starter, main and dessert) using the following compulsory protein ingredients and a mystery box of ingredients presented 30 minutes before the competition began.

• Best end of lamb
• Turbot
• Clams and Mussels

Nathan’s Menu

Starter:
Turbot, mussels, celeriac, butter sauce

Main:
Lamb, cauliflower, salsify, girolles, lamb jus

Dessert:
Salted caramel crême brulée

Best Presentation

People’s Choice Award

Sponsored by Churchill

Winner: Harrison Brockington

Head Chef, Gather, Totnes

(Professional Chef finalist)

The winner of this award was selected by followers of the competition on social media, organised and staged by Churchill during the finals on 25th October.

Receiving the highest number of votes, Harrison was selected for his main course dish of partridge, celeriac and pear.

Best Fish Dish

Sponsored by Flying Fish Seafoods

WINNER: Nathan Johnson

Senior Chef de Partie, The Royal Crescent Hotel, Bath

For his starter of turbot, mussels, celeriac, butter sauce

Best Meat Dish

WINNER: Andrew Jenkinson

Sous Chef, Lucknam Park, Bath

For his starter of partridge and potato – pomme purée, potato risotto, pot roasted partridge, stuffed, poached and braised leg

Best Dessert

WINNER: Lewis Brown

Junior Sous Chef, Edie’s Kitchen, St Austell, Cornwall

For his apple and blackberry crumble tart

Tom Bennetts

Head Chef, Driftwood Spars, St Agnes, Cornwall

Starter:
Taste of the Sea – fillets of Dover Sole, saffron potatoes, clams, mussels, Thai seafood sauce

Main:
Partridge in a pear tree – chestnut purée, hazelnut crumble, poached pear, roasted vegetables, jus

Dessert:
Chocolate tart – chocolate crumb, hazelnut ice cream, raspberries

Harrison Brockington

Head Chef, Gather, Totnes

Starter:
Doover Sole, broccoli, smoked bacon and clam velouté

Main:
Partridge, celeriac, pear

Dessert:
Apple tartlet, hazelnut, caramelised honey and rosemary ice cream

Andrew Jenkinson

Sous Chef, Lucknam Park, Bath

Starter:
Partridge and potato – pomme purée, potato risotto, pot roasted partridge, stuffed, poached & braised leg

Main:
Sole cooked on the bone, carrot purée, carrot fondant, pickled carrots, clams, shellfish foam

Dessert:
Crème caramel, pears, bay leaf, hazelnuts

Harvey Barker

Demi Chef de Partie, The Botanical Rooms at The Newt in Somerset

Starter:
Turbot, clams, wild mushrooms with mussel butter sauce

Main:
Best end of lamb, roasted garlic greens, mint emulsion

Dessert:
Quince brown butter frangipane cake, honey vanilla custard

Lewis Brown

Junior Sous Chef, Edie’s Kithcen, St Austell, Cornwall

Starter:
Pan fried turbot, mussels & clams, celeriac, wild mushrooms

Main:
Roasted rack of lamb, cauliflower, salsa verde, goat’s cheese, honeyed nuts

Dessert:
Apple and blackberry crumble tart

Rosie Nevill

Freelance Chef de Partie, Cornwall

Starter:
Turbot, pickled clams, girolles

Main:
Best end of lamb, carrot, mint

Dessert:
Apple, blackberry, almond

Tareq Assaf

Bath

Main:

Autumn colours and comfort

Dessert:

Redcurrant and pear crumble with custard (crema pasticcera)

Lucinda Ellicott

Paignton, Devon

Main:

Best end of lamb with caramelized orange and hazelnut salad, potato rosti and parsnip crumble

Dessert:

Autumn fruit with passion fruit cream meringue roulade

James Hunt

Bournemouth, Dorset

Main:

Trio of lamb: herb crusted rack, pan fried sweetbreads and tartare cigar with wasabi served with leek coated in leek ash, potato shells filled with potato mousse, black garlic purée and lamb jus

Dessert:

Autumn fruits: chocolate sphere filled with blackberry Bavarois and apple sorbet served with salted granola, apple fluid gel, blackberry compôte and caramelized apple

Alexina

Somerset Junior Chef of the Year

Kings Bruton School, Bruton

Mentored by Andrew Swann, The Castle Hotel, Taunton

Beef  Wellington

Anya

Gloucestershire Junior Chef of the Year

Katharine Lady Berkeley’s School, Wotton-under-Edge

Mentored by Gareth Fulford, Purslane Restaurant, Cheltenham

Chicken breast in a creamy parmesan sauce served with mashed potatoes and roasted veg

Freya

Cornwall Junior Chef of the Year 

Penrice Academy, St Austell

Mentored by Pete Murt, Head Chef, Rick Steins Sandbanks

Côte de boeuf, fondant potato, Bordelaise sauce, navet purée, pea fricassée

Harvey

Dorset Junior Chef of the Year

Highcliffe School, Bournemouth

Mentored by Sam Hughes, Rick Stein Sandbanks

The New Forest Fare – poussin supreme with mushrooms, white beans and rainbow chard

James

Wiltshire Junior Chef of the Year

St John’s School, Marlborough

Mentored by Hywel Jones, Lucknam Park and Rob Potter, The Manor House Hotel, Castle Combe

You have to be kidding…. goat ravioli