Congratulations to the 2023 winners

Overall South West Chef of the Year, Andrew Jenkinson, pictured with Dr Andrew Kemp MBE (Bidfood) and Michael Caines MBE DL 

Congratulations to the 2023 winners

South West Chef of the Year 2023 culminated with an awards presentation dinner on Tuesday 24th October at Exeter Golf and Country Club, when the winners of this year’s competition were announced.

The dinner followed the finals of the professional and student/apprentice chef categories earlier the same day at Exeter College.

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

Our judges for the professional and student/apprentice chef finals (left to right): Chris Cleghorn, Hywel Jones, Tim Kendall, Matt Mason, Elly Wentworth, Ian Webber, Nathan Outlaw, Michael Caines MBE DL, Scott Paton, Richard Davies, Peter Gorton and Neil Haydock (Seth Ward was also judging but is not in the picture).

We are extremely grateful to our panel of judges who give their time so generously to support the competition and 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.

Ingredients for the finals and our awards dinner were very kindly supplied by M C Kelly Ltd., Flying Fish Seafoods, Dole Foodservice, Bidfood and Ritter Courivaud.

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 2023 outlined below:

South West Overall Chef of the Year

WINNER: Andrew Jenkinson

Head Chef, Lucknam Park, Bath

Pictured above with Michael Caines MBE DL and Dr Andrew Kemp MBE (Bidfood)

South West Professional Chef of the Year

Sponsored by Ritter Courivaud

WINNER: Andrew Jenkinson

Head Chef, Lucknam Park, 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 and belly of lamb
• Brill
• Mussels

Andrew’s Menu

Starter:
Pan roast Brill, crispy moules marinière, melted leeks, pickled potato

Main:
Best end of lamb, cavolo nero, jus, lamb belly shepherd pie, Lyonnaise onions

Dessert:
Caramelised pear, pear and apple purée, almond financier, vanilla ice cream

South West Young Professional Chef of the Year

Sponsored by Essential Cuisine

WINNER: Lewis Nicholas

Junior Sous Chef, Lympstone Manor, Lympstone, 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.

• Pheasant
• John Dory
• Mussels and Cockles

Lewis’s Menu

Starter:
John Dory, carrot, celeriac, mussels, clams

Main:
Pheasant, quince, butternut squash, cavolo nero, blackberry

Dessert:
Vanilla bavarois, spiced pear, raspberry

South West Student/Apprentice Chef of the Year

Sponsored by Nisbets

WINNER: Jayden Watson

Lympstone Manor, Lympstone and Plymouth High School, Devon

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

• Partridge
• Sea Bass
• Scallops and Clams

Jayden’s Menu

Starter:

Partridge tart, quince purée, pickled quince, braised chicory mix, walnut, walnut split sauce

Main:
Anise scented seabass, shellfish tortellini, fennel, sauce vierge, lemongrass foam

South West Home Cook of the Year

WINNER: Tareq Assaf

Bath

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:

• Beef sirloin OR Monkfish and/or mussels
• Pears, Apples and/or Autumn fruits and berries

Tareq’s Menu

Main:
Monkfish steak in mussel sauce with squid ink tagliatelle

Dessert:
Twister sticky cake with cinnamon poached pear, berries reduction and mousse

South West Junior Chef of the Year

Sponsored by Michael Caines Ltd.

WINNER: Freya Barrett

Penrice Academy, St Austell, Cornwall

Mentored by Tim Kendall, chef proprietor of The Barley Sheaf, Gorran and The Rising Sun, Altarnun.

Competitions 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.  Two competitors were selected as joint winners in Cornwall.

Competitors were asked to prepare a main course dish for our judges which they then worked on with their mentors to adapt and enhance for the South West final

Freya’s dish

Creedy Carver chicken breast Boudin, smoked mash, carrot purée, Roscoff onion, tenderstem broccoli, red wine jus, chicken skin crisp

Best Showcase of Regional Ingredients

WINNER: Lottie Gentile

The Idle Rocks, St Mawes and Truro and Penwith College

(Student/Apprentice Chef finalist)

Starter:
Partridge with a Cornish mead glaze, a pumpkin purée and mulled beetroot

Main:
Pan fried Sea Bass with autumn vegetables and a Camel Valley Bacchus wine sauce

Best Menu

WINNER: Andrew Jenkinson

Head Chef, Lucknam Park, Bath

(Professional Chef finalist)

Andrew’s Menu

Starter:
Pan roast Brill, crispy moules marinière, melted leeks, pickled potato

Main:
Best end of lamb, cavolo nero, jus, lamb belly shepherd pie, Lyonnaise onions

Dessert:
Caramelised pear, pear and apple purée, almond financier, vanilla ice cream

Best Presentation

Winner: Simon Davies

Head Chef, The Rising Sun, Altarnun, Cornwall

(Professional Chef finalist)

Our judges chose Simon’s starter of cured Brill, smoked mussels, carrot dressing, tarragon mayonnaise and pumpkin seeds as the best presented dish in the competition.

Best Dish

WINNER: Ben Godiff

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

For his dessert of pear tatin and vanilla

Simon Davies

Head Chef, The Rising Sun, Altarnun, Cornwall

Starter:
Cured Brill, smoked mussels, carrot dressing, tarragon mayonnaise and pumpkin seeds

Main:
Lamb loin, lamb belly stuffed with cavolo nero, celeriac purée, potato rosti and jus

Dessert:
Chocolate crémeux, blackberries, apple granita, sugared hazelnuts

Ben Godiff

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

Starter:
Brill, lentil, celeriac

Main:
Lamb, squash, potato

Dessert:
Pear tatin, vanilla

Wyn Jones

Sous Chef, Calcot & Spa, Tetbury, Gloucestershire

Starter:
Cornish Brill, mussel velouté, apple, beetroot

Main:
Best end of lamb and belly, artichoke, potato, galette, girolle mushrooms

Dessert:
Vanilla panna cotta, blackberries, pears, madeleines

Luke Bryant

Chef de Partie, Clockspire Restaurant, Milborne Port, Dorset

Starter:
Pheasant, ravioli, squash, blackberry, red wine just

Main:
John Dory, celeriac, smoked chowder foam, cockles, mussels, girolles, cavolo nero

Dessert:
Salt chocolate parfait, hazelnut, raspberry

Harrison Miller

Blundells School, Tiverton, Devon

Starter:
Pan seared John Dory, Jerusalem artichoke purée, cockles, mussels, ice lettuce, dill, Jerusalem artichoke crisps

Main:
Pheasant breast, ballotine thigh stuffed with pheasant, golden raisins and hazelnut mousse, beetroot purée, blackberry jus, fondant potato

Dessert:
Chocolate raspberry mousse, chocolate soil, chocolate tuille, crème Anglaise.

Shangen Yen

Commis Chef, Lucknam Park, Bath

Starter:
John Dory, cavolo nero, mussel velouté

Main:
Pheasant roasted on crumb, butternut risotto with poached leg, butternut purée sauce

Dessert:
Egg custard tart, berry compôte

Lucinda Ellicott

Paignton, Devon

Main:

Monkfish with a ragout of mussels, orange glazed carrots and salt and vinegar roast new potatoes

Dessert:

Bottom crust pear and Devon Blue Cheese tarte

Aneta Staciwa

Redruth, Cornwall

Main:

Pasta with wine and garlic mussels

Dessert:

Simply baked apples

Akshatha

Wiltshire Junior Chef of the Year

South Wilts Grammar School, Salisbury, Wiltshire

Mentored by Hywel Jones, Executive Chef, Lucknam Park, Bath

Chicken Biryani served with mixed vegetable curry, naan bread and cucumber raita

Catherine

Gloucestershire Junior Chef of the Year

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

Mentored by Richard Davies, Executive Chef, Calcot & Spa

Low-mileage Lebanese Lamb

Sadly, Catherine was unable to complete her dish after cutting her finger but her mentor chef, Richard, told us just how tasty her dish was and we hope she will return to the competition next year!

Elijah

Dorset Junior Chef of the Year

St Peter’s School, Bournemouth, Dorset

Mentored by Sam Hughes, Head Chef, Rick Steins Sandbanks

Tandoori chicken, pilau rice and raita

Jessica

Devon Junior Chef of the Year

Torquay Girls’ Grammar School, Torquay, Devon

Mentored by Mark Dodson, The Masons Arms, Knowstone

Pan fried Sea Bream, curry, cauliflower and caper

Theo

Somerset Junior Chef of the Year

Westfield Academy, Yeovil, Somerset

Mentored by Chris Cleghorn, Executive Head Chef, The Olive Tree, Bath

Salted Cornish cod with spiced capsicum sauce, coconut rice, Jamaican-style dumpling and mango and coriander salad

William

Joint Cornwall Junior Chef of the Year

Hayle Academy, Hayle, Cornwall

Mentored by Pete Murt, Head Chef, The Seafood Restaurant, Padstow

Pan seared duck breast with butternut squash purée, fondant potatoes, fine beans and red wine sauce

2023 Awards Evening

The winners of the 2023 competition were announced at an awards presentation evening at Exeter Golf and Country Club immediately following the finals on 24th October.

The presentations followed a wonderful meal prepared by three leading chefs, one judge and two previous winners of South West Chef of the Year

Starter

Jamaar Semper

Sous Chef, The Methuen Arms, Corsham

South West Young Professional Chef of the Year 2019

Main

Nathan Johnson

Junior Sous Chef, The Royal Crescent Hotel, Bath

South West Young Professional and Overall Chef of the Year 2022

Dessert

Chris Cleghorn

Michelin-starred Executive Head Chef, The Olive Tree, Bath

South West Chef of the Year judge

Monkfish, celeriac purée, celeriac sauce, pickled apple, hazelnut and truffle pesto, sea herbs

Paired with Papa Figos Branco, Douro, Portugal 2022

kindly supplied by Liberty Wines

West Country beef fillet, Maitake, Yukon Gold, Pedro Ximénez, red wine jus

Paired with Finca Museum, ‘Museum’ Cigales Reserva, Castillo y Leon, Spain 2019

kindly supplied by Liberty Wines

Oak Church Raspberries, Ivy House tonka bean ice cream, Fennel, 25 year old Balsamic vinegar

Paired with Sandeman 20 Year Old Tawny Port, Portugal

kindly supplied by Liberty Wines

The evening began with a drinks reception when guests enjoyed

Four Seas Gin kindly supplied by Salcombe Gin

served with Devon Tonic kindly supplied by Luscombe

and

Sicilian Citrus Crush kindly supplied by Luscombe

along with canapés prepared by our three chefs.

The meal concluded with coffee and Petits fours kindly supplied by Peltier and Caines French Patisserie

With many thanks to: Flying Fish Seafoods who supplied all fish and seafood; MC Kelly who supplied the meats; Dole who supplied all fresh produce and Ritter Courivaud who supplied dry and specialised goods.

Wines were paired for each course and supplied by Liberty Wines

The chefs were supported in the kitchen and front of house by students of the Michael Caines Academy and staff at the Exeter Golf and Country Club