The finals of the South West Chef of the Year competition, which was co-founded by renowned chef Michael Caines MBE DL, took place this week, with the winners announced at an awards ceremony at Exeter Golf and Country Club.
A team of top professional chefs from hotels and restaurants across the region, including Nathan Outlaw, Peter Gorton and Scott Paton, judged the competition at the closely fought finals at Exeter College.
South West Chef of the Year is widely regarded as one of the UK’s leading culinary competitions. It provides a platform for the region’s young chefs to build their profiles and an opportunity for the industry to promote the high standards of hospitality in the west country. It also aims to recognise the skill and creativity of professional chefs and amateur cooks; nurture up-and-coming professional and student chefs and provide a platform from which competitors can highlight their skills and develop their careers.
Michael Caines said: “This is the only competition which has categories for under 16s, home cook enthusiasts, students and apprentices, young professionals and professional chefs.
“The quality of the cooking this year was, once again, outstanding. We saw some fantastic dishes, using amazing local products, created during the day, all reflecting the skills and talents of the competing chefs and showcasing the high quality produce we have in abundance here in the west country.”
Michael added: “After 19 years of running the competition, you can really see the legacy we have created. It’s rewarding to see previous competitors, who started as students, who have now gone on to become professionals and indeed, our judges. These are the chefs who stay in our region, and we are proud to be part of retaining that talent and nurturing new talent in the South West.”
The award winners are:
- South West Chef of the Year – Andrew Jenkinson head chef at Lucknam Park, Bath. Andrew is also winner of the Professional Chef category and took home the award for best menu.
- South West Young Professional Chef of the Year (aged 19-24) up to junior sous chef – Lewis Nicholas from Lympstone Manor.
- South West Student/Apprentice Chef of the Year (aged 16-19) – Jayden Watson, from Plymouth High School and Lympstone Manor.
- Best Dish – Ben Godiff, sous chef at Àclèaf, Boringdon Hall Hotel, Plympton
- South West Home Cook of the Year (aged 16+) – Tareq Assaf from Bath.
- South West Junior Chef of the Year, an award for students aged between 11 and 16 – Freya Barrett from Penrice Academy, St Austell.
- Best Showcase of Regional Ingredients – Lottie Gentile from Truro and Penwith College and The Idle Rocks, St Mawes.
- Best Presentation – Simon Davies, head chef at The Rising Sun, Altarnun.
The awards were presented at a glittering presentation evening at Exeter Golf and Country Club, when previous winners and one of the competition’s judges prepared a sumptuous meal:
- Starter: Jamaar Semper, Sous Chef, The Methuen Arms, Corsham, Wiltshire – South West Young Professional Chef of the Year 2019
- Main: Nathan Johnson, Junior Sous Chef, The Royal Crescent Hotel, Bath – South West Overall and Young Professional Chef of the Year 2022
- Dessert: Chris Cleghorn, Michelin-starred Executive Head Chef at The Olive Tree, Bath and judge of South West Chef of the Year
For more information visit www.southwestchef.co.uk.
Main image: South West Chef of the Year Judges 2023. Photo credit: Steven Haywood Photography.
