Two young local chefs from the region’s top restaurants are celebrating after being chosen as the winners of the Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitality Association (HEYHA) Copper Saucepan Award cook-off.
Winners Kristian Whitehand from Drewton’s and Michael Moughton from The Star @Sancton competed with seven other young local chefs during the cook-off which was held at Hull College on 19th June.
Kristian and Michael will now take centre stage at the Beverley Food Festival on Sunday 5th October held in Beverley’s Saturday Market Place, to compete for the coveted Copper Saucepan Award. Each apprentice chef will prepare a main course and dessert in half an hour, live in front of an audience, on the main stage at the Beverley Food Festival.
As well as the Copper Saucepan Award and cash prize of £250 for the winner of the Award and £100 for the runner up, both will also have a day in the kitchen of celebrated chef Colin McGurran in the award-winning Winteringham Fields Restaurant.
Now in its eighth year, the HEYHA Copper Saucepan Apprentice Chef competition is a showcase for the region’s young talented chefs. Each entrant must have been in the hospitality industry for a maximum of four years and devise a menu which reflects flair, skill and the best of local food. A panel of judges decided initially which chef’s menus go through to the cooking challenge hosted by Hull College. At this cook-off the chefs prepared, cooked and presented their menu to a panel of experts.
This year’s judges were: Roy Woodcock Food Writer and Journalist, Paul Vinsen Chairman HEYHA, Joanne Bunce Curriculum Leader, Hospitality & Catering Hull College and Helen Watson Town Clerk Beverley.
On behalf of the judges, Roy Woodcock said “In this year’s competition the standard of dishes and imaginative use of local produce by these young Chefs had been remarkable. “
Paul Vinsen MIH Chairman HEYHA said: “Every year the standard seems just to get better. The young chefs demonstrated a highly imaginative use of local produce and great skill in marrying flavours to create some great dishes. We’re looking forward to seeing Kristian and Michael go head-to-head at the Beverley Food Festival on the 5th October.”
Helen Watson, Beverley Town Clerk said: “Beverley Town Council is delighted to be working in partnership with Mr Vincent and the HEYHA Copper Saucepan competition at the Beverley Food Festival. The young chefs all worked hard to produce some excellent local food dishes. The standards were very high. We look forward to seeing the two finalists Kristian from Drewton’s and Michael from the Star @Sancton in the live cook–off final at the Beverley Food festival on Sunday 5th October.”
The 2014 HEYHA Copper Saucepan cook-off competitors were: Adrianna Wypych, Cuckoo Café and Restaurant, Matthew Charlton, BUPA, Dominic Weatherill, Triton at Brantingham, Max David Havler, Willerby Manor, Michael Moughton, The Star @Sancton, Kristian Whitehand, Drewton’s, Harry G Smith, The Wrygarth Inn, William Teyen, Holiday Inn Hull Marina and Jonathon Moxon, The Pipe and Glass Inn.
The cook-off winning menus were:
Michael Moughton from The Star @Sancton presented Seared Scallops with English asparagus, lovage hollandaise and a pea puree, followed by pan-fried Hake with salt-baked baby turnip, pickled cauliflower stalks and spring onions, cauliflower foam with a brown shrimp sauce, and Michael’s dessert was blueberry panna cotta, with strawberry marshmallow and strawberry meringue, and a blueberry compote.
Kristian Whitehand from Drewton’s presented Drewton Estate courgette flower with a mousse of Staal’s Smokehouse smoked mackerel and Lowna Dairy goat’s cheese with Estate fresh peas, broad beans, and baby carrots, served with a Yorkshire rapeseed oil parsley and spinach puree. This was followed by Saddle of East Yorkshire Heywood lamb and a pulled lamb Dales potato rosti served on a black garlic pure with braised balsamic onions glazed carrots and estate gathered candied mint leaves and a redcurrant jus. Kristian’s dessert was vanilla cheesecake with a Cavegate Nurseries strawberry crumb served with a Raisethorpe Manor strawberry vodka with infused strawberries, a strawberry gel and a Side Oven Bakery granola and biscuit crumb and micro basil leaves.
Previous winners of the HEYHA Copper saucepan Award have been: 2007 Danny Holt (Lazaat Restaurant and Bar), 2008 Kevin Riding (Beverley Tickton Grange), 2009 Shane Tate (Lairgate Hotel), 2010 Jamie Park (The Pipe and Glass Inn), 2011 Alex James (Mill House Restaurant Skidby), 2012 Michael Flower (Hallmark Hotel, Hull) and 2013 Matthew Lee (The Pipe and Glass Inn).
