Food Competition 2005
Armoury - Heats
The Armoury produced two particularly exciting and different dishes. The Sweetcorn cakes that were served with a zingy avocado salsa and Plum and frangipane tarte were the favorites, but when it came to the crunch it was the dessert that just came out on top.
Starter:
Sweetcorn cakes with avocado salsa
Overall a good dish with the salsa adding a nice zing to the overall flavour, although the green garnish was unnecessary.
Light Bite:
Peppered chicken skewers with rosemary and baby leaf salad
Great concept but the final execution didn't work with only a mild hint of pepper.
Main:
Grilled cod with a caper crumb, pea mash, julienne vegetables and a tomato and herb sauce
This dish didn't quite come together, although the mash had great texture and the cod was cooked well. The sauce was a little too sweet.
Pudding:
Plum and frangipane tarte with mascarpone cream
A nice dish but would have benefitted from a little glaze or something on the pastry.
Prepared by:
Sim Harrison, Jon Emerson
The Challenge
Every pub must enter a starter, light bite, main course and pudding. The dishes need to be prepared, cooked and put together in the morning before judging at lunchtime.
In the first round, three or four pubs each day go up against each other. The winner overall on each day goes through to the final, which is held two weeks later.
Pub managers and senior chefs are encouraged to come along for the judging and to lend support at the tastings and see what their crews have done, but they can't make any alterations or comment until after the judging - or heckle the other pub teams.
The Criteria
Each dish will be judged under the following criteria; the written description of the dish; the style of the dish; presentation; taste and balance; value for money for the customer; gross profit to the pub; kitchen efficiency; likelihood of consistent reproduction; ease of service to the table.
Prizes
The winning team will enjoy the glory, the admiration and undoubtedly the accusations of bias and double-dealing from all their peers. They will also receive a trophy and probably a case or two of something quaffable to share amongst the team.