Food Competition 2005
Pen-y-Bryn - Heats
Stuart and Steve created four first class dishes and it was very hard to choose the overall dish of the day, but the Rhubarb and custard trifle was the perfect dish gaining almost full marks in every category; great style with delicious taste.
Starter:
Twice-baked Welsh goat's cheese soufflé with pear chutney
All individual elements of this dish were great but altogether the dish may benefit from either a stronger cheese or subtler chutney.
Light Bite:
Creamy smoked haddock "Shepherd's pie'
Fabulous dish, tasty with great texture - possibly doesn't need the salad leaves.
Main:
Braised shin of beef with horseradish mash and Savoy cabbage
Simple and well executed. Possibly could do with a different sort of plate presentation.
Pudding:
Rhubarb and custard trifle
Nothing wrong with this dish, which had great style. Possibly add a little alcohol to the sponge.
Prepared by:
Steven Kean, Stuart Russell
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.