Food Competition 2006
Cross Foxes - Heats
www.crossfoxes-erbistock.co.uk
Amy and Alli were called in to compete at the last minute and they both pulled out all the stops, but it was evident that they lacked practice and preparation, which unfortunately held them back. Nevertheless, with a bit more effort several of the dishes have great potential, in particular their unique rhubarb pancake, which was an interesting and extremely satisfying sweet.
Starter:
Smoked mackerel terrine with horseradish cream
The two strong pickles that were used to accompany the terrine unfortunately over-powered the whole dish and the undressed leaves didn't help to enhance this starter.
Light Bite:
Duck Scotch egg with plum chutney
The general idea of this dish was good but the duck mix lacked proper seasoning and the leaf dressing did not really compliment the Scotch egg.
Main:
Braised ham hock, bubble and squeak and sweet mustard sauce
Looked great but really needed to be on a plate: the hock was slightly too salty and would have benefited from being soaked. The bubble and squeak had lost its crispiness because everything was sitting on top of it. With a few little tweaks this main would sit brilliantly on the menu.
Pudding:
Rhubarb and custard stuffed pancake
Looked beautifully simple and tasted good, but lacked a wow factor. A dollop of ice cream would give this dish a refreshing bite to it. It was a big portion so it would probably be worth charging slightly more for it.
Prepared by:
Amy Chaloner, Ally Craig
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.