Food Competition 2008
Corn Mill - Heats
Paul and John's dishes were consistent through out the day and were all executed to a high standard. All four courses would sit nicely on the menu straight away. A very strong performance, well done.
Starter:
Warmed soused mackerel
Fundamentally a lovely, delicate dish with good colour. A little more seasoning and cooking along with a roll of bread would take this to the next level.
Light Bite:
Marinated free range chicken and feta salad
A superb fresh looking salad that would sit nicely on the menu, well cooked and presented. Just add a little more zing to the dressing for the finishing touch.
Main:
Braised feather steak with roast celeriac
Good choice of cut of meat and cooked extremely well. Some green veg would enhance presentation and perhaps some mustard or horseradish would just add the finishing touch.
Pudding:
Baked egg custard tart
A very good example of a classic dessert, it looked and tasted excellent.
Prepared by:
Paul Harris and John Chaplin
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.