Major Series Grand Final 2017/18

On Monday the 5th of March 2018, ten talented young chefs battled it out in the Hotelympia Live Kitchen for the 2017/18 Grand Final of the Major Series. With only one hour allowed for them to cook and serve 2 portions of pop-up kitchen soup and 2 portions of a modern chicken dish, the race was on and despite performing on a large national stage, they didn’t let the pressure get to them, serving up some stunning dishes for the judges. 

The atmosphere was electric as the class began and a large audience of supporters cheered the finalists on, helping to calm some nerves. As the competition hit the half way point, the students started serving their soups which impressed Wayne Harris, judge from the Craft Guild of Chefs. “They all created interesting and tasty soups out of the variety of Mari Bases and Stocks that were available to them during the final and it was great to see some outside of the box thinking; the standard showed that they had obviously researched and practised their dishes beforehand.”
 
As we headed towards the final 15 minutes things really began to hot up but the students kept their heads as they began plating up their chicken dishes. Every student created something different and the whole range of Major products were used across the entries from the Korean Mari Base right through to the Vegetable Pan-Asian Base and Veal Jus Paste. Fergus Martin, Major’s Food Service Development Chef and Team Manager for the Craft Guild of Chefs Culinary Team, said that the standard seen this year was incredibly high and he was impressed with how well the chicken dishes complimented the students’ soups. “The winning dish really impressed me with how well balanced it was and how the flavours all worked together to create a modern twist on a classic dish.”
 
The heat now over, it was an anxious wait as the judges completed their final deliberations. It was a tough decision but this year’s winner was Adam Marki-Fejes from Bournemouth and Poole College who in addition to taking away a Silver Medal and the Major Series Cup also won £500 worth of vouchers for himself and £250 in vouchers for his college. Speaking to him after the results, he was a little in shock and couldn’t believe he’d won having only been studying for a few years. “I had very basic knowledge when I started at college but I have learnt a lot in my time there from the excellent lecturers. I hope to one day open my own restaurant with my fiancé but for now, I’m keen to keep learning and gaining experience and making bit of a name for myself in the industry.” 
 
On that note, we would like to say huge congratulations to all of this year’s finalists whose hard work and determination clearly showed in their performance and would also like to thank the Craft Guild of Chefs for their on-going support. Its really important to us that we continue to encourage and support young chefs on the path to pursuing excellent careers in the culinary industry and without the students’ unfaltering commitment and passion, this wouldn’t be possible.