Having already taken on their peers in a series of outstanding regional heats, this year’s final brought together students from all over the UK including our first Welsh and Scottish finalists. A large crowd had gathered in the amphitheatre to cheer them on as they got to work creating delicious soups and their own take on a modern chicken dish but they didn’t let the pressure get to them as they threw themselves into the competition.
At the end of an intense sixty minutes, the dishes were served and all that was left was to wait for the results, which would be announced later that afternoon. In the meantime, we caught up with Major’s Executive Development Chef, Fergus Martin, to find out how the students had done. “I was extremely impressed with the standard today. There were some innovative uses of the Major products across all the dishes including in a fabulous borscht. I was also really impressed by the students’ professionalism in such a pressured environment; they were a testament to themselves and the colleges.”
At the end of the day it was Finlay Royle from Loughborough College who took home the trophy for her Butternut Squash and Cumin Soup and Piri Piri Roasted Poussin with Veal Butter Potatoes and Hickory Vegetables, which Martin described as having fantastic textures and flavours. When asked who’s decision it had been to enter, she said, “It was actually my idea originally but when I asked my lecturer about it he told me he was just about to send me the details. I’ve practiced and practiced for today and in the end I was really happy with my final dishes and how the products I used combined with the other flavours in them.”
With that, all that is left for us to say is a massive congratulations to all of the finalists for their hard work getting ready for the competition. Wayne Harris, Chairman for the Judges for the Craft Guild of Chefs, said, “This competition is special because you can really see how much the students have progressed between the heats and the final. The standard was superb and everyone had raised their game, which makes me incredibly proud to associated with the competition. On behalf of both Major and the Craft Guild of Chefs, I would like to say a huge thank you to all of the competitors. Without all of your determination it just wouldn’t be possible and we hope to see more from all of you in the future.”
Major Series 2019 has begun!
With the final now over, it’s time to begin looking towards next year’s regional heats. We’ll be in Bournemouth, Devon, Llandudno, Hartlepool and Glasgow over the next few months to see yet more talented students put themselves to the test in the hope of being next year’s winner, so watch this space.
Key Dates:
Friday 25th January – Major Series Bournemouth (click
here to see how it went!)
Friday 8th February – Major Series South Devon
Tuesday 26th – Thursday 28th February – Welsh Culinary Championships
Tuesday 19th March – Major Series Hartlepool
TBC - Major Series Scotland
Find out more at:
http://craftguildofchefs.org/competitions/138