Now in its third year, this renowned competition is nearly coming to an end. Several reputable Chefs from a number of Searcy's restaurants went head to head in producing stand-out dishes, gaining inspiration from seasonal ingredients and global food trends. Each dish had to conform to a chosen theme, this year being sustainability. We were looking for chefs to take this brief to the next level and were judged by their creativity and ability to experiment with new culinary techniques.
We have had exceptional starter, fish course, main-course and dessert from chefs from all backgrounds, giving their unique take on conceptulasing an exemplary dish, which wowed the judges.
This competition was an opportunity for chefs to show off their culinary talents and feature their dishes at the final grand banquet which will be held at One Moorgate Place in February.
What happened in the starter round?
The competition kick-started off with a number of delectable dishes. Judges were looking for chefs who really paid attention to the brief as well as producing culinary works of art.
The winner, Lazlo Bazse wowed judges with his MSC certified Smoked salmon tartar, compressed Cucumber, Pickled Radish Caviar and Fresh cress salad. Trust us, it tasted as fresh and delicate as it sounds! Most ingredients were sourced from Northern Ireland farms and Lazlo ensured minimal waste during production.
The Fish Round
This is a hard dish to nail! Congratulations to Matthew Den who presented his unique conception of Roasted sea Trout, Conion Puree, burnt and pickled Onion, Confit Challot, truffle infused Cream. This dish was praised for its fresh taste, delicate flavours and beautiful presentation. This dish aimed to use clean, simple ingredients which were sourced locally and ethically. All ingredients were utilised to the best of their abilities to minimalise waste material.
The Main Course
This was a round to be contested with! Congratulations to Herlinzum Morales for impressing the judges with his outstanding dish. It consisted of Juniper Venision, Autumn Root Terrine, Forest Mushrooms and Blood Orange Jus. The chefs love for being out in the open, foraging and hunting from the land led to creation of this dish. This dish was as bold as it was beautiful and certainly added the wow factor to the competition!
The Dessert Round
Congratulations to our very own Peter Footitt for his winning dish! His scrumptious dessert comprised of Honey Mousse with Yorkshire Rhubarb Insert, Buckwheat Honey Cake and Puffed Buckwheat. Well done on winning the final round of the Great City Chefs Competition. We look forward to it being served at our banquet!
The Banquet
This year, we have had a show-stopping banquet. All our chefs presented their outstanding dishes to over 150 guests. Many commended Searcy's chefs on their handcrafted dishes, noting their impeccable presentation, sustainable innovative concepts and fresh delivery. Our presenter, Simon Boyle gave a fantastic speech on his foundation, Beyond Food Charity. Thank you for everyone who attended our event and we look forward to seeing you at the next one!
