BaxterStorey and Lexington make National Chef of the Year finals

Renowned chefs Paul Ainsworth and David Mulcahy revealed this year’s National Chef of the Year finalists recently – and it includes Ross Brown, chef de partie for BaxterStorey, and Jack Shaw, head chef for Lexington Catering. Whittled down from 33 to just 12, the finalists will now go on to cook at Cord by Le Cordon Bleu. The final will be aired at a VIP red-carpet premiere at the Everyman Broadgate cinema on 21st October.

The talented 12 will serve up their original menus from the entry stage, which allowed each chef to tell their story of the pandemic through food. Menus will include a vegetarian starter incorporating ingredients on the Knorr Future 50 Foods list; the main focuses on supporting British suppliers on land and at sea with a dish incorporating both meat and fish; while desserts should reflect the start of the pandemic, when ingredients were sparse and households turned to baking for comfort.

Ainsworth said: “What a final we’ve got ahead of us with this incredible top 12! There have been some truly creative and delicious looking dishes demonstrated in the first two stages of the competition and we can’t wait to taste them in the next round.

“I’m so honoured to support these twelve 12 as the chair of judges and can’t wait to find the next winner. That chef is certain to go down in history with their winning menu reflecting the toughest times our industry has ever faced.”

The current champion is Nick Smith of Vacherin (pictured).

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