This year the five finalists of the annual Classic Fine Foods Christmas Entremet Contest 2016 were selected  via a professional rating from the judges and a webpage vote. We speak to finalist Jeremy Lesongeur from Harrods.

This year the participant's overall score was based on two different ratings, 60% of the total was from a rating by the professional judging panel and 40% was based on a blind vote where readers were directed to a voting page and encouraged to pick their favourite entremet based on their image alone. The five with the most votes were then chosen to go through to the final. This year participants were asked to create a Christmas Entremet for 10 people weighing no less than 1.250kg. They were also asked to use at least one Valrhona chocolate, Capfruit fruit puree and one PCB item of their choice.

Over the next five days The Staff Canteen will be finding out more about each finalist, we caught up with contestant Jeremy Lesongeur to find out more about the inspiration behind his dish and how he’s feeling about the competition.

My full name : Jeremy Lesongeur

Place of work: Harrods

Job title: Demi chef de partie

Why I wanted to take part to the contest:

I wanted to measure my level next to the English pastry chefs as I'm used to doing contests in France. I also think it's a good way to learn and to give my best. But above all I just wanted to take part for the pleasure in competing.

Tell us a bit more about the dish itself and the elements of it: 

I've mixed three iconic Christmas tastes together; dark chocolate, orange and spices such as cinnamon, star anis, etc. I've never worked with these before, so it was a good to use them.

What is the inspiration behind your dish:

Firstly, when I was thinking about the flavour, my first idea was to add a gingerbread as my sponge. Gingerbread is typically quite Christmassy. I then  created the orange flavour through orange jam, orange coulis and orange fruit paste, bringing the acidity, the color and also the fruit side to the dessert. The thing is, the dark chocolate and orange are quite bitter, that's why I've added a praliné cream inside and a praliné cream on the top as they are both are sweet and for the crunchy side I've used praliné feuilletine.

Are you looking forward to the final:

Yes I'm looking forward the final.

What do you think will be the most challenging part of the day:

I think for me, the most challenging part is going to be managing stress, making all my layers and praying to have a good freezer to freeze my entremets as well as being able to finish it in time.

This year the final five will be invited to re-create their entremet in front of a live audience in the recently opened TheTasteLab by Classic Fine Foods. The panel of judges which includes Pastry Chef for TheTasteLab by Classic Fine Foods London, Denis Dramé MCA and Valrhona Pastry Chef UK, Luke Frost and last year’s winner Maxime Michelot, who joins the judging panel as President of the Christmas Entremet Contest 2016, will then select the winner based on taste and appearance.

The winner will fly to New York for a 2 day hands-on training course at L’Ecole Valrhona Brooklyn. The prize includes flight tickets to New York and accommodation for 4 nights. 

>>> Read more about the Classic Fine Foods Competition here