Finalists Announced for Game Chef of the Year 2016

With the game season well and truly under way, the annual search for the UK's best professional game chef has now begun. Entering its sixth year, Game Chef of the Year is run by one of the UK’s main game suppliers, Braehead Foods and is once again supported by specialist venison producer Highland Game.

Braehead Foods in association with Highland Game are pleased to announce the finalists in the search for the 2016 Game Chef of the Year.

The finalists are:

Adam Thomason, Restaurant Associates, London

Andrew Laylock, Wilde-Thyme Ltd, Perthshire

Andrew D'Amery, Delaware North Wembley Stadium, Hertfordshire

Federico Pinelli, Mosimann’s, London

Greig livingstone, Prestonfield House Hotel, Edinburgh

Libby Clark, Heritage Portfolio, Edinburgh

Lorna McNee, Andrew Fairlie, Perthshire

Ollie Hay, Restaurant Associates, London

Richard Skinner, Artizian, Surrey

Simon Webb, Restaurant Associates, London

The competition involves a four-month search to find the best professional game chef in the UK with the overall winner receiving a once in a lifetime trip to Sweden to hunt wild boar. Applicants were required to submit two feathered or furred game recipes, one starter and one main course.

Chief Executive of Braehead Foods, Craig Stevenson says ‘the competition has been running for many years now and each year the number and quality of entries exceeds our expectations. We want the chefs who are working and creating delicious recipes using game meats across the UK to be recognised for what they do.’

The finalists will each receive £100 each and will take part in a cook off at The Cook School Scotland on Monday 25th January 2016. They will be required to prepare, cook and present two game based dishes for a panel of judges including Paul Gayler, Tom Kitchin and Martin Wishart.
The overall winner will receive a once in a lifetime trip to the south of Stockholm, Sweden where they will hunt wild boar, courtesy of Highland Game.

>>>Read: Martin Zahumensky, head chef, Urban Coterie

Last years top prize was claimed by Martin Zahumenksy from the Playboy Club in London with Stephen Waters of Loch Lomond Golf Club finished second with Jonathan Cook from One Square Restaurant, Sheraton Edinburgh finishing third.

Martin’s starter was partridge with pickled blackberry, sorrel emulsion, pearl barley and jus; the judges said his dish had nice composition and the meat was cooked perfectly. For his main course he made hay smoked fallow deer, roasted butternut squash, medjool date paste, confit potatoes, mustard and shallot puree and cinnamon jus.

This dish was the judges favourite of the day withPaul Gayler MBE describing it as 'a fantastic well balanced dish with excellent presentation'.

For more information please visit www.braeheadfoods.co.uk/gamechef or follow us on Facebook.com/GameChefOfTheYear or Twitter @GameChefOfYear