Hayden Groves is the National Chef of the Year 2013 winner at the Restaurant Show.

Hayden is executive chef at BaxterStorey and saw off the competition in the live final at London’s Earls Court. After winning the award Hayden spoke exclusively to The Staff Canteen and said: “It hasn’t sunk in yet. I’m so excited but it is utter relief. This is my fourth year so it really inspired me and I wanted to taste what it was like to be in the top three again.”

>>> Read more about Hayden here

Using seasonal ingredients from land and sea from a mystery basket, 39-year-old Hayden impressed the likes of Monica Galetti of two Michelin-starred Le Gavroche, after beginning with a starter of soused Cornish mackerel, clams and passion fruit. He then moved on to his main course of rib eye of beef, pithivier, girolles and roasted Jersualem artichoke.

To finish the meal Hayden created a blackberry and apple dessert with caramelized white chocolate. The winning menu was judged by TV chef Monica, competition organiser and vice president of the Craft Guild of Chefs David Mulcahy, chairman of judges Philip Howard, ambassador and chef proprietor of Murano Angela Hartnett, and Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar.

Phil Howard, chairman of judges, told The Staff Canteen: “The winner was a great example of perseverance. It was his fourth time of entering and he’s always been in the running. You couldn’t genetically engineer a better chef than Hayden so I’m particularly pleased for him.”

By winning the competition, considered the UK’s most prestigious culinary challenge and the competition aspiring chefs want to win, Hayden walked away with national acclaim and a haul of prizes, including an exclusive study trip at a 3-starred Michelin restaurant in France. On top of this, he also wins a second study trip to Norway, master classes with industry greats and specialist chef’s products and equipment.

The competition runners up were Simon Webb, head chef at CH&Co and Andrew Wright, sous chef at Restaurant 23, Leamington Spa. Making it through the paper entry stage, 44 of the UK’s top chefs were this year selected to compete at a series of semi-finals in London and Sheffield in a bid to make the final eight.

For more information on how to enter next year’s competition, visit www.craftguildofchefs.co.uk or sign up to follow @TNCOTY on Twitter. Read the Craft Guild of Chefs' blog on the event here

>>> Read more about National Chef of the Year 2013 here