The Professional and Young Professional finalists for the South West Chef of the Year have been announced

After a hotly contested semi-final, held at Exeter College on Saturday, The South West Chef of the Year competition has announced its finalists.

The competition, now in its eleventh year and sponsored by 3663, is split into Professional, Young Professional and Student Chefs. Four finalists have proceeded into the final from the first two categories, and three have advanced in the Student Chef department.

The chefs showed quality and inventiveness as they presented their dishes to the judges, including Neil Haydock, Peter Gorton, Paul Ainsworth and Matt Mason. They all acknowledged that the standard achieved was truly exceptional.

Paul Ainsworth explained: "Not only are we seeing real skill and flair but a commitment to using the excellent regional ingredients that these chefs have at their fingertips; it is an exciting time for British cooking and the southwest is certainly producing chefs we can be proud of."

All semi-finalists prepared a two-course meal using compulsory ingredients supplied by either Pipers Farm or Kingfisher Brixham. The chefs had a choice of fish, including mackerel, cod and whiting; or a cut of meat such as Red Ruby rump tail, pork tenderloin and lamb neck fillet.

Eight professionals competed for a chance to win the coveted prize sponsored by Ritter Courivaud. The candidates through to the final are:

• Stuart Brown, Senior Sous Chef at Combe House Hotel in Devon;
• Dale McIntosh, Head Chef at Merchants Manor in Falmouth;
• Eddy Rains, Head Chef at The Wheatsheaf in Combe Hay, Somerset; and
• Dean Westcar, Junior Sous Chef at Manor House Hotel in Castle Combe, Wiltshire.

The young professional chefs battled for their place in the final with award-winning chef Michael Caines MBE sponsoring their division. Through to compete are:

• Dan Adkin, Demi Chef de Partie at Lucknam Park, Bath;
• Alexander Brownrigg, Demi Chef de Partie, Homewood Park Hotel, also based in Bath;
• Daniel Gambles, the Chef de Partie at Gidleigh Park, Chagford, Devon; and
• Elly Wentworth, Chef de Partie at Manor House Hotel, Castle Combe.

The Student Chef tournament, sponsored by Nisbets, reaped three further finalists:

• Emily Colling of Exeter College;
• Benjamin Debrecini of Weston College; and
• Joe Fowler, Apprentice at The Salty Monk in Sidmouth, Devon.

The finals take place on Monday, October 27, where the Professional and Young Professional competitors will prepare a three-course meal using a box of components presented 30 minutes before the event starts.  Student Chef finalists are asked to prepare a two-course menu using two distinct protein ingredients.

The winners of all three classes will be announced after the final at a glamorous awards presentation dinner prepared by three guest chefs, all previous winners of the competition.

By Jenny Williams