Rogan and Company chef is winner of North West Young Chef Competition

Cumbria's Daniel Akrigg, a teenage chef who grew his own peas and made his own elderflower cordial for this year’s Essential Cuisine-sponsored North West Young Chef final, has won the title.

Daniel Akrigg, commis chef at Rogan and Company restaurant near Grange Over Sands, was a force to be reckoned with at yesterday’s high octane cook-off at Manchester College.

The 18-year-old first bowled over judges with a flavourful starter of asparagus and poached egg with brown butter hollandaise.

His main - fillet of plaice, Morecombe Bay shrimps and heritage potatoes with crushed peas and shoots – was finished off with a roast bone sauce and topped with pea shoots grown on Rogan and Company’s farm.

The young chef then sealed the deal with a local cheese cake with granola, raspberries and elderflower, the cheese sourced from Holker Farm Dairy near Daniel’s place of work.  

Daniel, who is half way through his level 3 NVQ Patisserie at Kendal College, Narrowly beat 16-year-old Jacques Verite, who works full time at his Dad’s family run restaurant in Southport, Merseyside.

Daniel now automatically qualifies for Young National Chef of the Year later this year, and will receive a week's stage at a top restaurant and a set of professional chef’s knives.

Chairman of judges and British Master Chef Brian Mellor, who founded the competition for chefs under

23, said: “It was a closely contested final, but Daniel worked quickly and with focus, and was controlled at all times to to produce balanced and well-flavoured dishes.

“As the judges spoke to him throughout the competition, he displayed good awareness and knowledge of his ingredients and why he was preparing and cooking them in that way.”

Judging at this year’s final were Brian Mellor, chairman of judges, Nigel Crane, managing director of Essential Cuisine, Steven Doherty, chef consultant, Mary-Ellen McTague from Great British Menu and Christopher Basten, chairman of the Craft Guild of Chefs.