The Competition To ENTER!!!
The life of a chef is a passionate, creative and rewarding existence with a continual learning curve throughout their career. Delifresh exists to connect, engage and drive our love for food throughout our amazing occupation of being a chef.
The Delifresh Young Chef of the Year competition was born to give excitement back to our fabulous industry, showcasing the outstanding young talent we have in the trade and giving them a springboard to catapult their career and profile for all to see.
This years entries are OPEN - get your entry into the net before the closing date in JULY
This competition will never be about Delifresh. It's always been about the chef and their ability to excite all our minds as we unite together in our Love For Food.
See The Action Here From Last Years Competition...
The Heat Is On At Our Regional Heats...
The regional heats were designed to make it easy for any chef to compete - our local colleges rose to the challenge of hosting the Masterchef-style cook-off.
The contestants were tasked with creating two dishes within 3 hours - the only criteria being apple must be present in at least one of the two dishes - the chefs were judged on set criteria aimed at bringing the best out of the food.
To get to this stage, all of our initial entries were judged by Pierre Koffmann (who you can read all about in our judge's section below)
With an incredibly high standard set demonstrated at each of our regional heats, our judges were really put to work in each of the heats to decide who to put through to our final, held at The Grand, York.
All of our regional finalists left with a personalised Delifresh chef white apron and bag FULL of goodies from a range of our suppliers, as well as a certificate plus a connection with Delifresh forever!
Gareth Ward Stated, "To be asked to judge at the Newcastle regional heat was brilliant; seeing these young chefs take the responsibility of becoming our next chefs is warming. Our industry is under pressure, and this fantastic competition is giving excitement, connection & passion back into our industry WELL DONE DELIFRESH x"
Jordan Guest
Age: 23
Establishment: Shibden Mill Inn
Location: Halifax
Dish one: Venison in a red wine and blackberry jus, beetroot, blue cheese and potato
Dish two: Vanilla parfait with apple compote
Dan Parkes
Age: 23
Establishment: Grantley Hall
Location: Ripon
Dish one: Venison with celeriac, hen of the wood, truffle and a parsnip crisp
Dish two: Apple 4 ways with a caramelised milk parfait
Harry Blades
Age: 20
Establishment: The Grand
Location: York
Dish one: Duck with a beetroot puree and blueberry jus
Dish two: Raspberry victoria sponge with apple, passionfruit and white chocolate mousse
Jessica Keith
Age: 19
Establishment: Wentbridge House Hotel
Location: Pontefract
Dish one: Apple sticky toffee pudding
Dish two: Apple tart tatin with a blueberry creme brulee
Anya Swift
Age: 20
Establishment: Mother Shipton's Inn
Location: Knaresborough
Dish one: Monkfish and langoustine pie, monkfish scampi and langoustine sauce
Dish two: Ginger cake, chocolate ganache and apple cloud
Dan Jones
Age: 21
Establishment: Kala
Location: Manchester
Dish one: BBQ grilled monkfish, langoustine and apple
Dish two: Chocolate and hazelnut mille-feuille
Callum Murphy
Age: 23
Establishment: Clayton Hotel
Location: Manchester
Dish one: Duck breast, fondant potatoes and carrot puree
Dish two:
Amanda Salters
Age: 17
Establishment: Cheshire College South and West
Location: Cheshire
Dish one: Halibut Veronique with apple
Dish two: Vegan chocolate mousse
Anh Do
Age: 21
Establishment: Hoar Cross Hall
Location: Burton-on-Trent
Dish one: Butter poached monkfish and apple
Dish two: Venison with blackberries, apple and parsnip puree
Dish three: Apple frangipane
Emily Relf
Age: 20
Establishment: Cotton's Hotel
Location: Knutsford
Dish one: Beef fillet with apple, carrot, celeriac and apple mash
Dish two: Biscuit-based chocolate ganache
Phillip Ho
Age: 19
Establishment: Rooftop SIX
Location: Newcastle
Dish One: Chrgrilled langoustine, Basil Puree, Apple
Dish Two: Pan Roast Duck Breast, Pumpkin, Toasted Hazelnut, Beet Jus
Owen Connell
Age: 21
Establishment: Trakol
Location: Newcastle
Dish One: Miso, Halibut, Salmon Roe
Dish Two: Roast haunch Of Venison, Girolle, Pickled Bilberry Charred Artichoke
Ross Ward
Age: 19
Establishment: The Star Inn the Harbour
Location: Whitby
Dish One: pan Seared halibut, Baby Leek, Black Garlic & Hazelnut
Dish Two: Vanilla Pannacotta, Blackberry, Lemon Verbena
Ben Skeen
Age: 22
Establishment: Peace and Loaf
Location: Newcastle
Dish One: Whitby Crab Congee
Dish Two: Roasted Yorkshire Dales Lamb Rack, Artichoke Puree, Fermented Cabbage, Red Wine Jus
Reece Brady-Temple
Age: 23
Establishment: The Grand
Location: York
Dish One: haunch Of Venison, Salt Baked Celeriac, Apple Gel
Dish Two: 85% Chocolate, Hazelnut Brittle, Mango
The GRAND Final...
November 14th brought a crescendo to the competition as nine of our regional finalists attended the FANTASTIC Grand Hotel York to cook their hearts out for the judges so we could hunt out the most passionate, skilled and enthused chef on the big day
The Grand Hotel York was built in 1906 as a palace of business for the headquarters of the Northern Eastern railway. An unbelievable restoration occurred in 2010, with an extension in 2017 to make it a beuatiful 5-star establishment.
The facilities at The Grand were perfect for the competition, with a state-of-the-art cookery school hosting individual stations for the chefs, amazing canapes and hospitality for our guests and brilliant service for all.
The cooking commenced at 10:30 with a strict 3-hour time frame to complete their master dishes in readiness to be judged.
Harry Blades
Establishment - The Grand
Menu:
Salt Aged Duck Breast, Foie Gras, Duck Jus, Red Cabbage, Apple Gel, Celeriac Puree.
Chocolate, Raspberries and Szechuan Pepper.
"I've always dreamed of winning competitions like these, but I've never had a go at them however my Grandma who noticed it advertised in the paper and my Head Chef Ahmed Abdalla. They both encouraged me to enter as they both thought I would do well."
Although all contestants produced immaculate, tasty, creative dishes - Harry wowed the judges with his dishes, a huge congratulations on being Delifresh's Young Chef of the Year!
Dan Parkes
Establishment - Grantley Hall
Menu:
Seared Duck Breast, confit Leg and smoked Breast with Butternut squash, savory Cabbage, pistachio and Duck Jus.
Muscovado set Custard, Goats cheese Crumb, pickled Apple, apple compote and a Port gel.
"I wanted to be able to show that even being a pastry chef I can still show off my skills with savory cooking and produce really good food."
Ben Skeen
Establishment - Peace & Loaf
Menu:
Halibut, Razorclam, Leek, Turnip.
Chocolate, blackberry, hazelnut.
"I’m committed, ambitious, and going to cook some really tasty food, using a mixture of seasonal and foraged ingredients."
Phillip Ho
Establishment - SIX
Menu:
Salt aged duck breast, duck tartlet, beetroot and duck sauce.
Jerusalem artichocke souffle, caramalised manderin ice cream.
"There is no specific reason why I should be crowned young chef of the year, just that on this day of the finals I created a dish that the judges enjoyed the most. Which is an honour on itself, and will be a stepping stone for the journey ahead."
Anya Swift
Establishment - Mother Shiptons
Menu:
Pan seared salt aged duck breast, confit leg, sticky wing, salsify & parsnip dauphinois, salt baked beetroot purée, caramelised fig, drunken duck sauce.
Hazelnut and chocolate fondant, mushroom truffle, hazelnut crumb, sorrel sorbet.
"As a young female chef, I have seen how male dominated a kitchen environment can be. To win this competition would be an opportunity to show my skills and begin to carve out a place for both myself and other young women in the industry."
Anh Do
Establishment - Hoar Cross Hall
Menu:
Breast of salt-aged duck, parsnip and celeriac terrine, parsnip. puree.
Duck and blackberry sauce, king oyster mushroom.
Sheep yoghurts bavarois.
"I believe that I have a natural enthusiasm for the trade that I have chosen; I'm passionate about using great fresh produce and always try to push myself to continuously learn. I take true enjoyment in cooking for our guests, and I am very excited about how competing in Delifresh chef of the year could help both myself and my career by learning working with other chefs."
Owen Connell
Establishment - Trakol
Menu:
Roasted Duck, Duck Leg Faggot, Charcuterie Sauce, Braised Shallot andwild Mushrooms
Caramelised White Chocolate Mousse Cake, Toasted Hazelnut Ice Cream and Miso Caramel
"Being crowned Delifresh's Young Chef of the Year would help accelerate my career, as well as open doors to future competition and guidance from new mentors and competitors."
Amanda Salters
Establishment - Cheshire College
Menu:
Monkfish wrapped in parma ham with cauliflower purè, celeriac fondant and dill split buttermilk.
A chocolate forest
"This is a fantastic opportunity for me, and it would be a big step up for my future."
Emily Relf
Establishment - Cottens
Menu:
Celeriac and apple risotto with scallops.
Biscuits based chocolate mousse and ganache with raspberries and raspberry ice cream.
"I entered the competition to push myself. I wanted to do something new,knowing I would do well and produce excellent food."
Say Hello To Our Judges...
From a wide range of backgrounds and establishments, our judges have given their time and expertise for us to put this competition together. It has been incredible to see our entrants work alongside some fantastic chefs within the industry.
From Michelin-starred restaurants to smaller businesses, and local chefs packed with bags of talent, it was great to see them come together in each of the heats; with expertise and opinions from all walks of life, they still had a hard task on picking out our strongest young talent!
Stephanie Moon - Chef Consultant
Stephanie is a huge Northern ambassador and, for many years, has been developing the younger generation of chefs in unbelievable ways.
As a regular on the food show circuit, TV, radio and in the press, performing cooking demonstrations, publicising events, judging food awards and championing local produce, her passion for food screams out from the Yorkshire hills!
Following a successful career as Executive Chef at Rudding Park Hotel, where she maintained 2 Rosettes in the Clocktower Restaurant for over 8 years, Stephanie embarked on her new venture as Chef Consultant 10 years ago. Taking her business from strength to strength.
Stephanie is a huge Delifresh warrior championing everything British and is super excited about judging The Delifresh Young Chef of the year – So much so Steph travelled to Leeds and also up in Newcastle, encouraging all and helping the judging team find the most creative young chef.
Gareth Ward - Ynyshir Restaurant and Rooms
Gareth is the chef patron of one Wales' 2 Michelin-starred restaurants, Ynyshir Restaurant and Rooms.
He's originally from the northeast of England and has won a number of awards throughout his remarkable career.
They say Ynyshir is all about great food, great music and amazing drinks. Gareth calls it ‘fun dining’ rather than ‘fine dining’.
He's also renowned for his use of Japanese techniques and ingredients like miso, dashi, mirin and soy, which enable him to get as much flavour as possible out of the other ingredients and keep the dishes light with a set menu made up of around 34 courses!
It is all about meat, fish and how best to make the ingredients shine - Each course is a small portion of mouth-watering food, allowing the team to show off their culinary finesse. Whether these are more simple or more complex dishes, the experience provides such a wide range of flavours and textures!
Gareth has made TV appearances before, including James Martin's Saturday Kitchen and appearing on Masterchef: The Professionals!
Pierre Koffmann
Pierre Koffmann is an internationally acclaimed chef who has contributed to Britain’s finest cuisine for almost forty years.
La Tante Claire, his now legendary restaurant, gave Pierre Koffmann the platform to achieve three Michelin stars.
Between 1977 and 2004, La Tante Claire set new standards for cooking while also becoming a training ground for some culinary superstars such as Tom Aikens and Bruno Loubet.
Pierre is modest and thoughtful. He is happiest behind the stove, and so he rarely visits the dining room. Not because he is arrogant or grand but he does not presume customers want to meet him! He most enjoys saying hello to his guests in the kitchen and on this occasion heading to Yorkshire to help us find this years Young Chef Of The Year!!!
Terry Laybourne - 21 Hospitality
It started with just one restaurant – in 1988, on Newcastle’s Quayside, 21 Queen Street was set up by chef Terry Laybourne, his wife Susan and brother Laurance.
Within three years, it had won a Michelin star and become one of the region’s best-loved fine-dining establishments.
A diverse collection of some of the North East’s highest-regarded restaurants, including Café 21 Fenwick, Caffè Vivo, The Broad Chare, Saltwater Fish Company and more recently, Porterhouse Butcher and Grill.
Terry and his team have won numerous awards along the way – a Michelin Star, Egon Ronay Star, Independent Restaurateur of the Year, Gold Winner Taste of North East England, Newcomer of the Year and an MBE for services to the hospitality industry - We are so happy Terry gave his time to help us hunt for a winner.
Andrew Pern - The Star Inn Group
Andrew was born in Whitby and grew up close by on his parent's farm in nearby Sleights. He attended Catering College in Scarborough, gaining experience working in France along the way. After working in local hotels and restaurants, he was appointed Head Chef at the Milburn Arms at the tender age of 21. Aged 25, he took over ownership of The Star Inn at Harome and quickly fashioned this into one of the first ever ‘Gastropubs’ winning awards virtually on a monthly basis for Andrew’s cooking, which has always championed seasonal local ingredients.
Somewhere along the way, Andrew found the time to write two award-winning cookery books featuring recipes from the restaurant, ‘Black Pudding and Foie Gras’ and ‘Loose Birds and Game, the latter being Andrew’s game cookery bible. A popular performer at local food festivals, Andrew has also made a number of television appearances, including the Hairy Bikers and as a competitor on BBC’s Great British Menu in 2011, when he won his regional heat and narrowly missed taking his dessert to the final menu.
More recently, his efforts have been on the expansion of his restaurant interests in the areas outlined above, all very different, but all with Andrew’s instinctive ability to provide the best package of good, old-fashioned hospitality. Andrew donated a fantastic prize for our SECOND place winner, and every chef received a signed book - How amazing is that ???
Aiden Byrne - Church Green Deli
Chef Aiden Byrne is a fantastic and talented guy. Head chef from the age of 22 and previously worked in many restaurants, being the youngest chef to win a Michelin Star!
He has spent numerous years in London mastering his skills and is now at The Church Green in Cheshire!
As well as appearing on Masterchef in 2008, he was featured in a three-part series on BBC 2 names 'Restaurant Wars: The Battle for Manchester' in 2014 and also held a Michelin Star and competed on the Great Britsih Menu. He is a fantastic, passionate chef boasting skills and experience. We are incredibly proud to have him amongst our judging panel!
Dave Critchley - Lu Ban Restaurant
Chef Dave has worked in kitchens since the age of 15 and has led some of the North West’s premier restaurants.
These include Alma de Cuba (Michelin Guide), The Noble House (Michelin Guide) and Australasia (Michelin Guide). He was the Executive Head Chef at The London Carriage Works, fine dining restaurant of the highly decorated Hope Street Hotel (2AA Rosette, Michelin Guide) before opening Lu Ban, Liverpool, as their Executive Chef Director.
Dave has catered for the Liverpool Football Club team for four years, as well as a wealth of other professional sports stars and local celebrities.
David gave up his time to help judge in our North West heat :-)
Simon Crannage - Grantley Hall
A seasoned and well-motivated Chef with a passion for great produce and a true campaigner for all things Yorkshire, Simon brings a wealth of knowledge to Grantley Hall from his 30 years of experience working with some of the country’s brightest chefs.
Although Grantley Hall only opened two years ago in July 2019, and already boasts a wonderfully diverse selection of dining options, the hotel and its food offering continue to evolve and go from strength to strength, and Simon’s latest project has been developing the menu for ‘’The Orchard’’ the new Mediterranean inspired 70-seater Al fresco dining experience.
A former Yorkshire Life Chef of the Year, Simon like nothing better than to talk, cook and eat fantastic food & of course is a HUGE Delifresh warrior - Simon travelled over to Liverpool to help find our regional heat winner.
Fabrice Teston - Leeds City College Tutor
Chocolate maker, croissant lover, macaron artist.
Fabrice has extensive experience in food and drink – He studied for a patisserie degree, worked as a pastry chef in France’s Loire Valley, took on roles in a patisserie bakery and conference centre, and even joined a Michelin-star restaurant. After working as Head Pastry Chef in a Leeds restaurant for 10 years, Fabrice moved into education in 2008. He is now a programme manager within the Food and Drink department @ Leeds City College.
Fabrice looks after all aspects of catering, from chefs to bakers.
Fabrice has a passion for all food-related subjects, as well as teaching, and he is keen to transfer skills to the students ensuring they are work-ready by the end of their course.
A fantastic judge who helped us find our regional winner in Leeds
Callum Bowmer - Rudding Park Hotel
Callum Bowmer joined Rudding Park in 2010 for a couple of week’s work experience, spending one week in the Conference and Banqueting kitchen and one week in the Clocktower kitchen.
However, having spotted his potential, Hotel Manager Nuno César de Sá offered him an Apprenticeship in the Conference and Banqueting Kitchen, and Callum has never looked back.
A Rudding Park ‘Rising Star’ from Apprentice to Head Chef and being awarded 3 AA Rosettes at Horto Restaurant and most recently crowned 'Chef of the Year' at the Harrogate Hospitality & Tourism Awards 2022.
It was fantastic for Callum to spare his precious time and attend the Leeds heats as we searched for the young chef of the year
Melissa Hudson
Melissa is renowned for her diverse skills in isolating flavours; her palette is fantastic.
Melissa started her career with a total love of food which catapulted her through some fantastic jobs where she continued to build her skill and passion for all things food.
Melissa has helped many reconnect with food, especially during her time at the legendary Bettys Cookery School - Melissa joined the Delifresh team in September to help maintain our range making sure our offering is up to date, unique and, as always, amazingly special.
Harry Blades - The Grand
The 2022 competition was an intense, passionate and flavour-driven journey to find the best Young Chef amongst the most remarkable set of finalists.
The competition was unbelievably tight, and although we had to find one overall winner - Everyone who entered and those that made it through to the heats and then onwards into the final are all WINNERS.
Harry pipped everyone to the post and has been crowned the Delifresh Young Chef Of The Year. A raft of prizes are lined up for Harry, including a totally mind-blowing weeks-long experience at Gareth Wards TWO Michelin Starred Ynyshire - this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for any chef - Harry, and we are so EXCITED for you to be able to do this!!!
Along with the experience, Harry will also be joining Delifresh for an elongated trip out to France to be guided around the world-famous Rungis Market, then onwards to Blue Whale to witness the apple harvest, process, and so much more.
Including all that, Harry will also be connected with Mother nature like never before as we embrace Harry and his career by including Harry in supplier tours, flavour tests, range reviews, and so much more things alongside Delifresh which nobody outside of the supply base has ever seen before - A great experience for Harry to develop his knowledge, understanding and Love For Food.
Harry said, “It’s a great honour to be awarded the Delifresh Young Chef winner this year, and I could not think of a better place to have won it than in the hotel I cook for. Our Head Chef, Ahmed Abdalla, has been a total inspiration for me, helping me through the many extra hours spent in the kitchen refining my dishes for today. The hospitality industry can be challenging, but days and events like this gives us, as young chefs, confidence in our culinary careers and how we can grow. Thank you, Delifresh for the opportunity. I can't wait to see how the competition grows over the coming years & I can't wait to be part of it.”
A MASSIVE THANK YOU to our sponsors
We would not be able to carry out this competition without the help of our sponsors, from goody bags and produce to prizes - we have had an AMAZING level of support from both our suppliers and customers!
Without this amazing network of help, this competition would not exist, so a huge thank you to all who supported the event
The final brought over 107 people together to celebrate our winner - (Harry Blades). Standing in that room with like-minded people all coming together to celebrate our combined LOVE FOR FOOD was so warming to be part of.
