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	Bath 2008 Results Hours spent cooking at home with his mum paid off for Sean Horwood, as he scooped the top prize in under-23 section of this year’s Bath Chef v Chef competition, which turned out to have a real international flavour. The twenty-year-old Moody Goose chef walked away with the gold medal, going one better than in the first year of the competition, when he was runner up. Meanwhile the victor in the over-23’s was South African Pieter Swanepoel, 27, who has worked for the last three years in the Royal Crescent Hotel. Sean confessed to being nervous and experiencing some problems during his preparation of dishes of lamb and winter deserts but they turned out well in the end. “I have always wanted to be a chef ever since I started to cook at home with my mum. I did my training at the City of Bath College and worked and trained at Hunstrete House before moving on to the Moody Goose. I’m really looking forward to my prize of a meal for two at the Bath Priory – it’ll be nice to have someone else doing the cooking for me for a change,” said Sean. Competitive spirit and desire to produce top class cuisine took Pieter Swanepoel to first place in a fiercely fought over-23 section: “I think contests like this are good for chefs because they challenge us to do as well as we can which really brings out the best in us, opening doors and creating a way for the future. I’m really looking forward to my stage prize, as Gary Jones has agreed I can take it as a week at Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons. I was really impressed by the kitchens at the City of Bath College, where the competition took place. They were clean and professional, which is down to hard work and excellent hygiene.” As in the first two years the competition was run as a joint venture between the City of Bath College, Bath Chamber of Commerce, Stuart Ash, Head Chef at Woods Restaurant and the main sponsor, Andrew Berman, boss of Catering Services International. Celebrity chef Martin Blunos was among the judges. He said the standard in the third Chef v Chef competition was higher than ever: “It’s clear that the event is enjoying an ever rising kudos among the cooks of Bath. They want to take part in Chef v Chef and to win it. That’s great news for us all because it contributes to raising the standards of the City as a destination for food lovers.” Another judge was Gary Jones, Head Chef at the famous Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons restaurant: “It’s inspiring to see kids getting involved in the competition which helps raise standards in the city and so satisfy the expectations of the public visiting this world heritage city from all over the world. It’s good to know that head chefs in Bath are taking their responsibilities seriously and giving the proper advice and training which will bring on the next generation of brilliant chefs.” Steve Benison, a lecturer in the Catering Department at the City of Bath College, said he was thrilled with the way the competition had gone. “This is becoming the most exciting day of the year and its terrific to see standards increasing and the competition being so intense. The College can be very proud that a former student won the under-23 section and a current student picked up the bronze medal. I hope this will inspire more people to enter next year, so my advice is to get cooking !” said Steve. Full list of results Under-23’s: Sean Horwood, Moody Goose - gold Leigh Evans, Royal Crescent Hotel – silver Georgie Smith – City of Bath College – bronze Over-23’s: Pieter Swanepoel, Royal Crescent Hotel - gold Wojciech Nawalka – Ston Easton Park Hotel – silver John Hornsey – Bath Priory Hotel – bronze Winning dishes Sean Horwood: Noisette of lamb with a cannelloni of leek, celeriac fondant and buttered purple sprouting. Assiette of winter deserts – rhubarb and ginger crumble, pithiver of poached pear and a chocolate pot with pomegranate. Pieter Swanepoel: Pan fried sea bass, tarragon and apple risotto, squash laminate followed by Assiette of butternut squash and apple mille feuille. Apple and butternut squash crumble, apple and crème fraiche soup.
Martin Blunos keeps a close eye	Chef v Chef 2007 Winners There was something fishy about this year’s competitions to find the best Chefs in the West of England. The main mystery ingredient in both contests emerged from the deep, with the Bath contestants grappling with Sea Bream whilst the Bristol contingent needed to work with Sea Bass. Organisers were delighted that the standards were so high and the judges were unanimous in their praise of the entrants. Principal sponsor Andrew Berman, from Catering Services International: “It’s been a fantastic competition in both Bath and Bristol. I am particularly grateful to the judges for taking time out of their busy lives to give us the benefit of their experience. Their presence here will be an inspiration to all the contestants.”
Winners: Ross Lee Tyre with Maiko Fuzaku Dishing up	Bath Top prize in the Under-23 section of the Bath competition went to 22-year-old Maiko Fuzaku, who is only in her first year at the City of Bath College. Her lack of experience was no drawback for a confident young chef: “I was not really nervous. I had a plan for my pepper roasted rack of lamb followed by sweet potato, white chocolate and walnut tart and I knew what I wanted to do in the time available. I was very pleased with the outcome and of course delighted that the judges made me the winner.” She will now get the chance to experience a work placement in the kitchen of the world famous Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons Restaurant. The winner of the Over-23 competition was Ross Lee Tyre, 27, who will have an opportunity to work for a time in the Fat Duck in Bray, the one time best restaurant in the world. He said he was quite pleased to find sea bream in his mystery box because he thought he could do something quite simple with it and therefore leave more time for the pudding, but even so he feared he wasn’t going to get it all completed within the time limit. He eventually won the top award with pan fried fish with potato and celeriac rosti with vanilla bavarois, caramel sponge and rhubarb jelly for pudding. He later enjoyed an in depth one-to-one feedback session with celebrity chef Martin Blunos. “Ross produced the most balanced plate of food. The fish was beautifully cooked with a nice crispy skin. He was well organised and for me was a very worthy winner,” said Martin.
Winners (left to right) Martin Burge, Darren Cox, Adrian Kirikmaa, Daniel Galmiche, Andrew Berman and Andy Britton Finishing touches Judges hard at work tasting! Over 23 group	Bristol The winner of the Over-23's section in Bristol was 29-year-old Andy Britton from the Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel. He produced pan fried sea bass with herb tortellini followed by a pudding of a trio of apple. Andy will get the chance to spend time working alongside Daniel Galmiche in the Michelin starred Clivedon House restaurant in Berkshire. Daniel Galmiche was returning to Bristol, having previously cooked in the prestigious Harvey’s Restaurant. He paid tribute to the quality of the ingredients supplied and said he hoped all the chefs had enjoyed themselves. “They think they are competing against each other, but actually they are competing against themselves, trying to produce the best plates of food that they can, respecting the excellent produce.” The other judges were Martin Burge of Whatley Manor in Malmesbury and Richard Guest from The Castle Hotel in Taunton. Andy said he hadn’t gone to College himself, but now managed a number of apprentices who had benefited from the superb facilities in Bristol. “Sea bass is a favourite of mine. I just cooked it simply in a way that I would like to eat it, which is the way I approach things,” he explained. The Under-23's section, in which contestants were able to cook their own recipes, was won by Darren Cox, 21, from the Bridge Cafe at the Avon Gorge Hotel. He cooked seared loin of venison with prune and armagnac custard tart for pud. Darren will have a placement with Martin Burge. Martin revealed he had been a student at the City of Bristol College 18 years ago and he was delighted to be back. “Throughout the competition the judges have been impressed by the standard of skill and technique. It makes me proud to be a Bristolian,” he said. Darren said he was delighted he’d entered: “I did a dry run with the recipes yesterday and it went very well. I was happy with what I had presented on the plate, but you never know how the judges will react.” Adrian Kirikmaa, Real Work Environment and Restaurant Manager at the City of Bristol College: “It was an honour to host the event in the College. It has proved, once and for all, that we have some exceptional chefs in this City.