10 Oct 2024
Last night, under the watchful eyes of some of the biggest names in hospitality, the Craft Guild of Chefs hosted the National Chef of the Year competition at the iconic Hippodrome in London. Ten talented chefs, including Waitroses’ Innovation & Development Chef, Paul Gamble who entered this year for the first time, battled it out in the kitchen at the University of West London to serve up three dishes that would impress some of the biggest stars of the culinary world.
Representing the only supermarket in the top 10, Waitroses’ very own Paul Gamble on his first competition, placed an impressive third, serving the judges contemporary twists on classic dishes.
Paul’s menu
Cauliflower Cheese
Waitrose No.1 Cornish Quartz Cheddar Custard, Roasted Cauliflower Florets and Leaves,
Pickled Stem, White Balsamic, Mustard Buttered Hazelnuts, Brown Butter & Toast
Levantine Spiced Lamb
Loin of Lumina Lamb, Braised Neck, Liver Kofta, Spiced Carrot Puree,
Lamb Fat Confit Duchy Organic Carrot, Tamarind & Date, Coriander Seed Jus, Carrot Top Oil
Chocolate & Sour Cherry
Valrhona Manjari 64% Grand Cru Dark Chocolate, Sour Cherry, Compressed Cherries,
Cherry Tuille, Pistachio, Valrhona Ivoire 35% White Chocolate
These recipes included products from Waitroses’ new No.1 range such as the No.1 Cornish Quartz Cheddar, typically matured for 1000 days, developing its characteristic melt-in-the-mouth crunch and an intense, rounded flavour and was awarded a coveted 1 star in this year’s Great Taste Awards. Paul also used a variety of products and ingredients from our Cooks Ingredients and Duchy Organic brands.
Paul Gamble comments, “I am truly delighted to have won third place at the prestigious National Chef of the Year awards, proudly representing Waitrose as the only supermarket in the top 10 chefs, utilising the fantastic ingredients in our No.1 and Duchy Organic brands. It was a great honour to cook alongside exceptional chefs and to showcase the talents of development chefs to a multi-Michelin star judging panel.”
Maddy Wilson, Director of Own Brand, comments, “Massive congratulations to Paul, a phenomenal achievement showcasing his passion for GOOD food with his seriously delicious menu! It’s wonderful to see Waitroses’ wider commitment to developing our passionate Partners to serve our food loving customers.”
David Mulcahy, Competition Director and Food Innovation & Sustainability Director at Sodexo UK and Ireland, said: "For many chefs, competing in the National Chef of the Year final is the ultimate challenge. This year the finalists proved worthy competitors making the judges’ role especially difficult. The judges were particularly impressed by the efforts of Paul Gamble as his menu was both skilful and innovative with a modern twist on classic dishes across all three courses. His unique take on a cauliflower cheese was followed by a spiced Lumina lamb dish and a modern interpretation of a black forest gateau. It is not easy to impress the Michelin starred judging line-up, but Paul managed to do this and achieve a well-deserved third place.”
Back in September, Waitrose hosted the Mentor Day Experience for over 20 of the National and Young National Chef of the Year finalists at the Waitrose Food Innovation Studios, inspiring the hospitality industry’s rising stars. The thought-provoking mentor day aimed to prepare, develop and connect the finalists ahead of the final.
Our food lovers newspaper, Waitrose Weekend, also includes expertly crafted recipes written by Waitrose chefs on the new ‘From our Kitchen’ page. In the most recent issue, Paul shared his favourite, at-home recipe, No.1 Wagyu sirloin steak with roasted pointed cabbage and flavoured butter recipe, and we look forward to seeing what delicious delights Paul rustles up over the next few months.
Notes to Editors
Celebrating Paul’s success, Hallgarten & Novum Wines and Champagne Collet will be handing the winner, runner up and third placed chef a magnum of Champagne Collet. All chefs placed in the top three will also be taken to the Champagne region, where they will visit Champagne Collet, taste the cuvees and discover the history behind the region’s oldest cooperative.
The awards don’t stop there, Paul will further travel with both the winner and runner up for a culinary experience with British Michelin Star head chef Tommy Banks at The Black Swan in Oldstead. All top three chefs will receive a membership to the Craft Guild of Chefs for the next year, with Paul winning a voucher to spend with Continental Chef Supplies.
