North-east’s top restaurants and chefs unveiled

The cream of the crop among north-east restaurants and chefs were celebrated at a prestigious awards ceremony in Aberdeen last night.

Winners in five categories of the North East of Scotland Chef and Restaurant of the Year competition were unveiled at The Chester Hotel.

It followed an exciting cook-off, judged by some of Scotland’s top chefs, at North East Scotland College.

The restaurant of the year title went to Amuse by Kevin Dalgleish.

It is the second year in a row that fine dining venue Amuse has won this award.

The Aberdeen west end restaurant prides itself on its classic dishes with a modern twist.

Mara, on Thistle Street, Aberdeen, was named casual dining restaurant of the year.

One of the Granite City’s newest eateries, Italy-inspired Mara is owned by Ross Cochrane and his wife, Carolina.

Mr Cochrane is a former north-east Scotland chef of the year.

This year’s chef of the year title went to Andrew Clark, of Westhill-based catering company Entier.

He wowed judges with a menu featuring a starter of beef fat salmon, crab, pickled vegetables and a white wine sauce.

His main course of lamb loin, crispy glazed tongue, lamb fat potato rosti, tender stem, goats curd and spiced hazelnut also bowled them over.

So too did his “Vegan Amuse Bouche” – comprising cashew cream and miso-filled pasta with peas, broad bean, tomato and mint.

To top it all off was a dessert of glazed raspberry bergamot mousse, salted caramel chocolate fondant tart and toasted almond ice-cream.

It’s a double celebration for Entier’s talented culinary team

Entier is celebrating a double success after another of its cooks, Oliver Redgwell-Welch, scooped the young chef of the year award.

Mr Redgwell-Welch’s winning menu featured a starter of pan-fried turbot with salmon roe butter sauce, cauliflower puree, dill pickled cucumber and Romanesco florets garnished with sea purslane and garlic flours.

His main was walnut and black sesame-crusted lamb loin, served with fondant potato, asparagus, seasonal mushrooms, wilted wild garlic and tomato in a lamb sauce

For dessert, Entier’s young chef offered a malt pastry tart with brown butter sponge and rhubarb, glazed with whisky salted caramel and topped with puffed quinoa, candied pistachios and raspberry and lemon jelly, served with vanilla ice-cream and rhubarb compote garnished with lemon balm.

Seafood chef of the year winner

Rita Njeru, of The Falls of Feugh Restaurant in Banchory is the seafood chef of the year.

Her starter comprised ravioli with North Sea hake, Johnshaven crab, poached langoustine, wild garlic and courgette. It was followed by flounder, with spinach, Arran cheddar, caraway cabbage, pancetta, lobster croquette, and grapefruit in a vanilla sauce.

The competition, aimed art raising culinary standards across the north-east, is organised annually by Hospitality Training.

The coveted titles can open doors to future success and create industry opportunities.

Karen Black, general manager, Hospitality Training, said, “We are so grateful to our supporters, who make this key event happen.

“As an industry-owned training association, collaboration with industry employers, chefs and educators is vital.

“We are passionate about increasing awareness of the opportunities that exist in this wonderful industry and aim to secure the future of the culinary arts across the region.”

The judges included industry veterans Joe Queen and Willie Pike from the Federation of Chefs Scotland. They were joined by Michelin-starred cooks Stephen McLaughlin, Mark Donald and Billy Boyter.

Cash prizes

The winner of the coveted chef of the year title scooped a £1,500 cash prize, while the young and seafood chef champions went home richer by £1,000 and £500 respectively.

Entier executive chef Orry Shand and Scottish chef of the year Craig Palmer, of Entier-owned Wild Thyme, judged the restaurant and casual dining restaurant of the year categories. Unannounced inspections of all the eateries vying for honours took place.

Mr Shand said; “It has been a pleasure to be asked to judge these local restaurants. The quality has been extremely high and goes to show the talent we have right on our doorstep”