GALLERY: Winners of North East of Scotland Chef and Restaurant of the Year Competition celebrate success

By Julia Bryce

October 18 2022, 8:27 am

Jamie Purvis with the winner of Young Chef of the Year, Ross Boyd of Amuse by Kevin Dalgleish. Image: Paul Glendell/DC Thomson.

After a day of cooking, the champions of the North East of Scotland Chef and Restaurant of the Year 2022 were finally reveled last night.

Going head-to-head at Aberdeen’s North East Scotland College, around 20 chefs cooked against one another in a bid to win one of the three cooking categories.

The panel of judges from the Federation of Chefs Scotland included Robin Austin, Kevin MacGillivray and Joe Queen, and the trio had the tough job of selecting the winners of Chef, Young Chef and Game Chef of the Year.

The judging of Restaurant of the Year and Casual Dining Restaurant of the Year was carried out by Orry Shand, executive chef of Entier in Westhill and former winner of Scottish Chef of the Year. The finalists were judged by unannounced inspection of their establishments where all aspects of the dining experience were evaluated.

It has been three years since the awards last took place, and this year the Restaurant of the Year accolade was awarded to one of Aberdeen’s newest restaurants, Amuse by Kevin Dalgleish on Queen’s Terrace.

Winners of Restaurant of the Year, Amuse by Kevin Dalgleish with the judges. Image: Paul Glendell/DC Thomson

The venue prides itself on serving seasonal dishes and has experienced huge success with fully booked services since its launch a few months ago. Kevin Dalgleish worked at The Chester Hotel as the executive chef for a decade before opening his own venue.

Tarragon by Graham Mitchell was the runner-up.

Pictured in the centre are winners of Casual Restaurant of the Year, Cove Bay Hotel – with the judges. Image: Paul Glendell/DC Thomson

The Cove Bay Hotel on Colsea Road, also in Aberdeen, won Casual Dining Restaurant of the Year.

The venue has been a popular choice for diners for many years, using local ingredients that are sustainably sourced. Cafe 83 in Kemnay was the runner-up.

The competition, which is the largest regional cookery contest in Scotland, is organised by Hospitality Training, Scotland’s only industry-specific Group Training Association.

Chef winners

Top talent in the kitchen was recognised on the night too, with three chefs taking home accolades.

Winner of the North East of Scotland Chef of the Year 2022 and a £1,500 cash prize was awarded to Joe Gordon of the Rothesay Rooms, Ballater.

From left: Peter Bruce with winner of Chef of the Year, Joe Gordon of Rothsay Rooms, Audrie Greg and Joe Queen. Image: Paul Glendell/DC Thomson

His menu consisted of:

Starter: Scallop, surf clams, Jerusalem artichoke, truffle, sea vegetables
Main: Herb-crusted venison loin, venison pithivier, chanterelle mushrooms, quince puree, pickled wild bramble and game jus
Dessert: Vanilla custard tart, spiced pumpkin ice cream and candied walnuts

Bob Miller from The Buchan Hotel, Ellon, came third while Fraser Rodman of Tarragon by Graham Mitchell came second.

The Jeff Purvis Young Chef of the Year Award and a £1,000 cash prize was won by Ross Boyd of Amuse by Kevin Dalgleish, Aberdeen. Jeff’s son Jamie presented the award.

From left: Jamie Purvis with winner of Young Chef of the Year, Ross Boyd of Amuse by Kevin Dalgleish. Image: Paul Glendell/DC Thomson

His menu consisted of:

Starter: Roast diver-caught scallop, cauliflower salad, cauliflower puree and bacon jam
Main: Venison loin, butternut squash, chestnut, parsley root, beetroot, pear, green peppercorns and madeira sauce
Dessert: Valrhona Manjari 64% dark chocolate delice, cherries, cherry gel, chocolate soil and vanilla ice cream

Annemiek Daggert of the Glenfiddich Distillery came third, while Jack Duncan of the Fife Arms in Turriff was second place.

And it was another win for the Rothesay Rooms when Cassie Wilton was crowned North East of Scotland Game Chef of the Year winner. She also won a cash prize of £500.

From left: Peter Bruce, Winner of Game Chef of the Year, Cassie Wilton of the Rothesay Rooms, Audrie Greg and Joe Queen. Image: Paul Glendell/DC Thomson

Her winning dish was:

Balmoral Sika deer, cheek tartlet, caramelised autumn squash, pear, endive and jus au poivre.

Bob Miller from The Buchan Hotel came third again, while Murray Dawson from Entier came second.

Kevin MacGillivray, chairman of the judges and head of the panel, said: “I’m delighted to see the competition back after a three-year break and that the standard has remained high.

“There have been some excellent dishes presented and a good use of made local seasonal produce. It is great to see chefs sourcing ingredients from Aberdeenshire’s larder.”

The competition aims to forge strong links between chefs and local suppliers and producers. The finals were followed by a sumptuous awards dinner provided by the events and catering team at Elphinstone Hall, University of Aberdeen.

Karen Black, general manager of Hospitality Training, added, “The finalists have pulled out all the stops this year.

“It takes real dedication to work in busy kitchens and deal with the pressures of modern-day cooking, and yet still find the time to practice and prepare to take part in the competition. That takes real commitment and dedication to their craft.”