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| CHEF OF THE YEAR 2006 |
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| Eyck Zimmer crowned in UK's Premier Chef Competition | ||
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Eyck
Zimmer, Executive Chef of The Lowry Hotel in Manchester, triumphed
at the grand final of the most prestigious competition in the chef
calendar, to take the coveted title of KNORR National Chef of the
Year 2006. Adam Bennett, Head Chef of Simpson’s Restaurant
in Birmingham and Simon Hulstone, Head Chef of The Elephant Restaurant
in Torquay, achieved second and third place respectively. Eyck Zimmer
also scooped the prize for Best Main Course, with Best Starter awarded
to Craig Sandle, Sous Chef of The Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh, and
Best Dessert awarded to Robert Szewczyk, Head Chef of Cumberland
Lodge.
The KNORR National Chef of the Year competition was contested live at the Restaurant Show, London Olympia, in a specially built competition theatre. The Semi Finals took place over four heats on 18-19 September when 40 competitors produced their qualifying menus under the watchful eye of a live audience and the competition judges, to secure one of the 10 places in the Grand Final. The Grand Final took place on Wednesday 20 September and the finalists* were tasked with creating a three-course meal** for four people from a mystery box of ingredients provided by Food From Britain, in just three hours. |
The
competitors demonstrated culinary skill, expertise, creativity and
determination under intense competition conditions, impressing both
the panel of judges, including Paul Gayler of The Lanesborough,
Andrew McLeish of Chapter One Restaurant and Lou Jones of the Culinary
Institute of America, and the audience. A panel of guest tasting
judges also joined the Grand Final to sample all the dishes created
by the finalists, including Cyrus Todiwala, Brendan O’Neill,
Brian Turner CBE, Professor John Huber and Richard Corrigan. The
final decision of the judges was a nnounced and the prizes awarded
at a gala awards banquet, which took place on the evening of the
Grand Final at The Dorchester Hotel, London. |
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