Get ready for the ultimate culinary highlight at the AA Hospitality Awards this September. The annual event will see Mark Birchall hand over the reins of the industry-famed AA Chefs’ Chef of the Year Award, sponsored by Caterer.com.

This much sought-after accolade, first introduced in 1996, gives all AA Rosette-awarded chefs the power to decide who truly deserves the ultimate recognition for their outstanding performance over the past year. Voted for by their peers, the unique award is a popular and coveted title.

Shortlist

This year’s shortlist features culinary luminaries from across the country, including Monica Galetti of Mere, Paul Ainsworth of Paul Ainsworth at No.6, Clare Smyth of Core by Clare Smyth alongside eight other worthy Chefs.

Ceremony

The awards will take place at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House in London on Monday 25 September, and will bring together over 1,000 esteemed guests from the UK’s hospitality landscape. The evening’s meticulously crafted menu will be curated by none other than Chef Patron of Moor Hall, Aughton (5 AA Rosettes) and the winner of the 2022 Chefs’ Chef award, Mark Birchall.

Commenting on the award, Mark Birchall said:

“It has been an absolute honour to hold this esteemed title for the past year. However, the time has come for me to pass the baton. This year’s remarkable shortlist showcases chefs responsible for some of the finest gastronomy to come out of the UK.”
“As we eagerly await the winner’s announcement on 25 September, I for one will be on the edge of my seat with anticipation! To all the talented chefs, I wish you the best of luck. Your exceptional talent has truly raised the bar in our industry.”

Simon Numphud, Managing Director at AA Media, added:

“Amid the joyous atmosphere of the AA Hospitality Awards, the Chefs’ Chef award is perhaps one of our most coveted, capturing hearts and palates alike. It stands apart from the rest of our awards as our inspectors pass over the power to the chefs themselves. Let us raise our glasses in celebration of these exceptional chefs who are truly trailblazers in their industry.”

2023 Chefs’ Chef nominees

Representing every corner of the UK, from the heart of Scotland to the wild Welsh Mountains, the 2023 Chefs’ Chef nominees bring together the best of the UK’s culinary landscape. The full shortlist can be found below:

 Angela Hartnett, Murano
 Clare Smyth, Core by Clare Smyth
 Galton Blackiston, Morston Hall
 Gareth Ward, Ynyshir Restaurant and Rooms
 Hélène Darroze, Hélène Darroze at The Connaught
 Lisa Goodwin-Allen, Northcote
 Michael Wignall, The Angel at Hetton
 Monica Galetti, Mere
 Paul Ainsworth, Paul Ainsworth at No. 6
 Tommy Banks, Roots York
 Tom Kitchin, The Kitchin

The AA Hospitality Awards would also like to thank Caterer.com for sponsoring the AA Chefs’ Chef of the Year Award.
To buy tickets for this year’s AA Hospitality Awards, visit our website.

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The virtual awards included categories to showcase businesses and individuals who have gone above and beyond, demonstrating the ability to quickly adapt and implement new, successful initiatives to support their employees, communities, key workers and the NHS during the pandemic.

Hosted by British comedian and television presenter, Paul Sinha, the event featured appearances from some of the industry’s biggest names, including Paul Ainsworth, Andi Oliver, Michel Roux Jr and Clare Smyth and was watched by almost 450 industry professionals, media and supporters of Springboard. 

With hundreds of entries, over 40 businesses made the shortlist, with the winners recognised for everything from employee health & wellbeing and staff communication, to the best dine at home experience and most innovative alcohol strategy.

Springboard CEO, Chris Gamm, says: “Despite being faced with such adversary in 2020, the hospitality industry went above and beyond and deserves to be celebrated. All the winners have undertaken amazing work, achieving incredible results, despite the circumstances the sector has been faced with. Springboard are thrilled to be recognising them”.

The event also saw the launch of Springboard’s new fundraising initiative – ‘Virtual Race to Nicaragua’. A trek to Nicaragua was set to take place in Central America itself in March 2020, to raise vital funds for Springboard, but the trip was postponed due to COVID-19.

Marketing and Event Partner, Amy-Jane Cahalane says: “The Virtual Race to Nicaragua will take place wherever you are in the UK and your miles will be tracked online, contributing to your team’s progress. We’re giving everybody the opportunity to get involved, get fit, have fun and raise money for Springboard!” 

Teams of 30 people will be encouraged to cover a mere 5,300 miles throughout May 2021, the challenge is sure to excite walkers, runners and cyclists from the hospitality industry and beyond. Find out more about the virtual race to Nicaragua, here www.springboard.uk.net/virtual-race

The Winners

Best Implementation of Virtual Training

Interstate Hotels and Resorts

Best Staff Communication

The Dorchester Collection & 45 Park Lane

Employee Health & Wellbeing

Dishoom

Best Use of Digital Media to Promote Sales or Service

Holiday Inn Barrow in Furness

Best Delivered “Dine at Home” Experience

Made in Oldstead

Best National Support for Vulnerable People

Now Pause

Best Group Community Engagement

The Dorchester

Best Internal Covid-19 Training Programme

D&D London

Best Management Preparation

PPHE Hotel Group

Best Employer

Royal Lancaster London

Best Use of Technology to Improve Customer Experience

Delaware North

Most Innovative Alcohol Strategy

Essex Spirits Company Ltd.

Best National Support for Key Workers

Medirest

Best Individual Community Engagement

Jeni Edwards (Ijess consulting)

Best Corporate Social Responsibility  

Brakes

Business Innovation

Harri

Chris Beaumont Award

Diego Masciaga

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Watched by hundreds of the biggest names in hospitality, as part of Hospitality Week, the event saw the streaming of the final which took place at Le Cordon Bleu earlier this month. Viewers saw emotion, passion, blood, sweat and tears from the ten finalists who have shown such resilience and determination in the face of hospitality’s toughest era.  

Nick served up a starter of Gilthead ‘gazpacho’ Heirloom tomato & cucumber, a main course of Romney Marsh lamb, roe ravigote, fennel, samphire and aster and for dessert Sweet Eve strawberry split, clotted cream, lemon and mint. His dishes truly stood out to Chair of judges, Paul Ainsworth who was supported by Clare Smyth, Claude Bosi, Graham Hornigold and former winners, Frederick Forster, Russell Bateman and Kuba Winkowski in making this important decision.

Derek Johnstone, head chef at Borthwick Castle finished in second, achieving a top three position for the third year running, with April-Lily Partridge taking third place. April-Lily has made history by being the highest female finisher in almost 50 years.  

Chair of judges, Paul Ainsworth said: “It is a real honour to be chair of judges and crown Nick Smith as the winner. When I took on this role, I could never have imagined chefs would be facing the extreme challenges this pandemic has brought. It’s hit our industry hard, but the fact these chefs put themselves forward to compete, despite such uncertainty in their professional and personal lives, is so inspiring. I loved the second stage where chefs had to sum themselves up in a few bites as this gave us an insight into the chefs’ characters too. Winning NCOTY is about more than cooking delicious food, it’s about being an ambassador for your industry and supporting others. We need winners like Nick to show the world what an amazing industry hospitality is, to encourage others to want to be chefs and to incentivise people to work hard to achieve their own personal dreams. Nick’s attention to detail when cooking and the passion he has shown throughout this competition has been incredible. You could see how much this title means to him and he is a really deserving winner.”

David Mulcahy added: “There was never any doubt that National Chef of the Year would go ahead this year; we just needed to work out how we could make it happen with so many restrictions. Hospitality has been on a real rollercoaster over the last few months, we have been catapulted through food shortages and businesses closing and we’ve seen families affected. None of us knew where we were going to end up. But through all of this we still have to battle on and keep going. We took the competition as our responsibility to help those chefs who needed a focus, a distraction and something to fill their time when life felt empty. When everything else was taken out of chefs’ control, NCOTY has given them something to think about and work towards. It’s been an awful but very special year for the competition and Nick is a remarkable winner. He’s remained incredibly positive, focused on his family and done what he needed to do to help him get through this. We are delighted to welcome Nick to that long list of winners and have no doubt he’s going to thrive as the National Chef of the Year in 2021.”

Knorr® Professional is the headline partner of National Chef of the Year and Alex Hall, Executive Chef UK & Ireland, said: “Knorr® Professional is a proud and long standing sponsor of National Chef of the Year and, under the most unique of circumstances this year, it’s once again been fantastic to be involved in the UK’s most prestigious cooking competition. This year’s competition criteria shone a spotlight on something we’re hugely passionate about as a business: the need for greater biodiversity in cooking. We are championing this with the Future 50 Foods – a Knorr initiative in partnership with the WWF. The finalists all had to incorporate at least one of the 50 most sustainable ingredients into their menus and we saw brilliant variety and creativity in doing so from all the competitors. By cooking with more sustainable ingredients, these chefs are leading the way in influencing how future generations of chefs cook, for a better food future.”

As the winner of National Chef of the Year, Nick not only takes the title and winners medal but he also wins the opportunity to create his own digital recipe book or a have a media training session with opportunities to raise his profile up to the value of £7,500 working with Knorr® Professional and Unilever Food Solutions. Continental Chef Supplies (CCS) and Valrhona have collaborated to offer a stunning prize trip. Along with the top two contestants from last year’s National Chef of the Year competition, Nick will be taken away in 2021, this trip will involve exquisite food in one of the world’s top restaurants, stunning scenery and a chance to delve deeper into the history of our industry than ever before. Nick will also receive an exclusively designed winners plate framed together with his winner’s medal and £500 worth of Churchill products and a bespoke knife courtesy of Savernake Knives.

For 2020 a new award has been announced which is the Best Pastry Award sponsored by Valrhona. This was chosen by Paul Ainsworth, Graham Hornigold and Kuba Winkowski and awarded to Nick Smith for his Sweet Eve strawberry split, clotted cream, lemon and mint.

NCOTY is run in partnership with Knorr® Professional and is supported by Les Vergers Boiron, CCS, Churchill, Direct Seafood, Evolve Recruitment, HIT Training, OpenTable, Santa Maria, UNOX, Valrhona, Winterhalter and WearerTech. It was hosted at Le Cordon Bleu London and featured as part of Hospitality Week.

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Statistics show that at least 500 individuals have found themselves newly homeless due to not being able to pay rent and utilities, following redundancies and job losses for those who did not meet the criteria for furlough pay.

Hospitality industry charity, Only A Pavement Away (OAPA), was set up in 2018, by founder Greg nominate five friends. The charity has now turned its attention to helping those who have suffered most throughout the pandemic, through a number of food bank donation operations, fundraising campaigns and even celebrity partnerships.

The Hospitality Against Homelessness campaign was the largest to have been set up by the charity since its inception, and has exceeded the highest of expectations. Through a collaboration with celebrity chef Tom Aikens, the Tom Aikens Charity Cookery Challenge was born, in which those who took part must cook a meal in five minutes, donate £5 to the charity and nominate five friends. That challenge has now had in excess of 200 participants, with high profile names such as Judy Joo, Tom Kerridge, Paul Ainsworth and Jason Atherton, and sees the total number of donations rising daily.

In celebration of his incredible support for the charity, Tom Aikens was also announced as an official ambassador for Only A Pavement Away. This was marked along with his attendance confirmed for the charity’s Cook and Dine 2021 event, set to take place in January next year.

Following on from the success of the Charity Cookery Challenge, OAPA didn’t want to waste the fantastic recipes that were being shared across social media, so it was decided that a cookbook would be created; including recipes from both celebrity chefs and the general public alike. The cookbook, which is due to launch in November 2020, will be created in two formats, the first, a miniature booklet which will be distributed for free to members of the charity to give them access to quick, easy and affordable recipes, as well as a published hardback including up to 200 recipes with imagery.

The hardback cookbooks will retail at approximately £10-£12 and all proceeds from both the challenge and the cookbook will go to support both members and non-members of the charity in getting back into work.

The work that the charity does doesn’t stop there either, with the team already looking to the future of hospitality by launching its, first of its kind, jobs board and candidate profile page. The site, which launched on 21st July 2020, allows all charity employer partners to search through candidate profiles and shortlist them for interviews, before hiring through the charity, and giving someone the fresh start they need for their new life.

To find out more about Only A Pavement Away, register your interest as a volunteer, or make a donation, please visit https://onlyapavementaway.co.uk

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The ten chefs making the final are:

• Derek Johnstone, head chef, Borthwick Castle, East Lothian
• Fraser Bruce, head chef, Fraser Bruce @ The Fish Shed, St Ives
• Nathan Cornwell, head chef, The Barn at Moor Hall, Ormskirk
• Sarah-Jasmina Moussabih, head chef, Finnish Embassy, London
• Marcin Pomierny, head chef, The Maids Head Hotel Limited, Norwich
• April Lily Partridge, chef, The Ledbury, London
• Nick Smith, head chef, Vacherin / Ashurst, London
• Dominic South, head chef, Corinthia Hotel, London
• Ben Drake, senior sous chef, The Elephant by Simon Hulstone, Torquay
• Thomas Swaby, senior sous chef, Roux At Parliament Square, London

With the semi-final cook-offs unable to take place this year, the finalists were selected by taking into consideration the marks from both the entry stage and the dishes which summed them up in just two to three bites. Both rounds of the competition were judged by a separate panel of judges to make sure the rigorous judging process which NCOTY is famous for remained throughout 2020. With guidance and advice from some of the most respected chefs in the industry, the final decision on who went through was made by Chair of Judges Paul Ainsworth and organiser of the competition, David Mulcahy.

To take the title next month, chefs will have to impress Paul Ainsworth, chef patron at Paul Ainsworth Collection, Clare Smyth MBE, chef patron at Core by Clare Smyth, Niall Keating, executive chef at Whatley Manor and Claude Bosi from Bibendum Restaurant in Chelsea.

Despite restrictions, the industry will still be able to watch the cream of chef talent battle it out for this career-changing title. The actual cook-off takes place on the 7^th September at Le Cordon Bleu but the format for the final has been reinvented with the streaming of an hour-long show during Hospitality Week that offers insights into how chefs have navigated this challenging year.

Organiser of the competition, David Mulcahy, said: “There is no doubt that finding a way to make sure the National Chef of the Year competition could still go ahead has been challenging. But as organisers, we have always remained determined to ensure the competition’s heritage could be maintained and that the industry had a positive success story to come out of this. Chefs have faced some real battles along the way, even to put an entry in, but we have seen huge resilience, determination and passion from these chefs to turn adversity into positivity. Whilst we have had to tweak how the final is run, many things remain the same. We have ten brilliant chefs cooking for the best judges in the industry and what a special winner they are going to find. I really hope that on the 30^th September, chefs in kitchens across the UK tune in to support the competitors and watch the final and the live announcement. There has never been a more important time for the industry to come together in this way and show everyone how much talent our culinary scene has to offer.”

Chair of judges, Paul Ainsworth added “My decision to ask the chefs to create a dish that summed them up in just a few simple bites was to help me learn more about the chefs and their style of cooking. I wanted to see great plates of food that showed skill, creativity and innovation but also each chef’s passion and determination to take the top spot. This additional round gave us so much insight and inspiration to help us find that all important top ten. We also considered the scores they received in the first round as ultimately it is those three dishes that we will be tasting in the final. I’m confident we have an amazing line-up of finalists from some incredible establishments and businesses. I can’t wait to taste the dishes in a few weeks’ time as ultimately that’s what this competition is all about.”

Make sure you are supporting the chefs in the final by joining the Craft Guild of Chefs for the live streaming  at 1pm on Wednesday 30^th September followed by the big reveal of the winner at 2.30pm. Look out for updates on www.nationalchefoftheyear.co.uk and the Craft Guild of Chefs social media channels.

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Chris Smith Founder of One Call to All had this to say: “Just imagine Tom Kerridge or Paul Ainsworth (who have both hit the headlines recently due to their experience with no shows) calling with a message to welcome you to their restaurant and a polite request to let them know if you can’t make it for any reason, delivered from the heart. As the insight bears out, for most it’s certainly far more compelling than a text, as crucially it offers that personal connection. Plus, with the ability for guests to confirm or cancel when the call is live, or through a supporting SMS text send, it covers all bases.”

The solution itself is simple to set-up in minutes and can help hospitality operators reach 1,000’s of guests in one go by sending a personal voice call and text message out to a database of numbers exported from operators’ existing booking systems. It can also help them contact those on waiting lists as and when spaces become available at short notice, rather than have staff spending valuable time ringing round.

To help operators bounce back from Covid, One Call to All is offering a FREE trial for hospitality businesses who register here before end of August. With the debate rumbling on around booking deposits and the need to keep consumers on-side, Chris went on to comment “Having originally created the platform for the recruitment market we saw how it could easily be used for hospitality businesses to counter the current pressing issue of no shows, as well as offering them the ability to send discount codes, vouchers or promote advance bookings for special events – all helping to drive business at this difficult time. Indeed, with the industry having received such a body-blow from lockdown closures we wanted to help out by offering a free trial so operators can use it with no commitment to see how it can work for their business.”

Andy Judge of The Old Thatched Inn and The Crown who has been using it for his Buckinghamshire based pub restaurants urged other restaurateurs to give it a try: “Since using One Call to All not only have I significantly reduced my no show rate saving hundreds in lost takings, but I’ve also had some really great feedback from customers on how nice it is to have a personal, tailored message. The money it has saved me has more than paid for the service and I would encourage other hospitality professionals to see how it can help their business.”

To find out more and claim your FREE trial click here

*Toluna Online Consumer Research July 2020 (sample 300)

One Call to All is a leading British telecoms innovator with international reach. One Call to All focuses on delivering solutions that connect businesses to their consumers predominantly in Hospitality, Recruitment and Sales

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As the semi-final stage won’t be able to take place in the usual way, 40 chefs have been selected to go through to the second stage. Chair of judges, Paul Ainsworth has tasked the competitors with creating a dish that sums them up in just a few bites. They will then create a short video showcasing that dish and answer four supplementary questions. Judges will then whittle the chefs down to a final ten, who will cook up their original menu in the final.

The news on whether a chef has made the second stage has been revealed in a new and exciting way this year. Throughout the day today, personalised CCS (Continental Chef Supplies) chef jackets have been arriving in the homes or workplaces of all 40 chefs with a note asking them to share the news online as their gift arrives. Churchill has also sent dishes as a congratulations gift and all the china can be used in the next stage of the competition. You can see the pictures of the finalists proudly wearing their customised chef jackets by searching #NCOTY on Twitter and Instagram.

The chefs invited to compete in the next stage are:

• Mark Austin, executive chef, Northwood HQ, Aramark
• Andy Bowler, sous chef, Petrus
• Fraser Bruce, head chef, Fraser Bruce @ The Fish Shed
• Nathan Cornwell, head chef, The Barn at Moor Hall
• Paul Croasdale , head chef, Stargazzy Inn
• David Davey-Smith, SNCO Chef, Royal Air Force
• Tristan Downes, head chef, Craft London
• Ben Drake, senior sous chef, The Elephant by Simon Hulstone
• Nico Fitzgerald , head chef, London Stock
• Alex Greene, sous chef, Lucknam Park Hotel and Spa
• Daniel Griffiths, sous chef, Portmeirion Hotel
• Elliot Hill, head chef, Panoramic 34
• Asen Ibrov, head chef, Silver Spoon
• Matthew John, chef patron, The Waggon Inn
• Derek Johnstone, head chef, Borthwick Castle
• Daniel Jones, head chef, JT3
• Martin Lee, head chef, Hartwell House Hotel
• Rob Marshall, freelance chef
• Caroline Martins, chef patron, Sao Paulo Group Ltd
• David Millar, head chef, CH&CO
• Graham Mitchell, head chef, The Newmachar Hotel
• Sarah-Jasmina Moussabih, head chef, Finnish Embassy, London
• Saurav Nath, development chef, JKS Restaurants
• Christopher Niven, executive chef
• Andonis Paraskevas, chef/consultant
• April Lily Partridge, chef, The Ledbury
• Elisabeth Passedat, head chef, The Cleveland Arms
• Marcin Pomierny, head chef, The Maids Head Hotel Limited
• Matt Ramsdale         , head chef, The Chester Grosvenor
• Stefan Sewell, team captain, Combined Service Culinary Arts Team
• Christos Siomadis, executive chef, Roseate House Hotel London
• Nick Smith, head chef, Vacherin / Ashurst
• Dominic South, head chef, Corinthia Hotel
• Lewis Spencer, sous chef, Davies and Brook
• Thomas Swaby, senior sous chef, Roux at Parliament Square
• Nat Tallents, executive chef, Fosters @ The Box Plymouth
• Simon Webb, freelance chef
• Fergus Wilford, sous chef, Corinthia Hotel
• Danny Young, senior sous chef, Northcote
• Tim Zekki, chef proprietor, Duende

From this list, ten finalists will be selected to compete in a cook-off at Le Cordon Bleu on Monday 7^th September. This will be filmed and played out as part of the new Hospitality Week with the winner being revealed live on Wednesday, 30^th September, 2020.

David Mulcahy said

Reflecting back on the last few months, Vice President of the Craft Guild of Chefs and organiser, David Mulcahy said: “Back in March, we had to make the difficult decision of whether to continue with the competition this year or postpone it. We spoke with our chair of judges, sponsors and other organisers and listened to the views of chefs who were contacting us via social media and email. There was a real appetite for the competition to continue as it gave chefs hope and positivity during such a challenging time. The level of entry we have received this year is incredible and whoever wins in these circumstances is going to be a truly special person. This year’s winner will have turned adversity into positivity and when asked what they did during the coronavirus crisis will be able to say they won the National Chef of the Year title. Thank you to all our sponsors and everyone who entered as you have helped ensure this culinary competition continues to lead the way in the UK and maintain its 48-year history.”

Chair of judges and Michelin starred restaurateur, Paul Ainsworth added: “This is my first year judging the first stage of NCOTY and many chefs were on the money in hitting the brief they were set. Seeing the huge variety of ways the entrants put their own interpretation on this task was inspiring and there are going to be some amazing dishes served up to us in September. I am already looking forward to watching the videos in the next round and seeing how chefs sum themselves up in just a few tasty bites. Be yourself, cook from the heart and be proud of what you have achieved to get to this stage.”

The National Chef of the Year competition is run in partnership with Knorr Professional and is supported by Boiron Freres, CCS, Churchill, Direct Seafood, Evolve Recruitment, HIT Training, OpenTable, Santa Maria, UNOX, Valrhona, Wearertech and Winterhalter             

ENDS

Issued on behalf of the Craft Guild of Chefs by Digital Blonde Ltd. For more information about the event or to arrange interviews with candidates, judges or organisers please contact nicola@digitalblondemarketing.com or call 07967 823854.

Craft Guild of Chefs

The Craft Guild of Chefs is the largest UK chefs’ association with members worldwide in foodservice and hospitality, from students and trainees to top management working everywhere from Michelin starred restaurants to school catering divisions.

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Charlie D’Lima, 21, made it through to the Challenge final in both 2018 and 2019 – and his latest challenge is proving equally impressive.

Like many people in the industry, the hardworking graduate has been furloughed following lockdown, and has chosen to redeploy his talents by cooking meals for NHS workers.

After completing a foundation degree in professional culinary arts at the University of Derby, Charlie spent five months working at Gordon Ramsay’s Petrus restaurant in London’s Knightsbridge.

“It was an amazing experience working for the Ramsay Group,” he says. “I think it’s really important for every chef to cook in central London – the adrenaline and competitiveness is like nowhere else. I learned a lot, especially about plating, in those five months.”

Then the opportunity arose for Charlie to go and work at Paul Ainsworth’s Michelin-starred No 6 restaurant in Padstow. “A larder chef role came up and I decided to take it,” continues Charlie. “I started in November last year. We had a brilliant Christmas and New Year and had just got an exciting new four-course menu concept in place, and all new positions in the kitchen, when coronavirus struck.

“Paul kept us on as long as possible and was really supportive. We were very aware of all of the redundancies and sackings in our sector in London, but Paul assured us that our jobs were safe, and we were all furloughed and sent back home. He actually sent a video of himself to all the team, telling us what an amazing team we are and how it was important that we keep cooking during lockdown.

“He encouraged us to do something to support the NHS and other vulnerable groups in society.”

Charlie headed home to his parents’ house in north London and immediately got in contact with the charity ‘You Donate We Deliver’. “I started cooking a few meals for NHS workers from home once or twice a week, and that soon became 40 meals twice a week, then 100 four times a week,” he says.

As his commitment grew, his domestic kitchen felt the strain and, when the heat cracked the marble splash back on his parents’ stove, Charlie knew he needed to find an alternative venue.

He explains: “I was maxing out the fridge space and it was pretty intense for my parents, who don’t

work in the industry.”

Charlie persuaded three chef friends to join him and was offered the use of the kitchen at Mill Hill, a private school, along with the services of the school’s two kitchen porters. The team now makes 600 meals a day, six days a week.

Charlie plans the menu a week in advance and dishes include Boeuf Bourgignon with pickled carrot, roast potatoes and broccoli; creamy chicken pie, and fish pie made with hake sourced from the suppliers

used by No 6 in Cornwall.

The meals are tubbed up in an ‘isolation room’ by a team of five people in full PPE, then distributed via a hub in Borehamwood.

The team has received “amazing feedback” and countless tweets thanking them for the food. “We had a message on Facebook saying our orange cheesecake was the best they had ever had,” says Charlie. “I’m trying to keep restaurant standard food but obviously you have to find a level because you’re on a tight budget. “The NHS deserve it and it’s only what Paul wanted us to do.”

CHARLIE’S BOSS PAUL AINSWORTH SAID:

“Lockdown was a very quick turnaround – there was so much to do and achieve to shut down the businesses safely. Charlie was worried he wouldn’t be able to get back to London in time so we told him to go. I made the video just to let everyone know their jobs were safe, to keep their mental health strong, keep moving and do something good for their community. That could be mowing a neighbour’s grass or collecting shopping for an elderly person.

“Lots of people have done amazing things and I’ve been overwhelmed, but Charlie has done more than the next level and he deserves to go down in history. I’ve heard so many good words about him from other chefs he has been working with. I haven’t even got the words to say how proud I am of him. He is an incredibly selfless young man, a kind and generous soul. A lot of people his age would have viewed it as a three-month holiday but he has been working so hard. He is full of motivation and ridiculously talented, and he is going to go a long way in the industry. His name will be in lights without a doubt.”

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Please tell us about the food scene in Padstow and what drew you to the area.
When I was younger, what originally drew me to the area was the nice beaches and beautiful sunsets, but I’m really proud of how Padstow’s food scene has grown into what it is today. Rick Stein originally put it on the map as a great foodie destination, and his restaurants are still the place to go for amazing locally-caught fresh fish. It’s been great to see the food scene grow over the last few years because we’ve got such amazing produce, with top quality meat and great vegetables, and there’s now so many great restaurants doing amazing things with them.

You’ve been quoted before as saying “hospitality is in your veins”. What do you mean by this?
I grew up in a B&B owned by my parents. They built it up from a small five-room venue to a really sophisticated space that was ahead of its time in the 80s. Our family home was the business and so I grew up in an environment that taught me to appreciate hard work and truly understand the value of money.

You have worked with some incredible chefs.Who did you most admire and what is the best piece of advice that person gave you? That’s the best question i’ve ever been asked! I’d have to say Gordon Ramsay, who pulled me aside and one day said ” Paul, it’s much better to be an a****** that to be ignored”. What he meant by this, in a classic Gordon way, is that learning from your mistakes is the most important way to grow as a chef and if you’re not being noticed then you’re not going to be learning as much as you can.

What has been your proudest professional moment and why?
We’re so grateful as a team to have won some very impressive awards, but the thing I’m most proud of is winning the Michelin star at No. 6. It felt like everything we’d been doing at the restaurant had been leading up to that moment, and it’s an achievement that will stay with me forever. Having the star feels like wearing a badge of honour every single day, and I’m extremely proud.

I recently read that you’d helped out with school meals in your local primary school. What is your opinion of school dinners? The local primary school reached out to us to help improve their meals as they were outsourcing their school meals to another company and they were only spending a shocking 60p per child per meal. Along with other local chefs like Rick Stein, we came in and started teaching the kids about eating well and using good produce and we did things like starting a vegetable patch at the school. There’s still so much work that be can done, though! I think it’s really important to teach children about eating well from a young age.

The Paul Ainsworth Academy is training the chefs of the future. How can we encourage more young people to join the industry?
Getting young people involved in the future of hospitality is so important. We work closely with the young people in our local area to show them that cooking and becoming chefs is a career option that they might not have otherwise considered. We take on a lot of apprentices in all of our of kitchens and the guys work really hard to make them feel part of the family and help them to develop their skill – and it’s a lot of fun for everyone involved!

Last year saw the launch of your new cookery school and Chef’s Table. What’s the ethos behind both ventures and how have they been received?
Ultimately the ethos comes through the name, Mahé – it’s about beginnings. Mahé is an island in the Seychelles where my mum was born, and where my dad met my mum; it’s where it all began. A cookery school and chef’s table is an opportunity to see ingredients in their rawest form and then see how you can turn even the simplest ingredients like flour, eggs, olive oil and salt into fresh pasta and then go on to make the most amazing ravioli with it. We wanted to create cookery courses that feel more like an experience, and less like a classroom.

Finally, who’s the culinary king of Padstow?!
[Laughing] I’ve got to respect my elders, so Rick Stein will always be the king!

And now for three questions that we ask all of our Leading Lights…

1. What are your three kitchen secrets? When frying eggs, give the egg a gentle shake before cracking open. It’ll ensure the yolk is perfectly centred and works every time. If you ever buy a truffle, keep it stored in risotto rice ensuring it’s well wrapped. The flavour will absorb into the rice which will be perfect for the next time you’re entertaining. Never cook your steak cold from the fridge. Always bring your cut up to room temperature before you think about putting it in the pan. This allows for an even distribution of heat throughout the meat.
2. What is your favourite ingredient and why?
   That’s an impossible question for me to answer because I love so many ingredients, but the difference between a really good dish and a great dish is flaked Cornish sea salt. Adding a pinch of it when you’re seasoning really elevates the dish and brings out such beautiful flavours that you just don’t get with other spices or seasonings.
3. Please could you share your favourite recipe, along with your reasons for choosing it? One of my favourite recipes at the moment is our Minestrone del Contadino on the menu at Caffè Rojano. It’s so much more than a bowl of soup – you’ve got beautiful real stock, lovely white beans and tomatoes, gorgeous smoked pancetta… The best way to make it is in the pressure cooker, and the result is the ultimate minestrone soup that’s perfect with some beautiful, thick cut bread.

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The new chair of judges and Michelin starred restaurateur, Paul Ainsworth has collaborated in designing this year’s menu criteria. Competitors are required to produce a creative menu for two guests in two hours, celebrating the very best of seasonal summer ingredients.

Chefs must make a starter consisting of three different plates per portion, for two guests all using the core ingredient of fresh Gilt-head bream. Ainsworth wants chefs to think “San Sebastian, modern style tapas”. Each dish must use bream in a different format and must make the best use of the fish in some way. Judges will focus on how competitors have used by-products in the dish and are looking for entrants to showcase a variety of techniques in their starter. 

For the main course, chefs must create a lamb dish sourced from the UK and Ireland coastline using both a prime and offal cut, suitably garnished. Judges are looking for the best use of accompanying summer vegetables, herbs and coastline flavours to enhance the lamb. Competitors may clean, butcher and marinade the lamb elements in advance but prime cooking must be carried out on the day. The sourcing and provenance of the lamb is also important.

Finally, Paul and his team of judges are looking for a showstopping dessert of the competitor’s choice focusing on strawberries and cream. Judges will be searching for the best use of this seasonal classic with flair, innovation and creativity. 

It is recommended that chefs register for a National Chef of the Year account at www.nationalchefoftheyear.co.uk straight away to read the full brief. They will then be able to update the entry and save it as they add more to it over the coming weeks. Chefs have until Friday, 3^rd April, to submit their final entry and a shortlist of 40 chefs for the semi-finals will be revealed on Friday 15^th May. This year’s heats will take place at Sheffield College on Monday 15^th June, and at Westminster Kingsway in London on Monday 22^nd June. Ten chefs will go through to the National Chef of the Year final, which takes place at The Restaurant Show on Tuesday, 29^th September 2020.

The current National Chef of the Year, Steve Groves said: “Winning the National Chef of the Year is an incredible honour and one of my proudest moments. For me, it’s the UK’s top chef competition and the chefs associated with this event are the shining lights of our industry. The connections I made throughout and since the competition are invaluable and have been a real boost to my career.”

As he prepares to take on his first head judge role for National Chef of the Year, Paul Ainsworth added: “When considering the criteria for this year, I wanted to be able to excite and inspire chefs when they saw this brief, and I hope as you are reading it, your mind is already whirring with ideas. My advice is to make the best use of your ingredients, focus on flavour and avoid waste by using by-products. Keep it local, fresh and simple. Over the next few months I am going to be on the hunt for the best chefs and I’d absolutely love to see more females entering, so please help to make this happen by encouraging all chefs to give it a go.”

The National Chef of the Year competition is open to chefs who are 26 years or older as of 29^th September 2020. Competitors may come from all areas of the hospitality business including hotels, restaurants, pubs, contract catering, fine dining, private and public sectors and they may be working in the UK or overseas.

Organiser of NCOTY and vice president of the Craft Guild of Chefs, David Mulch, said: “As we launch another year of competition, we are full of anticipation as we wait to see who will be throwing their chef’s hat into the mix and entering the UK’s most prestigious culinary title. Steve Groves is already proving to be an outstanding winner and former champions such as Kuba Winkowski have become true ambassadors for the competition, so this is about so much more than the cooking on the day. When Paul first told us his ideas for the brief, we knew that this would inspire chefs from across the hospitality industry. So whatever sector you work in, get involved, show us what you’ve got, and you could find you are the National Chef of the Year 2021.”

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