Champagne Jacquart 'Rising Stars' final
15-Apr-09 - This is the piece which ran in YES CHEF! Magazine:
On the face of it, it seemed a simple task: candidate restaurants would put up a young chef and sommelier with a brief to create a three-course menu and to choose three appropriate wines to accompany each choice. Over the period of the competition the entrants were whittled down to five finalists, who were briefed to create a meal using any vegetable for the starter (this proved to be an asparagus-fest), lamb for the main course, and any fruit for the dessert. There was a tasting table of 28 wines, from dry to red to sweet, all presented blind, and while the chef was slaving in the kitchen, the sommelier had an interview with the panel and then selected his or her three wines from the table to match the food. Along with me, the other judges were Gérard Basset of Hotel Terravina, Charles Campion of the Evening Standard, Geoff Booth, head of hospitality at the college, Antonin Bonnet of the Greenhouse, James Doidge of The Wine Treasury and Jane Parkinson from The Drinks Business, which was the media partner for the competition.
The day kicked off at 09:00 with Bentley's Oyster Bar and Grill in London, with sommelier Liam McCurry and chef Boguslaw Proch. Starter: asparagus, peas and broad-bean risotto; 2007 Domaine Rieflé Pinot Blanc, Alsace. Main: harrissa lamb kebab with couscous, smoked eggplant and tzatziki; 2007 J.Alberto Malbec, Patagonia, Argentina. Dessert: strawberry mess with Alfonso mango; 2005 Domaine Rieflé Gewurztraminer Vendange Tardive.
Next up was the Manor House Hotel from Castle Combe, Bath, with sommelière Laetitia Levier and chef Thomas Citarella. Starter: salad of asparagus and chicory, poached quail's egg, hollandaise; 2002 Champagne Jacquart Blanc de Blancs. Main: roast rack of lamb with truffle creamed potatoes, wild garlic and lamb jus; 2004 Altos de Luzón, Jumilla. Dessert: passion fruit mousse with mango sauce; 2006 Viñedos de Ithaca Penelope Blanca, Priorat.
Judging in progress - Laetitia Levier, Gérard Basset, me, Charles Campion
Third finalist was the Restaurant Sat Bains, Nottingham, with sommelier Samuel Walker and chef John Freeman. Starter: asparagus raw and cooked, poached egg yolk, morels, pea shoots and candied hazelnuts; 2007 Florian Mollet Pouilly-Fumé l'Antique. Main: rump and shoulder, tomato courgette, goats' cheese, black olive caramel, lemon and mint; 2004 Altos de Luzón, Jumilla. Dessert: rhubarb with tarragon granita, Marshmallow and almond granola; 2008 La Spinetta Moscato Bricco Quaglia, Piemonte.
La Bécasse in Ludlow put up sommelier Nicolas Chesneau and chef Will Holland. Starter: celeriac and coconut royale, English asparagus, tomato essence and basil cress; 2007 Domaine Rieflé Pinot Blanc, Alsace. Main: new season lamb loin roasted with liquorice, rosti potato, wild garlic and anchovies; 2004 Arlewood Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River. Dessert: raspberry, elderflower and Champagne jelly, yoghourt sabayon and vanilla brioche croutons; 2004 Champagne Jacquart Cuvée Brut Rosé.
The final competitor was Harvey Nichols Forth Floor restaurant, Edinburgh, with sommelier Mickael Legras and chef Christopher Clark. Starter: tomato consommé and goats' cheese tortellini with green and white asparagus; 2007 Arlewood Sauvignon/Sémillon, Margaret River. Main: rack of borders lamb with Ayrshire potatoes, celeriac and apple purée and thyme-roasted potatoes; 2006 WillaKenzie Pinot Noir, Oregon. Dessert: blood-orange and chocolate 'jaffa' cake with caramelised oranges and candied zest; 2002 Champagne Jacquart Cuvée Blanc de Blanc.
There were some magnificent menus and bold pairings on show, and in the interviews the sommeliers acquitted themselves with style and confidence, but in the final judging there were two front-runners: Sat Bains and the Forth Floor and, in the event, the team from Sat Bains won the day. In the view of the judges the deciding factor was the Forth Floor dessert: citrus is notoriously difficult to match, and the Champagne was just too brut to make the marriage. We, the judges, were all encouraged, however, by the creativity and skill of the participants, all of whom are worthily described as 'rising stars'.
The winning team: sommelier Samuel Walker and chef John Freeman of Restaurant Sat Bains. They didn't stay for the celebratory dinner as they had to dash back to Nottingham in time for service - keen or what?
To sponsor a weblink or picture for any post, please contact john@johnradford.com
On the face of it, it seemed a simple task: candidate restaurants would put up a young chef and sommelier with a brief to create a three-course menu and to choose three appropriate wines to accompany each choice. Over the period of the competition the entrants were whittled down to five finalists, who were briefed to create a meal using any vegetable for the starter (this proved to be an asparagus-fest), lamb for the main course, and any fruit for the dessert. There was a tasting table of 28 wines, from dry to red to sweet, all presented blind, and while the chef was slaving in the kitchen, the sommelier had an interview with the panel and then selected his or her three wines from the table to match the food. Along with me, the other judges were Gérard Basset of Hotel Terravina, Charles Campion of the Evening Standard, Geoff Booth, head of hospitality at the college, Antonin Bonnet of the Greenhouse, James Doidge of The Wine Treasury and Jane Parkinson from The Drinks Business, which was the media partner for the competition.
The day kicked off at 09:00 with Bentley's Oyster Bar and Grill in London, with sommelier Liam McCurry and chef Boguslaw Proch. Starter: asparagus, peas and broad-bean risotto; 2007 Domaine Rieflé Pinot Blanc, Alsace. Main: harrissa lamb kebab with couscous, smoked eggplant and tzatziki; 2007 J.Alberto Malbec, Patagonia, Argentina. Dessert: strawberry mess with Alfonso mango; 2005 Domaine Rieflé Gewurztraminer Vendange Tardive.
Next up was the Manor House Hotel from Castle Combe, Bath, with sommelière Laetitia Levier and chef Thomas Citarella. Starter: salad of asparagus and chicory, poached quail's egg, hollandaise; 2002 Champagne Jacquart Blanc de Blancs. Main: roast rack of lamb with truffle creamed potatoes, wild garlic and lamb jus; 2004 Altos de Luzón, Jumilla. Dessert: passion fruit mousse with mango sauce; 2006 Viñedos de Ithaca Penelope Blanca, Priorat.
Judging in progress - Laetitia Levier, Gérard Basset, me, Charles CampionThird finalist was the Restaurant Sat Bains, Nottingham, with sommelier Samuel Walker and chef John Freeman. Starter: asparagus raw and cooked, poached egg yolk, morels, pea shoots and candied hazelnuts; 2007 Florian Mollet Pouilly-Fumé l'Antique. Main: rump and shoulder, tomato courgette, goats' cheese, black olive caramel, lemon and mint; 2004 Altos de Luzón, Jumilla. Dessert: rhubarb with tarragon granita, Marshmallow and almond granola; 2008 La Spinetta Moscato Bricco Quaglia, Piemonte.
La Bécasse in Ludlow put up sommelier Nicolas Chesneau and chef Will Holland. Starter: celeriac and coconut royale, English asparagus, tomato essence and basil cress; 2007 Domaine Rieflé Pinot Blanc, Alsace. Main: new season lamb loin roasted with liquorice, rosti potato, wild garlic and anchovies; 2004 Arlewood Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River. Dessert: raspberry, elderflower and Champagne jelly, yoghourt sabayon and vanilla brioche croutons; 2004 Champagne Jacquart Cuvée Brut Rosé.
The final competitor was Harvey Nichols Forth Floor restaurant, Edinburgh, with sommelier Mickael Legras and chef Christopher Clark. Starter: tomato consommé and goats' cheese tortellini with green and white asparagus; 2007 Arlewood Sauvignon/Sémillon, Margaret River. Main: rack of borders lamb with Ayrshire potatoes, celeriac and apple purée and thyme-roasted potatoes; 2006 WillaKenzie Pinot Noir, Oregon. Dessert: blood-orange and chocolate 'jaffa' cake with caramelised oranges and candied zest; 2002 Champagne Jacquart Cuvée Blanc de Blanc.
There were some magnificent menus and bold pairings on show, and in the interviews the sommeliers acquitted themselves with style and confidence, but in the final judging there were two front-runners: Sat Bains and the Forth Floor and, in the event, the team from Sat Bains won the day. In the view of the judges the deciding factor was the Forth Floor dessert: citrus is notoriously difficult to match, and the Champagne was just too brut to make the marriage. We, the judges, were all encouraged, however, by the creativity and skill of the participants, all of whom are worthily described as 'rising stars'.
The winning team: sommelier Samuel Walker and chef John Freeman of Restaurant Sat Bains. They didn't stay for the celebratory dinner as they had to dash back to Nottingham in time for service - keen or what?To sponsor a weblink or picture for any post, please contact john@johnradford.com
posted by John Radford at
16:51
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