PubChef Awards 2005 - Desserts cook-off
The Desserts category launched the third round of the PubChef Awards. Innovation was at the heart of the five chef's entries. Max Gosney and Jo Bruce report.
Pubs are the natural home of great British desserts and often the comfort food that lure many customers through the door. PubChef's desserts category challenged our five finalists to show dishes that would make customers want pudding first. The finalists had one hour and 15 mins to prepare and create four of the same dish. Desserts on offer ranged from funky, new concepts to twists on the traditional. But all the ideas demonstrated how seriously pub chefs view their desserts offering.
The finalists -
Paul Morgan THE PUB: The Hampshire Arms, Crondall, Hampshire THE DISH: Boiled eggs re-invented ON DESSERTS: "Doing desserts is the most allconsuming thing in the kitchen. Unlike doing a joint of meat you can't get away with not weighing your ingredients. If you don't put the right amount of flour in then it won't rise. It's a science." EUREKA: Paul came up with this innovative dish idea at 2.30am after waking up on a sofa. He got up and started testing out the idea at 3am and took it into his wife for breakfast. He said: "A crème brûlée is made from eggs and eggs come from a chicken so I thought 'why not do a crème brûlée in an egg?'. It is a fun dessert and not too serious and I thought it was a good twist on boiled eggs." ON PUB FOOD: "Dishes that offer a range of flavours from fresh ingredients and represent great value for money."
Gareth Davies THE PUB: the Windmill, Adlington, Macclesfield, Cheshire THE DISH: A plate of English desserts - orange and whisky marmalade bread and butter pudding, sticky toffee pudding and apple tart ON DESSERTS: "It's a specialist area. The industry doesn't have so many pastry chefs coming through any more. But dessert is such an important part of dining. It is the last thing you have and can often be what you remember a meal by." EUREKA: "This is the biggest-selling dessert on our menu. Our pub is in a rural area and lots of our customers are farmers. It is a hearty, comfort food dessert, which appeals to them." ON PUB FOOD: "Fresh food, taking advantage of local produce. It should be accessible to all."
Gareth Eddy THE PUB: Old Custom House, Padstow, Cornwall THE DISH: Baked organic Cornish Cox's apple crumble scented with lavender, served with vanilla and rhubarb custard ice cream ON DESSERTS: "I think desserts are typically a neglected area in a pub. A lot of places buy them in, which is a real shame because British dishes that have been passed from generation to generation are dying out." EUREKA: "It's a very traditional pudding made with lots of local ingredients like Cornish butter, cream and fruits. All of the fruits are from Trevone Farm in Padstow and the dish is really a dedication to George Trenelth. He owned the farms where I source many ingredients but recently died of cancer." ON PUB FOOD: "The best of local produce and a seasonal menu: put produce before ego."
Susan Hammett THE PUB: Pickwick Inn, St Issey, near Padstow, Cornwall THE DISH: Zesty lemon tart with poached pear and blackberry sauce ON DESSERTS: "Our pub thrives on its desserts. We promote puddings on our blackboards and they are amongst our biggest sellers. People should be swapping starters for desserts. There are a glut of great British dishes that just need a contemporary twist to make them top sellers." EUREKA: "We've got our own pear tree in the pub garden so I wanted to incorporate that in the dish. There are so many great fruits available in the autumn and it's great to use them in an authentic British style." ON PUB FOOD: "Traditional dishes using local produce, served with skill, imagination and first-rate ingredients and offering less pretentious fine dining in a relaxed and homely atmosphere."
Laura Todd THE PUB: The Bull Inn, Witherley, Warwickshire THE DISH: Baked Bramley apple & spiced rice pudding, topped with a golden cage and agedcalvados caramel sauce ON DESSERTS: "I think desserts have suffered because the standard of chefs coming out of college is not as good as it used it be. Chefs these days do not have the basic skills or patience to make the most of some great recipes." EUREKA: "I wanted to do a traditional English dish but give it a twist." ON PUB FOOD: "It should offer variety and value for money, be home-cooked and traditional with a twist. I am willing to use classics as well as modern English ideas, often combining both."
The judges -
Former chief executive of the Restaurant Association and former Egon Ronay Guide inspector; IAN MCKERRACHER. Editor of the Morning Advertiser; ANDREW PRING. Owner of Nicholl's Country Inns; GREG NICHOLL. UK and European bakery and foodservice director of awards sponsor Jus-Rol; MARK LLOYD.
Said and done -
"I'm from Cornwall. I have no sense of direction." GARETH EDDY on his 3am arrival in Milton Keynes. "This is a separate Cornish republic." Chef SUSAN HAMMETT on sharing a workbench with fellow Cornish pub chef Gareth Eddy. "I bought them at Selfridges for 50p each. They are going on the plate for decorative purposes and are too expensive to use at the pub." LAURA TODD on her bling accessory, the crab apple. "Excuse me I have just got to burp a second. It must be all this Champagne." Winning chef.GARETH EDDY before having his photo taken "I asked about his saffron and he gave me a history lesson." MARK LLOYD from Jus-Rol on Gareth Eddy's professor-like knowledge of his ingredients. "Pay reviews must be great fun with you." Fellow judge MARK LLOYD teases Morning Advertiser editor Andrew Pring on his generous marking system.
The judges' verdicts -
PAUL MORGAN - "This was a fantastic idea which has a real wow factor and looked very funky. He is to be commended for his innovation." LAURA TODD - "This dish sounded and looked good. It was a combination of great British puddings and there was great thinking behind the dish." GARETH EDDY - "Your passion shone through. This dish was a great marriage of ingredients, which worked well together." SUSAN HAMMETT - "Great presentation. A good simple dish. Fantastic ingredients, which were carefully chosen. The pear was delicious." GARETH DAVIES - "Visually appealing dish. Lots of good comfort food close to the traditions of hearty English puddings."
The winner
Gareth Eddy, 31, head chef at St Austell Brewery's Old Custom House in Padstow, Cornwall, was named winner of the desserts category. His winning dish was baked organic Cornish Cox's apple crumble, scented with lavender, served with vanilla and rhubarb custard ice cream. Suppliers of his ingredients included Trevone Farm in Padstow, where he sourced his butter, cream and fruits. Born in Cornwall, Gareth is passionate about his region's produce. He has worked at the Old Custom House for four years. Gareth trained under Rick Stein and has also worked as a chef in Australia and Asia.
The judges praised Gareth's dish for its wow factor and superb presentation. They said his knowledge and passion for his ingredients was outstanding. Judge Ian McKerracher said: "He is an instinctive and skilled chef. He appeared to know lots about his ingredients and knew what he was doing in the kitchen. He looks good cooking and is very confident - and that came through in his final dish." Judge Greg Nicholl said: "His execution of the d
