Pub chefs from across the UK are to battle it out in a series of cook-offs in a bid to be crowned Pub Chef of the Year 2009.
The 34 chefs are competing in cook-off finals in the PubChef Food Excellence Awards at the Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board at Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, on 12, 13, 14 and 26, 27 and 28 January.
Judges include Alastair Sawday's Pubs & Inns Guide editor David Hancock, Which? Good Food Guide editor Elizabeth Cater, Craft Guild of Chefs chief executive Martin Bates and Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge who will be tasting dishes across 10 categories including young chef, global cuisine, game, bar dishes, seafood, pub classics, team, poultry, desserts and meat.
Winners will be announced on the 12 March at the PubChef Food Excellence Awards at Plaisterers' Hall, London. The Pub Chef of the Year 2009 will have the honour of having a menu devised by them served to the 350 guests at the awards night.
The PubChef Food Excellence Awards 2009 chefs' competition finalists are:
Category: Young pub chef
Christopher Carter, The Bell Inn, Horndon on the Hill, Essex
Dish: Salt marsh lamb Wellington with spinach, glazed baby vegetables, confit potatoes and sweet potato cream
Yarsley Bradley, The Horse and Groom Inn, Charlton, nr Malmesbury, Wiltshire
Dish: Pan fried breast of pheasant with a confit leg of pheasant and seasonal veg
Ben Abercrombie, Helyar Arms, Yeovil, Somerset
Dish: Roast guinea fowl breast with confit leg with parsnip and vannila puree and moreel and huffle jus
Category: Global cuisine
Ian Smith, The Fountain Inn, Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire
Dish: Spiced fillet of gilthead bream
Arpad Hubai, Ring O' Bells, Bradford, West Yorkshire
Dish: Eastern marinated goat chops, served with Goanese style potatoes and coconut, coriander sauce
Simon Goodman
The Duke of Cumberland Arms, Fernhurst, West Sussex
Dish: Organic salmon, selsey crab thai potato cake, mange tout, sweet chilli butter and baby samphire
Category: Game
Michael Ward, The Highwayman, Kirkby Lonsdale, Lancashire
Dish: Partridge with black pudding croquet, creamed mash, Forages bacon and juniper sauce
Tim Payne, Paradise by Way of Kensal Green, London
Dish: Roast Highland pheasant, Koffman cabbage, honey roast parsnips, chocolate and raspberry sauce
Avrum Frankel, The Orange Tree, Thornham, Norfolk
Dish: Pheasant with casserole of winter vegetables and fondant potato
Category: Bar dishes
Calum Wilcock, The Three Fishes, Mitton, nr Whalley, Lancashire
Dish: Game faggots, pumpkin, cider and ginger dip
James Angus Rogers, The Dog Inn, Grundisburgh, Woodbridge, Suffolk
Dish: Stalkers pie with homemade baked beans
Mathieu Eke, Helyar Arms, Yeovil, Somerset
Dish: Probably the best steak sandwich in the world
Category: Seafood
Michael McBride, Shoulder of Mutton, Kirky Overblow, North Yorkshire
Dish: Pan fried fillets of black bream, saffron potatoes and cabbage
Ross Williams, Wellington, Wellington, Herefordshire
Dish: Monkfish tail and chorizo braised in red wine
Charlotte Barr, Old Mill, Berkhamsted, Herts
Dish: Seabream with potato scales, braised puy lentils and caramelised endive
Category: Pub classics
Anthony Williams, Williams Arms, Braunton, Devon
Dish: Exmoor venison steak and kidney pie
Richard Upton, Three Fishes, Mitton, nr Whalley, Lancashire
Dish: Heather reared Bowland lamb hotpot
Alicia McCabe, The Highwayman, Kirkby Lonsdale, Lancashire
Dish: Wild Cumbrian rabbit pie, butter puff pastry, new potatoes
Category: Team
Stuart Fay and Stephen Treadwell, Bell Inn, Horndon on the Hill, Essex
Menu: Starter: Cornish crab tortellini with red wine poached scallop, crab bisque and salmon tuile
Main: Wild rabbit saddle in herb mousse with fondant potato, rabbit leg ballottine and chestnut mushrooms
Dessert: Dark chocolate fondant with hazelnut ice cream and praline
David Deacon and Michael McBride, Shoulder of Mutton Inn, Kirky Overblow, Harrogate, North Yorkshire
Menu: Starter: Twice baked Swaledale cheese souffle with pear and wlnut salad
Main: Roast Ripley Estate partridge with Knaresborough cabbage and fondant potatoes
Dessert: Steamed chocolate pudding with English custard
Tom Lowe and Sean Nind, Railway, Chorley, Lancashire
Menu: Starter: Kedegree
Main: Roasted Barry Ough's farmed suckling pig, Anna potato cake layered with H Greaves of Up Holland black pudding, buttered kale with glazed Cox's apples
Dessert: Treacle cranberry and ginger tart with Rowlands of Mawdesley Dairy thick cream
Ross Williams and Rupert Davis, Wellington, Hereford
Menu: Starter: Parma ham and Pocini mushroom lasagne with rocket and parmesan salad
Main: Roast Madgetts Farm duck with confit leg and orange stuffing, Jerusalem artichokes and blackcurrant sauce
Dessert: Clotted cream rice pudding with cinnamon poached pear
Category: Poultry
Philip Milner, Orange Tree, King's Lynn, Norfolk
Dish: Rare roast Gressingham duck breast, butternut and potato Anna, pomegranate molasses and savoy cabbage
Ashley McCarthy, Ye Old Sun Inn, Colton, nr Tadcaster, North Yorkshire
Dish: Trio of Gressingham duck
Thomas Pickering, The Three Fishes, Mitton, nr Whalley, Lancashire
Dish: Devilled breast of cornfed Goosnargh chicken, devil sauce, chunky chips, onion rings, watercress and field mushrooms
Category: Desserts
Annette Brassey, Ye Olde Punch Bowl Inn, Marton cum Grafton, York
Dish: Fairground Attraction: Brandy toffee apples, chocolate cinder toffee, candy floss and doughnuts and raspberry jam
James Angus Rogers, Dog Inn, Grundisburgh, Woodbridge, Suffolk
Dish: Bone marrow bread and bitter pudding with quince and lemon ice cream
Tamara Cookson, Three Fishes, Mitton, nr Whalley, Lancashire
Dish: Lemon meringue pie, Simpson's whipped cream, candied peel
Category: Meat
Simon Goodman, Duke of Cumberland Arms, Fernhurst, West Sussex
Dish: Goodwood organic confit belly of pork, apple and calvados glaze, creamy Savoy cabbage, sauteed potatoes and a thyme and Madeira jus
Tim Payne, Paradise by Way of Kensal Green, London
Dish: Braised pork cheeks and osso bucco sauce
Ben Bulger, Clanfield Tavern, Clanfield, Oxfordshire
Blade of beef in Porter, roast shallots, celeriac and walnut relish