The Cornish Challenge 2008
Watergate Bay Hotel team headed by -Tom Bradbury pulled out all the stops again last night winning the Cornish Challenge for the second year running.
Using the finest Cornish ingredients they served a 4 course meal which was a winning combination of a Tart of poached Quail eggs, Thyme comfit Shallots and sauce Hollandaise, Followed by Grilled Fillet of Brill with Chicory Marmalade, Parsnip Puree, Razor Clams and cooking juices.
For their main course they the team served Pot Roast Fillet and slowed cooked shin of Cornish Beef, smoked bacon croquette, shallots and cassis sauce.
The meal was completed with a fantastic dessert of Cornish Wildflower Honey and White Chocolate Delice, Chocolate sauce, Clementine Sorbet and Honeycombe.
Tom Bradbury – Head Chef and his team were delighted to win the Cornish Challenge for the second year running which was attended by 120 guests.
Tom said “you really want to succeed but it’s a tremendous pressure and stress and we are really proud and happy to have done it two years running. The main thing is that it reiterates that what we are doing at the hotel is working. This year’s competition was totally different to last year’s with a far higher calibre of teams.”
Tom Bradbury said we just tried to do an exciting menu. To me it is about flavours, presentation and textures - all in the right order.
I tried to be really organised – but still the time flies away! We were running everywhere, trying to reach the deadline and it all gets quite manic. It is credit to everyone that it has gone so smoothly – particularly when we are working in someone else’s kitchens, also the problems of ovens and other equipment that doesn’t make it easy, it a lot harder than working in your kitchen,
Team members were Nick Osborne, Nick Clouse and Brett Mace; their Front of House team members were Mark Williams and Chris Burton, aided by students from the college including Scott Falkiner who also received an award.
Second prize went to Pescadou Restaurant – Padstow, who served Aromatic Shellfish Broth, followed by Fillet of bacon wrapped beef with mahogany sauce on a Potato and Celeriac Rosti. There main course was Poached Turbot with a Langoustine sauce creamed Leeks and a garnish of Langoustine Tails. The dessert was Rhubarb and ginger cake with rippled Rhubarb ice cream and Rhubarb caviar. Pesacaou Restaurant’s team was Paul Drye- Catering Manager for St Austell Brewery, Marcus Van Luttmer, Clyde Connellan and Warren Williams. The front of house team members were Sonia Allen and Bonnie McBurnie.
The third place was scooped by the Cove Restaurant @ Maenporth lead by Artie Williams who served Carn Brea Goats Cheese & Scrumpy Roasted Shallot Cornetto with a Helford Creek Apple Cocktail, followed by a Trio of Line Caught Wild Seabass, John Dory & Tempura of Falmouth Bay Oyster. The main course was Organic Gryliss Farm Beef Fillet, Oxtail Suet Pudding, Celeriac Rosti and Red Wine Sauce. Their dessert was Gateau Opera, Choclolate Collar & Clotted Cream Ice Cream. Arties team members were Dave Trewin, Jennifer Reed and Janine Cremore. The front of house team members were Ciaron Gray & Annette Rickard.
The other three finalists were The Pandora Inn, The Harbour View Café and The St Michaels Hotel.
Judging the Cornish Challenge this year was David Sharland – The Seafood Restaurant Ben Tunnicliffe and Kevin Viner.
The Front of House judges were led by Lorna Dunstan - Cornwall College, Daniel Norman - Restaurant Manager - Gidleigh Park and Andrea Callis – General Manager of the Fowey Hotel.
The guest speakers were David Meneer – Fifteen Cornwall and Ivan Curtis – Headland Hotel and Diane Curnow – Education Business Partnership. Tim Hubbard – Radio Cornwall was Master of Ceremonies.
Cornwall Catering Excellence has been sponsors of the Cornish Challenge for approximately 14 years. The members of Cornwall Catering Excellence are Abbott’s of Cornwall, Doble Quality Foods, St Austell Brewery, Chaffins’ Country Range, Newquay Fruit Sales, AE Rodda & Sons , Cornwall College and Matthew Stevens and Sons.
This year’s competition took place on Monday 28th January @ Cornwall College, Camborne. The six finalists this year were
Pandora Inn
Pescadou Restaurant
The Cove Bar & Restaurant
Watergate Bay Hotel
Harbour View Café
St Michaels Hotel & Spa
The brief for the competition was to create a three course menu for 22 people with a budget of £200; the menu had to consist of a Beef Dish, A fish/seafood dish and a dessert to complement their menu, seasonality and local produce had to be taken into consideration when devising the menu.
A Front of House competition was also run which involved the teams bringing along two front of house staff to help serve their food along with a team of Students from Cornwall College.
Cornwall Catering Excellence is a group of Cornish independent suppliers of food, drink, hospitality and education. Our primary aim is to market ourselves and show that there is no need to send money out of county by using national supplier for goods or services; Cornish suppliers can compete on quality, service, product range and price. What is more we are committed to spending our money in county wherever possible and thereby adding value to the money you spend as far as the Cornish economy is concerned. We are also committed to improving the visitor experience by helping to encourage the use of the best in Cornish food and drink and raising the skills of those cooking and serving it. We pride ourselves as the best in our field and being “Cornish companies working together”.
The companies behind Cornwall Catering Excellence encompass the best of Cornwall’s businesses – family-run, locally based, committed to quality and customer satisfaction, and providing employment. The companies are:
Doble Quality Foods is the longest established supplier of frozen and chilled food, having served Cornwall, Devon and the Isles of Scilly for 60 years. Doble is affiliated to the Fairway Food Services Consortium and were accredited to the coveted BS5750 (now ISO 9001) quality standard in 1992 – the first and only frozen and chilled food supplier in Cornwall to be so recognised. The St Agnes-based, family-run business operates a delivery service with a fleet of refrigerated dual compartment vehicles to Plymouth and Cornwall including the Isles of Scilly: look out for their distinctive “Flying Chef Logo.”
Newquay Fruit Sales aim to satisfy all fresh and prepared produce requirements to the catering trade throughout Cornwall. This Cornish family owned and managed business, located both in Newquay and Padstow providing the highest quality county wide supply and distribution of fresh and prepared fruit and vegetables to the catering trade. Our friendly, professional service allows us to meet, and even exceed the high expectations and requirements of our customers.
Our continued commitment to local growers and producers, along with daily contact with New Covent Garden and Bristol Fruit Markets, as well as national distributors and European importers means we are able to offer continuity of supply to our extensive customer base. This allows our customers to feel confident that no other produce distributor can surpass the freshness and range supplied by Newquay Fruit Sales Limited and Cabbage Patch Padstow. Regular independent supplier and customer audits ensure that we maintain the highest standards in Food Safety. If you wish to visit our sited personally, please phone call Gareth or Rachel so we can arrange a visit at a mutually convenient time.
Rodda’s – cream makers since 1890 – has always strived to set new standards. At first delivering only as far as a horse and cart could travel in a day, exports of the company’s famous cream and crème fraiche reach as far a field as Hong Kong. With a fleet of temperature controlled sales vehicles and instant computerised invoicing; Rodda’s provide a regular and efficient service to all parts of Cornwall. Whether supplying corner shops, national supermarket chains or international airlines, with its distinctive milkmaid symbol, Rodda’s can rightly claim to be the cream of Cornwall.
St Austell Brewery was founded in 1851 and has grown to become one of the largest private companies in Cornwall, with a range of leading brands, including ‘Tribute’. It is still a family-run business today. It makes a notable contribution to the rural community in Cornwall (and across the South West) through its ownership of local pubs, hotels and restaurants and its investment in their future. The brewery’s emphasis on the quality of hospitality and commitment to the purchase of local produce across its ‘houses’ make a positive and valuable impact to tourism in Cornwall.
Abbott’s of Cornwall began trading 17 years ago out of a garage, but now the firm employs 28 staff occupying a unit on Pool Industrial Estate, Redruth. Abbott’s supplies catering equipment and sundry supplies to the catering trade. The firm specialises in fitting kitchens in restaurants, pubs and other establishments across Cornwall and beyond.
In 2006 we opened a new department ‘Abbott’s Event Hire’ hiring a wide range of equipment, with items being chosen with quality and durability in mind giving our Hire customers a fantastic opportunity for a first class presentation. At Abbott’s Event Hire we have the expertise to assist you in the planning, designing and the set up of your event.
Even now, we still offer the same personal service to all our customers, and enjoy an on going business relationship. We have a genuine commitment to offer our customers a first class service.
Cornwall College has joined Cornwall Catering Excellence in a bid to improve links between training and employment in the industry. The college is represented on the group by Head of Catering Donald McKenzie. And with more than 30 years experience in the sector, he is well placed to advise both students and employers on how to get the best out of each other. Mr McKenzie moved to Cornwall approximately 4 years ago and has previously worked at such establishments as The Shakespeare in Stratford upon Avon in Warwickshire and The Bell Hotel in Thetford.
Matthew Stevens – Neil Hodder (01736) 795135
Matthew Stevens & Sons as a third generation family business, our reputation has been built on supplying customers with the best product at the keenest price alongside a sourcing network and consistency of delivery that is second to none. We work closely with all our customers on issues such as portion control, menu development and staff training. This level of commitment has led to us becoming one of the most respected fresh fish & seafood specialists in the southwest.
Much of the fish we buy comes from the fishing harbours of the south west including Mevagissey, Looe, Newlyn, and of course, our home port of St Ives. Amongst these boats are the smaller day boats that work closer to shore harvesting smaller quantities but wonderful quality fresh fish and shellfish. Knowing many of these skippers and crew as we do, they only supply us the best of the catch.
All the fish & seafood are prepared at the company’s purpose built preparation and packing facility overlooking St Ives Bay, across to Godrevy and the glorious sandy beaches that Cornwall is famous for. Filleted, boned, prepared and packed, a wonderful variety of fish and seafood such as Monkfish, Bass, Haddock, Cod, Lemon Sole, John Dory, Brill, Lobsters, Scallops and Crabs are delivered direct to our customers throughout the UK, from specialist food shops and gastro pubs to Michelin starred restaurants and award winning hotels.
Photography supplied by David Griffen. www.davidgriffen.co.uk
To view our picture gallery from the 2008 dinner please click here
For further information about Cornwall Catering Excellence please contact:
Julie Homer
Tel: 01872 552121
Email: julie@doblefoods.co.uk