Team UK place seventh of 24 teams at Bocuse d’Or world final

Team UK has placed seventh after competing against 23 other teams from around the world at the Bocuse d'Or world final in Lyon.

The UK’s candidate was Ian Musgrave, senior sous chef at the Ritz, who competed alongside commis Adam Beaumont, a demi-chef de partie at the Ritz.

The pair had secured their place in the final after placing eighth in the European heat of the competition in March 2022 and were supported by coach Tom Phillips, head chef at Restaurant Story, and Bocuse d'Or UK president Simon Rogan of L'Enclume.

The team had five-and-a-half hours to complete two challenges. The first saw them present a menu on the theme of ‘Feed the Kids’ centring around squash, while the second saw them create a platter of monkfish with two vegetable garnishes and a ‘ragout’ garnish presented in individual bowls.

For the Feed the Kids challenge Team UK served a starter of baked butternut squash with British chickpea emulsion and a Cox apple dressing. Their main course, called Queen Elizabeth’s Crown, was a Cotswold Legbar egg yolk, Delica pumpkin crush and Montgomery cheddar sauce with crunchy sourdough croutons. Dessert was a Cambridge cream with potimarron and date sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg shortbread and a popcorn ice cream.

Commenting on the menu Musgrave said: “Inspired by memories of my own childhood, I hoped to align nostalgic flavours with more progressive ideals such as plant based diets and sugar alternatives. Using bold colours, clear yet subtle flavours and tempting presentation, we hope to connect with children and ultimately impart them with the confidence to eat well.”

The team’s monkfish platter was inspired by London taking its shape from the Elizabeth Tower and Big Ben clock face. It saw a whole Scottish monkfish roasted on the bone with king scallop farce and salsify wrapped in oak smoked monkfish bacon and glazed with vegetable bordelaise.

It was served with a cream shellfish sauce finished with razor clams, cockles, brown shrimp and lobster oil.

The accompaniments were caramelised artichoke with heritage pumpkin, toasted nuts, seeds and baked apple cider vinegar; as well as King Edward potato, layered with aromatic Fen Farm butter, garden lovage and cultured cream, with pickled kohlrabi and foraged coastal herbs.

Served on the side was a ragout garnish of split peas, braised with tender, young leeks, rope grown Blue Mussels, crisp mussel shell crouton and savoury lemon curd.

Speaking to The Caterer after competing on Sunday Musgrave said: “We were pretty happy with what we cooked. There were a couple of small hiccups, but that’s probably to be expected. It pretty much went to plan. We were fairly confident once we had finished, though there were some other good-looking teams. There is some really tough competition.”

The competition, which was held on Sunday and Monday, was won by Denmark, with Norway taking the silver prize and Hungary the bronze award.

The UK has yet to reach the podium of the Bocuse d'Or; the closest it came was in 2013 when Adam Bennett and Kristian Curtis reached fourth place.

French chef Paul Bocuse, who died in 2018, launched the global cooking competition in 1987.

Photography: Jodi Hinds Photography