Lexington duo Ben Tamlyn and Hannah Westphalen win ACE Ready Steady Cook challenge

01 October 2013 by
Lexington duo Ben Tamlyn and Hannah Westphalen win ACE Ready Steady Cook challenge

Lexington Catering chefs Ben Tamlyn and Hannah Westphalen took gold at the Association of Catering Excellence (ACE) Ready Steady Cook challenge last week.

It is the second year in a row that a team from Lexington claimed victory in ACE's annual competition, which last year saw Matt Jaynes and Laura Hodgskin take the prize.

Tamlyn and Westphalen saw off competition from 13 other teams from UK contract caterers with their winning menu of seared mackerel, Asian soused cauliflower, sweet potato and cauliflower stem slaw followed by Bramley apple ile flottante for dessert.

All competing teams were given a mystery bag of ingredients, 30 minutes to plan their menu and then just 30 minutes to cook two courses with just one induction hob to cook on.

Judge Jason Atherton picked out the Lexington chefs for their clean and efficient workspace, their balance of flavours, and the fact that the food tasted of what it's supposed to taste of. He pointed out that clever cooks understand restraint, and that less is more.

The other judges included Philip Corrick, executive chef at the RAC Club and Sara Jayne Stanes from the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, who commented: "The room was full of stars with ‘bags' of very serious talent.

Second place went to Artizian and while Sodexo Prestige took third place. As well as their trophies, certificates and champagne, each winning chef along with their guest will enjoy a lunch at Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck restaurant in Bray, as well as a tour of the kitchen.

Lexington pair Matt Jaynes and Laura Hodgskin win ACE Ready Steady Cook challenge >>

Matt Jaynes named as Lexington Catering's LexChef 2008 >>

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