Female Chef Wins The Roux Scholarship for the First Time in 29 Years
Throughout the long history of The Roux Scholarship, which stretches back to Andrew Fairlie in 1984, there has only been one female winner. That was Mercy Fenton in 1994.
All that changed on Monday as 29 year old April Lily Partridge, Sous Chef at The Ledbury, beat five other finalists in a cook-off at Westminster Kingsway College in London. The year she was born was the last time there had been a female winner.
According to the Roux Scholarship it was the first time April had entered the competition and under the rules it was her last chance to do so before reaching the age limit.
Partridge said after being presented with the award: “I’m gobsmacked, this will change my life!”
She went on to thank her family and friends including winner 2020/21 Oli Williamson who encouraged her to enter and her chef Brett Graham. “Thank you, Brett, for making me feel like I can achieve anything,” she said.
For this year’s final, the six chefs were asked to prepare their own dish using a variety of ingredients, along the theme of Pâté Chaud de Lotte (hot monkfish pie) – a recipe originally created by the Troisgros family. At the start of the competition, the chefs were shown a table displaying dozens of ingredients that would allow them to interpret the brief as they chose. The only ingredients they were obliged to use were the monkfish and whole black truffle.
Partridge said: “It was really tough, a tough brief. Monkfish is tricky, it’s very easy to overcook. Once I got in to the kitchen I began to question my reasoning and interpretation of what was required in the brief. I began to change what I had planned and for the first hour I was still working out what to do. I wasn’t 100% happy but we are all hard taskmasters on ourselves!”
Michel Roux Jr said: “It was an exceptional final. I thought we were in for a good final and so it proved. We had six finalists, six styles and six very different dishes. The new format allowed the chefs to truly show off their skills and character on a plate. Given a wider choice of ingredients they all rose to the challenge and our guest judges said they’ll be taking some of the ideas back home with them to France.”
Alain Roux said: “It was a tremendous challenge, they had to do it all in their own vision as they wouldn’t have come across the dish before, so it was new to them all. Textures were so important in this competition and some of the six put a lot of work into it using a very large number of the ingredients. It was amazing.”
The judging panel was led by joint Honorary Presidents of Judges, Michel Troisgros and his son César, whose restaurant at Troisgros in the Roannais region of south-east France has held three Michelin stars longer than any other restaurant in the world. They led the panel alongside joint chairmen Alain and Michel Jr, who were joined by Brian Turner CBE, Angela Hartnett OBE, Rachel Humphrey, Sat Bains (1999 scholar), André Garrett (2002 Scholar) and Simon Hulstone (2003 scholar).
Michel Troisgros said: “It’s hard for the candidates. It’s hard for them to manage the time and not to know what the ingredients are until the last moment. It is a classic Troisgros dish but it’s a new interpretation of it. It was great to see new perspectives and creations. You have to work quickly too, and in a kitchen you are not used to, so we saw six very different styles and six very different dishes.”
César Troisgros said: “The experience was great. It was great to take a step back and see what they could do and how they handled the subject. Everyone had a different version of the dish and the skills of working varied, and made them think differently.”
April was battling it out against the following chefs:
Ben Champkin from The Newt in Somerset, Christopher Clarke from Core by Clare Smyth in London, Oliver Dovey from Baxterstorey in London, Sam Lomas from Glebe House in Devon, and Alex Rothnie from L’Enclume in Cumbria.
The winner was announced at an exclusive awards dinner at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in front of a small audience comprising the finalists’ guests, sponsors and judges, with the ceremony live-streamed via the Roux Scholarship website and YouTube channel.
The winning chef receives £6,000, with an additional £6,000 awarded if they stay with their current employer for 15 additional months. They have the choice between two star prizes: the invitation to cook and train under the supervision of a leading chef at a prestigious three-star Michelin restaurant anywhere in the world for up to two months; or a bespoke training programme tailored to the chef’s ambitions, skills gaps and interests.
Congratulations to All the New, and Existing, Michelin Star Winners!
It’s that time of year again. The end of one of the biggest weeks in the culinary calendar, when chefs up and down the country hold their collective breath and wait to hear if they’ve won or held a star.
For the vast majority of chefs there has been no change. Their awards are safe for another year as they have gone neither up or down.
For a smaller percentage there is jubilation. At The Ledbury, for example, the entire chefs team led by Brett Graham is celebrating returning to two stars having had a period of closure over the pandemic. Also celebrating is chef Alex Dilling whose restaurant at The Café Royal has jumped from one star to two.
At the very top there are no changes. All existing three-star establishments have kept their awards. Celebrating one new star is a different story. 19 restaurants in England and Scotland picked up a first star including Kenny Atkinson for his Newcastle restaurant Solstice and the popular Timberyard restaurant in Edinburgh.
However, all was not roses with the new results. Talking to The Daily Telegraph chef Sally Abé of The Pem wondered why there were no new stars for female chefs.
“It made me sad,” Abé said. “The winners were overwhelmingly white and male. In previous years it has looked like women were being better represented, and last night two women, Helene Darroze and Clare Smyth, maintained their three-star status. But from the 20 new one-star restaurants, there was not a single female head chef. We need a long hard look at ourselves as an industry to ask why this is what it is.”
We hear you, Sally and we agree. We tirelessly champion brilliant female chefs and would be more than happy to flag some promising contenders for a highly-coveted star.
Let us know if you feel any restaurant or establishment was left out.
Pembrokeshire College Hails Unique Chefs’ Forum Partnership
Following another successful taster day for local schools held on Wednesday 29th March, the Welsh college, based in Haverfordwest explained that it couldn’t have achieved such enthusiasm without The Chefs’ Forum.
“There was cheering and so much positive energy in our purpose-built theatre from the school students who came to visit,” said Head of Curriculum Eva Rees “We can’t get that on our own. At the end of the day this is a partnership with The Chefs’ Forum. We provide the teaching expertise and The Chefs’ Forum helps us to reach local schools and work with top local employers to enrich our students’ learning by putting on events like these “Hospitality Industry Taster Days.” It was brilliant.”
Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs’ Forum, said: “We love coming to Pembrokeshire College. They make what we do so easy. They’re really proactive, they get everything ready, the teaching staff are excited and the whole college really shows itself to be a true centre of culinary excellence.
“We had interactive pasta-making with Orsola Muscia from The Tailor Made Chef and Alejandro Mayo Lopez from Plantagenet restaurant. That went really well. Then we did a pastry masterclass with college pastry students who made choux pastry and lastly an éclair decorating competition.”
Orsola Muscia regularly teaches at our Welsh colleges, she said
“Events like these are crucial to the future of our industry. I get so much joy out of seeing the look on the children’s faces when they create their first fresh tagliatelle and pesto, live on stage in front of their peers. I have been in the industry for twenty-five years and love passing on my knowledge and teaching students about Italian cuisine, just like my grandmother taught me from the age of four – I always knew I wanted to be a chef and love every aspect of the job and creating delicious food with genuine love and passion transcended through my hands.”
All students who helped out with the demos on stage received a copy of our new publication, The Chefs’ Knowledge, all they need to prepare themselves for college.
Alejandro made his demo stage debut at this event and had always been apprehensive about cooking live on stage in front of such a large audience, but he absolutely loved the experience and is now looking forward to the next event with The Chefs’ Forum who regularly run the chefs’ theatre at prolific food events and festivals all over the UK, he said
“The visiting school students were lively and spirited, with some of them shouting out comments and heckling. So, we embraced this, channeling this energy, inviting them onto the stage and getting them involved in the demos as tasters. They absolutely loved it.
“We also had the GM of local top hotel The Grove at Narberth with us, Thomas Ferrante, and he was able to tell his story to the students. I worked with Thomas before at The Grove, so it was great to see him again. He fell into hospitality after nearly becoming a barrister. He’s now the director of luxury hotel and restaurant company, The Seren Collection.
“There’s real career progression opportunities, this is a marvellous industry he told everyone.”
211 students and food tech teachers from 8 local schools attended the two-hour event.
Any chefs wishing to get involved with The Chefs’ Forum Academy at any of our six UK colleges, please email brogen@redcherry.uk.com
Film and photography credit: Carlos Farinha
On Top Down Under
The Chefs’ Forum were over the moon to be invited to a special evening at Australia House recently to meet the Deputy High Commissioner, Elisabeth Bowes. The invitation cements our already growing involvement with Aussie Beef & Lamb and enabled us to see and meet more Australian food producers who were showcased on the menu for the evening.
“It’s so amazing to be invited to such a high-profile event,” said Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs’ Forum. “We were there along with celebrity chefs Luciana Berry, Cesar Scolari (both of Top Chef Brazil fame) Graham and Debbie Green (authentic Aussies) at Green Herring Catering, world pastry judge Franciane Tartari, Marcilio da Silva from Beyond Food and MasterChef: The Professionals finalist Exose Grant. They were all wearing our wonderful new Chefs’ Forum Road Crew T-Shirts, bringing together wonderful chefs, students and suppliers wherever we go!
“We tried toothfish, lamb, Wagyu beef, Vegemite scones, an amazing vegan meatball and a toast samosa,” Catherine enthused. “All washed down with sparkling wine, white wine, red wine and Australian beer. Working with international suppliers who want to enter the UK market is one area where we are seeing significant growth and genuine interest from UK chefs.”
Top Australian suppliers to look out for:
Food
- JBS Global – lamb
- Austral Fisheries – toothfish
- SunRice – sticky rice
- Saltbush kitchen – rubs
- Vegemite – umami spread
- Earth Bound – vegan meatballs
- Western Meat Exporters – goat
- Jack’s Creek – Wagyu beef
Wine & Beer
- Brown Family Wine Group
- Cape Mentelle
- Fourth Wave Wine Partners
- ABC Filling
- Stone & Wood
The Chefs’ Forum Stand Stole the Show at HRC
Stand H3501 was the place to be at the HRC at ExCel this week as a collection of chefs, suppliers, the media and students from learning colleges all descended on The Chefs’ Forum for an impromptu reunion party.
The stand, which was in the middle of all of the finest catering equipment brands attracted constant attention following our successful launch of The Chefs’ Knowledge which made its show debut. The Chefs’ Forum was delighted to be an education partner at HRC (for the second consecutive year) which ran from Monday 20th until Wednesday 22nd March.
“It was great to be at the HRC. It was the busiest I have ever seen it – It was absolutely packed,” said Chefs’ Forum Director Catherine Farinha. “We met our industry peers, many of whom had come to our series of 10th Anniversary Chefs’ lunches with us over the last year, with up to 100 chefs attending each one. We partnered with the HRC, so the organisers could attend our lunches to promote the event. We offered a unique platform for the show to continuously raise a hand to UK chefs reminding them to get it into their diary. We were 
privileged to be able to take students from West London College on a world culinary tour and be part of the media for the event and we had so many top suppliers visiting our stand that it felt like the good times were back to where they were pre-pandemic.
“We handed out copies of the The Chefs’ Knowledge to all the winners at the Salon Culinaire and feedback from the chef community was amazing. We’re immensely proud of where we are as a business now. Our unique reach meant that stand H3501 was a non-stop cheffy party for the whole three days.
Speaking about The Chefs’ Knowledge Chef Exose Grant, a former MasterChef: The Professionals finalist, said: “I was very excited to be asked to contribute to the book and share my story. It’s so important that young chefs understand what the hospitality business is all about and The Chefs’ Knowledge is a great place to start. The detail and the recipes are incredible. It was a great show and I really enjoyed talking to all of my chef peers and seeing Monica Galetti, my brilliant mentor from MasterChef.
Check-out our film which shows just how much we were involved with from filming on the Chef HQ stage and other sponsors and clients to caviar tastings for student chefs on our world tour of ingredients.
Photo & film credit: New Era Production
Wedgwood and Aussie Beef & Lamb Shine at St Patrick’s Day Student Dinner
100 guests at a special St Patrick’s Day dinner at West London College were wowed by the special 600-piece bone china dinner service provided by Wedgwood as part of a gift to the students.
The dinner, supported by The Chefs’ Forum, celebrated St Patrick’s Day but was, in reality, an exercise for the students to see how their food appeared on the best plates and bowls.
“This was a proud moment for The Chefs’ Forum,” said Catherine Farinha, Founder of The Chefs’ Forum. “This is what the Academy is all about. We were able to introduce Wedgwood and top quality produce to the College and in turn Wedgwood and Meat & Livestock Australia were able to see how their special donation was used by the students. I can safely say the students were blown away with the experience.”
Denise Charles, Curriculum Manager at West London College, said: “We do a number of themed evenings every year at West London College and this is the first year we have been able to serve 100 guests and have all of them eat off the same dinner service. This was brilliant for us and brilliant for the guests. The students were amazed how good the food looked. It was a huge success.”
“We were able to maximise our supplier and professional chef database as well,” Catherine Farinha continued. “We had lamb and beef from Aussie Beef & Lamb and celebrity guests such as Luciana Berry, Eve Tudor, the BBQ Lads and many more. It was a great night.”
The dinner in full:
Canapes
- Black pudding and scallop croquettes
- Baked mussels with a treacle soda breadcrumb
- Guinness battered white pudding
- Colcannon cakes
Starters
- Black pepper-crusted mackerel with a celery salad & Jameson’s whiskey drizzle
- Green pea soup with brown soda bread
Intermediate
- Irish stew
Mains
- Hake with Mussels & Magners Cider
- Roast Irish Rib-eye of beef served pink with Guinness gravy
- Boxty Cobbler
Desserts
- Apple cake & custard
- Baileys cheesecake
Film & photography by New Era Production
Gower Students Get a Taste of the Good Life
120 school students from six schools around Gower College in South Wales enjoyed a hospitality taster day on Tuesday 14th March.
The special occasion, organised by The Chefs’ Forum and free to attend, enabled the college to host school students and give them a “taste” of what to expect from a catering course.
“We call it an insight into the world of the hospitality industry,” said Chefs’ Forum Director Catherine Farinha. “We had a brilliant line up of chefs and front of house professionals and the students lapped it up!”
Mark Clement, Learning Area Manager, Hospitality, Tourism, Hairdressing, Beauty & Complimentary Therapies at Gower College, said: “This is what our relationship with The Chefs’ Forum is all about. Opening up the college so schools can see what we do and who we work with is vitally important to our future. We couldn’t do it in the same way on our own. It was brilliant fun.”
The morning kicked off with a canapé and mocktail reception followed by pasta making with Orsola Muscia from The Tailor Made Chef. Orsola invited students from the schools who attended to join her on stage, teaching them the timeless Italian mantra of 100g of flour ratio per whole egg!
Next up was interactive cooking with Leon Lewis from Cook with Lewis and MasterChef: The Professionals 2022 and Clive D’Angelo Smith from Four Seasons Catering.
Students assisted with the demos, then participated in an éclair filling and decorating competition.
All students who helped out on stage and the pair who won the competition all received a fantastic copy of The Chefs’ Knowledge, individually signed by the guest chefs they worked with.
Finally, a talk with local superstar Hywel Griffith from Beach House on what it takes to win a Michelin star. He was joined by his restaurant manager Christie Hayes who is also Restaurant Manager of the Year 2023.
We also heard from Jack, a student at Gower College who did a work placement at Beach House. He was able to tell the young guests all about his work at the restaurant and what to expect in the industry.
“It was a great morning” concluded Catherine Farinha. “A massive thanks to the College. All the students were well behaved and the demos were brilliant.”
Photography & film credit: Carlos Farinha
New Look HRC Set to Thrill at Excel Next Week
We’re excited to be a media partner at HRC on the 20-22 March and we caught up with Montgomery Events Manager Ronda Annesley to find out what’s in store for next week’s event at Excel.
“This is the first real HRC we’ve been able to do since lockdown,” Annesley told Chandos Elletson. “After last year’s event we took stock and decided that we needed to focus on customer insight. We learned that hospitality never returned to the way it was following the pandemic and there was still a good deal of uncertainty from operators. We took that on board and this year we’re going to see much more interactivity and networking opportunities where visitors can mingle and mix much more. To do that we’ve built a robust content programme that we’re really excited about.
“We’ve gone big in the chefs side, too. We’ve partnered with Chef Publishing to create Chef HQ with a stellar line-up on the demo stage with chefs such as Niall Keating, Ben Murphy, Steve Munkley, Paul Ainsworth, Nikita Pathakji, Tom Brown and Glynn Purnell all taking part.
In the Networking Hub it’s all about learning from likeminded peers with great sessions on training, quality of experience, mentoring and staffing. You can also Ask The Experts live with the FEA (Foodservice Equipment Association).
“You can check out the latest tech in The Launchpad and get the low down on table trends in Tabletop Village and if that’s not enough there’s The Lobby designed by Design Command where you can take a breather and catch up with friends new and old. It’s right in the centre of the show.
“Last but never least is the incredible Salon Culinaire which this year has 825 competitors! There’s a skills theatre, the salon display and a “know before you go” session which is chef curated.”
You can find us on stand H3501 – We look forward to seeing you there!
HRC Set to Return Packed with New Features and Industry Insights
Hotel, Restaurant & Catering (HRC) returns to ExCeL London on 20-22 March to bring together the hospitality and foodservice sector for three days of networking, learning and new product discovery.
Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the very latest products across design & décor, foodservice, professional kitchen equipment, hospitality tech and pub & bar and meet the right suppliers to grow their business and elevate their offering.
Daniel Butcher, General Manager at La Nonna Pasta Fresca, comments: “I find these events to be a day of exploration, discovery, motivation and a developmental opportunity for any business owner or manager. I have visited HRC in the past and find it the best in the business. I am very much looking forward to networking across our industry with suppliers and other restaurateurs this year.”
This year’s event welcomes Monica Galetti as 2023 Chef Ambassador, and the acclaimed chef will be taking to the Vision Stage, designed by Harp Design, on Tuesday 21 March to discuss her career to-date and her take on some of the most important trends in hospitality and foodservice.
The show will open with an industry update from Kate Nicholls OBE, CEO of UKHospitality, discussing the association’s latest talks with government and what 2023 might hold for the hospitality sector, followed by a global view of the industry from IGD, the Institute of Grocery Distribution.
Hospitality professionals will also have the opportunity to catch sessions from Hospitality Jobs UK, as the organisation reveals the results if the UK’s largest hospitality salary survey, Cornwall Insight, the energy market intelligence consultancy, will be providing advice on how the hospitality industry can tackle soaring energy costs, and the Sustainable Restaurant Association will be discussing how to set the standards for the food of the future with CH&CO, The Pig Hotels and Hawksmoor.
In the Networking Hub, in partnership with VisitEngland and AA Media, hospitality business owners and operators can network with likeminded professionals and learn from industry leaders in sessions from the Sustainable Restaurant Association, the Foodservice Equipment Association, the Institute of Hospitality, the British Institute of Innkeeping and many more.
New for 2023
A new addition to HRC for 2023 is Chef HQ, curated by Chef Publishing, a networking area, demo kitchen and stage where leading chefs from the UK and Europe will be discussing the trends and products that they’re passionate about, while whipping up some delicious dishes for the audience.
Among the sessions taking place in Chef HQ are a demo from National Chef of the Year Ben Murphy, a presentation from Nathan Davies of SY23, fresh from wowing the judges on Great British Menu and securing his first Michelin star, and an interview with the chefs of The Future Plate, a collection of leading black chefs of African and Carribean heritage sharing their culture through tasting menus.
Chef HQ will also feature A. Wong Chef Patron Andrew Wong discussing the art of dim sum, a behind the scenes look at the Bocuse d’Or with team UK coach Tom Philips and Chair of the competition Andreas Antona, and a ‘getting to know you’ chat with Kim Rathoroen, who will discuss her journey from a stage at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay to taking up the role of Head Chef at the chain’s London Chelsea premises.
For visitors looking to revitalise their drinks selection, new show section Drinks @ HRC & IFE combines the drinks offerings of HRC and sister event IFE, International Food & Drink Event, to create a single, centralised location to source a wide range of innovative drinks products.
For those looking for discover the very latest hospitality tech products and services, The Launchpad, located within the show’s Hospitality Tech section, is a showcase for tech providers to the sector which have been trading for less than 12 months.
To find out more about everything happening at HRC 2023, and to register for your complimentary trade ticket, visit hrc.co.uk
Wedgwood Steps in with Magnificent gift to West London College
Wedgwood, the celebrated ceramic supplier, has supported West London College with a huge gift of 600 pieces for use in the college restaurant.
The set, made up of the Gio range, will enable the restaurant to plate food in the restaurant to a standard only seen in the finest restaurants.
“This is a magnificent gift,” enthused Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs’ Forum. “It means that students will be able to see their food as it would appear in a top restaurant or hotel. This is so valuable for them to gain this sort of experience.”
Denise Charles, Head of Hospitality at West London College, said: “We’re thrilled and hugely grateful to Wedgwood. There’s no way our budget would ever stretch to this and to be able to serve food on these beautiful plates and dishes will mean the world to our students and impress our guests.”
The set includes 100 of each and makes a complete dinner service: Dinner plates, salad plates, side plates, soup bowls, dessert bowls and dessert plates.
Explore the Gio and other Wedgwood collections HERE
