George Harding, recently appointed Senior Chef de Partie at The Atlantic Hotelhas been invited to cook in the semi-final of the Young National Chef of the Year competition in London, on Tuesday 18 June 2019.
The Young National Chef of the Year competition represents the most talented pool of young chefs in the UK, with 22 entrants due to take part in the semi-finals. George has been selected having enjoyed success in a series of qualifying competitions.
With a focus on core skills, chefs may incorporate current trends and techniques into dishes to embellish and enhance them however the panel of industry judges will be looking for a good understanding of basic craft skills, the foundation of cookery, simplicity, flavour and excellence in the execution of finished dishes.
For this year’s semi-final, the chefs will be asked to produce a seasonal main course using whole corn fed, free range chicken, a minimum of two appropriate garnishes, out of which one must be a green vegetable, and an appropriate starch preparation. The dish is to be accompanied by a suitable sauce. The judges will pay close attention to butchery skills, wastage, perfect garnishes, correct balance and flavour.
They will also be asked to create a ‘classic lemon tart with a twist’ focusing on perfect pastry, an excellent filling, clean flavours and showing their own personal interpretation of the brief.
Patrick Burke, owner and managing director of The Atlantic Hotel, said: “We are absolutely delighted that George has won through to the semi-finals of Young National Chef of the Year. This is a very prestigious competition which is well known for identifying the up and coming young chefs in the industry who are likely to go on to great things in the future. George has our full support and we wish him all the best for his semi-final appearance in June.”
