Jersey-based chef Jacob Gosselin has made it to the final of a much-anticipated competition to find the Young National Chef of the Year 2024.
After winning the Channel Islands Young Chef of the Year earlier in the year, Jacob (pictured), who is a junior sous chef at Longueville Manor Hotel, will be taking part in the final of the prestigious Craft Guild of Chefs ‘Young National Chef of the Year’ competition.
The contest started in 2012, with the aim of finding and highlighting the most talented young chefs across the UK. Winning the overall competition firmly establishes a chef as a rising star of the culinary world both in the UK and beyond.
During the intense semi-finals, competitors were required to create a pescatarian three-course meal which could be cooked and served within 2 hours. The starter needed to be a filled vegetarian agnolotti pasta dish containing an ingredient that was foraged or sourced locally. The main course used fresh Norwegian halibut served with a Douceur de France butter-based sauce. To finish, candidates created their own interpretation of a filled choux dessert, which had to incorporate fresh fruit with a complementary seasonal Boiron puree of their choice.
Jacob, who has a special passion for forging and using local ingredients, impressed with his skills and overall menu. Having begun his training at Longueville Manor when he was just 16 years old, he is well-practised across the culinary arts, passing his Highland college course with distinction. Jacob was named Young Chef of the Year in 2017, 2018, and 2023 and has also taken part in the finals of Craft Guild of Chefs Young National Chef of the Year on two separate occasions, in 2018 and 2020.
Jacob said “It’s extremely exciting to once again be taking part in the finals. We’ve all been selected for being the best in our age range, so the competition is fierce. I’m proud that I’ve had the training at Longueville Manor; Andrew Baird, as Executive Head Chef, has passed on many invaluable skills, and Malcolm and Patricia (owners of Longueville Manor) are incredibly supportive. I love being creative with food and building upon classic skills to make standout dishes.”
To help with his kitchen creativity, Jacob enjoys using Jersey’s vast array of local ingredients, especially from the ocean and from foraging. Jacob also loves working with chocolate, and is known for making exquisite petit fours, where he demonstrates intricate elements and patience.
Local businesses Cimandis Foodservice and Dunn-Ross Fisheries are also supporting Jacob’s journey to the final. The next stage for the finalists is the mentor day at the Waitrose Innovation Studio, Bracknell, where the chefs will be able to meet all the sponsors to sample and gain a better understanding of their products, hear from the chair of judges’, and pick up valuable hints and tips to help them with their preparations for the final.
The grand final will take place at University of West London on 8th October when the finalists will cook their three-course menu for a team of highly regarded judges, who will select this year’s winner who will be announced at a VIP event that evening at the Hippodrome Casino.
