David Webb, Chef de Partie at the Woodside Conference Centre in Kenilworth, has clinched this year’s Conference Centres of Excellence/IACC Chefs’ Challenge –emulating the achievement of his mentor, who won the inaugural contest.
David not only achieved the Gold Medal for Best Overall Performance, but also won the individual award for ‘Best Main Course’. He follows in the footsteps of his Head Chef at Woodside, Lee Gaskins, who won the competition in 1998 and has guided him through this year’s event.
The Chefs’ Challenge invites entries from the 41 members of the CCE consortium of dedicated conference venues, and from members of the IACC, the International Association of Conference Centres. Now in its eighth year, it is a showcase for many of the conference industry’s top talents – last year's winner, Darren Griffiths of Ashridge, went on to win the UK division of the IACC’s Copper Skillet Challenge, and as a result went forward to the global final in Colorado Springs.
Finalists were selected on the basis of menus submitted on paper, and then competed in an ‘against the clock’ cook-off at South Warwickshire College. “Despite the demands of this prestigious competition, this year’s finalists once again produced exceptional results,” commented Graham Crump, Chairman of the British Culinary Federation, who headed the judging panel.
The Silver Medal winner was Andrew Grant, Head Chef at imago at Burleigh Court in Loughborough, who also won the ‘Best Starter’ award. Bronze medal winner James Thompson, Chef de Partie at The Robinson Executive Centre in Wyboston, also won the ‘Best Dessert’ award.
In the remaining individual awards, Ken Power, Evening Head Chef at Kent’s Hill Park near Milton Keynes, won ‘Best Hygiene’; Aron Titcombe, Executive Head Chef at HTS Lane End in High Wycombe won ‘Best Wine Selection’; and Claire Morton, Sous Chef at Wyboston Lakes, won ‘Best Menu’.
The 2006 awards took place at Warwick Conferences’ Scarman conference venue. “The performance of every one of the finalists illustrates the importance member venues attach to the highest standards of cuisine,” said CCE Chair Chris Clarke, who presented the awards.
Note to editors
Pictures of David Webb with his award are available from MGK Communications.
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Michael Kennedy at MGK Communications 0121 605 4048 or michaelkennedy@talk21.com
Gill Smillie at Conference Centres of Excellence 0845 230 1414 or info@cceonline.co.uk