A panel of industry judges – including Michelin starred chef Adam Gray from London restaurant Skylon, chef Daniel Ayton of 51 Buckingham Gate and Saint James Court Hotel, and Malcolm Emery, Executive Chef for Sodexo Prestige – has announced the winners of the 2013 Coeliac UK ’s Gluten-free Chef of the Year competition.
Now in its fourth year, the competition is run by Coeliac UK , the national charity for people with coeliac disease, in association with the Institute of Hospitality and the Craft Guild of Chefs with the cook off event being held at the Unilever Food Solutions Culinary Business Development Centre in Leatherhead.
Raising awareness of gluten-free menu options
The event aims to raise awareness and highlight the need for increased provision of gluten-free menu options for the 1 in 100 people in the UK who have coeliac disease, an autoimmune disease caused by intolerance to gluten, for which the only treatment is a strict gluten-free diet for life.
The competition required a three course bistro style gluten-free meal to be designed and recreated during the live final. Entrants’ skills were showcased in their ability to cook gluten-free substitutes such as bread, pasta or batter from scratch in the live final.
Gluten-free Chef of the Year
This category is for professional chefs and, after 90 minutes of high pressured cooking from the finalists and after much debate and deliberation by the judges, the winner was announced as Thomas Fallows, who is the Assistant Chef at Hindelini’s Gourmet Café in Ribblesdale Park and who has just started studying Professional Cookery Level 2 VRQ at Accrington and Rossendale College in September 2013.
Runner up was Carol Salisbury, Chef Manager at 1 Call Direct from Renfrew, Renfrewshire, and the third finalist was Christopher Bridge, Head Chef at Ravenstone Manor and Charlotte’s View restaurant from Keswick, Cumbria.
Up and Coming Gluten-free Chef of the Year
Catering students aged 23 and under are eligible for the Up and Coming category, and Jonathan Farmer from Norwich , Norfolk who is studying VRQ Level 2 Professional Cookery at City College Norwich was announced as the winner. Runner up was Kathryn Holmes from East Hunsbury, Northampton.
Thomas Fallows wins a week long stage working under two Michelin starred chef Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles. Jonathan Farmer wins a week long stage at Michelin-starred The Pass at South Lodge working under chef Matt Gillan. Both winners also win a set of knives courtesy of 3663 and all six finalists were presented with a year’s membership to the Craft Guild of Chefs and gift vouchers from Sodexo.
£100 million market for gluten-free catering
Sarah Sleet, Chief Executive of Coeliac UK, said: “This competition and the industry support we gain through it highlights the need for improved gluten-free catering which is of benefit to both the customer with coeliac disease and the business that is securing their custom by catering for their diet.”
“1 in 100 people in the UK have coeliac disease and this represents a potential £100 million market amongst those diagnosed with the condition and the friends and family they eat out with. Some relatively simple changes can make all the difference and we have seen a number of leading high street catering establishments who have been working with us recently enter this market and make a success at it. In addition there are numerous people in schools, hospitals, prisons and care homes who have no choice of where they can eat so it is essential that those in such establishments also have access to gluten-free food.”