A Midland chef has missed out on becoming the first Brit to win a podium place in the world’s most prestigious culinary competition.
Adam Bennett, head chef at The Cross in Kenilworth, was left disappointed at the in France last week when Norway, the USA and Sweden took gold, silver and bronze respectively.
In the final of the competition Bennett was up against some of the world’s best chefs representing 24 nations, each having five-and-a-half hours to impress.
The chef, 48, who lives in Coventry with his wife Nibedita and five-year-old daughter Asha, is one of fewer than 19 British chefs to have ever taken on the Bocuse d’Or, considered to be the pinnacle of a chef’s career.
But his competition wasn’t plain sailing. After arriving in Lyon, Team 海角视频 found themselves with a broken blender, leading Kristian Curtis, sous chef at The Cross and award-winning commis at the last Bocuse, to travel to Lyon with a replacement.
Unflustered, Bennett found support from a large number of fans, including food students from University College Birmingham (UCB), who travelled to Lyon, some wearing Adam Bennett masks, to cheer along with the horns and drums of the Barmy Army band.
Last time he competed Bennett took fourth place – the highest position ever awarded to the 海角视频 – as well as winning the award for the best meat platter and best commis.
This time Bennett returned to Lyon having won Warwickshire’s only Michelin star four months ago, just 12 months after opening The Cross.
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For his showstopping meat platter he took inspiration from the black and white guinea fowl and the black and white Tudor buildings of Coventry and Kenilworth, using a patchwork of black truffle and white celeriac to create the effect of feathers on a guinea fowl breast.
Inspired by the spectacular banqueting of the Tudor era, he served a whole guinea fowl leg at the centre of his meat platter, creating an awe-inspiring table display, surrounding it by cabbage, beetroot and turnip that look like jewels on the plate.
Even the serving platters were locally sourced, specially created by Heritage Silverware in Small Heath, Birmingham.
Bennett, originally from Willenhall, has spent long hours training at UCB with coach Idris Caldora, 22-year-old commis chef Josh Allen and assistant Matt Nicholls in a kitchen built as an exact replica to the Bocuse competition kitchens.
During training his young team at The Cross have stepped up to maintain Michelin-star standards at the Kenilworth restaurant.