Nathan nails chance to represent UK in prestigious Bocuse d'Or

UCB’s College of Food is brimming with pride with news that one of its freshly-graduated young chefs is to represent the UK in the most prestigious culinary competition in the world.

Nathan Lane, who earned a Level 3 Diploma in Advanced Professional Cookery at UCB this year and now works at The Ritz London, will be Tom Phillips’ commis chef at the Bocuse d’Or European heats in Turin, Italy, next year, with hopes of making the ultimate final in Lyon in 2019.

Nathan won the opportunity after assisting Tom, sous chef at London’s Restaurant Story, at the UK’s Bocuse d’Or candidate selection cook-off at The Skills Show at Birmingham’s NEC.

One of five teams competing in the three hour 45 minute cook-off, the pair was tasked with preparing a fish dish using Fjord trout and lobster and a meat platter using a short saddle of lamb, with each course presented requiring a minimum of three garnishes.

Tom, aged 25, and Nathan, 19, who previously worked at Michelin-starred Simpsons in Edgbaston, wowed judges with a stunning native lobster with Fjord trout mousse, celery branch, winter radishes, pistachio purée, burnt chive oil, lobster verbena cream and Oscietra caviar.

Their meat platter was saddle of lamb glazed in a spinach crêpe, turnip tart – with caramelised onions, crispy Brussels sprouts and pickled onions, glazed lambs tongue, ransom capers and an aerated Tunworth sauce, braised celeriac, truffle, celeriac skin, crispy trompette mushrooms and mustard frills.

It’s been quite a year for Nathan, who described the opportunity to support Tom at the Bocuse d’Or as a “dream come true”.

Winning the British Culinary Federation’s Student Cook & Serve Team Challenge in April, he also made the National English Junior Team representing England at the Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg in November 2018.

The Bocuse d’Or European heat takes place on 11-12 June 2018. Only the top 10 scoring countries will go through to the world final in January 2019.

Runners-up of the Bocuse d’Or UK cook-off included UCB’s own senior lecturer Tony Wright MCA, who was the UK’s Bocuse d’Or candidate in 2016. The title is currently held by the USA.

Find out more about courses at UCB’s College of Food.