Roux Scholarship regional final held at UCB

University College Birmingham hosted one of the regional finals of the prestigious Roux Scholarship 2015. 

Six of the 18 finalists worked in the university’s industry-standard kitchens to attempt this year’s challenge, with the remainder of the participants competing in a simultaneous heat at the University of West London, Ealing. 

This year’s challenge was to create a dish to serve four people using guinea fowl and chicken, complete with garnishes and sauce. The chefs were given 2 ½ hours to create their dish as well as a dessert from a mystery box of ingredients given to them on the day. 

Judging the Birmingham finalists this year were Alain Roux, TV chef Angela Hartnett and Steve Love (Roux Scholar 1997). In order to select a winner, they were on the lookout for recipes and methods that demonstrated the best balance of creativity, taste, style and practicality in the finished dishes. 

The winner of the Birmingham regional heat was Richard Pascoe from The Feversham Arms Hotel, Helmsley, who will join five winners from London to compete in the next round. 

The winning contestants will go to the national final, held at Westminster Kingsway College, London later this month. The 2015 Roux Scholar will be announced at an awards ceremony held at The Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park, London the same evening.