UCB student wins second at prestigious Young Chef of the Year Peru competition!

Culinary Arts Management student Ryan Sharpe has beaten students and industry professionals from all over the UK to come second in the Young Chef of the Year Peru competition, which was held this month at Westminster College in London.

 According to founder Jaime Cardenas, the competition was established to better acquaint young chefs with Peruvian cuisine and make the most of the ample supply and quality of Peruvian ingredients in the UK.

The final was judged by prominent chefs, writers and entrepreneurs including Martin Morales, award winning Peruvian chef, and Robert Ortiz, head chef at the Michelin-starred Lima restaurant in London. 

Ryan was put through his paces to produce three courses from entirely Peruvian ingredients in just three hours. Here’s what he came up with: 

Starter: Sea bass, red onion and avocado ceviche, sweet potato tuille and avocado foam

Main: Escabeche of duck & root vegetables, mosaic of quinoa, pomegranate and asparagus

Dessert: Textures of Peruvian chocolate:  jelly, sponge and sorbet, mango & banana compote

Regardless of how good that all sounds, Ryan expressed his shock at doing so well considering the sheer quality of the dishes presented at the final. 

“It felt great – I was surprised to come second considering the great food produced by all my fellow competitors,” he said, “I was thankful that the judges enjoyed and appreciated what I had made, because it meant all my hard work had paid off.”

Here’s what Bernard Schumacher, Chef Lecturer at UCB and Ryan’s mentor for the competition, had to say about his success: 

“Ryan’s overall performance was fantastic. His creative Peruvian inspired menu showcased a high level of culinary flair, technical skills and attention to detail. This experience will definitely boost his professional career development. Active learning about different cuisines and cultures is a fundamental focus of our Culinary Arts Management programme.”

Ryan is joining a 12 month placement at the two Michelin-starred restaurant The Gleneagles in Scotland this year, but has definite plans to enter more competitions on his return to UCB.  We wish him the best of luck!