Ayr Finalists Announced Following Scottish Food Scholarship Cook-off

This morning, the first of three cook-offs for the Scottish Food Scholarship took place at Ayr College. Eight contestants from the West of Scotland cooked to their best abilities to gain their place in the final which will take place at Cook School by Martin Wishart in Leith, Edinburgh on Monday 3rd of March 2008. The three contestants chosen from the Ayr heat to go through to the final are Lesley McQuiston of Lochgreen House Hotel in Troon, and Jamie Wakeford of De Vere Cameron House, Loch Lomond.

The competitors were judged by Scotland’s Michelin-starrred chefs Keith Braidwood from Braidwoods in Dalry, Ayrshire and Jeff Bland from Number One at the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh. The competitors were given a box of Scottish ingredients and allocated a set time to create, cook and present a main course. The judges looked for competence, technical skills, an ability to work with seasonal ingredients and individual flair.

The main sponsor of the Scottish Food Scholarship 2008 is Edinburgh Inspiring Cuisine, a body established by the City of Edinburgh Council and Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian to promote Edinburgh’s restaurants and local food and drink producers in a bid to attract new visitors to the city. The winner of the Scholarship will be required to create a recipe inspired by the capital, ‘Edinburgh’s Signature Dish’, which will be included on different menus around the city over the course of the year, including Restaurant Martin Wishart’s lunch menu.

The other competitors that took part in the Ayr cook off included;

Scott Davies from Isle Eriska Hotel, Benderloch

Neil Rawlings from Hilton Glasgow

Inaugurated in 2006, the Scottish Food Scholarship is a national competition open to talented young chefs aged 18-25 years. The scholarship not only aims to nurture talent but opens doors for the winning chef. The winner carries out a series of internships, working with some of the best in the food and catering world, including an internship with Martin Wishart at his eponymous Restaurant Martin Wishart and Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles; the opportunity to cook on the famous Flying Scotsman and at Slow Food’s annual event Terra Madre in Turin; and a trip to the Boch family chateau in Luxembourg with Villeroy & Boch.

The competition is organised by Martin Wishart, Braehead Foods Ltd and Crimson Edge PR. Scotland’s Michelin-starred chef Wishart commented:

‘With the current shortage of professionally-trained staff in the industry this is an important time to encourage young chefs and to help them to build and develop their skills. The Scottish Food Scholarship has been established to reward the effort and dedication of those at the beginning of their careers.’