Last night we were at Imperial College in London for the Ready Steady Cook event organised by ACE (The Association of Catering Excellence). Always a fun night, it was buzzing with excited chefs and their supporters as 14 teams from the contract catering industry battled it out to create a prize winning meal from set ingredients. What would you do with partridge, mackerel, cauliflower, pomegranates and an assortment of storecupboard ingredients and some fresh fruit and veg?
Winning team Lexington came up trumps with their Seared Mackerel, Asian Soused Cauliflower, Sweet Potato and Cauliflower Stem Slaw, followed by Bramley Apple Ile Flottante for dessert.
Hats off to Hannah and Ben from Lexington – it was simple and beautifully executed which was what impressed the judges, Michelin starred chef Jason Atherton, Sara Jayne Stanes OBE and Philip Corrick, Exec Chef at the RAC Club.
ACE is a great networking group that holds several events each year with something for everyone – from team quizzes to smart dinners, the aim is to provide an opportunity for those in the catering industry to challenge each other, compete against each other, and most of all chat to each other. If you’d like to join, have a look at the website www.acegb.org