Pierre Koffmann scoops Special Award on Craft Guild's magical midsummer's awards night
Themed as 'pure skill, pure talent and pure magic', these were all on parade at the 2010 Craft Guild of Chefs Awards ceremony held at the Lancaster London Hotel on June 24.
Notably the legendary Pierre Koffmann, one of Britain's greatest chefs, was proclaimed winner of the Craft Guild's Special Award, which he received from the Craft Guild's national chairman Andrew Green.
This award recognises a great ambassador for culinary arts, which he has most certainly proved. Past winners include Heston Blumenthal, the Roux Brothers and Marco Pierre White.
Craft Guild vice president David Mulcahy said this year the celebration was about a chef whose passion was traditional country cuisine and a commitment to excellence. Koffmann, whose career in the UK began 40 years ago, worked alongside the Roux brothers before opening his London restaurant La Tante Claire to cook the food he liked to eat – which was groundbreaking at that time, says Mulcahy.
La Tante Claire had a long and successful run and along the way he collected three Michelin stars and rosettes galore, plus he has developed some of our best chefs. These include Tom Aikens, Marco Pierre White, Jason Atherton and David Everitt-Matthias to name just a few.
It has been said he lets his food do the talking, says Mulcahy, adding that news of Koffmann's Restaurant opening in The Berkeley in Knightsbridge has seen national headlines of "The Return of the King".
This year was also particularly outstanding for chefs in the cost sector where 16 caterers from this sector were acclaimed, with six winning the coveted top award. Meanwhile the transformation from Grade ll listed Victorian church hall to glamorous city restaurant gave Galvin La Chapelle, owned by brothers Chris and Jeff Galvin, the New Restaurant of the Year Award.
Jeff Galvin, who heads the kitchen, had given the restaurant an imaginative menu that added a modern twist to classic French cooking, which was highly commended.
For 17 years, the Craft Guild Awards has brought together leaders in the foodservice and hospitality arena to honour the industry's best chefs and caterers, and more than 600 people attended this year's awards dinner at the Lancaster, entertained by a night of 'magic and illusion'. Among them was the Guild's president, Air Vice Marshall David Walker, Master of the Royal Household, who gave the loyal toast.
The winners
Apprentice Chef Award sponsored by Compass Group
Conor Stein The Royal Garden Hotel
Banqueting Chef Award sponsored by Nestlé Professional
Steve Golding Sodexo Prestige
Competition Chef Award sponsored by Electrolux Professional
Richard Bowden Compass Group
Contract Catering Chef Award sponsored by AAK Foodservice
Derek Reilly Sodexo
Cost Sector Chef Award sponsored by the British Frozen Food Federation
Robert Kennedy Royal Military Academy (Compass)
Development Chef Award sponsored by Aviko
Phil Rimmer Apetito
Education Chef Award sponsored by Town & Country Fine Foods
Norman Robertson Ayr College
Ethnic Chef Award sponsored by Kavis
Jitin Joshi Vatika Restaurant
New Restaurant of the Year sponsored by Manitowoc
Galvin La Chapelle
Pastry Chef Award sponsored by Callebault
Sarah Hartnett The Park Lane Hotel
Pub Restaurant Chef Award sponsored by Premier Foodservice
Alistair Barlow The Fleece
Restaurant Chef Award sponsored by Falcon-Williams Refrigeration
Sat Bains Restaurant Sat Bains
Young Chef Award sponsored by Heinz Foodservice
Adam Smith The Ritz
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