Six chefs took part in the British Potato Council’s (BPC) Great Potato Challenge Cook-Off Final in Milton Keynes.
The challenge was to prepare and serve a potato-based, vegetarian main course dish to a panel of judges. Graham Aimson, Head Chef at The Bird in Hand Inn, Hailey, Oxfordshire, won with his Estima potatoes recipe, Pommes Fondant Coddler. The pommes fondant consisted of a butternut squash, garlic and thyme mousse served with sweet beetroot and white wine butter saffron sauce. He wins a BPC trophy and travel vouchers to the value of £1,000. The potatoes were sourced from a local farmer and a wholesaler.
In the student category, the winner, from six finalists, was Robert Compton, a 27-year-old mature student from Ayr College, Scotland. Using Maris Piper potatoes, sourced again from a local farmer and a wholesaler, his `starter/light-bite’ menu consisted of potato, smoked salmon and apple salad with peashoot and citrus dressing. “I like Maris Piper potatoes for cooking because they are pleasantly flavoured and very versatile,” he said. Compton wins travel vouchers worth £1,000 plus a retained BPC trophy.
BPC statistics show that 50 per cent of GB potato tonnage is used by the foodservice sector. “Our research shows that consumers wish to order far more potato-based dishes when eating out in pubs and restaurants so the Great Potato Challenge is focused in exactly the right direction’ said David Walker, BPC chairman.
