Maria Czerwinska, chef at the Radisson Blu in Golden Lane, Dublin has been crowned Radisson Blu Chef of the Year after a hard-fought competition among ten of the hotel group’s most talented chefs.
The theme of this year’s competition was ‘Brain Food’, and challenged each of the ten competitors to create a dish for the Radisson Blu bar menu that suitably impressed the judging panel made up of Ger Costelloe, executive chef at Radisson Blu Limerick, Mark McCarthy, business development chef at Unilever Food Solutions and Martin Darling, director at Bunzl McLaughlin. The dish had to demonstrate excellent value and each chef was tasked with costing up ingredients and recommending a selling price.
After much deliberation, and following an opportunity to taste the delicious food prepared by the chefs during the competition, the judging panel determined that Maria was the worthy winner. Her winning dish – a mouth-watering slow-cooked Golden Vale beef rib with spicy rooster wedges and Crozier blue cheese dip – is now set for national fame, appearing on the bar menu in all of the hotel group’s Irish hotels.
Mark McCarthy, Business Development Chef, said: “For Irish chefs today, value for money is key and the theme of this year’s competition effectively captured this core focus. We need to add value to our food offering, yet still be cost effective. As chefs, we must also make sure that our dishes taste great and are of exceptional quality. I was really impressed by the standard of chefs that made it through to this year’s cook off – all were very deserving finalists.”
Second placed was Darren Rubotham of Radisson Blu in Cavan with his ‘Sinfully Sin Free’ chocolate fondant dish. Third place went to last year’s winner, Graham Murphy of Radisson Blu at Little Island in Cork. Graham’s dish consisted of pan-fried sea bass, smoked mackerel pate, radish apple and hazelnut salad, beetroot crisps and orange foam.
Maria Czerwinska, chef at the Radisson Blu in Golden Lane, Dublin has been crowned Radisson Blu Chef of the Year after a hard-fought competition among ten of the hotel group’s most talented chefs.
The theme of this year’s competition was ‘Brain Food’, and challenged each of the ten competitors to create a dish for the Radisson Blu bar menu that suitably impressed the judging panel made up of Ger Costelloe, executive chef at Radisson Blu Limerick, Mark McCarthy, business development chef at Unilever Food Solutions and Martin Darling, director at Bunzl McLaughlin. The dish had to demonstrate excellent value and each chef was tasked with costing up ingredients and recommending a selling price.
After much deliberation, and following an opportunity to taste the delicious food prepared by the chefs during the competition, the judging panel determined that Maria was the worthy winner. Her winning dish – a mouth-watering slow-cooked Golden Vale beef rib with spicy rooster wedges and Crozier blue cheese dip – is now set for national fame, appearing on the bar menu in all of the hotel group’s Irish hotels.
Mark McCarthy, Business Development Chef, said: “For Irish chefs today, value for money is key and the theme of this year’s competition effectively captured this core focus. We need to add value to our food offering, yet still be cost effective. As chefs, we must also make sure that our dishes taste great and are of exceptional quality. I was really impressed by the standard of chefs that made it through to this year’s cook off – all were very deserving finalists.”
Second placed was Darren Rubotham of Radisson Blu in Cavan with his ‘Sinfully Sin Free’ chocolate fondant dish. Third place went to last year’s winner, Graham Murphy of Radisson Blu at Little Island in Cork. Graham’s dish consisted of pan-fried sea bass, smoked mackerel pate, radish apple and hazelnut salad, beetroot crisps and orange foam.
