Scottish Food Scholarship 2008

JAMIE Wakeford from De Vere Cameron House Hotel at Loch Lomond last night won the Scottish Food Scholarship 2008.

The glittering awards dinner at the George Hotel in Edinburgh was held only hours after the final at Cook School by Martin Wishart.

The winner of the Scottish Food Scholarship 2008 is Jamie Wakeford from De Vere Cameron House Hotel at Loch Lomond.

Jamie won with a dish of pan-seared sea bass and scallop mousse, served with carrot puree, butter glazed sea kale and a citrus emulsion and a dessert of rhubarb and orange with ginger sabayon and citrus biscuits.

Second place went to Yvonne Noon from Lynnet Leisure in Glasgow and third place to Andrew Field from Old Course Hotel in St Andrews, who also won the prize for the best presentation.

Jamie will now 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 competitors were judged by five of Scotland’s top chefs including Martin Wishart, Jeff Bland, Keith Braidwood, Tony Borthwick and Bruce Rennie.

Each competitor was given a box of Scottish ingredients and allocated a set time to create, cook and present a starter and main course.

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 Restaurant Martin Wishart and Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles; the opportunity to cook on the famous Royal Scotsman; and a trip to the Boch family chateau in Luxembourg with Villeroy & Boch.

Michelin-starred chef Wishart said: "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.’