Roussillon Dessert Trophy UK finalists named
Sommelier and pastry chef teams from 1 Lombard Street EC1, Galvin La Chapelle E1, Green’s Restaurant and Oyster Bar SW1 and Summer Lodge Hotel Dorset will all compete in a live UK final on 25 October at L'atelier des Chefs, Wigmore Street, London.
The 2010 competition features a citrus theme, which organisers said picked up on the citrus notes naturally present in many Roussillon VDNs.
Reasoning
Eric Aracil, export manager, Wines of Roussillon, said: “In the paper round, the judges were particularly looking for the team’s reasoning behind the flavour combinations they had proposed.
“The dishes which worked best – on paper at least – were those which demonstrated clear collaboration throughout. Where the pastry chef reflected the various flavour notes in the wine, the jury could almost taste the marriage of flavours – and they will at the UK final next month.”
The prize for the UK final winners will be a four-day course at Olivier Bajard’s Ecole Internationale de Pâtisserie in Perpignan for the chef, and a four-day trip to visit the producers of Roussillon’s finest wines for the sommelier. The UK’s winning pair will also be automatic finalists in the European final. There they will compete against the winning teams from Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, southern Catalonia and France.
The finallists:
1 Lombard Street for a ‘Citrus Lombardo with Kumquat and Orange sorbet’ paired with Maury Blanc, Domaine les Terres de Fagayra 2008, created by head pastry chef Arnaud Viatte and head sommelier/restaurant manager Matthew Mawtus.
Galvin La Chapelle for a 'Lemon Bavarois with Citrus Fruit Salad' paired with Muscat de Rivesaltes, Domaine Pouderoux 2008, created by pastry chef Daniel Fancett and head sommelier Andrea Briccarello.
Green’s Restaurant and Oyster Bar for a 'White Grapefruit Mousse with an Amedi Dark Chocolate and Chilli Spring Roll, Grapefruit and Orange Juice Caviar', paired with Rivesaltes Ambré Domaine Fontanel 1998, created by head chef Luke Underhill and sommelier Frédéric Ahuir.
Summer Lodge Hotel for an ‘Orange and Mandarin Crêpe Soufflé “Suzette”, paired with Muscat de Rivesaltes, Château de Jau, 2007, created by chef de partie (pastry) Sophie Mackenzie and assistant head sommelier Robert Clement.
