The International Wine and Food Society
The Judges
Paul Heathcote MBE
Head Judge
- Award-winning Chef and Restaurateur
Stephanie Moon
Compere for the Awards Lunch
- Chef Consultant
John McCerery
Executive Chef, Saga Boutique Cruises
Matthew Wilkinson
Head of Kitchens, Rudding Park
Richard Morris
Production Director,
Bury Black Pudding Company
Matthew McDermid
Brand and Marketing Manager,
Bury Black Pudding Company
First Place
Tara Hunter
Leeds Catering College
Tara produced a stunning dish of pork and gluten-free black pudding wellington, served with creamy pomme puree, tenderstem broccoli with mustard dressing and a rich onion gravy, which the judges thought was an outstanding and delicious plate of food, executed with great skill.
The Winners
2nd Place
Lucy Richmond
York College
Lucy’s dish of black pudding stuffed pork fillet, with shallot and wild garlic was praised by the judges for being perfectly cooked, its immaculate presentation, and tasting fabulous!
3rd Place
James Segar
Hugh Baird College
James impressed the judges with a delicious dish of black pudding wellington, with pork fillet and black pudding encased in a mushroom duxelle, cabbage and puff pastry, and served with a maple syrup rosti, beer and shallot jus – a clever and outstandingly-executed plate.
Judges’ Commendation
Adrian Cretu
Scarborough TEC
Adrian’s dish of pork loin fillet stuffed with prunes and gluten-free black pudding, celeriac puree on salsa verde was an excellent piece of cooking and showed great skill, and was highly praised by the judges.
IWFS Young Chef
2024
The Competition
Dozens of higly-talented students from eight catering colleges – Bolton, Craven College, Hugh Baird, Leeds, Scarborough, Trafford, Warrington & Vale and York – competed to create the best “Free From” dish incorporating a gluten free black pudding.
Heats
The heats took place in February and March with a judging team of IWFS members, college tutors and star chefs tasting a record number of entries to select just 2 students from each college to progress to the Final.
The Final
April at saw the finalists gather at Warrington College, to prepare dishes for the judges - a team of well-known chefs, led by Paul Heathcote MBE.
Presentation Lunch
In May, a fabulous lunch was held at Bolton College to present trophies and prizes to the winning students. The lunch was hosted by award-winning professional chef and Great British Menu contestant Stephanie Moon, who works closely with many of the colleges being represented.
Our Sponsors
The competition could have been held without the very generous support from our sponsors Saga Cruises, The Bury Black Pudding Company, and The Savoy Educational Trust.
