UCB鈥檚 College of Food is brimming with pride with news that one of its freshly-graduated young chefs is to represent the UK in the most prestigious culinary competition in the world.
Nathan Lane, who earned a听Level 3 Diploma in Advanced Professional Cookery听at UCB this year and now works at听, will be Tom Phillips鈥� commis chef at the Bocuse d鈥橭r European heats in Turin, Italy, next year, with hopes of making the ultimate final in Lyon in 2019.
Nathan won the opportunity after assisting Tom, sous chef at London鈥檚 Restaurant Story, at the听听听cook-off at The Skills Show at Birmingham鈥檚 NEC.
One of five teams competing in the three hour 45 minute cook-off, the pair was tasked with preparing a fish dish using Fjord trout and lobster and a meat platter using a short saddle of lamb, with each course presented requiring a minimum of three garnishes.
Tom, aged 25, and Nathan, 19, who previously worked at Michelin-starred听听in Edgbaston, wowed judges with a stunning native lobster with Fjord trout mousse, celery branch, winter radishes, pistachio pur茅e, burnt chive oil, lobster verbena cream and Oscietra听caviar.
Their meat platter was saddle of lamb glazed in a spinach cr锚pe, turnip tart 鈥� with caramelised onions, crispy Brussels sprouts and pickled onions,听glazed lambs tongue, ransom capers and an aerated听Tunworth sauce,听braised celeriac, truffle, celeriac skin, crispy trompette mushrooms and mustard frills.
It鈥檚 been quite a year for Nathan, who described the opportunity to support Tom at the Bocuse d鈥橭r as a 鈥渄ream come true鈥�.
Winning the British Culinary Federation鈥檚 Student Cook & Serve Team Challenge in April, he also made the National English Junior Team representing England at the Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg in November 2018.
The Bocuse d鈥橭r European heat takes place on 11-12 June 2018. Only the top 10 scoring countries will go through to the world final in January 2019.
Runners-up of the Bocuse d鈥橭r UK cook-off included UCB鈥檚 own senior lecturer Tony Wright MCA, who was the UK鈥檚 Bocuse d鈥橭r candidate in 2016. The title is currently held by the USA.
Find out more about courses at UCB鈥檚听College of Food.
