Young North East chef wins academy award

Submitted by on Mon, 2.06.08

A young North East chef is sitting at the top table of his profession after landing a prestigious industry award.

Martin Evans, a chef de partie at Terry Laybourne’s acclaimed Café 21 in Newcastle, has been recognised by the Academy of Culinary Arts at its annual awards.

 

He is one of only five chefs in the UK – and only two in the North – to achieve the honour, which is judged by leading industry luminaries such as Brian Turner and John Williams, the executive chef at the Ritz.

 

The Academy of Culinary Arts’ Annual Award is the industry’s gold standard and provides a rigorous test of culinary skills. Entrants must impress the judges by preparing four dishes in five hours, including one of their own choice and design. 

 

After making it through a regional event, Martin travelled to London’s Thames Valley University for the finals. There he had to compete with top professionals from across the UK including Claridge’s and the Ritz. 

 

Martin’s dishes included deep fried duck egg with Jerusalem artichoke puree and a sauté of globe artichokes and wild mushrooms; poached Dover sole with étuvée of shellfish and Pistachio soufflé with chocolate sorbet. His other course, which was his own creation,  was assiette of  rabbit.

 

Martin said: “It’s a real honour to be recognised by the Academy. The standards expected by the judges are extremely high.   I’m proud to be one of a select band to receive the award and happy to be flying the flag for the North East.”

 

It’s been Martin’s ambition to be a chef from a young age. Now 23, he began his first restaurant job aged 14, when he began working at La Familia in Hexham. Two years later he joined Terry Laybourne’s 21 Hospitality Group, working at 21 Queen Street and later Jesmond Dene House.

 

His quest to learn more about his trade even took him to Australia where he worked with leading chef Justin North at Becasse restaurant – recently voted in the Top 100 restaurants on the planet.

 

Terry said: “Martin’s a talented young chef and we’re happy to have him working here at Café 21. To be recognised by the Academy is a terrific achievement and one he thoroughly deserves.”