The HotelREZ Hotels & Resorts member, Sundial Group, has scooped first, second and third place at the 2015 UK Copper Skillet Competition, run by the International Association of Conference Centres (IACC).
Iain Miller, Head Chef at Sundial’s Warwickshire venue, Woodside, was awarded first place, Mitchell Leech, Senior Chef de Partie at Woodside, scooped second place and was also declared junior category champion, while Lee Gaskins, Head Chef at Northamptonshire venue, Highgate House, received third place.
On Thursday 8th January, the three chefs battled it out in a ‘cook off’ at Wyboston Lakes in Bedfordshire to become IACC’s UK Champion. They were each given 30 minutes to produce a single dish from a mystery basket of proteins, dairy and grocery items. Iain’s winning dish consisted of tenderloin of pork wrapped in spinach and smoked pancetta, wet polenta, charred broccoli and Suffolk cider jus.
This is the 4th time a Sundial chef has won the competition and the 2nd time Iain Miller has scooped the UK title, having previously won the competition in 2013. Robert Budd, Sous Chef at Barnett Hill, won the competition in 2014 and Lee Gaskins at Highgate House, received the award in 2007.
The popular Copper Skillet Competition was introduced in 2004 to highlight the artistry and skill of the best chefs from IACC member conference centres around the world and to honour their contributions to the shared goal of providing an outstanding conference centre experience.
Commenting on his achievement, IACC’s UK Champion, Iain Miller, said:
“Winning the IACC UK copper skillet title is an achievement I am extremely proud of, especially as I am the first chef to have held the title twice now. What makes me even prouder this year is that my Chef de Partie, Mitch was also awarded second place and the event for us was topped off perfectly when Lee Gaskins was awarded 3rd place – a clean sweep for sundial chefs!”
Iain and Mitchell will both go on to represent the UK at the European heats in Copenhagen next month. The winners from the European competition will then go on to represent the UK at IACC’s prestigious Global Copper Skillet competition in Florida at the end of April.
About Sundial Group
Sundial Group are a multi award-winning hotel group with three dedicated meeting venues, a venue-finding agency and a team building company. Their hotels include the 4 star Northamptonshire based Highgate House, the 4 star Woodside Hotel in Warwickshire, and Surrey based Barnett Hill.
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