The event at Ascot Racecourse, one of Sodexo’s most prestigious contracts, saw professional and amateur chefs of all abilities and from across the business take part in live and static competitions, plus a range of master classes and live demonstrations.
A supplier exhibition, open to visitors and competitors, also featured, while demonstrations by top chefs, including Paul Rankin, Alyn Williams and Will Torrent, helped competing chefs and visitors develop their knowledge and learn tricks of the trade.
The Sodexo Young Chef of the Year final, open to all of Sodexo’s chefs under the age of 24, was won by Richard Bullard, who works at Royal Marines Base Chivenor in Devon, while the Judges Award for Innovation went to Marie Conn, a chef at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines (CTCRM) in Lympstone, for her exquisite sugar floral display.
Chef Andrea Suttill, who also works at CTCRM in Lympstone, took the top spot, winning the Overall Best in Show Award for the level of skill, innovation and quality of work she displayed in the Innovative Street Food Challenge.
Ten competitors took part in the Barista Challenge, which saw Maggie Lach, head barista at Aviva’s head office in Dublin, acclaimed as National Barista of the Year.
This year Sodexo also held a Salon Culinaire in Scotland, which had more than 120 entries, and one in Ireland that saw almost 200 employees take part.
David Mulcahy, craft and food development director at Sodexo UK & Ireland, said: “Competing is a great way to develop a chef’s skill set and I hope everyone who took part gained valuable experience, which will progress them in their career.
“The level of culinary skill gets better with each passing year and I was delighted to see so many people taking part, both our professional chefs and those who were ‘having a go’ for the day.”