Our chefs swapped their own kitchens for competition mode on Wednesday, as six finalists from across THE PIG met at Swindon College for the very first HYC Kitchen Cup.
The HYC Cup series forms part of our PIG Pathway 'Hone Your Craft' – to develop skills, confidence and celebrate expertise in what you do.
Following successful Bar, Wine and Restaurant Cups, it was time for our chefs to showcase their craft, and what a competition it was.
Before the final...
Chefs from across the group were invited to enter by creating a 1-1-1 menu, showcasing their creativity, technical ability and passion for cooking.
One competition entry particularly wowed.. Billy (Bath), who went all out with his PIG menu.
Following the application stage, six finalists earned their place at the live final.
Finalists
The six finalists were:
THE PIG-near Bath
Billy Bowman
THE PIG-on the beach
Tom Tompkins
THE PIG-at Combe
JJ Edwardes
THE PIG-at Bridge Place
Ed Clark
Tom Fairweather
THE PIG-in the Cotswolds
Elsie Warner
On the day
Hosted within the excellent kitchen at Swindon College, the competition tested finalists across three head-to-head rounds designed to assess technical skill, creativity, knowledge and communication.
Working in an unfamiliar kitchen and under the eye of the judges, every finalist rose to the challenge with professionalism.
The Judges
- Andy Wright – Group Head Chef
- Lex Bartlett-Woodnutt – Group Apprentice Manager & Kitchen Co-ordinator
- Kamil Oseka – Group Training and Development Chef
- Rob Neil – Head Chef, THE PIG-at Combe
- Michael Turner – Group Talent Development Manager
Round 1: Skills Challenge
The day began with a series of classic chef skills tests. Finalists were challenged to:
- Fillet a flat fish, prepare a beurre blanc and finish it with a concasse of tomato & brunoise of shallot and serve two finished portions.
- Make a choux pastry, bake four identical buns, fill them with Chantilly cream and finish them with a chocolate glaze.
Billy (Bath) and Elsie (Cotswolds) stood out in this round, both producing excellent choux buns with beautifully executed fillings and glazes.
Elsie also really stood out in the fish filleting challenge, and Ed from Bridge impressed the judges with the way he approached the pastry challenge, showing adaptability, focus and produced an excellent result.
Round 2: Cook Your Competition Dish
For the second round, finalists were asked to prepare two portions from their main course from their 1-1-1 competition entry menu, without knowing beforehand they would be required to cook it.
The standard was incredibly high. Every dish demonstrated thought, individuality and strong technical execution.
Andy commented that every dish produced was of a standard that could comfortably sit on a PIG menu.
Round 3: Hone Your Craft Session
For the final round, chefs delivered a restaurant-style briefing, bringing to life the stories behind some of the fantastic producers we work with.
Each finalist had taken the initiative to visit their chosen supplier beforehand, discovering what makes them special, and the quality of all their presentations was outstanding. #DeliverTheExtra5%
Billy (Bath) shared his experience visiting our butter producer, meeting the farmers and seeing the production process first-hand.
Elsie spoke brilliantly about her visit to Bibury Trout Farm in The Cotswolds.
And Tom T (Beach) delivered a really strong brief on our chocolate supplier Chococo, bringing samples for the judges to taste.
Tom F (Bridge) presented one of the most memorable, who spoke about their beef supplier used at Bridge. After learning that the farmer plays classical music to help keep the cattle relaxed, Tom brought speakers with him and played classical music throughout his presentation and cooked a steak from the farm.
A really standout performance came from JJ (Combe) - a Level 3 apprentice who delivered a presentation on Goosemoor that completely blew the judges away.
The Results
After an exceptionally close competition, the final scores were revealed over dinner at The Village Pub.
Between the three rounds, a maximum of 260 points were available; just two points separated 1st and 2nd place, and less than 10 points between 1st and joint 4th place. The standard throughout the day was exceptional.
3rd Place
Tom Tompkins
THE PIG-on the beach
The judges praised Tom's consistency throughout the day, describing him as calm, focused and professional across all three rounds, producing neat, well-seasoned and well-executed dishes.
2nd Place
Elsie Warner
THE PIG-in the Cotswolds
A fantastic result for Elsie, who really impressed throughout the skills challenges.
1st Place
Billy Bowman
THE PIG-near Bath
A huge congratulations to Billy, our first-ever HYC Kitchen Cup Champion!
Billy is a Commis Chef Apprentice and the youngest competitor in the final - he impressed from the very beginning with his creative competition entry, and continued to excel throughout the day, delivering standout performances in both the skills challenge and supplier presentation.
Billy takes home a voucher for a meal for two at a fine dining restaurant of his choice, as well as the first HYC Kitchen Cup title – his trophy will be on display within Bath's kitchen in a couple of weeks’ time.
More than a competition
What stood out most wasn't just the quality of the cooking, but the professionalism, enthusiasm and commitment shown by every finalist throughout the day.
There were nerves, but every chef stepped up, challenged themselves and represented their hotel brilliantly.
The day came to a close with a well-earned meal together at The Village Pub, where competitors finally relaxed after spending the day battling it out in the kitchen – even if it meant missing the England game!
A huge well done to all six finalists for embracing the challenge and demonstrating exactly what Hone Your Craft is all about – and a big thanks to our judges!
