The team of judges at this year''s UK Young Seafood Chef of the Year will be headed up by Michelin-starred chef, Mark Sargeant.
Mark, who will head the team at the competition final held in June in Grimsby, won the UK Hospitality and the Restaurant Association Young Chef of the Year and has worked with Gordon Ramsay. He now runs the Rocksalt restaurant in Folkestone.
“As a young chef I was lucky enough to win a few competitions and the skills and confidence I gained through competing was fantastic," said Mark. "I met some fantastic chefs who were so encouraging and I want to give back something to the young chefs out there. Seafood is an essential commodity and we need to learn how to respect and cook it properly.”
The annual competition, now in its 24th year, is sponsored by Seafish and run by The Grimsby Institute. The young chefs, all under the age of 25, will be competing in one of three regional heats to produce a three-course menu using sustainably sourced seafood provided by Young’s Seafood. Judging will be headed by Ben Bartlett, Master Craft Guild of Chefs and Seafish Ambassador and include Emma McKeating, master fishmonger and Seafish Ambassador.
Nine teams will go through to the grand final at The Grimsby Institute on 12 June. Past judges have included Daniel Clifford, Jean-Christophe Novelli, Cyrus Todiwala, Nathan Outlaw and Mitch Tonks.
