The Great City Chefs competition was originally cooked up by our junior chefs in the One Moorgate Place kitchen. They wanted to find an interesting way to develop their skills and express their individuality.
It was so much fun we decided to extend it to the Searcys family of venues and take it to the next level. Now, the competition is a celebration of incredible produce, cutting-edge culinary skill and exceptional teams working together to present the best dishes London has to offer.
Teams may compete in any number, or all four, of the competition rounds: Starter, Fish, Main and Dessert. The confirmed teams so far are:
This year’s theme is Sustainability, a topic never far from the headlines and an issue of great importance when getting fresh, quality ingredients on a plate. We can expect to see dishes inspired by this subject including zero waste, locally sourced and seasonal ingredients, Organic, fair trade, small-scale agriculture, animal welfare and sustainable seafood.
We have high expectations of our teams, both in their creativity and ambition, but have no doubt they will deliver exceptional dishes that will delight our taste buds.
Winners so far
Starter round - Congratulations to Lazlo Banze.
Congratulations to Lazlo Bosze for his influential dish consisting of MSC certified smoked salmon tartar, compressed cucumber, pickled radish caviar and fresh cress salad. It was phenomenal!
Runners up: Alfi Cobley: Pork & Tarragon Terrine, Apricot and Salted Fennel
Fish Round - Congratulations to Matthew Dean
Matthew Dean really impressed our judges. His dish comprised of Roasted Sea Trout, Caramalised Onion Puree, Burnt And Pickled Onion, Confit Shallot, Truffle Infused Cream
Runners up: Alfie Cobley: British Isle Hake, Bouillabaisse Sauce, Squid Ravioli And Chard Salsify
