Persistent Oli proving he is among elite chefs as he again reaches regional competition finals
A Beckenham man has won through to the semi-finals of a competition to find Britain’s best young chef.
Oliver Dovey has been a finalist three times before – meaning he has been among the 18 best chefs each time around.
The Roux Scholarship has been running for more than 30 years, and is judged by Michel Roux Jnr – who has been a regular on BBC Saturday Kitchen, Kitchen Impossible and Masterchef.
His fellow judges are Brian Turner (BBC’s Ready, Steady, Cook and Saturday Kitchen) and James Martin (Saturday Kitchen) among many other Michelin-starred chefs.
Oliver, 28, of Langley Road, has been a senior chef de partie at BaxterStorey for six years – a company which provides top chefs to corporate clients.
He is competing in the regional final in London on Thursday of next week, when he will have the chance to show off his skills in the kitchen.
This year’s challenge was to create a recipe with a striploin of dry-aged Heritage beef cooked and served either whole or in multiple cuts. Contestants had to send online submissions of their recipes, with costings, and pictures of their dishes.
In addition, they were asked to use one beef offal ingredient, either heart, tongue, or kidney; together plated with two simple or composed garnishes. A sauce had to accompany the dish.
For the regional final, competitors will have two and a half hours to cook their dish, along with a dessert from a mystery box of ingredients given to them on the day.
The judges will be looking for recipes and methods which demonstrate the best balance of creativity, taste, style and practicality in the finished dish.
“Every year has its own challenges,” Oliver told South London Press. “I feel a lot more confident in this dish than I have the previous years but it all comes down to how you perform on the day.
“The Roux scholarship is one of the most prestigious competitions in the UK and it is recognised around the world in the top end of the industry.
“Winning it is every chef’s dream and many of the best chefs have won it.
“The prize entails working at any of the top restaurants around the world for a few months and having the Roux family as mentors throughout your career.
“They pick the top six in the UK after this round and then those six go onto to compete to win the Roux Scholarship.”
Pictured top: Oliver Dovey (Picture: OD)
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