Sundial Group chefs have dominated the
2016 UK Copper Skillet Competition for the second year in a row, winning in both the senior and junior categories.
Run by the International
Association of Conference Centres (IACC), the Copper Skillet Competition is now in its 13th year and recognises the best chefs from IACC member conference centres around the world.
Three Sundial chefs;
Rob Budd (Head Chef at Barnett Hill), Mary Palecek (Senior Chef de Partie at Woodside) and
Lee Gaskins (Head Chef at Highgate House) were amongst 21 chefs taking part in the cook off competition, held at
The Lensbury on Thursday 26th May.
Rob Budd, was awarded 1st place in the senior category for his dish of pan-fried beef tenderloin with monkfish medallions, cauliflower, purple sprouting broccoli, samphire and a red wine sauce.
Mary Palecek was crowned the winner of the junior category for her surf ‘n turf dish of sautéed beef fillet and king prawns on a bed of spinach and vegetable ribbons with a salsa verde.
Meanwhile,
Lee Gaskins scooped 2nd place in the senior category for his dish of pan-fried peppered medallions of beef, pancetta sautéed potatoes, crispy prawns, endive and asparagus, and red wine reduction.
This is the fifth time a
Sundial chef has won the senior competition that began in 2004. Furthermore, a junior Sundial chef has won every year since the Junior Chef category was introduced in 2014.
Rob and Mary will now go on to compete in the IACC Europe final to be held in the Netherlands in September.