We were delighted to find out that Piotr Krolikowski, one of our talented head chefs, was selected to compete in the finals of the 2017 B&I StrEAT Food Awards.
16 finalists went through to the live cook-off on Tuesday 28th March 2017 at the Islington Metal Works, London, and were required to cook technical and signature dishes in four heats. The technical dish was to include chicken from Love Joes, sauces and marinade from Major, and packaging from Planglow. After some deliberation, Piotr chose to make a Moroccan spiced chicken dish with cous-cous and aubergine.
For the signature dish, the chefs were given free rein so we entered in our Vietnamese-style stuffed squid with a green papaya salad and sticky rice. You can find the recipe here, trust us – it’s fantastic.
Each of the dishes were reviewed by the judging panel, consisting of key industry figures and representatives from the sponsors. The judges were looking for taste, texture, appearance and creativity. Piotr had just 40 minutes to prepare and present both of his dishes, so all eyes were on the clock.
Piotr was chosen to cook in the second heat and despite some pre-match nerves, he was calmness personified once the action got underway. Both dishes were cooked beautifully and he finished with time to spare (a whole minute of it!).
We were really proud of how well Piotr represented Angel Hill Food Co. and the dedication to his craft that he brings to his team on a daily basis. It was his first time cooking in a competition but he immediately looked at home – taking to it like a squid to water.
After Piotr had finished cooking, we had to wait until the evening to find out the results. There was a drinks and street food reception before the announcement, and so the event was a great chance for the industry to get together and do a little networking.
The winners were announced and while Piotr wasn’t amongst them this time, it was a brilliant showcase to what Angel Hill Food Co. can do. Being in the finals was great recognition of the talent we have at our disposal, he really did us proud and we’ll be back again next year!
