Michelin-star cooking contest heats up for Northampton lad with shot at the grand prize

A 24-year-old Northampton lad is two dishes away from winning a three-month internship at a three-star Michelin restaurant.
By The Newsroom
Published 26th Feb 2018, 17:26 BST
Updated 26th Feb 2018, 18:34 BST
Drew Snaith, 24, from East Hunsbury, has been entered into the regional finals for the illustrious Roux Scholarship.Drew Snaith, 24, from East Hunsbury, has been entered into the regional finals for the illustrious Roux Scholarship.
Drew Snaith, 24, from East Hunsbury, has been entered into the regional finals for the illustrious Roux Scholarship.

Drew Snaith, 24, from East Hunsbury, is representing his county at the illustrious Roux Scholarship, a national award to find Britain's best young chef.

By the end of March, Drew may be in with a chance at the grand prize of picking any restaurant in the world to study under world-class chefs.

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Drew said: "If I had to pick, I've always admired L'Arpege in Paris or 11 Madison Park in New York. They're incredible restaurants.

Drew's pan-fried sea bream with roasted clam sauce enticed the judges into giving him a shot at the grand prize.Drew's pan-fried sea bream with roasted clam sauce enticed the judges into giving him a shot at the grand prize.
Drew's pan-fried sea bream with roasted clam sauce enticed the judges into giving him a shot at the grand prize.

"I'm feeling positive. I've just got to give it my best. Really, I just want to challenge myself."

The East Hunsbury lad, now working at a London restaurant, enticed the judges with a pan-fried sea bream dish with roasted clam sauce, braised rainbow chard and a monk speared tempura.

Drew said: "I've always enjoyed cooking.I'm not massively academic but I always ended up cooking for my brother when we ere growing up and I just love it.

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"My mum says I went to her when I was seven with a business plan for a dessert restaurant. That must have been about when I started to take it seriously."

Drew: "I'm feeling positive. I'm just going to give it my best."Drew: "I'm feeling positive. I'm just going to give it my best."
Drew: "I'm feeling positive. I'm just going to give it my best."

Drew is competing with 15 others in the Roux scholarships regional finals, where he must recreate his seam bream dish for a table of four, as well as a mystery dessert on the day.

If he passes, he will enter the final stage, where he and five others will duke it out for the grand prize in a heated day of technical challenges.

The Roux Scholarship has been running more than 30 years and is judged by Michel Roux Jnr (BBC Saturday Kitchen, Kitchen Impossible, Masterchef), Brian Turner CBE (BBC's Ready, Steady, Cook) and James Martin (BBC Saturday Kitchen, This Morning and Saturday Morning with James Martin) among many other Michelin-starred chefs.

Related topics:MichelinNorthamptonBritain