Chef Jonathan raises the bar at Thornton Hall

Jun 18 2008 by Matt Hurst, Birkenhead News

Chef Jonathan raises the bar

THORNTON Hall provided the venue for Wirral’s second Chefs Shine, and Jonathan Burgess certainly raised the bar.

Diners in the hotel’s Italian Room were impressed with the delivery of his menu, which included two meats in the main and a seafood fiesta to start.

Stephen White had travelled over from Heswall with his wife, Susan.

He said: “It was absolutely excellent, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

“The salmon starter was marvellous, the flavours and the firmness of the flesh with the herbs was just excellent.

“You can overcook salmon, but as a keen salmon fisherman I know he got that just right.”

Jonathan, who is only 19, served a chilled salmon ballontine with Vineyard Farm-sourced broad bean puree, split pea, brown shrimp and Anglesey mussel dressing, imaginatively accompanied by herb salad and red pepper confetti.

For mains, the Wirral Met student served poached fillet of Cheshire beef with a treacle glazed rib, vanilla and carrot puree and thyme maxim potatoes.

Among the diners was Jonathan’s mum, Chris Thomas.

She said: “I thought it was delicious and I’m really proud he can put such a meal together.”

But it was Jonathan’s dessert that may pip the title for him, as he delivered a dark chocolate and redcurrant delice with gooseberry sorbet.

Susan White said: “I loved that and it’s something I would have chosen myself.

“It was delicious, so nice and light.”

And after stepping out from the heat of the kitchen, even Jonathan was pleased with how the evening went.

He told the News: “I think it went quite smoothly and I was pleased with all the dishes.

“It was quite hard using the seasonal ingredients, especially the gooseberries which are just coming into season so we had to help them along.”