WIRRAL CHEFS SHINE 2009: Diners praise chef Emma at first Wirral Chefs Shine final

May 20 2009 By Lorna Hughes

Emma Wombwell

CAN she do it again?

Last year's Wirral Chefs Shine winner, Emma Wombwell, wowed Wirral Chefs Shine diners for a second time on Tuesday with another adventurous menu designed to test tastebuds.

Last year Emma, head chef at the Cowshed restaurant at the Wheatsheaf in Raby, treated diners to smoked eel - and this time she served up another challenge in the shape of an offal faggot.

The menu also included sea trout, Ness lamb cutlets, spring vegetable bubble and squeak and three miniature rhubarb desserts.

Jacqueline Fogg, from Thingwall, was dining with Jan, Alfred and Jason Fogg.

She said: "It was fantastic - ten out of ten.The dessert was really nice because there were three different puddings and I particularly liked the trifle and the shortcake.

"She's very talented and she'll be hard to beat."

Marla Johnson, from Thornton Hough, visited the restaurant with friends Maureen Arthur, Joan Fardoe, Janis Manning, Maggie Chessall and Karen Young. The group are Wirral Chefs Shine regulars and try to make it to every final.

Marla said: "It was excellent - actually I thought it was brilliant. The staff took their time to explain where all the ingredients came from and the idea behind each course, which was a nice touch and the presentation was fabulous.

"The rest of the finalists are going to have to do something special to beat this."

Terry and Julia Wigley, from Ness, said they were keen to try samphire at home after tasting it in Emma's menu.

Terry said: "The starter was great and the samphire with bacon was a brilliant idea."

Julia added: "Using the samphire was very original and it will be interesting to see if it comes up again in any of the other menus. It was a good choice of puddings."

Lillian Harris from Wallasey attended with friends Audrey Evans, from Bebington, and Brenda Brayley from Oxton.

She said: "It was nice that they gave us a choice in how our lamb was cooked. In a lot of restaurants you just get it cooked the way the chef likes.

"I think Emma deserves three Michelin stars - she's better than Gordon Ramsay!"

Chef Emma took time out from the kitchen to meet diners and said she was pleased with the response to her menu.

She told the News: "Everyone seems to have liked it which is great. There were a lot of new faces tonight which was nice to see. T

"The kitchen staff have really supported me the front of house team have worked really hard  - it isn't all about the food."