Cowshed Restaurant head chef Emma Wombwell wins Wirral Chefs Shine

Nov 5 2009 By Lorna Hughes

Chef Shine winner Emma Wombwell

EMMA Wombwell has been crowned Wirral Chefs Shine winner for the second year running.
 
The 25-year-old head chef at the Cowshed Restaurant at the Wheatsheaf Inn picked up the honour - and the title of Wirral Chef of the Year - at the Wirral Tourism Awards for Excellence at Thornton Hall Hotel last night.

She beat off competition from Adam Bowers of the Portrait House, Kevin Parry of La Paz, Matthew Dougherty from Sheldrakes, Chris Barbakis from Paesano at the Leverhulme Hotel and Julian Davies of Julian's.

A delighted Emma said she was "absolutely gobsmacked" to win again.

She said: "I was happy with everything I did and I couldn't have done any better on the night but I knew it would be close when I saw what the other chefs were doing.

"I'm ecstatic, especially for my employers. They only took over six months ago so it gives them a boost.

"I stayed true to our restaurant and my menu was what we're all about - good British produce cooked well, with not too much fuss."

Emma's winning menu included pan-roasted sea trout on a bed of samphire & Claremont Farm asparagus, followed by Ness lamb cutlets with an offal faggot, served on a bed of spring vegetable bubble & squeak accompanied by a rhubarb and peppermint jelly.

Her dessert was A Taste Around Rhubarb - three miniature British desserts with a rhubarb twist.

Kevin Parry from La Paz was given a special certificate for coming in second place, with Wirral News readers scoring him just half a mark behind Emma.

He said: "It's disappointing not to win but it's such a difficult competition and I'd like to say well done to Emma."

Wirral Chefs Shine 2009 was supported by Wirral Council, organisers of the Wirral Tourism Awards, the Mersey Partnership, Liverpool Community College and Wirral Met College.