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Tameside chef of year crowned

7/ 7/2008

TAMESIDE and Glossop's best amateur chefs got all hot and bothered on Thursday as they took to the stoves for the final of the Advertiser sponsored Masterchef competition.

Nine finalists arrived at Tameside College with a host of ingredients and spices ready to wow the judges with their creations.

With a budget of £5.50 per meal, dishes included everything from chicken garlic and cucumber with grapes to spiced fish with Caribbean rice and Mexican inspired vegetarian tacos.

Hotel director and award winning chef Nigel Skinkis from the Clough Manor in Denshaw, was a guest judge.

The day began with an induction and then finalists, most of whom had never even been in a professional kitchen before, had one hour and 40 minutes to cook their dishes before they were laid out ready for judging.

Martyn Dodson was crowned the winner with his dish of corn fed chicken breast with a Cumberland and Stilton stuffing wrapped in pancetta served on a bed of sorrel, wild garlic and beet spinach with a cranberry and port wine jelly with thyme roasted vegetables.

Martyn, of Cambridge Terrace, Millbrook, grows a lot of his own herbs and vegetables and spends a lot of time working with a local Scout group teaching them cookery and how to make meals.

He said: “I‘m really pleased, “I’ve never cooked in a competition before.”

Primary school teacher Sheila Birkett of Richmond Crescent, Mossley, made second place with her oven roasted salmon with homemade pesto, crushed new potatoes, seasonal asparagus with a hollandaise sauce and baby vine tomatoes cooked in Moderna Balsamic vinegar.

Mum of four Jackie Clayton, a kitchen assistant at West End primary, Ashton, from Bennett Street, Ashton came in third with her stuffed chicken breast with ham and nutty cheese served on sweet chilli noodles with peppers, mushrooms and onions.

Chef lecturer Peter Cooke said: "The food was far surpassing what we expected, especially because they weren't professional chefs. I think the first two were a foregone conclusion. With the winning dish the chicken was spot on, the veg, for the size of the plate was a bit big. After that the results were very close.”

Martyn received £100 from the Advertiser as well as a winner’s apron and will spend half a day in the kitchen at the prestigious Clough Manor where he will join the hotel’s professional cooking team in their Rosette Standard restaurant.

The College are also giving Martyn the chance to cook his winning dish for his family and their customers in the college restaurant in September.