[A] young chef at a popular Lake District inn & restaurant has won a prestigious national award at his second attempt.
Arthur Bridgeman Quin, from the Punch Bowl Inn & Restaurant at Crosthwaite has won the 2017 William Heptinstall Award.
The Award was first established in 1972 and is made each year to enable a young chef to widen their culinary experience whilst travelling outside the UK. The winner receives financial support to experience the cuisine of their chosen area as well as undertaking stages – or work experience – in their chosen restaurants overseas.
Arthur and five other chefs were interviewed ‘Apprentice-style’ at the Merchant Taylors’ Hall in London by a panel of judges. These included John Williams, Executive Chef of The Ritz Hotel and Executive Chairman of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts.
The candidates had to talk about their careers to date, future aspirations, and showcase a clear understanding of ingredients, menu development, and the marriage of wine with food. They also had to explain to the judges how they proposed to use the £3,500 award money to widen their culinary skills.
Arthur, 21 from Bentham, and a previous UK Young Chef of the Year winner, intends to use the Award to travel to and spend time in different areas of France.
He said: “The amount I stand to learn from this opportunity is incredible and you only have to look at the standard of previous winners to see what can be achieved after winning this Award.
“There’s no doubt that I’ll be pushing myself out of my comfort zone but I’ve always wanted to travel and for me, France is a perfect choice as it’s the home of proper classical cooking. This is certainly an opportunity that doesn’t come along every day and I’ll look forward to planning it – and learning French – over the next 18 months!”
Punch Bowl Inn owner, Richard Rose supported Arthur throughout the different stages of the Award process and, according to Arthur, provided him with an “unbelievable reference.” Richard said: “We’re all delighted that Arthur has won this award and will have the chance to spend time working with some of the best culinary expertise in France. He’s built a strong team at the Punch Bowl and the extra knowledge of both food and culture he will bring back will be of great value to us.”
Arthur will now have to put together a draft travel plan for the Charity Trustees, which will include the names of the establishments where he proposes to work and study. He will then have up to two years to take the trip.
William Heptinstall was a well-known British chef whose memory is revered among today’s culinary professionals. He was patron of Fortingall Hotel in Perthshire, which was a haven for lovers of good food, and although he took immense pride in British food, was deeply interested in European gastronomic traditions and travelled extensively. William died in 1971 and the Charitable Trust was established in his memory a year later. For more information on the Trust, visit http://www.williamheptinstallaward.org.uk.
For more information on the Punch Bowl Inn & Restaurant at Crosthwaite, visit http://www.the-punchbowl.co.uk.
