Andy Lynes

I see from the Roux Scholarship site that you had two hours to prepare and present your version of a classic Escoffier recipe for “Best End of Veal with Soubise and Mornay Sauce” and the judges included Michel and Albert Roux, Victor Ceserani, Rowley Leigh, David Nicholls, Gary Rhodes, Rick Stein, Brian Turner, Alain Roux and Michel Roux Junior. Three questions if I may : What was your take on the dish? Were all the judging panel as listed above present on the day? If so did they get in the way?

What about Michelin stars, they seem to go with winning the Scholarship.

Is that anyway to speak to your friendly neighbourhood moderator? I wouldn't dream of spoiling the fun. Mainly because I have no idea whatsoever where this menu comes from.

Welcome W Pigeon. Can I assume you are a native of Rock/Padstow? Love to hear more reports about other restaurants in the area and more details about your meal at the Pig if you have the time.

Simon, I was interested in your comment above that you have "hardly any knowledge of classical cuisine" and yet this didn't prevent you from winning the Scholarship or the gold at the skill olympics. What was your training based upon if not the classical repertiore and what food have you gone on to cook in your professional career.

Its just Shaun by himself at The Merchant House, but he has headed brigades in the past at Gidleigh Park, The Capital Hotel and The Lygon Arms amongst others. Paul Kitching at Juniper worked with Shaun as did Martin Hadden whose wonderful but short lived Priory House restaurant had something of The Merchant House about it. I ended my report on The Merchant House on UKGourmet with this : "He's not copying anyone, and although chef's travel from far and wide to eat his food, no one is copying him. In a world of lettuce fondue, foie gras veloute and tortellini of whatever, perhaps they find the food too stark to put on their own fancy pants menus. Or maybe it's just that they know that no one can cook quite like Shaun Hill. " So thats what I think, but maybe LML has a different view?

Shame on you!!

Was the Scholarship different in terms of what you were expected to do in order to win from other competitions you have entered? Given the prestige of the title and the prize on offer, was it a more pressurised experience?

Charlene, any reviews of the bars of Brighton for us, or did it all get a bit blurry once you left 7 dials?

So are allowances made by your employers in terms of time to create and perfect competition dishes, or is it all done on your own time?

Re The Jolly Sportsman. Yes I know of it but have not eaten there as yet. A collegue had dinner there a few weeks ago and was very impressed. I believe it is a Bruce Wass restaurant, who was formerly the owner of Thackery's in Tunbrdge Wells. They have a half built website which has some humerous stop gap comments on it here. Gets 2 out of 10 in the GFG!

Thats sheer presumption on my behalf, but in order to protect my reputation as a food and drink know-it-all I could argue that Petrus had one star and wanted 2 (which they didn't get this time around) and were therefore tarting up the place in order to impress the Michelin men. Chez Bruce and Merchant House have had stars for sometime now so lack of a bar is obviously no barrier to one star. And now I've lost the thread of whatever the arguement was in the first place. Next question.

Ms Maschler gives it a oner in todays Standard and a tepid review. She is disappointed by the rogan josh, but delcares the chicken curry fry a winner and gives the breads a thumbs up.

Simon - what first attracted you to the arena of professional competition, isn't the life of a chef hard enough without the additional burden of preparing for and taking part in events like the Scholarship?

The Roux Scholarship was established in 1983 by Michel and Albert Roux in order to encourage young chef talent in the UK and provide a framework for chefs to achieve their full potential. The competition is opened to British trained chefs aged between 22 and 30 and offers the winner £2,500 cash, plus three month's training at a 3-star Michelin establishment, a week's work experience on a luxury cruise liner, and a trip to Italy. It is arguablely the most prestidgeous competition of it's type in the UK. Past winners include André Garrett, now head chef of Orrery restaurant and Sat Bains of Hotel de Clos, Nottingham, both holders of Michelin stars. The current holder of the title is Simon Hulstone, head chef of Cotswold House Hotel in Chipping Campden. Simon is no stranger to the world of professsional culinary competitions, and counts amongst his titles Midlands Chef of The Year 2002. He is currently the UK's first and only chef to win a gold medal at the Youth Skill Olympics (1995) and is a former National Chef of the Year finalist. Before Simon leaves for his stage at Martin Berasategui, he has agreed to answer eGullet.com members questions about his experience in the competition in this informal, rolling Q and A and we hope that he will keep us informed of his progress once he arrives in Spain.

At Pied a Terre, were all the over-seasoned items coming from the same section or was it a kitchen wide problem do you think? Could it have simply been that a particular chef-de-partie was being heavy handed with the salt during the service on that night, or was it further back in the preperation process?

I think we need to talk specifics for this arguement to make any sense. In your experience, who would you say these bad chefs are and what dishes have you found to be disappointing and why? I think you may very well have a good point here, but I wouldn't like us to be painting all chefs with the same brush. LML - a good point well made, I would offer Shaun Hill as an illustrative example of a talented chef with a relatively limited repetoire of dishes done well and that also includes original ideas. He is someone who is not afraid to experiement to a certain degree with cooking techniques, but for the purposes of problem solving rather than for its own sake.

I think it's unfair to characterise modern chefs as lacking in talent, but perhaps they may tend to be over ambitious and more interested in laying claim to signature dishes and establishing a reputation in the media than dishing up good grub. But on the other hand, do you really want to see the same limited repertoire replicated up and down the country?

No thats not true, The Merchant House for instance has no seperate bar but has a star. The same is true of Chez Bruce.

I can't agree in this instance that the description is pompous, its how the dish was served and I would certainly want to know about a garlic flavoured foam when ordering a dessert. I think the arguement is whether it is appropriate or simply presumptuous or even misguided to be offering garlic foam with an apple pudding.

This area has been very well covered on this thread on the Heartland board. However, we could have a bash at it in terms of the British restaurant scene if you like. Tarte Tatin is an interesting example. Where would you draw the line with it? I know a chef that feels there is something fundamentaly incorrect about any tatin not made with apples. However, if that were true, it would mean that Phil Howard at the Square is wrong to serve Tarte Tatin of Pears with Vanilla and Star Anise and praline ice cream. But I happen to know that that dessert is wonderful. So, without having tasted the version with the foam (relevant thread here), how do you know its not good, that it doesn't add a certain something? Are we simply too conservative in the UK when it comes to "the new cuisine"?

Nothing to do with my "Harvester" crack surely? No, couldn't have been. Slightly surprised at the conversion of the bar to another dining area, but maybe they have been turning custom away as I don't think they turn tables. How were portions compared to London? Are they still on the large size?

The holiday cottage I've booked for a week in the summer is so ruinously expensive that we won't actually be able to afford to eat anywhere when we get there (apart from Margot's and I intend to mug a local in order to fund that particular outing). Still, it will be terribly interesting to read all the menus

'whichcraft - what came first, the idea or the name I wonder.

This is very good to hear. Having read the menu above I was concerned about a possible infringement, but it would seem the news of the rule has spread to Rock.