Trainee chef Ayano Kamide, from Birmingham College of Food, has beaten off tough competition from top young chefs to whisk away the winning prize at the New Ways With Bramley 2006 catering competition.

The final cook-off was held at Westminster Kingsway College, London on April 4, and was judged by Keith Burton of Sodexho, Ed Bedington of FPJ and Adrian Barlow, chief executive of English Apples & Pears Ltd.

The level of competition was exceptionally high, but the judges commended Ayano’s dish, aromatic Bramley apple & chocolate strudel, for its artistry and workmanship, innovative blend of tastes, which highlighted the delicious flavour of Bramley, and for the chef’s ability to use Bramley in a variety of ways, as well as her ability to work well under pressure.

Barlow said: “Once again, the judging panel was impressed with the high standard of entries to the competition.

“The nine finalists used high levels of creativity and technical skill to produce inspiring dishes that demonstrated clear understanding of the superiority of Bramley as an ingredient by making the most of its unique qualities.”

The winner was presented with a cheque for £500, plus an additional £500 for their college, as well as a valuable one-week work placement in professional kitchens at the HSBC headquarters in London.

Runners-up prizes of £250 were awarded to Thames Valley University students, Will Torrent, for his Bramley apple seedling millefeuille with roasted Bramley ice cream and blackberry cider jelly, and Dominic Bhora, for his Saffron apple fondant with vanilla ice cream. The event is aimed at highlighting the versatility of Bramley as a cooking apple, as well as developing innovative recipes for the fruit.

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