The award winning Fresh Approach Restaurant, at Bents Garden & Home in Glazebury near Warrington, is once again savouring the sweet taste of success thanks to 21 year old pastry chef, Martin Bullough who has been awarded the title of Young Pastry Chef of the Year at the Academy of Culinary Arts’ Annual Awards of Excellence in Pastry.
Martin and fellow chef Simon Sharples both reached a shortlist of 24 semi-finalists, beating off strong competition from the London Lanesborough, a 5 star Diamond Hotel, The Mandarin Oriental on Park Lane and Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons in Oxford
Martin went on to compete against just nine others in the national final which took place in London and was successful in achieving the prestigious title of Young Pastry Chef of the Year.
Says Matthew Bent, Managing Director at Bents Garden & Home: “To have not just one, but two of our chefs in the semi-finals of such a renowned culinary competition is a fantastic achievement and one which we are all extremely proud of. Both Martin and Simon were up against extremely strong competition from throughout the UK, which would suggest that the Fresh Approach Restaurant can boast pastries that are amongst the best in the country! We are delighted for Martin and are all very proud of his achievement.”
Another of the Fresh Approach Restaurant's Pastry Chefs, Jane Milner - who is a previous winner of the Young Pastry Chef award – has also experienced award winning success. Jane's recipe for White Chocolate and Pistachio Fudge was recently awarded Best Fudge in the region at the 2008 North West Fine Food Awards.
Jane’s recipe which is made using local produce, was judged by an expert panel of 48 judges including North West Chefs, national food writers and guest judges. The sweet delicacy, which is finished with combed effect tempered chocolate was identified as being amongst the finest foods available in the North West.
Bents has a long established reputation for producing and selling extremely high quality home made local food. This dates back to the Centre’s Balcony Coffee Bar and continues with the Fresh Approach Restaurant and new Food Hall, which offers speciality products from local and international suppliers. From hand crafted chocolates to speciality ingredients and moreish appetisers, the Food Hall is an emporium for food lovers.
The recent achievements in both the North West Fine Foods awards and the Academy of Culinary Arts are excellent demonstrations that Bents’ growing reputation for fine foods is well deserved and continues to flourish.
Discover more about Bents' award winning dining experience...