Chef Chloe serves up a winning entry

PROFESSIONAL Cookery apprentice Chloe Gardner has won in the finals of QHotels ‘Design a Dish’ catering competition, held at Crewe Hall, in Cheshire.

The 18-year-old, pictured right, began her Level Three apprenticeship with Stratford College in November and is employed as a Commis Chef at the Stratford Manor, in Warwick Road.

Her entry of grilled mackerel fillet, with smoked paprika courgette and parmentier potato, accompanied by a white bean and rocket salad and chilli and lime salsa, won in the finals of the competition to create a summer dish to be served on the QHotels menus.

Judges said that the culinary creation hit the competition brief perfectly, with great flavours, textures, colours and seasonality.

Chloe will spend two weeks cooking in the kitchens at The French in London, one of the UK’s top restaurants, as part of the first prize.

Her winning dish will also feature on all menus throughout the QHotels group this summer from Monday, 11th April.

Chloe, who lives in staff accommodation at Stratford Manor, moved from Somerset to the area to cook and said: “I have always loved cooking and decided I wanted to be a chef.

"I feel relaxed when I’m cooking and as soon as I’m in the kitchen I forget about anything else that is happening in my life.”