16 November 2012

Celebrity chef and Coeliac UK Food Ambassador Phil Vickery has announced the winners of this year’s Coeliac UK Gluten-free Chef of the Year and Up and Coming Gluten-free Chef of the Year competition.

Jose Manuel De Freitas, who is the Second Chef at the Four Seasons Health Care (FSHC) Silver Springs Care Home in Jersey, was announced as the winner of this year’s competition for professional chefs in a tense cook off between the six finalists.

The Up and Coming Gluten-free Chef of the Year winner was Christian Dean Young, who is studying professional chef level 2, from Wellingborough, Northamptonshire.

The task ahead of this year’s finalists was to design a three course bistro style gluten-free meal. After 90 minutes of intense cooking, debate and deliberation from the judges, the winners were announced.

Phil Vickery said of the competition: “Each year the standard is raised and this year it was the best ever with some exceptional dishes being cooked including those traditionally seen as being more difficult to make such as gluten-free bread, pasta and pastry. To cook these in a live final is a real achievement. With a growing market to service the hundreds of thousands of people looking for gluten-free options, the demand for skilled chefs is likely to boom and this competition showcases the best of the talent out there.”

Runner up in the Professional category was Tom Thexton, Head Chef at Wild Thexton in London and the third finalist was Viktorija Bernataviciute, Sous Chef at the Wig and Pen in Northampton.

The runner up position in the Up and Coming category was awarded to James Barnard from Barton Upon Humber and Beathan James from Corby, Northampton was the third finalist.

The panel of judges were Coeliac UK’s Food Ambassador Phil Vickery; David Mulcahy, Sodexo; Adam Gray, The Red Lion and Shires Cookery School and Daniel Ayton, Crowne Plaza.

Jose Manuel De Freitas wins a one week placement at Gleneagles with twice Michelin starred chef Andrew Fairlie whilst Christian Dean Young wins a one week placement at Michelin-starred The Pass at South Lodge with chef Matt Gillan. Both winners win a set of knives courtesy of 3663 and all six finalists were also presented with a year’s membership to the Craft Guild of Chefs and gift vouchers from Sodexo.

You can see our online photo gallery from the competition here.