Lennox House chef cooks up a storm in national competition

Home news

Nov 15, 2018

Lennox House is celebrating after it was announced that a team member has reached the final round of a Chef of the Year competition.  

Alex Wendling, head chef at Lennox House, competed against the culinary talents of chefs from around the country to be in with a chance of winning the coveted title in Care UK’s national competition.

To secure his place as a finalist, Alex was challenged to prepare a two-course lunch for four people in 90 minutes, ensuring that the menu would appeal to residents.

Alex prepared a main and dessert for the judges. The first course comprised of a bacon-wrapped, pan-fried ballotine of chicken and tarragon served with herb polenta, seasonal greens, sesame green beans and a shallot jus. 

For pudding, Alex prepared an apple amandine tart, topped with Chantilly cream and fresh fruits. The dishes were then presented to a panel of judges which also included residents, who scored each dish based on the presentation, nutrition, use of products, taste and texture.

After being named one of four finalists, Alex said: “I’m thrilled to have made it to the final round of this national competition. The level of skill and creativity from the other chefs was really high, but I was confident that my cooking would be received well by the judges, as they are two dishes that residents at Lennox House always look forward to.

“Cooking is an art, and I love to play around with flavours from around the globe to create unique dishes for the residents to enjoy. The final round will present a great opportunity to try out some new recipes, some of which we’ll hopefully add to the menu at Lennox House.”

Samantha Neal, customer relations manager at Lennox House, added: “The Chef of the Year competition is a brilliant opportunity for the chefs at Care UK to show case their skills and expertise. Everyone here at the home is thrilled that Alex’s talent for creating meals that both look and taste delicious has been recognised. We all have our fingers crossed that he will be just as successful in the final heat.”