Simon Hulstone creates a storm at the Bocuse d’Or Europe

Simon Hulstone creates a storm at the Bocuse d’Or Europe & Team UK secure fourth position and a place in the World Final

Chef proprietor of Michelin-starred The Elephant in Torquay, Simon Hulstone has secured a place in the World Final of the Bocuse d’Or by coming fourth in the Bocuse d’Or Europe in Geneva. He also won the prize for the best meat platter. 20 teams from Europe competed but only 12 went through to the world final.

Simon was supported by his commis chef, Jordan Bailey also from The Elephant, and mentored by coach, Nick Vadis, UK executive chef of the Compass Group. It is a fantastic result for the UK team and an encouraging start to Simon’s preparations for the Bocuse d’Or in Lyon on January 25-26.

Brian J. Turner CBE, UK Bocuse d’Or judge and President of the Academy of Culinary Arts, said before the results were announced that he’d been very impressed with Simon’s entry and hoped that the other judges would share his sentiments.

Team UK was cheered on by tens of supporters who had flown across from all over the UK on a trip coordinated by John Retallick of Gourmet Classic. Kitted out with hand made waistcoats, horns, football clackers and flags, the supporters made an eye-catching and raucous addition to the international audience.

A beaming Simon Hulstone said soon after the result: “I’m totally shocked. I couldn’t quite believe that we’d won the meat prize and then just hoped that we’d be in the top five. To be placed fourth is incredible.

He then added, “I really want to thank all the supporters who have been brilliant this year. It’s really been fantastic and I really appreciate everyone taking time out and making the effort to come to Geneva.”

Simon created a fish platter consisting of; ballotine of Norwegian Halibut poached in seaweed stock. custard of langoustine and summer pea with wild, fennel pollen, young carrots braised in Cornish sea buckthorn with golden beetroot, Scottish smoked salmon and langoustine tartare, pickled onion and Devon Flora with buttered verjus and spring onion sauce.

The winning meat dish was rib of Swiss veal, pistachio and black pudding, sweetbread and garlic sausage, cauliflower and parmesan ‘cutlet’, braised red beetroot with goats cheese and truffle, Devon asparagus with peas and wild mushrooms, fois gras button, Madeira and truffle jus and a ‘cheeky bit on the side’.

Both Simon’s fish and meat platter looked stunning but the cheeky bit on the side, which Simon served personally to the judges certainly made his dish stand out, with Daniel Boulud, one of the chief judges, particularly impressed.

The full list of European finalists are:

1. Denmark, Rasmus Kofoed, Egegade restaurant (Krems)

2. Norway, Gunnar Hvarnes, Hos Ingrid Restaurant (Stavanger)

3. France, Jérôme Jaegle, Christiane Tetedoie (Lyon)

4. UK, Simon Hulstone, The Elephant, (Torquay)

5. Sweden, Tommy Myllymaki, Des Smalandska Kolonin Restaurant (Jonkoping)

6. Finland, Matti Jämsen

7. Switzerland, Frank Giovannini, Hotel de Ville Restaurant (Crissier)

8. Iceland, Thrainn Freyr Vigfusson, Grillid Restaurant (Reykjavik)

9. Spain, Juan Andrés Morilla, El Claustro Restaurant (Granada)

10. Netherlands, Marco Poldervaart, De Gastronoom Restaurant (Harlingen)

11. Germany, Ludwig Heer, Burg Staufeneck, (Salach)

12. Poland, Rafal Jelewski, Park Hotel Pozna (Pozna)