Another award for Mews as young chef takes top Euro-Toques title

FRESH from winning a Michelin Star recently, a West Cork restaurant has just picked up another major award.

The Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year has been named as Jack Lenards, a young chef mentored by Ahmet Dede of Baltimore’s restaurant, Mews.

Announced at a gala dinner at the Intercontinental Hotel in Dublin yesterday evening, Jack Lenards won the Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year competition after a final skills test with a very specific brief for the last six remaining contestants.

What’s more Jack won the award and finished the event by providing canapés for the gala dinner using Castlehaven-based Sally Barnes’ smoked salmon.

The six Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year finalists were requested to devise two original dishes, inspired by seasonal produce including Irish venison and a selection of raw milk cheeses.

Jack Lenards of Mews, mentored by chef Ahmet Dede won the overall Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year competition with a main course of toast loin of sika deer with barley risotto and douglas fir double IPA and a dessert of poached apple, tawny cider sauce and grated young buck cheese, impressing the judges with his flair, imagination and skill in execution.

The Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year competition culminated in a gala dinner at the Intercontinental Hotel.

Jack has also received the opportunity of a stage with judge chef Liam Tomlin in his four restaurants in Cape Town, South Africa. Jack Lenards will also spend one week at Kruger National Park as well as receiving a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer.

Each finalist also took home a Kitchen Aid food processor and a set of personalised knives from Hugh Jordan.

Manuela Spinelli, secretary general of Euro-toques Ireland said, ‘On behalf of all the Euro-toques Ireland team, I would like to congratulate Jack on his achievement. The standard of talent was exceptionally high this year and all six finalists represent a bright future of Irish food.’

Open to professional chefs under the age of 26, the competition has a proven track record in discovering the finest young chef talent.

Mews was one of two restaurants in West Cork – the other was Chestnut in Ballydehob – to be awarded a Michelin Star last month.

Watch the awards being unveiled here: