One Pot Cook Off champion revealed

19th March 2008, 12:21pm

Primary school teacher Bhupinder Virdee-Lace has been named this year’s One Pot Cook Off champion.

The lucky winner has been awarded a complimentary weekend for two in the Master Suite at The Macdonald Hotel and will have her dish added to the hotel's Snooty Fox Restaurant evening menu.

Bhupinder's (of Dicksons Drive, Chester) winning dish comprised chicken in a creamy tomato and courgette sauce. She had just one hour and could use only one pot to create the dish.

The judging panel included Chester Food & Drink Festival chairman Stephen Wundke and Jane Casson, of Made in Cheshire.

The other finalists were Michele Dunkerley, a maths teacher at Neston High School, who cooked Handbridge fish and prawn stew, and Stuart Higgs, a retired RAF worker, created chicken and smokey bacon hot pot with a Cheshire cheese crumble.

Kate Halewood, general manager for the Macdonald New Blossoms Hotel, commented: "The blend of flavours in Bhupinder's dish and its presentation won out in the end. This competition highlights the passion Macdonald Hotels puts into their food operation. Macdonald Hotels believes in sourcing the best produce available, including outdoor reared animals, such as corn fed chickens and organic food and vegetables."

Bhupinder commented on the achievement: This was my take on meat and two vegetables; it will be great to see my meal on The Snooty Fox menu. Winning this competition helps me promote my love of food. I am working on a cookery book, featuring British produce, which marries Punjabi and British ingredients, aiming to give a cross culture fusion of food and am planning a cookery course at Bishops Heber School in Malpas starting 17th April."

Bhupinder will be presented with the prestigious award at the Chester Food & Drink Festival, which runs until 25 March.

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