to add an item to your Itinerary basket..Dominic Pospisil of Gem crowned Wirral Chef of the Year
26th October 2011
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From Wirral News
Dominic Pospisil stormed to victory in the Wirral Chef of the Year competition on Monday – with a little help from some cauliflower soup in the cook-off stage.
The father-of-three from Meols triumphed after a cook-off at Liverpool Community College, judged by Masterchef: The Professionals winner Claire Lara and London Carriageworks chef-patron Paul Askew.
Claire praised his soup as “the stand-out dish of the day”.
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It was second time lucky for Dominic from Gem Restaurant, who was beaten to the title by Leverhulme Hotel chef Richard Fox last year.
The 35-year-old saw off strong competition from Dave Williams, of the Portrait House in Hoylake, Geoff Derry from the Grove House Hotel in Wallasey and Rob Bryson, of the Anchor Inn in Irby.
Paul and Claire’s scores were added to those from Wirral News readers who attended Chef of the Year nights at each of our finalists’ restaurants.
Modest Dominic, who took over Gem in 2008 after a spell running Aubergine in West Kirby, said he was felt "shell- shocked" after learning he was the winner.
He said: "I really didn’t think about the winning part of it. For me it’s about doing the cooking so this is just like the added bonus.
"It’s not what you go into the job for. You do it because you enjoy it and it’s what your heart’s in but it is nice to be appreciated, to get a bit of recognition."
The only condition was that the chefs had to use beetroot somewhere in their dishes, an ingredient provided by Wirral Farmers Market supplier John Jones. Dominic decided on a potato rosti with beetroot.
He said 'I use a lot of beetroot in the restaurant and I love using it.
However, it was his cauliflower soup with scallops that stood out for the judges.
Dominic said 'It is something I've done before and I've even had people ordering it as a dessert.'
Dominic will be soon be passing on his passion for food to the next generation. He has accepted an invitation by Wirral Met College to cook with students there for a nght. It is hoped that members of the public will be able to enjoy the result at The Birches, the restaurant at Conway Park Campus in Birkenhead.
Wirral Chef of the Year is supported by Wirral Council, Liverpool Community College, Wirral Met College and Wirral Farmers Market.
