Speyside Produce Showcased at Whisky Festival Cooking Competition

Press release issued February 5th 2009

Speyside Produce Showcased at Whisky Festival Cooking Competition

Talented chefs gathered in Scotland's whisky country last week competing to celebrate the Spirit of Speyside.

The culinary contestants were taking part in the 2009 Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival's professional chef competition, promoting the region's most famous product and finest produce.

Chefs from across Speyside were invited to submit three course menus using locally produced food such as Moray Firth seafood, local fish, venison, game and Aberdeen Angus from the lush hills and glens of Speyside, and combining the produce with some of Speyside's world renowned malt whiskies.

The menus deemed to offer the most mouth-watering marriage of the two were selected by a panel of judges headed by Whisky Magazine France editor Martine Nouet and showcased at a cook off on Friday, 31st Jan.

In the end, the dishes of the day were the delicacies of winner Chris Morrison, 28, head chef at the Mansfield Hotel in Elgin.

Chris created a salmon and halibut combination with steamed mussels in a Macallan 10-year-old whisky sauce followed by fillet of beef coated in draff (a by product of the distilling process) with baby vegetables, butternut squash puree and a Glenlivet jus. He finished the menu with a honey, thyme and oatmeal parfait with an Aberlour A'bunadh whisky and caramel sauce.
The winner, who came third in last year's competition, explained his menu was made possible by the bounty of great ingredients available in the area.

"There is everything out there," said Chris. "Not only does Speyside have good whisky but it has some great local farmers and butchers as well. You can always find whatever you need.

The efforts of Alan Robertson of the Craigellachie Hotel and Addy Daggert of the Glenfiddich Distillery were commended with the chefs taking second and third places respectively.

Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival chairman and member of the judging panel Jim Royan said: "There is a real buzz about food and its provenance at the moment and Speyside is known for the quality of its produce.

"The festival is about whisky, of course, but the Spirit of Speyside is more than just whisky; the professional chefs competition is an opportunity to really showcase the best of Speyside.

"The winning menu offered a wonderful balance and, particularly the main course, could not have been closer to representing the great relationship between Speyside whisky and food."

The winning menu's main course and dessert will now be served to more than 300 guests at the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival's gala opening dinner to be held on 1st May at the Balvenie Maltings in Dufftown, tickets for which are available from www.spiritofspeyside.com.