Joshua Ross, the head chef of Bellamy’s by Logan Brown at Parliament, has won the Jeune Chef of the Year competition run by the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, an international gastronomic society, and will compete in their international competition.
The competition was held in conjunction with Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute in Wellington on Saturday, June 12.
Five young chefs from Bellamy’s by Logan Brown, Hippopotamus, Artisan at Bolton Hotel, the Wellington Club and Wharekauhau Country Estate took part and Joshua Ross, known as Josh, won by a narrow margin the judges said.
The chefs had four hours to prepare and serve three courses of four portions from an identical box of ingredients revealed to them only at the start of the day.
Josh’s winning menu was tarakihi, lime and coconut ceviche with salt and pepper squid, a main course of seared wild hare loin with porter braised legs, Brussel sprouts, confit leek and Jerusalem artichoke puree. Dessert was poached rhubarb with diplomat cream and orange passionfruit granite.
The judges said that the margins were very tight with only nine points separating the winner and the fifth place. Josh said he was thrilled and delighted by his success and looking forward to taking part in the Chaîne’s competition which is scheduled for 2022 – Covid-19 permitting.
Steve Logan of Logan Brown said: “In 2014, Josh began his culinary journey at Logan Brown Restaurant doing voluntary work experience. He then became an employee working part-time while studying at Cordon Bleu cookery school.
“As his skills and experience developed he moved through the kitchen sections and eventually was promoted to Sous Chef, leading the kitchen in service. In 2018 Josh was transferred to the Beehive and helped us set up Bellamy’s by Logan Brown kitchen as head chef.”
“Josh’s passion for, and love of, his craft shows up in the perfect plates of delicious food that he and team create. He has such great people, communication, and management skills too that he continually develops.
“Josh has been a pleasure to work with from the very first meeting to the present.
He is calm, confident, has a sense of humour and an egoless maturity that endears all who come in contact with him,” Steve Logan said
The Jeune Chef competition has been running in New Zealand since 1993, and the country head of the Chaîne in New Zealand, David Shackleton says it has been part of the Chaîne’s focus on developing young chefs and promoting up and coming talent.
“We are delighted with the standard of the competition and congratulate Josh on his victory.
- First published by Hospitality Business – July 2021
