Chefs go head to head in Newbury Market Place

It's knives out for Feelgood Fortnight's Chef Challenge 2011

A CHEF'S Challenge, played out live in Newbury Market Place, drew crowds of shoppers on a sunny Saturday morning.

They watched as eight chefs battled it out for the title at the event which marked the launch of the Feel Good Fortnight health initiative.

The chefs first had to source as many ingredients as possible from the market and then had to cook a starter and a main course in just 20 minutes.

Their efforts were judged on technical ability, public appeal and healthy eating criteria. The judges were executive head chef at the Donnington Valley Hotel, Kelvin Johnson, chief reporter of our sister publication the Newbury Weekly News, John Garvey and the West Berkshire Partnership's Jeremy Speed.

The winner this year was Justin Brown from the Sun Inn, Dummer.

He impressed the judges with his steak tartare and with his medley of steamed fish in broth with samphire.

Others taking part were Jean-Marc Bidegain from the Compton Swan; Kaewta Canning, from The Three Horse Shoes, Donnington; Shuheb Ahmed from Lucky's Tapas Bar and Restaurant in Newbury; Dan Miller from The Royal Oak, Ecchinswell; head chef Anthony Brand from the Carnarvon Arms; Nattakron Phongphom, from Studio Thai, Newbury and Graham White from the Plough in Eastbury.

See this week's Newbury Weekly News for more details and pictures.