John Cudmore wins Aramark Chef of the Year

After a day of outstanding culinary performances and fantastic food, Head Chef John Cudmore was announced as the winner of Aramark UK’s Chef of the Year 2023. The annual competition which recognises the exceptional culinary talent within Aramark, saw seven Aramark chefs compete for the prestigious prize through a series of cooking challenges.

The final took place across two days from 21st to 22nd February in Aramark’s Development Kitchen. The competition featured a day of delicious meals and exceptionally high levels of culinary talent, where the independently chosen national finalists were invited to create a two-course meal.

Aramark Head Chef, John Cudmore, was acknowledged as the winner after impressing the judging panel with his outstanding dishes. For his main course, John created a delicious beetroot sea trout brandade with sweet pepper chilli coulis which was followed by caramelised rum pineapple, kiwi lime caviar and marshmallow sabayon for dessert.

Second place was awarded to Liam Davidson who is Chef Manager at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen. Both John and Liam were rewarded for demonstrating an outstanding understanding of texture, flavour, layers, and colour to deliver culinary excellence.

John and Liam will travel to Chile, South America compete in the Aramark International Chefs Cup in April. This competition is open to chefs who are currently employed by Aramark Corporate Catering services, who are the organisers of the competition.

Speaking about the competition, Paul Bloxham, Culinary Director, Aramark UK commented: “The Aramark Chef of the Year competition celebrates much more than fantastic food- it demonstrates the amazing capabilities of our colleagues. I am so proud that we are able to gather together as an organisation and share these experiences. I want to congratulate John and Liam and all the other finalists on their amazing creations.”

Following the announcement, winner of Aramark UK Chef of the Year John Cudmore commented: “I am honoured to have been awarded the title Aramark UK Chef of the Year 2023. As a chef, I am always looking for opportunities to be creative and I would like to thank the team at Aramark UK and Paul Bloxham for coordinating such an amazing event. Congratulations to all involved in this wonderful day of food showmanship. I’m looking forward to the next step of the competition!”