Two East Devon chefs have reached the semi-finals of a prestigious competition to find the young culinary stars of the future.

The Roux Scholarship is judged by celebrity chefs Michel Roux Jnr, Brian Turner CBE and James Martin, along with other Michelin-starred experts.

Samuel Lomas, head chef at Glebe House in Colyton, and Jack Cannell, head chef at the Tytherleigh Arms in Axminster, will take part in the regional finals in London on Thursday, March 9.

To qualify, the entrants all had to devise a recipe using the same ingredients: a striploin of dry-aged Heritage beef and one beef offal ingredient, either heart, tongue, or kidney. One of the two garnishes or accompaniments had to include chicory and the dish also had to feature a sauce. Each recipe was submitted anonymously to the judges.

Midweek Herald:

At the regional finals they will be given two and a half hours to cook their dish, along with a dessert created from a box of ingredients given to them on the day. Six of the chefs will be chosen to compete in the final, on April 3, in which they will devise and cook a dish using a key ingredient that will be announced on the day. The winner will be able to choose between the opportunity to cook and train with a top chef at a three-star Michelin restaurant anywhere in the world, or the chance to undertake a specialist training programme tailored to their career goals. 

Sam Lomas, who has been head chef at Glebe House since it opened in 2021, described hearing the news that he'd made the regional finals: "My thought processes went from very high levels of excitement to terror, quite quickly. Whn you think about the chefs who're judging it, they are literally the best chefs in the UK, and it's not every day that they get to taste your food."

Jack Cannell grew up in Peterborough and worked in London for some year before becoming head chef at the Tytherleigh Arms. He was inspired by the cooking of his late grandfather, who had Cornish roots and particularly loved fish.

The judges said they were pleased to see finalists from different establishments all over the UK, with some new faces and others who have competed before. Following a push for more diversity, they were also ‘delighted’ that four female chefs have qualified for the regional finals.