Stuart Tarff, one of Lexington’s most talented culinary stars, was named ‘Chef of the Year’ at the 13th annual Elior Awards For Excellence. The awards celebrated the company’s top employees at a ceremony held at the stunning 8 Northumberland Avenue in London.
Hosted by football legend, Gary Lineker, and Olympic star Sally Gunnell, the awards recognised and celebrated the achievements of individuals from across Elior’s UK business.
Stuart Tarff, Head of Pastry at London Business School, was previously crowned Lexington’s ‘Chef of the Year’ at the annual chef competition in 2016. His winning menu for the Lexington competition featured a starter of goat’s cheese & beetroot four ways, roasted cannon of lamb and braised shank éclair; and a classic chocolate orange mousse for dessert.
The Elior competition was slightly different. The chefs were given a mystery basket of ingredients on the night and they had just 1.5 hours to cook their dishe.
Commenting on the Elior awards, Stuart said, “It was such a brilliant experience, from the very start to the end, and it was great to meet and cook with the Elior team. I am still in shock – I thought winning LexChef last year was the best, but this is incredible!”
Elior’s Chief Executive, Catherine Roe, remarked, “Stuart is an incredibly talented chef who fully engaged with this year’s competition, preparing innovative dishes that were simply stunning.”
Stuart and 12 fellow Elior Awards For Excellence winners will go on a ten-day trip to Vietnam – they will travel across the country and get the opportunity to dive (and eat) into the rich culinary history of the country.
