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Awards for Sundial Group Chefs

Sundial Chef Wins IACC Copper Skillet

Lee Gaskins with his trophy Lee Gaskins, recently-appointed head chef at Highgate House, our Northamptonshire venue, has won the UK heat of the International Association of Conference Centres ‘Copper Skillet’ competition and will go on to represent the UK at the world final in America this April..

IACC represents bona fide conference centres across the globe, with member centres belonging to chapters in the UK, North America, Sweden, Denmark, The Netherlands and Australia. A standards-driven association rather than a marketing organisation, its stringently-assessed members represent the elite of the UK’s dedicated conference centres, committed to providing superior working environments to corporate guests.

The Copper Skillet is an annual competition that invites the best chefs across the chapters to compete for the international honour of IACC 'Chef of the Year'. The winner from each Chapter’s heat competes in a cook-off at the IACC International Conference, which, this year, will be held in New Jersey.

The 2007 theme for the event is Thai cuisine, and Lee’s pan-fried pommfret (a classic fish extremely popular in Thailand) served with stir fried noodles, crisp soft-shell crab and red curry sauce finished with kaffir lime leaves impressed the judges sufficiently to make him the top chef at the UK heat.

Lee's pommfret dish

Previous accolades for Lee include numerous medals at Hotelympia and Hospitality Salon Culinaires, and he was also the inaugural winner of the Conference Centres of Excellence ‘Chef of the Year’ competition. Lee has moved to Highgate House from Woodside, our Warwickshire venue, where he has worked for the last 13 years, becoming Head Chef in 2002. Just last year he mentored his chef de partie at Woodside, David Webb, to the same honour. The UK cook-off was judged by Peter Griffiths, President of the British Culinary Federation.

Jerry Toth, our Operations Director (and himself a multiple award-winning chef) praised Lee’s talent and commitment. 'We are very proud to have Lee as our head chef at Woodside. Time and time again he is judged to be a top chef, and he is always dedicated to advancing the careers of young chefs lucky enough to work with him. The standards we maintain across our Group ensure unforgettable dining experiences.'

IACC/CCE Chef of the Year 2006

In May 2006, David Webb, Chef de Partie at Woodside, took home the Gold Award in the CCE/IACC Chef of the Year Competition 2006

Of the eight years that this competition has been staged by Conference Centres of Excellence and the International Association of Conference Centres, Sundial Group’s chefs have been victorious four times. Lee Gaskins, Woodside’s Head Chef, was the inaugural winner, and he has mentored David since he started his career at Sundial Group last February. In fact, this is something of a third-generation success for Sundial Group, because Lee himself was trained by our Operations Director, award-winning chef Jerry Toth.

Jerry Toth

Jerry (pictured left), who following the publication of the Sundial Group Cookbook late last year (click here for more details), pens regular articles in meetings industry magazines about the importance of quality cuisine, was delighted with this most recent success, “We take food very seriously across our venues, and I am thrilled for David, Lee and all at Sundial Group that their talents have been recognised in this way. He was up against some pretty stiff competition from a selection of excellent chefs and won not only the Gold Award, but also the ‘Best Main Course’ certificate.”

“Competitions such as these are great for raising the profile of the cuisine provided by dedicated conference centres, and help challenge the perception of our venues in the marketplace.”

This award follows hot on the heels of the Silver medal that David won at this year’s Midlands Salon Culinairé, held at the NEC, in the senior Duck class.

For coming first, David wins a gold medal, silver salver, £150, a case of fine wines, our warmest congratulations and the prestige of being CCE/IACC Chef of the Year for 2006.

And from the archive

When we say we have a long history of culinary excellence, we can prove it! As a trawl through our website's archive revealed. The news stories span seven years - and three websites!!!

Woodside Chef wins 1999 Competition.

Lee Gaskins, Sous Chef at Sundial's Warwickshire conference centre, Woodside was judged the top UK conference centre chef in The Conference Centres of Excellence 1999 competition.

The competition invited chefs to produce a three course set menu suitable for a post conference dinner. The proposal had to be within a strictly controled budget and wines proposed to accompany it. Three chefs were chosen from the initial entries to compete in a cook-off under the watchfull eyes of a panel of expert judges.

Lee was the unanimous winner, combining flavours and presentation to demonstrate an overall balance in his menu. The judges also made special comment on his excellent skills, good hygiene and working practice.

Barnett Hill's Gabriel Gathendu judged UK Conference Centre Chef of the Year 2000

Gabriel Gathendu Following on last year's success for Lee Gaskins, from Sundial's Woodside Conference Centre, Gabriel achieved top prize in the Conference Centres of Excellence Chef of the Year national competition

Gabriel, who has worked at Barnett Hill for two and a half years, also won the hygiene prize for achieving the highest standards during the 2½ hour competition. His prizes included a weekend for two in the Champagne region of France

Details of the Prize winning meal

Starter < Red Mullet>

For my starter I have chosen to pan smoke a fillet of red mullet. Although pan smoking is a little used skill, it works well with this delicately flavoured fish. I serve it simply with pasta, baby asparagus and a sweet gazpacho sauce. A very Mediterranean style starter and I've paired it with a very fruity Pinot Grigio

Main < Guinea fowl >
For my main dish I've chosen Guinea fowl which is an overlooked meat for use in spring and is particularly flavoursome at this time of year simply served with green beans and a potato galette. This dish I've paired with a Brouilly, Domaine De Samsons

Peach consomme Dessert < peach consommé >
My dessert consists of a very simple peach consommé, delicately flavoured with lemongrass and served with sorbet with a very more-ish taste of Lychee & Elderflower, add a crunchy biscuit and it's a wonderful way to finish a meal. This will be served with a Brown Brothers Late Harvest Muscat and Flora Desert Wine

Gabriel Gathendu retains UK Conference Centre Chef of the Year in 2001

Gabriel wins second successive award Sadly we've lost the details of the menu from 2001, but we do still have the picture of our Barnett Hill chef winning again one year on.

From 2004 - Sundial Chef Strikes Silver

It's no secret that the key to the Sundial Group's success is the atmosphere it creates at its venues, and for nearly forty years it has been making every visitor feel like a family guest. In that respect, providing superb cuisine is just as important as having excellent meeting facilities or luxurious, en-suite bedrooms.

Sundial continues to lead the market when it comes to providing food of the highest standard at a conference destination and Lee Gaskins, head chef at Woodside, Sundial's centre in Kenilworth, Warwickshire, has recently added yet another accolade to his impressive resume. Lee, who was the inaugural winner of CCE's Chef of the Year competition, had thirty minutes to prepare and serve two portions of a duck course of his choice at the Midland Association of Chefs' Salon Culinaire. Drawing on his previous medal-winning experience in the Duck Class (at Hotel Olympia last year), Lee tantilised the judges with a pan-fried breast of duck, served with apple tatin and blackberry sauce, and picked up the Silver Medal.

Tim Chudley, Sundial's Managing Director, congratulated Lee, commenting "He is a wonderful Chef and is always very successful in competitions, which can only be good for our customers at Woodside". Sundial's Executive Head Chef, Jerry Toth, (another award-winning chef), added, "Our commitment to high-quality catering is something we take very seriously and our chefs use only the best ingredients to ensure menus are tempting and exciting. As well as being accredited by the Vegetarian Society, all of our kitchens offer healthy alternatives approved by local Heartbeat Awards."

"I regularly work in the Woodside kitchen with Lee, so I see first-hand how well he and his team work. I know I speak for everyone when I say that we are all delighted for him."

From 2005 - Double success for Sundial's Chefs

Adam Probets and Lee Gaskins The Sundial Group's reputation for excellent catering was further enhanced at the end of February when two of its chefs picked up medals at the Hotelympia Conference Centre Chef of the Year competition. Lee Gaskins, head chef at Woodside, Sundial's Warwickshire venue, won the bronze medal, and was just pipped to the silver by his counterpart at Bath venue Bailbrook House, Adam Probets.

Adam's entry started with lobster and wild mushroom risotto, moving on to a rack of lamb with a mustard crust, fondant potato, baby roast vegetables and lavender jus, while Lee presented grilled fillet of sea-bass on wilted greens, provençal vegetable tortellini and a fine herb dressing followed by a duo of beef (roast sirloin and pan-fried blade), served with truffle mash potato, roast vegetables and a Madeira jus.

Sundial's Surrey venue, Barnett Hill, was able to join the celebrations in early April when Alan Palmer (left) was awarded the 'Best Hygiene' award at the Conference Centres of Excellence Chef of the Year competition.

Guests at Sundial's venues enjoy this high quality cuisine every day they dine there.

The group's executive chef, Jerry Toth (another award-winner), guarantees these standards across all four venues, and ensures there is always a healthy option and a vegetarian option on the menu. The kitchens are accredited by the Vegetarian Society and hold local Heartbeat Awards, so these alternative choices are by no means poor relations simply bolted on to keep up appearances.

Praising Adam, Lee and Alan, Jerry also took time to thank all the Group's chefs for their commitment to excellence. "Lee regularly does well in competitions (this is his second medal in the space of four months), and I cannot praise him, or his work, highly enough. I am also thrilled that Adam did so well in the first competition he has entered, and that Alan was a shining example of excellent hygiene. My job is made enjoyable by the high standards all four of Sundial's kitchen teams achieve, and their work is very much appreciated, especially by guests at our venues."

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