'World Cup' chef samples delights of Scotch lamb

IT WAS Mrs Beeton, possibly the first celebrity chef, who advised the best initial move in cooking a top class dish was to source the best basic ingredients. That is why, Simon Hulstone, the top chef who will represent the UK at Bocuse d'Or, the culinary equivalent to the Oscars, visited Scotland this week to learn more about Scotch lamb.

Scotch lamb is a main ingredient in the competition which takes place in Lyon in January next year and which will also feature Scottish seafood.

Hulstone described his visit north and the opportunity to meet Scots farmers, chefs and others with a passion for Scotch lamb as "invaluable for my competition preparation".

He was accompanied by Jordan Bailey, who will assist him at the competition, when they visited Stirlingshire farmer, Andrew Morton, who runs a 1,450 head flock over around 1,000 acres with his parents, Andrew and Jean, at Lochend Farm near Denny.

The family have farmed at Lochend since the early 60s and their visiting VIP chef was clearly very impressed with the care and attention they devote to producing top quality lambs.

Among those who also spent time with Hulstone during his visit north of the Border was Scotland's only two Michelin-star chef, Andrew Fairlie, based at The Gleneagles Hotel, Auchterarder.

"Spending the afternoon with Andrew Fairlie was great. His straight-talking feedback was constructive and has certainly given me a lot to think about," said Hulstone, who will compete against 23 of the world's leading chefs in the frenzied Bocuse d'Or final in January.

Wishing him the best of luck in the competition, Fairlie described Bocuse d'Or as "very challenging, demanding and a real test of the creativity of competing chefs".

"If anyone in the UK can win Bocuse d'Or it is Simon - he is the best competition chef in the country at the moment," said Fairlie.

The Bocuse d'Or finalists will, he said, be working with a product which, along with Scotch beef, ranks among the highest quality in the world.

"The irony is that consumers on the continent appreciate the quality of Scotch Lamb but in Scotland it is not appreciated enough," said Fairlie. "We are a nation of beef eaters and lamb comes a long way behind. On the continent they love our lamb and we should be eating a lot more of it."

Laurent Vernet, Quality Meat Scotland's head of marketing, emphasised the importance of Bocuse d'Or as an opportunity to showcase Scotch lamb to the world during Scotland's Year of Food and Drink.

"We were delighted to host Simon's visit and our thanks go to all those who have given him so much inspiration this week," said Vernet.

"Chefs such as Marco Pierre White, Albert and Michel Roux and Heston Blumenthal have also pledged to support Simon and appreciate the importance of the competition, the most sought-after prize for chefs."