Dave Critchley, Operations Head Chef at the Living Ventures group, has finally been able to claim his prize in Essential Cuisine’s #Chefsdayoff competition, after offering himself up to cover for a number of charity functions and miss out on the original prize of an all-expenses-paid Cornish culinary tour, culminating at the Universal Cookery and Food Festival (UCFF) in Padstow.
Essential Cuisine were so impressed with Critchley's dedication to the job and his brigade, that they rearranged his prize, sending him and his wife to Cartmel for an overnight stay and lunch at Simon Rogan’s world famous l’enclume (tasting menu dishes pictured).
Critchley had originally entered Essential Cuisine’s #chefsdayoff competition, which called on chefs to describe their perfect day away from the action of the kitchen. Tweeting an image of himself at home, clutching a glass of wine, the Liverpudlian chef was chosen from a large number of entries into the competition, ranging from the humorous and heartfelt through to the downright illegal.
Having booked time away from work for a prize trip to Cornwall, he reluctantly had to cancel when preparations for charity events across a number of Living Ventures sites became too great.
Nigel Crane, Managing Director, Essential Cuisine, picks up the story, “We were obviously disappointed that Dave couldn’t join us in Padstow, but loved the fact that he had put his team before himself. In the face of such heroics, our resolve that he should have his day off – albeit slightly later than planned – was only strengthened!”
Critchley commented, “I was made up to win such a fantastic prize and absolutely devastated when I couldn’t attend. The Essential Cuisine team were brilliant, however, and understood the situation completely. I couldn’t believe it when they said they were going to send me to l’enclume – as a chef it has been on my wish list for years, getting the chance to go, and even meet Simon Rogan, was out of this world – what an experience, what a day off!”
Essential Cuisine’s #ChefsDayOff competition was launched to celebrate its headline sponsorship of the Craft Guild of Chefs’ Universal Cookery and Food Festival (UCFF), dubbed the ‘Glastonbury for chefs’, which took place this September. A celebration of food, seasonality and the harvest, UCFF offers the chance for chefs across the country to get out from behind the pass and rub shoulders with farmers, foragers and growers as well as suppliers, industry insiders and fellow chefs.
Based in North West England, Essential Cuisine is a proud British producer of high quality stocks, jus, gravies, demi-glaces, glaces and classic RTU sauces.