BRITAIN'S BEST DISH 2011

My journey…

It was my husband John that encouraged me to take part in Britain's Best Dish. my biggest fan, my strictest critic! I entered two recipes on the application form a main dish cauliflower chowder with smoked cod loin and a starter – pea velouté with marinated ham hock and coconut foam.

I was invited to an audition in Coventry at the end of January to which I had to bring my dishes already made so armed with my cool bag and vacuum flask I entered the Ramada hotel.

What a wonderful sight lay before me – an array of wonderful people with dishes that inspired them, gnocchi with cheese sauce, rice puddings, quails scotch eggs in a parmesan  basket, jerk chicken, chilli con carne, homemade sausage and leek gratin, a fruits of the forest gateaux. It was so exciting.

Mark greeted me and told me to find a space and assemble my dish. There was a lovely atmosphere in the room, everyone there eager to see each other’s dish and sample them once they had completed their audition.

Finally it was my turn and I entered the room with my two chosen dishes. Sat before me were two quite serious looking individuals, a dark coloured lady and a stern looking gentleman that said we will be filming you but try and ignore the camera!! They tried my dishes and asked me various questions about why I had chosen them and what had inspired me.

The lady who later became known to me as Juliet asked which dish was my favourite and why – I promptly answered the pea velouté with the marinated ham hock. My mom had used to cook boiled ham hock with peas and creamy mashed potatoes accompanied with a dreamy parsley sauce; my dish was inspired by her as were all my childhood foodie memories.
“Then that is the dish will put forward then…” she said, but you “need an element of crunch now practise your bread making…” with that I was ushered to the next room and told they would make a decision within the next ten days.

9 days passed and no news and I was resigned to the fact that I hadn’t got through.
On the afternoon as the 10th day my mobile rang – unknown number – I answered to hear Mark (assistant producer B.B.D.) on the other end of the phone my heart sank he was ringing to say sorry you haven’t made it!!! But no – he was very pleased to tell me I had got through and was inviting me to London to take part in the live show – woo hoo my journey had begun!

BRITAIN'S BEST DISH 2011

Second Round (11.05.11)

I didn’t have to wait as long this time to find out if I was one of the lucky two, as the regional final was on the 21st. But the wait was none the less agonising. Once again it was Mark Butcher (whom I had grown quite fond of) who delivered the good news. I squealed with delight, ITV would be coming to film me at work and then at home with the children in a few days time- time to tidy up !!! Then I would travel down to London to face my unknown competitor. Who would be given the title of the Midlands best starter? and an opportunity to compete in the national quarter finals?

Everyone was excited; the children were given special permission to miss the afternoon of school. My very good friends arrived at work to support me as well as mum and dad.
The film crew were totally great they filmed me at work in the garden centre shop and then demonstrating how to prepare a spring hanging basket. Then it was time to get cooking. The children and I made cupcakes, which is one of our favourite activities. Using our own free range eggs and baking them in my beloved Aga- Aggie. We had such fun!

I travelled down to London on the 20th, once again with my cool bag containing my priceless Chase Farm gammon hock and Just oil, extra virgin rapeseed oil and my local butter. This time I didn’t feel nervous about the cooking, having already experienced the studio and aware of the processes involved in filming, I actually felt a sense of calm excitement. However now the competition actually meant something to me- if I won the regional final I would be given the opportunity to cook in the professional kitchens at Hackney catering college. Where not only would the three judges taste my dish but also three prestigious food critics also including the much admired Sophie Grigson and Waitrose’s William Sitwell. An opportunity to impress, what an honour too. That would be totally amazing!

It was only when Sarah (a really lovely member of the crew also from the Midlands) came to collect us from the hotel that I met my fellow starter cook. His name was Michael and once again I recognised him from the auditions in Coventry. A truly nice guy but clearly competitive and very eager to win. Had I met my match? He was cooking Jerk Chicken- a dish very special to him and his Jamaican roots. He was using a complex mix of spices adapted from a traditional family recipe. This was going to be tough, but I told myself to enjoy the day. I was confident in my dish, made with good quality British ingredients, a good British dish made by a good (well most of the time hee hee!) cook- that’s ME. The best starter would shine through.

I had decided to eliminate the coconut foam from the dish as in the last round all judges had not been particularly complimentary about it! In its place I would garnish my ham hock with fresh pea shoots and to the reduced liquid a dash of vinegar, to glaze the meat and bring out more flavour. To the local butter I would add two types of mustard a strong English and a whole grain mild variety to add texture. Upon practising the dish at home I felt that these improvements would be well received by the judges- but only time would tell.
Mary Nightingale greeted Michael and me and it was time for the cook off. Michael clearly shares the same passion for good food as I. His blend of spices for the Jerk chicken smelt divine. I remained focused and set to. 50 minutes really isn’t much time so organisation was key.

All went well and once again proudly delivered my dish to the judges table, I had done my best there was nothing else I could do. The judges decided to taste my dish first, then Michaels. Michael had been anxious that his seasoning had burnt but the judges were very complimentary about the flavour and the presentation of his dish. Jilly felt that the parsley should have been chopped more finely in my ham hock and that I should have perhaps put more mustard in my butter. John commented about the sweetness and consistency of my Veloute. Now I was not feeling over confident at all.

But thankfully when the verdict came both Jilly and John voted for my starter and Ed gave Michael his vote. Which meant I had done it! MY pea veloute and marinated ham hock had triumphed- my starter was the best of the Midlands- what an achievement.

Midlands best starter 2011- Penny Zako’s Pea Veloute and marinated Ham Hock

Next stop Hackney Cater ring  college, now the cooking was serious!

Hackney Catering College

A real treat to be allowed to cook my starter course in a professional kitchen, something that I had never done before. This was a whole different environment to the studio; it was a little bit scary and at the same time very exciting. Here I would meet the best of Britain's best cooks, all the other six regional finalists in the starter category.

What a lovely group of people, all different ages and backgrounds with a story to tell of the origins of their chosen dishes.
The stakes had been raised in this round of the competition not only would we be cooking for the judges but also for three food critics; in an environment I was not used to and using equipment very different to domestic appliances, this round was going to be very testing!
I had taken on board the criticisms I had received in the previous round and had decided to double strain my veloute to improve both the consistency and to counteract the sweetness of my Petit pois by using lemon juice and a drop of apple balsamic vinegar. More mustard would be added to the butter.

However because the straining of the veloute now took twice as long I was very anxious that 50 minutes would not be enough time. I was so eager to impress, my heart was pumping and I felt dizzy with anxiety and adrenalin.

All seven of us entered the kitchen it was time to start cooking. Firstly I prepared the veloute vegetables, then the rocket oil and next my bread- but oh no my oven had been turned off!! Hastily we ignited it and the bread went in with 20 minutes to go.

Time was running out, panic set in my veloute was taking ages to strain and when I finally finished the taste was very sweet and it was much too thin! Oh no what was I to do, John noticed my dilemma and joined me in the kitchen. He guided me and helped me to focus again, telling me that I had come too far to go out of the competition at this stage.

I ran to the blast cookers and transferred my bread into them, with five minutes to go I seasoned my Veloute adding cream and butter to counteract the acidity of the lemon juice that I had heavy handily added. It worked, thank God! I then turned my attention to plating up; my bread was done within seconds of the plates being tasted by the judges. I had done it- Just! Emotion set in and tears streamed down my face, the crew were so lovely and comforted me. I really was so unsure how the judges would view my dish. I had felt so rushed so out of control- please God I whispered let me go through.

We were called in for the verdict, all lined up ready for the judges cull. The first bullet was fired! John announced that only four of us would be chosen to cook for the food critics, the others would be sent home! Waiting there seemed like an eternity, but then in the fuzz and blur I heard my name- once again I was through- fantastic!!! But I was only half way there- now I had to convince the food critics.

I and the other lucky chosen three walked down the stairs to present our starter dishes to the critics. They stood there expressionless as we placed our dishes in front of them. They would taste them in private and then relay their decision to the judges.

Once again it was a waiting game, all of us unsure of what the decision would be. At last we were called in for the final verdict. Ivan was put through first with his smoked mackerel pate and beetroot done three ways. The three ladies were left. I was so shocked the second person to go through and to cook at the Savoy hotel was ... Penny Zako, with her pea Veloute and marinated ham hock- ME, whow I had done it!

The Savoy Hotel

Next and final stop the Savoy hotel. Six of us would cook here for the ultimate accolade of been named the best of our course categories. Oh- to be crowned Britain's best starter dish would be such a triumph, what an achievement. But equally what an honour to be allowed to cook in the professional kitchen at the Savoy hotel, for none other than the executive chef Bernard; as well as the food and beverage and restaurant managers. This is where we really had to impress- no time for panic or slip ups today!

I arrived the day before and met up with Ivan, the other starter cook. It was lovely to see him as we got on very well right from our first meeting at the catering college.

In the evening g we dined in the Strand Palace hotels al a carte' restaurant and chatted about our experiences on the show, then we wished one another well until the morning.

I slept surprisingly well and was up bright and early, ready to face the Savoy. What a beautiful hotel, recently refurbished to its former glory, it was all that I expected and more. Expectations of us would be exceptionally high here, I was in awe!

Before cooking we met Bernard a very tall and plain talking man, he told us that nothing but the best would be acceptable and so the pressure was on.

Ivan and I were the first to cook our dishes, Jilly popped in to see us and warned me to finely chop my parsley but other than that the other judges were pleased with what I was doing. Time moved swiftly on but I felt more organised this time and very confident that my dish would be right. The kitchen was surprisingly small, so it was a good job Ivan and I got on so well!
All went to plan and it was time to deliver our starters to the Savoy team, I felt so nervous. To please the judges here would be my ultimate dream. Both dishes looked fantastic we had raised our game; this was cooking at the highest level.

All three judges tasted, there were a lot of nodding and then a smile spread across Bernard's face, he looked at me and said- "...your dish, it is delicious." I couldn't have hoped for more- high praise indeed! Now we would have to wait until the other main and desert cooks had finished their dishes.

It was such a long wait, the film crew booked into one of the suites at the hotel so that we could wait in comfort. We were all so tired with anticipation, exhausted from the hot heat of the kitchen and drained from the experience. It was hours before we were all called back downstairs. Even then it seemed to take the film crew for ever to arrange everyone into position. I felt quite dizzy, the waiting had been long the decision was imminent. It all got a little too much and I swooned. Mary Nightingale was the first on the scene, she was so kind. A sweet cup of tea and a blast of fresh air and I was back on my feet again. This competition really meant something. I love to choose fresh local produce and create a dish. This is my passion, what I want to do; here was an opportunity to establish myself.

I could not believe it the judges at the Savoy chose me as Britain's best starter. I had won- I was the creator of Britain's Best Starter Dish 2011. What an achievement, I felt so overwhelmed.

Britains Best Dish - The Final

Winning Britain's best starter dish was an amazing experience and one which I shall never forget. But there was one more hurdle, the ultimate title of Britain's best dish. In this final the three course winners would cook their dishes for a live audience as well as the judges, food critics and the team from the Savoy. But it would be the great British public who would choose the ultimate winning dish.

This was a difficult task to expect people to choose between a starter, main and desert as their favourite. This was a difficult one and all I could do was to cook to my very best ability and hope that the audience liked my starter enough to vote for me.

I led a team of highly talented chefs to prepare my dish and then it was served to the audience in the ITV restaurant. I really enjoyed the day because I had already achieved what I had set out to do.

My husband John and mum and dad were going to watch the show today. They joined me in the green room along with the other relatives of the other two contestants. Sharon the mains cook and Conor the desert. Then they went into the studio whilst we had a pep talk from the executive producer, we were told that the audience had tasted all three courses and had voted for their favourite dish; but it was all still to play for as in a twist to the rules the judging panel would also taste and judge our dishes. In the event of a tie the Savoy staff would make the final decision.

So out back into the studio where it had all started the three of us filed out. It was a totally different atmosphere this time, cooking in front of a live audience with our families present was for me a really pleasant experience.

Mary Nightingale went out into the audience to ask which dish had been their favourite and to chat to our relatives. Six out of the seven asked said they had really enjoyed the starter one the desert- maybe just maybe my dish would be chosen to grace the table at the Savoy.
The time came for the judgement Sharon was first to be eliminated, which left Conor and I. It was not meant to be Conors name was called out, a sixteen year old catering student and runner up of young chef of the year, had done it. His desert would appear on the Savoy menu and along with the £10000 he was offered an apprenticeship at the Savoy. What an opportunity for him, a young lad who seriously wanted to be a chef and own his own restaurant one day, a totally life changing experience.

I was a winner too and this experience had also been life changing, as a former school teacher and lover of British produce and recipes I have decided to offer my services to other keen, enthusiastic cooks. I have launched my website and taken up the post as food editor and restaurant critic for regional magazine streets ahead. I will be appearing at Malvern, Stafford and Shrewsbury food festivals demonstrating my dishes and promoting local produce.

Click on services to see what I have to offer and follow my trail around the country and local farmers markets sourcing good quality local produce, try out my seasonal recipes.

I am currently compiling a British foods recipe book and on July 17th Newlands Garden centre is hosting a love food festival, where you will have the opportunity to taste my winning dish, as well as taste and prepare local foods from a whole host of local suppliers.