The finalists were selected by a judging panel comprising L’Enclume head sommelier Jordan Sutton; Restaurant magazine deputy editor Joe Lutrario; and Champagne Gosset export director Philippe Antony.
Entries were assessed on the originality and creativity of the proposed dish, the use of sustainable ingredients and the suitability of the Champagne pairing.
The five finalist teams and their dishes are:
- Jacob Macleod and Mollie McNamara, both from Killiecrankie House in Pitlochry – sea bream and courgette rose
- Jack Brett and Fiorella Atencio, both from Pétrus by Gordon Ramsay in London – tartare of chalk stream trout
- Ben Smith and Emilio Luiso, both from The Ritz London – Orkney scallop tartare with Datterini tomato, cucumber and Espelette pepper
- Tadhg McCabe, from Pavyllon London by Yannick Alléno, and Jack Stalker, from Restaurant St Barts in London – duck with green Sichuan peppercorn and peach
- Joel Barton, from The Bell Inn in Stilton, and Sasha Cerqueira, from CORD Restaurant in London – a three-part seafood dish titled Where Orchard Meets Ocean
The competition is open to chefs and sommeliers with fewer than five years’ professional experience in hospitality who are considered rising talents within the industry.
The final will take place at CORD by Le Cordon Bleu in London on 21 September. Each team will prepare its signature dish for the judges before being challenged to create a second dish using a mystery ingredient and pair it with a mystery Champagne, all within two hours.
The winning pair will receive a two-day trip to Champagne Gosset in Épernay, including a visit to the producer’s historic cellars and tastings of its aged and rare Champagnes.
Gosset Matchmakers was founded in 2016 to support emerging chefs and sommeliers and is now in its 11th year.
Champagne Gosset’s portfolio is distributed exclusively in the UK by Hallgarten & Novum Wines.