Mövenpick Gourmet Dessert Chef of The Year Final

During an evening of excitement and ice cream, Mövenpick Ice Cream and the newly opened Good Housekeeping Institute in Soho hosted the live final of their 2015 Gourmet Dessert Chef of the Year competition in London. The evening saw five professional and talented chefs battle to win the prestigious crown. The brief instructed each contestant to create a unique take on the well-loved and famous ice cream sundae.

Biju Joshwa of London Marriott Country Hall Hotel impressed the judges – led by head judge and chocolatier Will Torrent – the most. They adored Joshwa’s Black Forest Sundae, which consisted of a combination of Mövenpick Vanilla Brownie Ice Cream, fresh cherry compote, vanilla blondies, cherry foam and crème Chantilly.

As part of his winning prize, Joshwa will showcase his sundae at the UK’s biggest food festival, Taste of London, later this month. In addition, Joshwa will enjoy a three night stay at a five-star London hotel with VIP tickets to the food haven and spending money: a rather marvellous prize for such a talented individual.

Joshwa said of his win: “I strived to make my sundae as beautiful as possible, especially as we first taste with our eyes. Incorporating elements traditionally found in sundaes, such as brownie and compote, I aspired to make the perfect sundae from top to bottom. I’ve always loved the flavours of black forest and so paired Mövenpick Vanilla Brownie Ice Cream with cherries and Chantilly cream to resemble this. I really took onboard the feedback from last year’s competition, so I’m delighted to have finally won the title of Gourmet Dessert Chef 2015.”

Will Torrent commented: “As a team of judges, we were really impressed with how the finalists worked – all with big smiles on their faces. But for us, it was Biju who delivered the winning smile. The innovative presentation of his Black Forest Sundae showcased Mövenpick Ice Cream as the true hero and was a delicious, perfectly portioned pud.”

Out of every year, this event will surely be one which chefs all over the country will want to attend and compete in. If this competition is anything to go by, there will be plenty more exciting things to see and taste from future contestants.

Amaliah Sara Marmon-Halm