In a battle with some of the country’s best chefs, The Smoking Goat was announced triumphant at Young’s eighth Scotch Egg Challenge which took place at The Canonbury in Islington yesterday (21 February).
In a fiercely contested competition between 23 chefs, Meedu Saad and Robert Juer of The Smoking Goat, Shoreditch were crowned the standout winners for their Thai spiced fermented crab with Tamworth pork egg.
The illustrious panel of judges placed Trevor Hunt of the Drapers Arms, last year’s winning venue, in second place with his ‘Hamey’ egg made with ham hock. Third place split the judges and in joint position were Tim Anderson from Nanban in Brixton with his tea pickled egg with pork mince flavoured with Scotch bonnet bamboo shoots, garlic chips and parmesan with a ramen noodle panko bread crumb served with a Leopard sesame pork broth for dipping; and Matt Hunter from North Yorkshire’s, Star Inn The City with his duck breast and confit duck leg with Nose 2 Tail pork encased in a crackling crumb.
Other contestants providing eggceptional flavour combinations included James Ramsden from Pidgin, Calum Franklin from Holborn Dining Rooms and Stephen Englefirled from The Jugged Hare.
For the first year, the Challenge partnered with community kitchen Refettorio Felix, to auction off 12 of the best seats in the house. Seated alongside press and mingling with the chefs, winners enjoyed all of the eggs on offer. A range of specially designed Scotch Egg Challenge t-shirts, fashioned by compere Joe Warwick, were also sold to raise additional funds for the worthy cause. Next up, the winning Smoking Goat chefs, on a date of their choice, will be creating a special three course menu at the community kitchen in Earl’s Court.
