Our second National Chef of the Year menu spotlight involved us working with the team from Alliance Farmers Produce to learn more about the lamb main courses served up at the final. We wanted to learn what they believed made each dish, and the creative use of Lumina lamb so special.

For this course, the dish had to be suitably garnished and capable of being cooked within three hours. Chefs had to showcase ingredients, techniques and cooking styles that brought the very best from the lamb. Judges wanted to see how the lamb element was elevated using relevant complementary and seasonal ingredients, flavours, textures and techniques.

We asked Matt Owens, Head of Culinary – Retail, Wholesale & Foodservice UK, EU & ME, Alliance, to share his thoughts on all the main courses that were served up at the final.

Craig Edgell - Lamb (Donut, Loin, Rump)

“It's great to see Lumina lamb used in so many different ways on Craig's plate. The supreme shoulder has been butchered down, making excellent use of the whole piece while elevating those more premium cuts. And the donut was such a welcome addition to the dish, texture is great and it’s full of flavour!”

Adam Fisher - Lumina lamb, lovage and celeriac

“The celeriac fondant caramelised in Lumina lamb fat is such a perfect combination and balance of flavours, complemented further by the earthy notes of the lovage. The elements are all in perfect harmony here.”

Orry Shand - Lumina lamb with the Scottish autumn

“From the theatrical yet precise nature of the plating, to the incredible thought process applied to the sourcing of the ingredients in this dish, it truly is a knockout from Orry! Pairing lamb with sheep's cheese is a clever and thoroughly considered choice, and making reference to his Scottish origins with haggis and whisky in elements of the dish adds a personal touch that puts his personality on a plate. And great use of the lamb fat through the croutons to further enhance that Lumina flavour throughout!”

Paul Gamble – Lamb, carrots and spice

“Paul has balanced the delicate flavours of Lumina lamb with tamarind and dates exceptionally well. And those Lumina lamb fat carrots are amazing! A really well balanced and executed dish.”

Lee Tyler - New Zealand lamb and the Kyoto onion

“The light and smoky flavour of this dish, paired with the super-rich and indulgent onions, all marry really well with the Lumina lamb. That sauce is decadent!”

Cleverson Cordeiro – Have you any wool?

"Cleverson has proven he's aptly named with this plate of food! Really interesting way to use the Lumina neck fillet, and the glazed belly gives a lovely texture and richness to the dish, with black pudding adding further depth of flavour and a rich umami note to finish the dish perfectly.”

Matt Ramsdale - Lumina lamb, baked, cured & consommé

“Really well-considered use of the Lumina products from Matt with this dish - he's used the lamb in so many ways! We loved the Lumina lamb bacon element as this brought a really nice saltiness to the dish. The Lumina consommé jelly had real depth of flavour and the pairing of citrus with lamb fat is really delicious!”

Jethro Lawrence – Shoreline lamb

“It's really good to see the variety of cooking methods in Jethro's dish, curing and brined techniques and utilising so many different parts of the animal. His use of nori and black garlic really ups the umami, and there's a good balance of sweet and sour throughout which helps to balance the lamb fat while allowing the Lumina lamb flavour to shine. A really elevated dish with interesting elements that deliver a great eating quality.”

Nick Edgar – Lamb, chicory, cauliflower, anchovy

“This is a really smart use of chicory from Nick, because it really highlights the Lumina flavours. If you didn't know, Lumina lamb is finished on chicory herb for a minimum of 35 days. This gives it a slightly sweeter finish, so these elements in Nick's dish add such a harmony to the flavours. Pair that with the touches of lemon throughout and a crispy lamb belly that delivers umami with the rich anchovy jus, this dish hits so many well-balanced flavour notes!”

Danny Young - Lamb loin, sweetbread, Tokyo turnip, shoulder hotpot

“Some really nice elements on Danny's dish that reference some more traditional dishes - the Lumina lamb shoulder hot pot and the lamb fat turnips are a great use of the Lumina Supreme Shoulder and add pops of flavour throughout. Lovely way to serve a main course!”