Matthew Tomkinson was visited by Michel Roux and Andrew Fairlie on his stage with Michel Guerard

What it is like to Compete  in the Roux Scholarship
By Matthew Tomkinson, 2005 Roux Scholar

Receiving the telephone call from Alison that confirms you are through to the regional finals of the Roux Scholarship makes you realise that all the hard work has been worthwhile. You now have the chance to show the judges and your fellow competitors that picking you was the right decision and it gives you the opportunity to get through to the national final.

The regional final is a surprisingly friendly affair and I have now been to three, twice as a competitor and once as a scholar. All three were in different locations and all demonstrated clearly the spirit of the competition: they were exciting, friendly (I can now count one of the people I competed against as a very good friend) and offered a great learning experience.

Before the competition gets underway you have the daunting task of being presented with the mystery box of ingredients and having thirty minutes to decide upon a dessert that you can produce using fifty percent of each.  You are however allowed to refer to cook books for ideas. As by now your main dish will have been very well practised and have become 'second nature' to you, the dessert box adds the necessary level of excitement to the day and gives the finalists an opportunity to compete on a level playing field.

Matthew Tomkinson

After the cook off, having presented your dish and your dessert to the judges you have the opportunity to chat to the other competitors and find out what everybody else did, what mistakes were made and how they think they fared. Whilst you are chatting the important opinions are being formed in the judging room and when they have finished everybody is gathered together to hear the result.

The contestants that didn’t win through this time are given constructive criticism on the dishes they produced and are actively encouraged to enter again, next year. However, to hear you are through to the National Final is a fantastic feeling, to know you now have the chance to compete for the title of Roux Scholar against five others is amazing.

Arriving at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Hyde Park makes you instantly realise the significance of what you have achieved so far, from the moment you arrive you are treated really well and are helped to relax as much as possible!

The day begins with some short interviews that give the evening's guests a chance to find out a little about each contestant, and then after a light lunch, the business of the day begins. As a contestant you are escorted through to the judge’s room and Michel Roux makes a brief speech about the day ahead, introduces the judges and hands out the recipe for the competition.

Once you have turned over the recipe sheet you are given a few seconds to digest the task and then you are talked through what is expected of you and given the opportunity to ask any questions you may have. You then have 30 minutes to write down your methodology and really understand how you will tackle the dish, the important thing to remember here is that everyone is in the same situation regardless of their position or the establishment they work in. The dish is a surprise to everyone and it is up to the finalists to remain clear headed and rely on their experience to produce the dish as required.

Success at the 2005 final.

After the cooking has finished you return to have some refreshments and get changed in to the second Bragard jacket that has been provided for you (and you are allowed to keep). When the evening's guests arrive you have the opportunity to mingle with the crowd, spot the famous faces and talk to the other competitors about how the day went. After a short time all of the guests are seated, and one by one the competitors are called into the room to rounds of applause, a truly amazing feeling in itself!

After speeches made by the Roux brothers and some of the judges the announcements are finally made. To hear your name called out by Michel Roux announcing that you have just won the Roux Scholarship is unbelievable and is by far the highlight of my career. It gives you a day and an experience that you will never, ever forget.

The 2005 final was my second time in the National Final and having been there before definitely helps. However the day is really enjoyable and the reception in the evening is a great opportunity to meet people, drink some great champagne and enjoy the great canapés provided by the Mandarin Oriental – it is a really good party!