Awarded Silver Best-in-Class, Lexington’s two-man team comprised Tony Stuart and James Garred, who went head-to-head against the nine other team finalists.

Co-run by Tilda and the Craft Guild of Chefs, contestants were required to prepare, cook and present four portions of a main dish and dessert in 45 minutes - using Tilda rice as the base ingredient in both recipes.

Impressing judges with their “interesting flavour and taste combinations,” Lexington served Tilda basmati and wild jewelled saffron rice, spiced halibut, crab and a sea vegetable main course, and Tamarind pineapple, caramelised Tilda Arborio rice ice cream, coconut, pistachio, rice granola for dessert.

Garred said:
“We feel really good. It’s been a great experience - a challenging one, too, with the time scale we had.”

Stuart added:
“It was also slightly out of our comfort zone but it’s been good. It’s difficult to produce in 45 minutes but we’re happy to have won, and I’m happy to have won with a friend as well.”

As well as the winning title, the pair have also won a two-day trip to Po Valley (Italy) where they will
experience the Arborio rice harvest.

Craft Guild of Chefs’s director of operations, Andrew Green, commented: “Congratulations to the Lexington Catering team. The teams worked extremely hard right to the end, in an extremely intense competition. It was clear to see they were motivated by their passion for food.”