Held at the IACC (International Association of Conference Centres) Annual Conference in Leesburg, Virginia, USA on 24th March, Jamian was crowned best conference centre chef against six other 'Champion Chefs' from around the world. Taking part in a nail-biting 30 minute live cook off, Southall-based Jamian had to produce one dish from a mystery market basket of fresh produce, grains and three protein ingredients. With just 15 minutes planning time to review the unveiled ingredients, Jamian cooked pan roasted lamb medallions, seared scallops, crushed new potatoes with a rhubarb moulis finished with a carrot and coriander salad. Jamian said: "To bring the Copper Skillet home to the UK is definitely fantastic. I've worked hard to achieve goals and to win is truly amazing. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the proteins. Not knowing what they would be, there was no way to practice, but I did some thinking about different flavour combinations. The dish's separate components have strong flavours, so you don't want to season too highly but just let the flavours stand alone." Having always wanted to be a chef and working in the industry since he was 16, Jamian gets his inspiration from his family and Grenadan roots: "My first inspiration for cooking came from my mother. I definitely have Caribbean influences in my style and often serve meat and fish together." Tony Dangerfield, De Vere Venues' CEO, commented: "Our congratulations go to Jamian on this win and for being a perfect ambassador for the company. As the first British chef to win this award, it is an outstanding accolade not only for Jamian but for De Vere Venues too. We're fanatical about food as a company and Jamian's win underlines just how good our team and level of service is."