Bedale chef first woman in 50 years to win prestigious award

A North Yorkshire chef has said she is “really proud” to be the first woman in 50 years to win a prestigious industry award.

Ruth Hansom, owner of Hansom Restaurant in Bedale, has been crowned the Craft Guild of Chefs’ National Chef of the Year.

At Tuesday’s grand final, Hansom went head-to-head with nine other chefs, all of whom are considered to be among the country’s culinary elite.

Hansom, who had reached the final of the competition on two previous occasions, said she felt “great, really relieved” to have finally won.

The 31-year-old said: “It’s my third time being in the final and I didn’t want to have to go back next year – because I would have.”

The journey to victory was a long one, beginning with a paper application, which Hansom said was the opportunity for chefs to “really get your personality in”.

Forty chefs were then selected to cook at the semi-final in Sheffield, held on the hottest day of the year.

“It was quite sweaty”, Hansom said.

After successfully reaching the final 10, Hansom and her fellow finalists competed for the top spot at cookery school Le Cordon Bleu London this week, where her winning three-course menu was brought to life.

Hansom’s menu began with Isle of Mull scallop with girolle, kohlrabi and cobnut.

Her main course was Angus pure beef fillet, with braised cheek cottage pie, beef fat, kuri squash fondant, glazed veal sweetbread and tail-end tartare, and she finished with a dessert of Guanaja dark chocolate, olive oil and foraged bramble mille feuille.

Hansom said: “The standard was incredibly high, and it was an honour to cook alongside such talented chefs and an exceptional judging panel.

“It was certainly nerve-racking on the day, but I’m absolutely chuffed to be recognised by my peers and the industry.”