Jack Coghill, the 24-year-old Head Chef of Jack ‘O’Bryan’s Bar and Kitchen in Dunfermline, is in the running for the Scottish Excellence Young Chef of the Year Award, due to be announced at the Awards Ceremony at Edinburgh’s Sheraton Grand Hotel, on Thursday 21 March.
The recently announced shortlist includes Jack, who covers every discipline within the kitchen of his family run restaurant, as well as being an extremely skilled pastry chef and chocolatier, listed alongside a Sous Chef from Glasgow’s Michelin starred Cail Bruich Restaurant, and a young female chef from Gleneagles.
The awards, which are widely considered to be Scotland’s premier hospitality awards, have a wide range of categories, from Chef of the Year and Restaurant of the Year, to Restaurant Newcomer, Best Sustainable Business, Pub Excellence, and Employer of the Year.
Jack said: “I am absolutely delighted to be putting Dunfermline on the map at these prestigious awards. It’s not often that small, independent restaurants, such as ourselves, make it into the shortlist for such leading competitions, which tend to naturally attract large Hotel Groups, and very well known establishments to take part. I feel that I’ve got as good a chance as any young chef of winning the category, even more so really, as I cover absolutely everything myself at Jack ‘O’ Bryans, preparing all my own desserts from scratch. I’ve become known for my artisan chocolates.
“I’ve been learning my craft since I was sixteen years of age.
“Having initially been trained by my dad Bryan, I then decided to specialise in pastry and started my training with renowned pastry Chef, Mark Tilling at his school at Farnham in Surrey. I’ve kept all my pastry and chocolate skills up to date over the years, often going down to attend more specialist training, the most recent example, being at the Callebaut Chocolate and Pastry school. It’s something I very much enjoy – pastry really tests you – but it’s a fantastic skill to add to my repertoire. I want to ensure that my desserts and chocolates are innovative and ever changing, so that our customers can continue to enjoy my new creations.”
“It’s going to be a real occasion for my family and our loyal staff members to attend the awards dinner.
“I am very grateful for all the support I have had so far from our customers and the people of Dunfermline – I would like nothing better than to bring home this title for all of them.”
Excellence Awards’ Advisory Board Chair, Andrea Nicholas, co-founder and managing director of Green Tourism, commented: “Judges have had to wade through a remarkable list of entries from many of Scotland’s finest businesses in catering, hospitality and tourism, and selecting finalists has been tough. Choosing the winners will be even harder.”
