Proving that food served in the workplace can compete with the great British high street, B&I Catering’s StrEAT Food Awards returned this week with a live cook off and ceremony at Islington Metal Works.

With a focus on street food – the second fastest growing market segment according to MCA’s UK Eating Out Report – the annual awards celebrate innovation within the contract catering sector. This year, 16 finalists went head-to-head, hoping to wow judges with their creativity in the gripping live cook off. Each chef was tasked with creating three different dishes – one signature dish, one incorporating the sponsor’s ingredients in a technical round and one meat-free speciality.

After a nerve-wracking day, H2O Publishing’s Editorial Director Tristan O’Hana, Editor of B&I Catering, Henry Norman, and host Claire Reading, took to the stage to announce the worthy winners in front of the eager crowd, as follows:

Street Food Dish of the Year – Mustafa Salimin of Restaurant Associates
Street Food Chef of the Year – Shankar Gurumurthy of Aramark
Meat-Free Street Food Dish of the Year – Robbie Lorraine of Grazing Catering

Mustafa Salimin’s signature dish of egg fried flaky paratha roll filled with corn-fed chicken masala, pink pickled onion, date tamarind chutney and coconut raita earned him the top £1,000 prize which he heart-warmingly plans to put towards a holiday for his son, who turned one the same week as the awards.

Congratulations to the winners and finalists who each demonstrated the cutting-edge creativity of the B&I sector, and thanks to H2O Publishing for another incredible event.