Norwich chef could be crowned best in the country after reaching finals of competition
Marcin 'Magic' Pomierny, of the Maids Head Hotel in Norwich, who has made the finals in a best chef of the year contest. Photo: Paul Dickson - Credit: Archant
An esteemed chef in Norwich could be crowned chef of the year after making the finals of a prestigious competition.
Marcin ‘Magic’ Pomierny, 35, is a finalist in the 2020 Craft Guild of Chefs National Chef of the Year competition, having reached the semi-finals of the contest in both 2018 and 2019.
Mr Pomierny is head chef at the Maids Head Hotel in Tombland, and previously won chef of the year in the EDP Norfolk Food and Drink Awards in 2016.
Ten chefs are competing in the final, which will be held at the Le Cordon Bleu cookery school in London on Monday, September 7.
The winner is set to be revealed on Wednesday, September 30, during Hospitality Week.
Mr Pomierny said: “I am really looking forward to taking part in the final cook off. I learned a lot in my two semi-final appearances and will be focused on winning the competition for the Maids Head, Norwich and Norfolk.”
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The talented chef first trained in Poland, where he was born, and studied catering for diabetics as an additional subject, before moving to Norwich in June 2005, joining his brother and sister in the fine city.
He spoke little English at the time but began work as a kitchen porter at Tatlers, where he did washing up and food preparation for a year.
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Stints at Pulse, The Library, McIntoshes Kitchen, Rare steakhouse and The Mad Moose followed, before he moved to the Maids Head Hotel in May 2013 as sous chef.
Later that year he was promoted to head chef.
In the final, Mr Pomierny will be cooking the menu that he submitted to reach the semi-final.
It includes tapas-style starters, with Gilt head bream as the key ingredient, a locally sourced lamb main course and strawberries and cream for dessert.
His Norfolk lamb saddle is sourced from Green Farm Lamb, Little Barningham, while his dessert includes elderflower parfait, pistachio and English sparkling wine.
Christine Malcolm, general manager of the hotel, said: “Everyone at the hotel is rooting for Magic. It is such fantastic news that he has made the final of the National Chef of the Year competition and we wish him all the luck in the cook off on September 7.”
