Gold medal success for Carnoustie restaurant

Supervisor and mixologist Angus Geekie preparing his gold medal-winning cocktail creations.

Jason Cargill and Angus Geekie competed for the titles of Scottish Young Chef of the Year and Cocktail Mixologist at ScotHot, Scotland’s premier showcase for food, drink, hospitality, retail and tourism.

Supervisor and mixologist Angus Geekie was shortlisted in the Cocktail Mixology category in the Scottish Culinary Championships, for which he designed two cocktails, trialling new techniques and experimenting with different flavours to deliver unique taste experiences for the judges.

Attention to detail was key in Angus’s strategy, with house infused spirits to complement the flavours of the drink, bringing added depth to be savoured. In the end, it was his expertise that brought Angus to the forefront, with him taking home the gold medal.

Head Chef Jonathan Greer with Jason Cargill and Paul Curran.

Junior sous chef Jason, meanwhile, formulated an exceptional menu which stood as a testament to his skill and expertise, meaning he qualified to participate in the Scottish Young Chef of the Year category.

On the day, Jason, who was supported by commis chef Paul Curran, felt the pressure of the challenge and did not take a winning medal home, but he came away with more than that. He had worked on brand new techniques to create three wonderful dishes that pushed the boundaries of his skillset and comfort zone.

A spokesperson for the restaurant said: “For a first attempt into the world of culinary competition, this was an opportunity to gain awareness and experience. Being shortlisted for this award has been a wonderful achievement in itself and has only stirred Jason’s drive for his own personal development as a chef.

"The Rookery were thrilled to have two members of the team take part in the Scottish Culinary Championships.

"Head chef Jonathan Greer, who was an invited judge for a number of competitions during the two-day event, was delighted to watch his colleagues compete in their respective categories.”

ScotHot was hosted at the SEC Centre in Glasgow where more than 200 exhibitors and many more attendees filled the hall for the two-day event.