Chef Jacob Macleod and sommelier Mollie McNamara of Killiecrankie House have reached the final five of the 11th Gosset Matchmakers, one of the UK’s leading competitions for emerging chefs and sommeliers.
The pair are the only Scottish finalists in this year’s competition and, aside from one other entrant, the only competitors not based in London.
Held annually, Gosset Matchmakers challenges rising hospitality talent with fewer than five years’ professional experience to devise imaginative food and Champagne pairings. This year’s teams were asked to create a dish to complement Gosset Grand Blanc de Blanc, a 100% Chardonnay Champagne from Maison Gosset.
Known for its Pinot Noir-led wines from Aÿ, Maison Gosset first created the Grand Blanc de Blanc in 2011. The Champagne is described as crisp and expressive, with citrus fruit flavours alongside pineapple and a saline finish.
Having progressed to the final, Jacob and Mollie will travel to Cord by Le Cordon Bleu in London to prepare and present their signature pairing, titled Sea Bream and Courgette Rose.
Finalists must supply their own ingredients for the first dish, working within a £40 budget designed to ensure a level playing field. The teams will then face a second, high-pressure challenge on the day, creating an original dish using a mystery ingredient and pairing it with a mystery Champagne in less than two hours.
Ingredients for the surprise round will be supplied on the day, testing the finalists’ technical ability, creativity and capacity to work closely together under time pressure.
The other shortlisted teams are chef Jack Brett and sommelier Fiorella Atencio of Petrus by Gordon Ramsay, London; chef Ben Smith and sommelier Emilio Luiso of The Ritz, London; chef Tadhg McCabe of Pavilion by Yannick Alleno and sommelier Jack Stalker of Restaurant St Barts, London; and chef Joel Barton of The Bell Inn Hotel in Stilton and sommelier Sasha Cerqueira of CORD Restaurant, London.
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The final takes place on Monday, 21 September, with the winner due to be announced on the day.
Tom Tsappis, chef-owner of Killiecrankie House, said: “Both Matilda and I took part in the Gosset Matchmakers finals in 2023. It’s a unique experience and one that challenges everyone who takes part, bringing out the very best in both the chef and the sommelier, who work together as a team to deliver both their signature dish and the surprise dish and pairing.
“Naturally, we have everything crossed for Jacob and Mollie and wish them the very best of luck. They’ve already made us really proud; their hard work and dedication speak volumes, which is why we all hope that they can pull out all the stops and bring the title back to Scotland.”
