Seafood and lamb help crown surf ‘n’ turf champion

The head chef from an Aberdeenshire restaurant has triumphed in the Scotch Lamb PGI Surf ‘n’ Turf Chef of the Year competition.

Ross Cochrane,  from The Rothesay Rooms in Ballater, was crowned the winner of the competition after impressing judges with a dish he created by combining Scottish seafood and Scotch Lamb PGI.

The 33-year-old beat off stiff competition from five other talented finalists at the event, which was held at Fife College as part of a joint initiative run by Quality Meat Scotland’s Scotch Beef Club and Seafood Scotland to highlight the versatility of Scotch Lamb and Scottish seafood.

Ross, who is originally from Aberdeen but now lives in Ballater, said: ‘I am proud to have been crowned the winner of a competition that celebrates Scotch Lamb and seafood from Scotland.

‘At The Rothesay Rooms, we pride ourselves on serving fresh, local produce so it’s great to have one of my recipes recognised in this way.

‘For the competition, I decided to create a new dish using seared Scotch lamb, shallots, roast corn, panisse, Isle of Mull scallops, young veg, Scotch lamb cheek and jus. The standard of entries this year was incredibly high so I am honoured to have won.’

Ross is the head chef at The Rothesay Rooms in Ballater, which was established almost two years ago by HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay, to provide employment and drive tourism to the area after floods swept through the village in late-2015 and the Old Royal Station was destroyed by fire in May of that year.

The restaurant, which is run by The Prince’s Foundation, is open from Wednesday evening to Sunday lunchtime each week and has become increasingly popular as a high-class dining experience for locals and visitors alike.