Potato Challenge champs are crowned

The head chef of The Bird in Hand Inn in Hailey, Oxfordshire has seen off stiff competition to take the pub/restaurant champion crown in the national 'Great Potato Challenge' competition 2007.

Graham Aimson fought off stiff competition to take the prize with his main course vegetarian dish 'Pommes Fondant Coddler'.

In all, 12 outstanding potato-based dishes were served up in the cook-off final of the contest. organised by the British Potato Council (BPC).

Graham said: "I'm absolutely elated. The dish was created especially for the competition but since making it through to the final we've added it to our menu. It has been selling well and the feedback from customers has been very positive, which gave me some confidence for the cook-off. I used the Estima variety of potato as it gives the dish a moist texture and has a lovely mild flavour.

"The recipe is based on the Elizabethan 'potato coddler' but adapted for today's tastes. It is a substantial meal that retails at £15.50, which proves customers are prepared to pay for a good vegetarian option. The competition has definitely made me think more about using potatoes as main components of a dish and not just as an accompaniment."

Caroline Evans, BPC marketing executive, said: "We know from our own research that many people, especially vegetarians, want to enjoy more potato dishes when eating out and this is a real opportunity for chefs. That is why we were delighted to see so many innovative recipes, using a wide range of potato varieties, at the final."