The chefs who will provide a mouth-watering feast at The Courier Food & Drink Awards 2025 in partnership with Barnetts have been revealed.

Five talented local chefs will cook up a storm at the event on March 26 at the Apex Hotel in Dundee.

Crafting canapes

Private chef and experienced event caterer Gabor Baranyai will prepare the canapes at the awards.

Gabor creates a tailored menu for every event and is even now still busy crafting the perfect canapes.

He is fresh off the back of working at Murrayfield during the Six Nations and will now turn his attention to creating some delicious bites for the award ceremony.

Gabor said: “I’m not entirely sure what I will be doing yet. I am trying to build around every other part of the meal, matching flavour profiles and not overpowering other dishes.

“I have three types of canapes in mind though. One will be vegetarian, one will have fish and one will be meaty.”

Showcase starter

Perth chef Praveen Kumar, of Tabla and Praveen Kumar Ready Meals, will be working on the starters.

It’s Praveen’s fifth year cooking for the event.

“I am still deciding what to prepare and I am working with my butcher to see what we want to showcase,” he said.

“In Scotland, we have such an amazing larder and Courier Country sits at the top of that. We have amazing seafood, things like berries and farm produce too.

“It is always an amazing time and it’s always very exciting to cook for this event. This year I have changed from canapes to starters, so I am really keen to impress.”

Fabulous fish course

Kamil Gloeh, head chef at the Rusacks Hotel 18 Restaurant in St Andrews, will prepare the fish dish.

He said: “I think it might be controversial but I am choosing to do a cold fish course. I will be preparing a juniper cured sea trout that I will serve with tonic compressed cucumber with a gin dressing. It combines something that everyone loves, which is a gin and tonic and a piece of nice fresh fish.”

Main event

Apex Hotel head chef Laura Duffy will provide the main course and is looking forward to cooking at the awards for the first time.

“I’ll be preparing a beef bourguignon,” she said.

“I think the awards are important because they showcase a lot of local foods. I think it’s good to get everyone from the region involved and highlight everyone’s efforts in one place.”

Something sweet

Heritage Portfolio executive head chef Paul Hood rounds things off with dessert.

“I am going to do a rhubarb and custard dessert at the awards,” he said.

“I think it is really important to be involved with The Courier awards to showcase the amazing chefs in the area and support the industry.”