Lancashire’s culinary prodigy: Sam Dixon of Northcote wows judges with knockout Norwegian cod dish and is crowned Young National Chef of the Year

Lancashire’s culinary scene has a new shining star, and his name is Sam Dixon.

In a remarkable achievement, Sam Dixon, demi chef de partie at Lisa Goodwin-Allen's Michelin starred restaurant Northcote, situated at Langho in the Ribble Valley, has been awarded the prestigious title Young National Chef of the Year (YNCOTY) by the Craft Guild of Chefs, sponsored by Seafood from Norway. Showcasing his culinary expertise and respect for responsibly sourced seafood, Sam emerged victorious from the highly competitive final cook-off on October 10th.

The YNCOTY competition surpasses all other young chef contests, bringing together those identified as the best budding chefs in the UK, giving them a platform on which to build their future careers. Supporting future generations of chefs and nurturing their talent is high on the agenda for Seafood from Norway, to secure education for the importance of origin when it comes to responsibly sourced seafood.

The ten finalists were challenged with a skills test to fillet a whole, responsibly sourced Norwegian cod - from nose to tail with minimum waste, before creating three courses, including an outstanding first course of Norwegian cod, chicken skin, pickled mushroom, hen of the woods and smoked bacon, a main dish using duck and a dessert interpretating the Manchester Tart.

As winner of YNCOTY, Sam is set to enjoy an educational culinary trip of a lifetime, hosted by Seafood from Norway, proudly represented by the Norwegian Seafood Council, to the proud ocean nation, to experience for themselves Norway’s prized seafood and leading responsible resource management.

Speaking about the win, Sam said: “The skills we’ve learned in the competition are unreal. The visit to Norway will hopefully open new doors and opportunities for the future. I’ve never been to Norway, it’ll be an incredible experience. I’m looking forward to going out to sea and doing some fishing!”

Victoria Braathen, UK Director for the Norwegian Seafood Council, congratulated the winner stating: "We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Sam. Winning the Craft Guild of Chef’s Young National Chef of the Year competition is a huge achievement and will be a defining moment in this young chefs’ career. We’re thrilled to be a part of YNCOTY as part of our mission to engage with and educate emerging UK talent and encourage the culinary stars of tomorrow to experiment and cook with Seafood from Norway in modern cuisine. We look forward to welcoming Sam to Norway, to meet our dedicated whitefish industry and see firsthand why origin matters when it comes to responsibly sourced seafood – a truly immersive and enriching culinary experience awaits!”

More information about sustainably caught seafood from Norway can be found at www.seafoodfromnorway.co.uk.