The 24th annual Venues of Excellence Cook & Serve Challenge was hosted at Leicester College, with a theme celebrating the art of Asian Fusion. Each year the competition gathers together teams from the consortium’s member venues to showcase their catering and hospitality talents. The 2026 competition brief called for creativity, balance and culinary excellence, which all the competitors excelled at. Each team prepared and served a three-course menu to reflect the theme
Unique Venues Birmingham’s team consisted of chef Victor Chan and front of house Callum Connolly. Victor won for Best Main Course (Senior) and Callum won Best Beverage Service (Senior) and Best Food Service (Senior), and also the highly coveted Food Service Champion.
Suzanna Reid Barreiro da Silva, Managing Director at UVB said of the win: “We are so proud of our culinary team’s success at the Cook and Serve Challenge this year. Our second year of entering and they have excelled again. To win four accolades at this event is a huge achievement and is testament to our team’s approach to achieving outstanding results each time providing exemplary food, customer service and hospitality.”
Chef Victor Chan’s Asian Fusion menu, each course paired with a beverage and served by Callum Connolly.
Menu:
Japanese milk bread with caramelised chicken & miso butter
Canapés
Wild garlic chicken bao with wild garlic emulsion
King prawn & pork crispy dumpling with chilli gel
Paired with Ginger Blossom Spritz
Ginger, orange, passionfruit, lime, Prosecco, garnished with dehydrated lime wheel
Starter
King prawn with puffed wild rice, satay daikon chilli pickle cucumber & prawn laksa
Paired with Dragon’s Treasure
Served inside the dragon’s treasure chest, Casamigos Blanco Tequila, homemade mango purée, yuzu syrup, agave, lime, fresh chillies, served with a black, white sesame tajin rim
Main
Vietnamese fish sauce glazed pork belly, carrot ketchup, fermented soy bean pomme anna, crackling, sesame bang bang cabbage, split jus
Paired with Sumo Cat (2023)
A dry, vibrant 2023 German white wine from Rheinhessen
Dessert
Salted caramelised lychee mousse, marshmallow, pickled rhubarb, fresh lychee & lychee jelly
Paired with Kyoto Garden
Chinese green tea, yuzu juice, homemade lemongrass syrup, passionfruit pulp, soda water, garnished with fresh lemongrass spears and cherry blossom tree
