_{First Ever British Live Fire Cooking Championships at Ludlow Food Festival}

The heat was on at the Kadai Fire Stage as the first-ever British Live Fire Cooking Championships unfolded at the renowned Ludlow Food Festival. From September 13th to 15th, the country's top fire-cooking finalists, Joe Gregory, Wayne Smith, and Mark Hammond, competed head-to-head in a sizzling contest to be crowned the British Champion and win a golden ticket to compete in the World Food Championships.

Hosted by the charismatic DJ BBQ, the competition drew passionate food lovers eager to witness the finest in live-fire cooking. With each round providing a unique culinary challenge, contestants battled to impress the expert judges and the lively crowd. 

The panel of esteemed judges brought a wealth of expertise and passion to the competition. Featuring the likes of Adam Purnell, Sam & Shauna, Kate Humble, Genieve Taylor, Murph from the Beefy Boys and Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich from Honey & Co.

Round 1: Friday, September 13th – Friday Night Fakeaway

The contestants kicked off with the first round, 'Friday Night Fakeaway' reinventing takeaway classics over live fire. Mark Hammond cooked up a delicious fish and chips, no easy feat done over live fire. Wayne Smith came through with a chicken shawarma kebab and finally Joe Gregory cooked an irresistible king prawn Thai red curry. With only 30 minutes of cooking time, it was certainly a challenge for the finalists but they all excelled and the scores were tight heading into round two.

Round 2: Saturday, September 14th – Fridge Raider

The second round amped up the pressure with surprise ingredients revealed just 15 minutes before cooking. Wayne Smith gave an impressive performance and the scores were tight, but was ultimately knocked out, leaving Joe Gregory and Mark Hammond to move on to the final showdown. 

Round 3: Sunday, September 15th – Ludlow Food Festival 30th Anniversary Meal

The grand finale tasked Joe Gregory and Mark Hammond with creating their best two-course meal, in celebration of Ludlow Food Festivals 30th anniversary. Joe Gregory and his assistant Tom cooked cajun cream oysters with crayfish and smoked cheese to start. Followed by carne asada bavette with charred corn and smoked tomato salad, Mexican spiced courgette with a smoked tomato and burnt red pepper salsa. 

Mark and his assistant Lawerence did a take on a Sunday roast dinner, serving up pork with all the trimmings followed by a very creative tarte tatin cooked over live fire.

After a thrilling battle, it was Mark Hammond's fire-cooked creativity that earned him the title of British Live Fire Cooking Champion. 

As ongoing sponsors of the Fire Stage, Kadai's versatile Firebowls and Cookware Accessories set the stage for this exciting culinary spectacle, celebrating the rich tradition of live-fire cooking. 

Kadai would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to everyone who entered the British Live Fire Cooking Championships, to those who came to watch and cheer on the contestants, and to everyone who supported the competition behind the scenes. The enthusiasm, energy, and passion for live-fire cooking made the event truly special. Keep a close eye on Kadai & The British Live Fire Cooking Championships Instagram pages for exciting announcements on next year's competition.

For more information, visit www.BritishLiveFireCookingChampionships.co.uk.