[Updated 28/8/12 with finalists]
It's going to be one of the hardest-fought contest in London's foodie world - yes, the competition for the 2012 Scotch Egg Challenge is now on.
This is the contest's second year - its inaugural year created a storm of buzz with Best Overall Scotch going to The Devonshire Arms, Best Non-Retail Scotch egg to The Friday Food Club and the Forever Eggsploring Award for Best Gourmet Award to The Hinds Head. This year it's gone a bit posh with sponsors Fortnum & Mason coming on board.
The show takes place on 25th September at The Ship pub in Wandsworth with 20 competitors taking part in the cook off to find the nation’s best Scotch Egg.
On the judge panel of egg-sperts (sorry) are Tom Parker Bowles, celebrity chef Gizzi Erskine, host of Channel 4’s ‘Baking Mad’ Eric Landlard, Fortnum and Mason’s consultant chef Shaun Hill as well as journalist and author of www.forevereggsploring.com, David J Constable – a Scotch egg fanatic and one of the competition’s creators.
The pub will have a big screen on for punters to see what's happening in the kitchen on the night and anyone who attends will also get to see a demo on how to make the classic 1738 style Scotch egg courtesy of inventors, the Queen’s corner-shop, Fortnum & Mason. Each competitor will be cooking enough eggs so the crowd can try – that means freebie tasters with delicious chutneys from the F&M deli. Round the night off with a BBQ in The Ship’s garden.
For more news and updates, read The Ship’s blog at www.theship.co.uk/blog or follow them by searching on twitter for #ScotchEggChallenge.
28/8/12 - the finalists have just been announced and are as follows:
The Bladebone Inn, Berkshire
The Bull and Last, Highgate
The Chelsea Ram
Cinnamon, Soho
The Coach and Horses, Clerkenwell
Cock Tavern, Fulham
The Drapers Arms, Islington
Duck & Waffle, Bishopsgate
The Egg Boss (Sean Lawson)
The George Inn, Chideock
The Harwood Arms, Fulham
The Hinds Head, Bray
The Jugged Hare, Chiswell Street
The Modern Pantry, Clerkenwell
The New Inn, Baschurch
Opera Tavern, Covent Garden
Peyton and Byrne
The Phoenix, Chelsea
Platform Bar and Restaurant
The Sands End, Fulham
The Ship, Wandsworth
Thatched House, Hammersmith
Tsuru
The Waterside, Fulham
