With only a few weeks until the start of The Great Fleet Street Quarter Cook Off 2024, we are delighted to announce the panel of four judges for the final. Their combined experience will bring a wealth of knowledge to the competition.
Chef Jamal Bendghoughi, Cuisine Teaching Chef at Le Cordon Bleu
With an early passion for cooking inherited from his mother and family holidays in the French countryside, Chef Jamal has gone on to work across some of the best culinary establishments around the world. He opened his own restaurant, La Cave in Borough Market where he spent a decade creating seasonal menus, chef menus and special courses. Chef Jamal joined Le Cordon Bleu’s Cuisine Teaching Team in 2019 bringing a vast amount of experience.
Lulu Grimes, Managing Editor, Good Food Magazine
Lulu brings extensive experience in magazine editorial (Olive Magazine, Food and Travel, and Sainsbury’s Magazine), working as a food editor for Murdoch books in Sydney where she researched and worked on a series of internationally published food and travel books. She has also written for The Sydney Morning Herald, has taught a course on Food Writing at City University and then at Leith’s School of Food and Wine and has published several cookbooks.
Taz Khan MBE, Social Entrepreneur
Founder and CEO of London’s Community Kitchen amongst other award-winning projects, Taz’s teams serve as sustainability leaders and community advocates, promoting sustainable development across the country. During the pandemic, the London Community Kitchen supplied food equivalent to over 15 million meals, as of now the programme is feeding more than 20,000 people in London every week. Taz was nominated by Chef Tom Kerridge for the 2022 Observer Food Monthly Award for Outstanding Achievement.
Chef Lorenzo Stella, Head Chef at Apex Hotels Temple Court
With an impressive career spanning across a variety of luxury hotels, Chef Lorenzo has a deep knowledge in the world of cooking, previously working at Marriott, Hilton Hotels and Chiltern Firehouse. Chef Lorenzo is passionate about the culinary arts and food industry. As Head Chef at Apex Temple Court, Chef Lorenzo will be bringing a huge amount of talent and experience to the kitchen.
