Twenty teams are attempting to impress one man at this year’s annual Cholentfest – and he’s a non-Jewish Lancastrian who spent 34-years in the army, called Harry Lomas.
But Lomas, now executive head chef of the Grove Hotel in Hertfordshire, is up for the challenge.
“When Josh Zaitschek of the United Synagogue [who founded the competition] asked me to judge, I told him ‘it’s nothing new — don't think it’s only you doing it!’” Lomas said. “A lot of cultures make a similar dish, using inexpensive cuts of meat, beans and root vegetables cooked for several hours. “
Lomas, who trained as a chef at the start of his long Army career, added that a slow-cooked stew was a military favourite: “When we were on manoeuvres we’d prepare it first thing, bring the stew up to a boil in pots which we then put into hay boxes — insulated boxes used to slow cook food. When we arrived at our destination, hours later, the stews would be hot and ready to eat — it’s a tradition that goes back to the Crimean War.”
To prepare for this (his third cholent-judging stint — the first was two years ago) Lomas has tasted a range of cholents. “I’ve had quite a few — I know a couple of families who come into the hotel and who have invited me to taste theirs. I’ve a good idea of what to expect after the last competition.
“At the end of the day it’s a long-cook dish so I’ll be looking for the right cuts of meat, a range of tasty seasonal vegetables and the right consistency.”
Cholent Fest will take place on February 22nd and 23rd at Kinloss Synagogue, find our more here.
