Our Finalists
Meet Our BLFCC 2025 Finalists
After months of fire, flavour, and fierce competition, the final three have been chosen. Adam Lloyd and David Hill were selected by the Kadai HQ judging panel, with Nick Smith earning his place through the public vote in our People’s Choice round. These three talented cooks will now go head-to-head live on stage at Ludlow Food Festival, battling it out over three days of challenges to be crowned the British Live Fire Cooking Champion, and to win a place representing the UK at the World Food Championships in the USA.
Adam Lloyd
Back to the Big Day
Adam Lloyd will be joining the final with his deeply personal dish, ‘Back to the Big Day’, where he recreated the three-course meal from his wedding, this time cooked entirely over fire to celebrate his 10th anniversary.Starter: Beef-tallow fried hot smoked salmon fishcake with lamb lettuce and pea & mint purée.
Main: Fire-roasted heritage sirloin with beef tallow roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, and ember-baked garden vegetables.
Dessert: Ember-cooked spiced apple crumble with homemade smoked blackberry ice cream.
David Hill
Maldivian Surf’
David Hill impressed with his vibrant and technical dish, ‘Maldivian Surf’, inspired by the flavours of his honeymoon in the Maldives 13 years ago, reimagined through the art of live fire cooking. The final dish included: Mas Riha (Maldivian fish curry), handmade Roshi flatbreads, smoked seabass fillets with salsa verde, chilli and ginger-marinated wild king prawns, fire-cooked lobster with lemon, curried cod skewers, and a curried halloumi fire salad with asparagus, peppers, roasted tomatoes, and greens.
Nick Smith
Hereford Beef, Inspired by Cyprus
Inspired by his wife’s Greek Cypriot roots, Nick’s dish brings together fire-led tradition and bold flavour. It features a slow-cooked Hereford beef short rib stifado, cherry wood-grilled sheftalia, fig hummus, warm pea and gem salad, and grilled vine leaf feta, honouring a culture where live fire is at the heart of every meal.