‘Willy Wonka’ dessert wins top prize at Devon fine dining competition

A Willy Wonka-themed ‘Snickers’ dessert has taken the top prize at a fine dining competition in Devon celebrating iconic blockbuster films.

The winning dish was served during The Battle of Eden 2026: A Night at the Movies, held at Bovey Castle, where guests enjoyed a five-course tasting menu inspired by famous films.

The event brought together chefs from hotels within the Eden Hotel Collection, with each course designed and prepared by a different chef. Diners were asked to vote for their favourite dish of the evening, while the identities of the chefs remained secret until the winner was announced.

The night began with a dish inspired by Ratatouille, featuring highland wagyu beef tartare with aubergine purée, datterini tomato, barbecued courgette and piccolo pepper.

Guests were then transported from Paris to the high seas with a second course inspired by Pirates of the Caribbean – pan-seared hand-divided scallops and cauliflower served with white asparagus crisps and squid ink tuile.

The third course paid tribute to The Deer Hunter, featuring Devonshire red deer Wellington with textures of English roots, a venison ragout parcel and rich venison jus.

The penultimate course took inspiration from Pulp Fiction, with a playful take on the film’s famous “Royale with Cheese”, served as brioche with iced onion parfait, Wookey Hole cheese, walnuts and a Bloody Mary element.

But the final dish proved the standout of the evening. Inspired by Willy Wonka, the ‘Snickers’ dessert featured whipped peanut parfait, chocolate bark, dulce de leche and popcorn ice cream.

The winning creation was revealed to be the work of Mark Budd, Executive Head Chef at Bovey Castle, who has worked at the hotel for more than 11 years.

Mark said: “It feels great to bring the title back to Bovey Castle for the first time since 2015.

“The competition was extremely high with some amazing dishes, but I was in my home kitchen, and I loved channelling my inner Willy Wonka, so I always backed myself to get the votes.”

The Battle of Eden is designed to showcase the culinary skills of chefs across the Eden Hotel Collection’s portfolio of luxury hotels. This year’s event marked the eighth edition of the competition.

Managing Director Mark Chambers praised the chefs who took part.

“Each dish was a showstopper in its own right, so I must congratulate everybody who took part.

“The evening underlined the unbelievably talented chefs that we have across our hotels that are not only serving high quality dishes, but are also showcasing the artistic side of a career in the industry, which can only help to nurture the next generation of talent, which is crucial for our sector.”