Young Chef
This event is designed to allow youngsters to demonstrate their skills in menu and budget planning, sourcing and purchasing ingredients, hygienically cooking and serving a healthy two or three course meal for two. Selection for the competition is normally based on local schools, often with school heats needed to decide who should go forward to the district competition. At the district competition the competitors will be questioned and judged by experienced chefs about what they are doing, how they selected their menu, etc.
Clubs usually find a local, well known, chef to judge their heats.
The winners and in some cases the runners up from District event will be eligible to go forward to a Regional event and from there to a prestigious National final.
Bridport Young Chefs 2012
Rotary President Malcolm French with the 2012 local winner Jessica Wheeler
Katie Neame,Clive Bath,Matt Follas,Monique Pasch,Clive Coombs,Jessica Wheeler,Mike Harris, Otis Scadding,Kieran Ellison, Lauren Furnell, Annie Armstrong
The Rotary Club of Bridport recently organised the first round of the national Rotary Young Chef Competition.
Jessica Wheeler aged 14 from Bridport beat five other contestants in a very closely fought competition to prepare and serve a two course meal of their choice with ingredients costing no more than £10. Mat Follas, owner of The Wild Garlic in Beaminster and previous winner of TV’s Master Chef competition led the judging panel. Mat was assisted by Monique Pasche, one time owner of Monique’s Wine Bar in Bridport and Mike Harris, Executive Chef from the West Bay Hotel.
The competition was held in the new vocational facility at The Sir John Colfox School and all the contestants are pupils at the school.
Jessica will now go forward to the District competition, which will be held at King Arthur’s School, Wincanton on 12th February next year.
The Vocational building at The Sir John Colfox School incorporates a brand new purpose designed cooking area for teaching purposes where NVQ levels 1 & 2 qualifications in Hospitality and Food Preparation are offered. The new accommodation was constructed over the summer and just beat the freeze on public expenditure. Earlier this year the celebrity chef Mark Hix, a former pupil of the school, formally opened the facility.
Bridport Young Chefs 2010
L-R Harry Hitchock the winner, Jake Wild, Lauren Furnell, Oliver Imber
Young Chefs 2009
the winner Oliver Imber is on the far right