School chef cooks up place in finals with a £1.30 feast
A SCHOOL chef will represent Wales in a UK-wide competition after her twocourse meal – made with a budget of just £1.30 – impressed judges.
Leanne Rees Sheppard made lamb and mint meatballs in tomato sauce, Caerphilly cheese and sweet potato mash, and steamed broccoli with carrots.
This was followed by a coconut rice pudding topped with a Bramley apple and plum compote and a traditional Welsh cake.
Pupils at Tremains Primary School in Bridgend, where Leanne works, helped her pick the dishes, making sure their favourites were on the menu.
It helped Leanne win the title of Welsh School Chef of the Year and now she will join other regional winners from across the UK to battle it out at the national school chef finals, which will take place at Stratford-upon-Avon in March.
Designed to demonstrate the high quality and nutritional value of modern school meals, the competition is organised by the Lead Association for Catering in Education.
Competitors received a maximum ingredients budget of £1.30 and were given 90 minutes in which to prepare a winning twocourse meal.
Leanne said: “My menu had a strong Welsh flavour and used as many locally-sourced ingredients as possible while also meeting the nutri- tional requirements of the Healthy Eating in Schools regulations. I was very impressed by the professionalism of the other competitors and the creativity of their menus and I am looking forward to representing Wales in the national finals.”
Tremains Primary head teacher Deborah Todd said: “We are delighted that Leanne won the competition. Her meals are going down great with the children and we are all over the moon that she has progressed to the national final.”
Councillor Charles Smith, Bridgend council’s cabinet member for education and regeneration, added: “This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the skills and talents of our amazing catering team, especially at Tremains Primary.
“I am sure that the people of Bridgend county borough will join me in congratulating Leanne and wishing her all the best for the finals.”