Youngsters serve up tasty dishes

This year, the national final of the Rotary Young Chef competition was held at Lincoln. The skill and passion demonstrated by the eight young finalists easily equalled that of the professionals on Great British Menu hoping to prepare at dish at the Wimbledon banquet.

Young people from schools around Peterborough were amongst the 5,000 to enter the earlier stages of our Young Chef competition.

If we could have more candidates from more local schools entering, who knows we may produce a finalist next year!

Walter Zanre (Chairman of the Judges) said: “As a parent of three boys, I realise the importance of young people learning how to cook.

“Getting to the finals is an incredible achievement in its own right – they are all winners today.

“We as judges have had an incredibly difficult task today, the standard so high.”

Prior to summarising the results he said: “Before we announce the winners we did want to mention a stand-out dish of the day.

“Rebecca Wilkinson (Ramsbottom) produced a smoked haddock soufflé.

“As well as the sensational flavours we were all knocked out when we cut into it and out poured a perfectly poached egg.

“This standard could grace table of any top restaurant. Well done Rebecca.”

His comments on the winners were: “In 3rd place, Miranda Watson (Fleet) – in particular from Miranda’s menu her beetroot horseradish was excellent and she had a perfectly executed lemon meringue. Patisserie is often most difficult part of cooking.

“In second place, Jonny Smith (Gosport) produced another one of the exceptional dishes of the day. The crab bisque that Jonny served with his crab tortellini was outstanding and could grace the table of any Michelin starred restaurant.

“Our winner Tabitha Steven (Glasgow) presented three perfectly executed dishes; her asparagus soup tasted deliciously fresh & full of flavour.

“There was a lot of sea bass on the menu today but Tabitha’s was the most perfectly cooked piece of fish. Tabitha finished her meal with a panna cotta, with my Italian roots I’m a great lover of panna cotta and Tabitha’s was one of the best I’ve eaten.”

Filippo Berio have been proud sponsors of the Rotary Young Chef competition for 10 years.

Contact me if your school would like to enter next year.