Michelin man joins food college in hunt for best young chef in Midlands
MI C H E L I N- S TA R R E D chef Glynn Purnell has launched the first region’s Young Chef of the Year competition at University College Birmingham, home to the College of Food.
The BBC Saturday Kitchen presenter and renowned Birmingham restaurateur will also be one of the judges in the contest.
The winner will spend a morning cooking with the ‘Yummy Brummie’ in his kitchen, followed by lunch for four.
He or she will also receive an iPhone 6 and their school will win £500 worth of vouchers to spend on cookery equipment.
The UCB Young Chef of the Year, backed by the Post’s sister paper the Birmingham Mail, is aimed at Year 10 and 11 pupils aged 14 to 16 from across the Midlands.
UCB has launched the competition, which is free to enter, to mark the 100th anniversary of professional cookery courses in the city.
Archives show that lessons were run from a cookery room in 1916 and domestic cookery classes started in 1918.
The first stage of the contest involves an online entry, in which budding chefs must outline a menu for two featuring a main course and a dessert.
The total budget is £10 and the entry deadline is Friday, October 21.
Successful candidates will be asked to cook their dishes in 90 minutes at UCB’s state-of- theart competition kitchens in Summer Row.
The best will then be asked to compete at the grand final at UCB. Pupils’ food costs, up to the agreed budget, will be reimbursed.
Judges are keen to see dishes that have a personal or family emphasis and reflect Birmingham’s rich food heritage and cultural diversity.
Neil Rippington, Dean of the College of Food at UCB, said: “We are thrilled to be launching the first-ever UCB Young Chef of the Year competition.
“It will be a showcase for the best cooking talent in the Midlands and it would be great if we could uncover a kitchen star of the future.
“The competition promises to provide great learning opportunities for pupils in Year 10 and Year 11. We hope it will encourage young people to get involved in cookery, which can open up great job opportunities and serve as a skill for life.”
Mr Purnell said: “I am delighted to be backing UCB’s Young Chef of the Year competition. It is a great opportunity for young chefs to put their skills to the test and gain invaluable experience.
“My fellow judges and I will be looking for well-cooked, tasty food and great flavours. Cooking against the clock is hard so I would advise young chefs to be well prepared and not over-complicate their dishes.
“I am really looking forward to trying the food prepared by the finalists – and welcoming the winner to my restaurant. The very best of luck to everyone.”
The chef ’s fellow judges for the final include UCB graduate Ben Ebbrell, co-founder of SORTED food, one of the world’s biggest online cookery channels with 1.5 million YouTube subscribers.
To enter the competition, complete the online entry form at www.ucb.ac.uk.