Beth cooks up spot at top risotto chef finals and chance to taste life in Italian restaurant
A Loughborough teenager has been named as the Midlands regional finalist in the Riso Gallo UK & Ireland Young Risotto Chef of the Year 2023.
Beth Williams, 19, right, who attends Loughborough College, joined 12 other young chefs in the regional heat, and will now be heading to the grand final at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 3, where the winner will be named the Riso Gallo UK & Ireland Young Risotto Chef of the Year 2023.
All regional finalists will have their dishes judged by professional chefs with the final judging panel to include; consultant chef Paul Gayler MBE; Danilo Cortellini, consultant chef at The Italian Embassy; Adriano Cavagnini, executive chef at the Bvlgari Hotel; Fabio Pisani from Il Luogo Aimo e Nadia in Milan; Davide Degiovanni, head chef at 5 Hertford St, and Francesco Dibenedetto, head chef at Bibendum in London.
The winner will receive an all-expenses-paid three-day work experience with renowned judging chef Fabio Pisani and his team at the two Michelin-starred Il Luogo Aimo e Nadia in Milan, Italy.
Fabio Pisani said: “This competition is a great opportunity not only for the young chefs to grow but also for us to meet a different culture and food perspectives, share new ideas, and imagine - together - different ways to honour and celebrate the finest rice.”
Jason Morrison, MD Riso Gallo UK said: “For over 165 years, Riso Gallo has supplied many of the top chefs across the world with Italian rice of the highest quality.
“We understand their passion and commitment to their craft, and the years of training they undertake.
“We launched this competition to help foster and reward the next generation, who can inject personality, passion and creativity into their own vibrant, exciting risotto dish.
“Our UK & Ireland Young Risotto Chef of the Year has gone from strength to strength each year.”
It is the sixth year of the competition, aimed at young chefs aged 17 to 23 years, who are either in education or starting out in their professional careers.
The runner-up will win three days at the Italian Embassy in London.
Riso Gallo, the first international brand in the sector to have produced rice from sustainable agriculture, is supplying Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with its range of sustainable rices for use in their catering facilities.
Tottenham Hotspur was named the Premier League’s greenest club following a study carried out by the UN-backed Sport Positive Summit, with a range of sustainable measures implemented across their operations.