Students at Ercall Wood Academy have been putting their culinary skills to the test as part of this year’s Rotary Young Chef competition.
Junior chefs were tasked with preparing and serving a two-course healthy and nutritious meal costing up to £15 – all in the space of two hours.
The winner was year seven student Martha Heap (pictured above), with year nine student Erin Eadie as the runner up. Martha will now go on to represent the school and Wrekin Rotary Club in the next round of the competition in Stafford in February.
Ercall Wood principal Nick Murphy said: “The sights, smells and – most importantly the taste – at the Rotary Young Chef competition were a true delight and it was a privilege to be asked to both host and support with the judging of the event.
“We are very proud of all the children who took part, and very impressed by how talented they all are.”
Mr Murphy was joined on the judging panel by assistant principals Sam Jones and Rachel Ravenhall, plus Robert Bird, chef and director of HIT Training which specialises in training and apprenticeships in catering, and Charles Dundas, a chef in a Pan Asian restaurant in Chester.
They judged the food on a combination of costing, planning, healthy choice of dishes, correct use of knives and equipment, and whether the meal was served on time and at correct temperature.
The judges also took into account neatness and organisation of work area and hygiene, range of skills used, presentation of display table, presentation of main course, taste of main course, presentation of dessert and taste of dessert.
Joining Martha and Erin in the competition were fellow Ercall Wood Academy students Chloe Griffiths (Year 9) and Gabriella Serafin (Year 10).
The Rotary Young Chef competition, sponsored by Filippo Berio, gives entrants the chance to develop their culinary skills and be judged by leading industry professionals.
Entrants plan and cook a main course and dessert, develop their food presentation skills and gain experience in high pressure situations.
The young chefs taking part must be aged between 11 and 17 and the winner of the national final will win a two-day trip to Tuscany which includes cookery classes to learn the secrets of regional Italian cooking.
