Stamford School hosts annual Rotary Young Chef Competition

On November 19th, Stamford School Food and Nutrition Department hosted the annual Rotary Young Chef Competition. The competition is open to local schools and open to students aged up to 17; there were 15 entrants in total and this year most were from Year 11. The purpose of the competition is to encourage a valuable life skill while also ensuring that participants have an enjoyable experience. Each contestant must prepare and serve a two-course meal for two people, all within a 90-minute time limit. The Rotary Club awards a cash prize to the top three entrants, and all contestants receive a contribution towards the cost of the ingredients. The winner competes in the Rotary District stage, and the winner from that stage proceeds to the National Finals.

The 15 contestants this year were from Casterton College, Stamford School and Stamford Welland Academy. The judges were Warrant Officer Dominic Owen from RAF Cranwell and Senior Aircraftsman Ryan Waters from RAF Wittering. Before the announcement of the winners, Dominic Owen gave a debrief to the contestants and congratulated them on the exceptionally high standard, remarking that the scoring was very tight with only three points between the top three contestants.

This year’s winner was Kate from Stamford School, the runner up was Lilly from Casterton School and in third place, Saanvi also from Stamford School. The winning menu main course was Chilli Coconut Risotto with Lime Prawns and Chimichurri. The dessert was a Brazilian carrot cake.

Richard Boulderstone, President of the Rotary Club of Stamford, presented the contestants with certificates and prizes. Richard is pictured with Kate and the judges.

On behalf of the Rotary Club, John Hawkins, the competition organiser, thanked Stamford School for hosting the competition with special thanks to Abbie Mann, Head of Stamford School Food and Nutrition Department, the Food and Nutrition teachers from each of the schools, the RAF judges and the students themselves for taking part and preparing such delicious meals.