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Bristol’s best young chef crowned
Nine aspiring cooks prepared a feast for some hard-to-please judges in a bid to be crowned as Bristol’s Young Cook of the year.
Taking place at the Square Food Foundation in Knowle West as part of Bristol Food Connections, the event was the culmination of Bristol City Council’s inaugural Teaching a City to Cook programme, whose aim is to get the city cooking at home using fresh, seasonal produce to improve our diets and our health.
Tasked with preparing one savoury and one dessert recipe, the young chefs in Years 6, 7 and 8 prepared dishes from pannacotta to chicken skewers, rustic pizza to pavlova.
is needed now More than ever
One of the chefs managing to stay calm and collected
There was an overwhelming air of calm and togetherness in the kitchen, the chefs quietly rushing around with looks of concentration on their faces.
Despite the stress, they were all excellent team players; happy to help out their peers and give and take advice when needed.
After two hours of non-stop cooking, the dishes were presented in front of the judges to be marked for presentation, originality, health benefits and whether things were made from scratch.
The young chefs graciously accepted their feedback and headed back to their workstations to tidy up, while the judges quietly deliberated.
Deliberation time
Head judge Barny Haughton admitted that because “all of the dishes were completely different and unique, there’s no comparison”.
But a winner had to be chosen and the Young Cook Award 2018 was won by 10-year-old Luca, who had prepared pasta parcels from scratch in a subtle yet effective broth.
His hard work was obvious having used only simple ingredients to make everything in his recipe from scratch.
The winner of the Young Apprentice award open to 15- to 17-year-olds was Steph, who made her own noodles and served them in a steaming hot ramen with delicious looking vegetables, and for dessert prepared a fluffy almond and raspberry genoise.
Luca being handed his certificate
For more information about Teaching a City to Cook, visit www.bristol.gov.uk/web/live-well-bristol/teaching-a-city-to-cook
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