Young Vegetarian Chef of the Year
Our congratulations to the winners of the first Young Vegetarian Chef of the Year competition run by the Vegetarian Cookery School in Bath. Kitchens was one of the sponsers and provided vouchers for the runners up.
To enter the competition, young chefs had to cook their favourite vegetarian main course dish at home and send in a photograph with the recipe, along with a brief explanation about why they love to make their chosen dish. All entries were judged on knowledge of ingredients, preparation, skills, creativity and presentation. Chefs were permitted to use any ingredients they like in their recipes, except meat and fish.
There were three finalists in the two age groups: 11 to 12 years and 13 to 16 years. The six shortlisted young chefs competed on Tuesday 25th October by spending the day cooking a vegetarian main course of their choice produced within a set time frame, at the Vegetarian Cookery School in Bath. They were also asked to complete a quiz to test their knowledge of ingredients.
The line up was as follows:
11-12 Age Group
Eve Singleton (12) from Rugby,
Mitali Atkins (11) Bath
Callum Cockburn (12) Harwell, Oxford
13 – 16 Age Group
Solstice Wilson Garner (13) Bath
Zipporah Santer (15) Hawkhurst, Kent
Alice Davies (13) Bieuzy Les Eaux, France
Judging the competition was Rachel Demuth of Demuths Restaurant and The Vegetarian Cookery School and guest judge Tom Herbert of Hobbs House Bakery. Tom is best known for his BBC TV series In Search of the Perfect Loaf and also co-presented the major BBC production Turn Back Time. Fresh out of college, Tom won Young Baker of the Year and continues to win awards for the family firm, Hobbs House Bakery. Tom's family has been baking bread in the Cotswolds for five generations.
The young chefs delivered exquisite dishes to a very high standard; all dishes would easily fit into a restaurant menu. Rachel said:
“It’s so exciting for the future of Vegetarian Cooking that these young Chefs have produced dishes of such a high quality.”
Tom said of Eve’s winning dish: “It would make my evening if I was served food this good, made me grin.” Of Zipporah’s dish: “a new crown for positively vegetarian cooking, bejeweled and delicious, totally Moorish”
The winner of the 11 – 12 Age Group was Eve Singleton and Zipporah Santer from the 13 – 16 Age Group. Runners up were Solstice Wilson Garner and Mitali Atkins.
Eve and Zipporah were awarded a set of professional chef pans from NEFF, a Complete Baking Kit from Hobbs House Bakery and a one-day cookery course at The Vegetarian Cookery School. Runners up received a Rangemaster Gadget Pot and a Rangemaster Mercara Stripe apron and oven glove and a £20 Kitchens voucher. All the finalists received a signed Green Seasons cookbook by Rachel Demuth.
