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The Rotary Club of Guernsey is beginning their annual quest to find the best young chef in the Bailiwick. This is the tenth year they have run the competition and hopes are high that this year the Bailiwick champion will go all the way to the National Final.
“We have been so close in the past”, said Rotarian Nathan Silk, “with a finalist reaching the Regional finals in the UK and being awarded as runner up. It will be great if we can achieve even better results this year”
The local final will take place on Friday 27th November at the College of Further Education (CoFE) and schools have already chosen their entrants for the competition.
“Each school may enter up to two students”, Nathan explained. “The participants are found in a variety of ways - some schools hold ‘cook-off’s’ and others simply base it on the style of the menu proposed and enthusiasm of the student”.
Practice sessions in schools have already commenced and students are eagerly practicing dishes at home. All competitors are offered guidance and training by Steve Bacon and his team at the CoFE. The contestants are expected to create and cook a healthy 3-course meal for 2 people for under £7.50 per head. The cooking time must not exceed 2 hours which includes all preparation so timing is key.
Steve Bacon has also been running training sessions in Alderney that includes a Food Hygiene course followed by their own mini-competition to find their two finalists for the Guernsey final. Steve was in Alderney for 3 days from Monday 2nd November.
Nathan Silk added: “We are delighted that our regular sponsors have again stepped forward this year to support the competition, our main sponsor being The Channel Islands Co-operative Society along with our clothes supplier, Industrial & Leisure Clothing. In addition we are particularly grateful to Aurigny Airlines who provide flights for our Alderney chefs and their travelling parents. It is only through the generous sponsorship and support of local businesses that this type of competition can go ahead”.
“This competition is not just about winning. A number of these students will, we hope, end up looking at the catering and hospitality industry as a future career as several finalists over the years have done. This is what the competition is all about - giving young people a focus and possibly bringing them into an industry that they had not considered before”.
Jim Plumley, Chief Commercial Officer of The Channel Islands Co-operative Society said: “ Supporting a competition that enables contestants to develop their cooking skills and encourages use of local products is something we are extremely proud of. The Society has been involved in the competition for a number of years and we encourage all schools to take part where practical.”
