Grainville student sizzles to success in cooking competition

Saturday 03 February 2024

Jersey’s young chefs gathered at Les Quennevais School last weekend with their whisks, spatulas, tongs and sieves to battle it out for the local title in the Rotary Young Chef competition.

Molly McGinnnety, a student at Grainville School, was the overall winner.

She will now progress to the district finals next month where she will compete against students from Dorset, Hampshire, and Wiltshire.

Molly managed to tantalise the tastebuds of professional chefs with her menu of succulent crispy belly pork, on a bed of buttery mashed potato with seasonal vegetables and a cider sauce.

Her dessert was a torched vanilla crème brûlée, served with a tart raspberry couli and fresh fruit.

Pictured: Grainville student Molly McGinnnety was the overall winner. (John Reed)

The winner of the Genuine Jersey Trophy for the best use of local produce was Anais McDermott from JCG.

The winner of the best main course not from the winner's menu was Amelie Toudic, also from JCG, and the best dessert not from the winners menu was made by Sari Hunt from Grainville.

The local Rotary Young Chef Competition returned last year after a three-year hiatus due to covid.

In the national competition, organised by the Rotary Club of Great Britain, students aged between 13 and 14 years of age are given two hours to prepare a healthy two course meal for no more than £18.

Pictured: Nervous students pace while their dishes are judged. (John Reed)

Rotarian Bob Marshall, who organises the local competition rounds, explained that Jersey students have had much success in recent years.

On four occasions, local students have reached the regionals.

In 2018, Sophie Robinson won her regional heat which saw her flambéing in the national final as one of the top eight out of over five-and-half-thousand initial entrants.

Pictured: Rotary Club of Jersey President Madeleine de la Cour, Anais McDermott, Molly McGinnety, and Rotarian Bob Marshall. (John Reed)