Young Chefs Shine As Competition Heats Up
23 March 2012
The final will take place at the Peak District Food and Drink Festival, which takes place on March 31 and April 1
Four talented young chefs have made it through to the final of the Peak District's Junior Master Chef Competition 2012 after impressing judges with culinary skills beyond their years.
Hector McFadyen, 14, Tom Wakefield, 13, Sorcha Heelan, 14, and Charles Denton, 14, were 'cool, calm and collected' and 'demonstrated superb culinary skills' according to judges Chef Lecturer at the University of Derby Buxton, Robert Stordy, and Alan Hill from the Devonshire Arms in Beeley, in the cook off on March 21.
The aspiring chefs had already made it through two tough rounds and a master class hosted by competition sponsor, Tideswell School of Food, after which they were given a recipe to practice and then cook for the judges in just an hour and a half at the 'cook off', hosted by competition organisers, the University of Derby Buxton.
The recipe they were asked to prepare was chicken breast stuffed with mushroom duxelle, butternut puree and a pine nut crust.
Competition organiser, Tracy Ellis, said: "All four mastered the complicated dish and cooked it to perfection. Our judges, Alan and Rob, were so impressed that rather than only putting two of the young chefs through to the final they decided that all four contestants deserved to show off their skills one more time."
At the final which takes place at the Peak District Food and Drink Festival at the Buxton Dome on Saturday March 31, the aspiring chefs will cook a 'signature dish'. Hector McFadyen will cook spring lamb cutlets with seasonal celeriac sauce; Tom Wakefield will cook game pie with handmade butter pastry served with stout, butternut squash and apple and red cabbage relish; Sorcha Heelan will prepare her recipe, oven roasted pork tenderloin stuffed with lemon and herbs; and Charles Denton plans to cook battered chicken breast in a fruit sauce and egg fried rice.
Prior to the final, the young protégées have been invited spend some time in Alan Hill's kitchens to give them an insight into a real working kitchen and to see professional chefs in action.
The final will be a highlight of the Peak District Food and Drink Festival which takes place at Buxton's Devonshire Dome on March 31 and April 1 from 10am to 10pm.
Over the Festival weekend, the University of Derby's Buxton Campus will become a bustling marketplace showcasing the very best produce the Peak District has to offer to thousands of hungry visitors.
Stallholders including Bluebell Dairy Ice Cream, Bloomers Original Bakewell Pudding, Grandpa Lews, and Robinson's Speciality Pies will be selling their fine local produce including cheeses, cakes, meats and breads from across the Peak District.
Liquid refreshment will be available from a selection of breweries, offering locally brewed ales and ciders on tap; and live music from bands Frontline Music, the Skagz, Fires and Fireplaces, Alex Cowlishaw, Simon Wragg will provide the soundtrack to the two-day event until 10pm.
For more information visit website www.extendingtheseason.co.uk
The Festival is part of the University of Derby Buxton's three year Extending the Season project financed by a grant from LEADER in the Peak District Rural Action Zone. This is part of the Rural Development Programme for England, jointly funded by Defra and the European Union, and delivered by Derbyshire Economic Partnership (DEP).
