Young Chefs Shine As Title Is Shared
16 April 2012
University Chef Lecturer Robert Stordy trying one of the promising young chef''s dishes
Signature dishes created by two Buxton teenagers were so delicious that judges pronounced two promising chefs joint winners of the Peak District Junior Master Chef Competition.
Tom Wakefield, 13, and Sorcha Heelan, 14, both from Buxton, demonstrated culinary skills beyond their years during the final, held at the University of Derby Buxton's Peak District Food and Drink Festival. Both proved they could stand the heat - and thoroughly impressed judges Alan Hill from the Devonshire Arms at Beeley, Matt Timms from Tideswell School of Food and Simon Bradley from East Lodge Hotel.
Tom's recipe of game pie with handmade butter pastry served with stout, butternut squash and apple and red cabbage relish and Sorcha Heelan's oven roasted pork tenderloin stuffed with lemon and herbs were too delicious to choose between. As joint winners, Tom took home the prize of a seven course taster menu at East Lodge for his family, while Sorcha won Denby cookware plus tickets to attend the Denby visitor centre.
Competition organiser, Tracy Ellis, said: "Our judges were so impressed by the quality of food that Tom and Sorcha produced throughout the competition that rather than giving one young chef the title they had to award it jointly.
"We hope that the whole experience, which included master classes at Tideswell School of Food, and in Alan Hill's kitchens, have given the contestants the skills and desire to keep cooking. Maybe we'll even welcome them back as great chefs in the future."
The Peak District Junior Master Chef competition and the Peak District Food and Drink Festival was 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). For more information visit website www.extendingtheseason.co.uk
