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Young Chef Emma Cooks Up A Storm

Young Chef Emma Cooks Up A Storm

A youngster from Scotland has been crowned the winner of the Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland Young Chef competition. Emma Grant (pictured front right), aged 17, was up against seven other talented young chefs in the national final earlier this month, having already seen off over 5,000 entrants to reach that stage. Emma was sponsored […]

A youngster from Scotland has been crowned the winner of the Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland Young Chef competition.

Emma Grant (pictured front right), aged 17, was up against seven other talented young chefs in the national final earlier this month, having already seen off over 5,000 entrants to reach that stage. Emma was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Cumbernauld, and was crowned the winner at Lincoln College after she wowed the judges with her three-course menu.

Emma won a host of prizes, donated on behalf of the competition’s sponsor Filippo Berio, which included a trip of a lifetime to the Filippo Berio olive groves in Tuscany where she will experience real Italian cooking and a day’s tuition at a Michelin Star restaurant.

The budding chef astounded the judges with her outstanding menu, which included a starter of breast of quail with butternut risotto, followed by hake with cannellini and chorizo bean stew, served with a bean puree and panna cotta with vanilla poached plums and granola crumble for dessert.

After taking home the top prize, Emma commented: “I don’t think it has sunk in. I’m really chuffed.  The competition was very strong. When my name hadn’t been called out by the time they announced the second place winner I thought I had lost it – so when they called my name out as winner I was pretty shocked.”

Rotary’s Young Chef was created to give young people across Great Britain and Ireland the chance to display their culinary talents, while discovering the importance of healthy eating. The competition is open to anyone aged 11-17 and entrants compete to make it through to the local and regional heats, in the hope of making to the national final and is one of many youth competitions organised by Rotary.

Previously competitors of Rotary Young Chef have gone on to start their culinary careers working with Michelin Star chefs. Last year’s winner Lewis Wilson was offered an apprenticeship at the five stars South Lodge Hotel as a Sous chef and attends Kings College Westminster in London, where he is currently studying for two years for his Professional Chefs Diploma.

Ravind Busgeeth, president of the Rotary Club of Cumbernauld, added: “We’re incredibly proud that Emma has won such a fantastic competition. The whole experience really helps to develop young people who show a flair for cooking, and we wish Emma the best of luck for the future. I know she’ll go far.”

Emma’s Chef Lecturer, Paul Clark, who accompanied Emma to the final, along with her dad Mark said: “The standard of dishes in the final cook off were of really high quality. Emma managed to keep her nerve and produce some great tasting dishes on the day in demanding circumstances. Winning is a great reward for the hard work and hours of practice Emma has put into the competition. She has won an exceptional prize.”

 

Published: Monday 25th April 2016

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