ScreenshotLexie takes Junior Chef title home to Gloucestershire!
South West Junior Chef of the Year final 2024
Open to young cooks aged 11-16
Sponsored by Michael Caines Ltd.
Seven unbelievably talented aspiring chefs met at the final of South West Junior Chef of the Year 2024 at Exeter College on Saturday 5th October.
Aged just 13 to 15, these young cooks had already won the title in their own county in the summer to qualify for the final, where they met to compete for the overall title. And, it’s safe to say, our judges were extremely impressed!
Well done to everyone who competed – their hard work and enthusiasm was evident and we thoroughly appreciate all the support provided by parents, guardians and teachers too, who make sure the budding young chefs can follow their dreams.
In a break with tradition, judges elected to select the young cooks in second and third place, as well as the overall winner – see below for all the details.
Details of all competitors and their dishes can be found below.
Each of our finalists was mentored by one of our county judges over the summer who invited them into their kitchens to develop and enhance their dishes in preparation for the final, providing valuable experience of a working kitchen.
Thank you very much to our judges for the county finals and special thanks to those who mentored the competitors (details below).
The Junior Chef final followed the final of South West Home Cook of the Year which took place during the morning of 5th October. Three extremely competent cooks from across the region prepared some delicious two course meals (main course and dessert) for our judges. The winner of this award will be announced at our forthcoming awards presentation evening but you can read more about their menus below.
Many thanks to our judges for the finals (pictured with Lexie above, left to right): Neil Haydock (Luxury Family Hotels), Scott Paton (Àclèaf, Plympton), Seth Ward (representing lead sponsor Bidfood), Ian Webber and Michael Caines MBE DL (Lympstone Manor). The judging panel also included Harriet Mansell (Robin Wylde and Lilac Restaurant) who is not pictured.
Thank you very much to all at Exeter College for hosting the final and supporting competitors and to Steve Haywood for his fantastic photography of the competition!
Thanks to our partnership with the Springboard FutureChef competition, our seven junior finalists have now been invited to take part in the FutureChef regional final in January to compete for a place in the national final and we wish them all the very best of luck!
South West Home Cook of the Year
The final of South West Home Cook of the Year, was also held on 5th October. Three finalists prepared a two-course menu (main and dessert) for our judges and the winner will be announced at our awards presentation on 29th October. See below for details of the finalists and their dishes.
Awards
The awards will be presented to the 2024 winners of all five categories of the competition following a dinner prepared by previous winners and judges of the competition on Tuesday 29th October. In addition, one winner will be selected as the winner of Overall South West Chef of the Year.
This year, the evening will also be a celebration of the 20th anniversary of South West Chef of the Year. To mark this special occasion, a four-course meal will be prepared by four Michelin-starred chefs, all judges of the competition, alongside two recent winners.
Dinner will be prepared by Chris Cleghorn, Hywel Jones and Andrew Jenkinson, Scott Paton and Joe Cotton and Michael Caines MBE DL.
All are welcome to join us for this celebrations dinner at Exeter Golf and Country Club. Click here for further details and to purchase your tickets.
Congratulations to South West Junior Chef of the Year 2024:
Lexie
Gloucestershire Junior Chef of the Year
Churchdown School Academy, Gloucester
Mentored by Nathan Johnson, The Royal Crescent Hotel, Bath (South West Chef of the Year 2022)
Lexie’s dish was:
Pan seared duck breast with a red wine jus, pomme purée, honey carrots, garlic tenderstem broccoli, beetroot purée and blackberries
Second place:
Harry
Dorset Junior Chef of the Year
Lytchett Minster School, Poole
Mentored by Sam Hughes, Rick Steins, Sandbanks
Harry’s dish:
Dorset fillet steak with Blue Vinny sauce, Pommes Anna, bunrt Roscoff onions and Lion’s Mane mushroom
Third place:
James
Wiltshire Junior Chef of the Year
St John’s School, Marlborough
Mentored by Hywel Jones, Lucknam Park, Bath
James’s dish:
Home-cured pancetta tortellini with a touch of butternut squash
Well done to all other finalists:
(in alphabetical order)
Freya
Joint Cornwall Junior Chef of the Year
Penrice Academy, St Austell
Chalk Stream Trout, cauliflower, sea greens, hazelnut, Squid ink tuille
Kai
Somerset Junior Chef of the Year
Merchants Academy, Withywood, Bristol
Mentored by Olly Jackson, The Mount Somerset Hotel, Lower Henlade
Venison leg cooked in hay with roast celeriac, braised red cabbage and tenderstem broccoli
Sam
Joint Cornwall Junior Chef of the Year
Penrice Academy, St Austell
Mentored by Pete Murt, Rick Stein’s Seafood Restaurant, Padstow
Pan fried duck breast with creamy mashed potato, sticky shallots, spinach, duck leg bonbon and red wine sauce
Tom
Devon Junior Chef of the Year
Trinity School, Teignmouth
Mentored by Scott Paton, Àclèaf, Boringdon Hall, Plympton and Mark Dodson, The Masons Arms, Knowstone
Surf ‘n Turf ravioli with a dill and lime hollandaise and roasted garlic king prawn
Lead sponsor:
Read on for details of our dinner and awards evening.
South West Home Cook of the Year
The final of South West Home Cook of the Year was also held on Saturday 5th October when three keen home cooks demonstrated their skills and passion for local produce for our judges. Finalists in this category were given a number of specified ingredients that had to be incorporated into their two-course menus:
Venison loin – kindly supplied by M C Kelly Ltd
OR
Sea Bass – kindly supplied by Flying Fish Seafoods
Autumn fruits and berries – kindly supplied by Dole
You will see details of the finalists, their menus and pictures of the dishes they presented below (in alphabetical order). The winner of this award will be announced at our awards presentation evening on 29th October.
Tareq Assaf
Bath
Main:
Venison two ways with bacon and green peppercorns
Dessert:
Decorated chocolate dome with fruit ganache filling on a red tuille mat
Oscar Egbulam
Bedminster, Bristol
Main:
Fish and chips with coleslaw
Dessert:
Fruit and berry mini pies
Lucinda Ellicott
Paignton, Devon
Main:
Pan fried loin of venison with chocolate, beetroot and purple yam crisps
Dessert:
Three layer blueberry mousse cheesecake
Awards Evening – a celebration of the South West’s food, drink and hospitality!
Join us to celebrate the winners of South West Chef of the Year 2024 and the 20th anniversary of the competition on Tuesday 29th October
Tickets are available for our celebration evening when the awards will be presented following a wonderful meal prepared by four Michelin-starred chefs, all judges of South West Chef of the Year, accompanied by two recent winners of the competition:
Starter:
Chris Cleghorn
Michelin-starred Executive Head Chef, The Olive Tree, Bath
South West Chef of the Year judge
Fish course:
Hywel Jones
Michelin-starred Executive Chef, Lucknam Park Bath
South West Chef of the Year judge
and
Andrew Jenkinson
South West Overall and Professional Chef of the Year 2023
Main:
Scott Paton
Executive Chef, Àclèaf, Boringdon Hall, Plympton
South West Chef of the Year judge and South West Young Professional Chef of the Year 2009
and
Joe Cotton
Senior Sous Chef, Àclèaf, Boringdon Hall, Plympton
South West Professional Chef of the Year 2022
Dessert:
Michael Caines MBE DL
Michelin-starred Chef Patron, Lympstone Manor, Exmouth
South West Chef of the Year co-founder and head judge
Our chefs will be assisted in the kitchen and front-of-house by students of the Michael Caines Academy.
This evening brings about a rare gathering of the region’s hospitality industry including our finalists, judges, sponsors and many more and is kindly sponsored and hosted by Exeter Golf and Country Club.
The evening will begin with a drinks reception with canapés followed by a four-course meal, with wines perfectly paired with our menu, and coffee and petits fours to finish. Tickets are available at £150 each (or £120 for guests of sponsors and competitors). Make sure you book soon – click here for more information about the evening and to book your tickets.
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