Our Junior Chef competitors will take centre stage during the first two weeks of July when the county finals of the junior category take place in each of the six counties of the South West.
Judges will enjoy the diverse range of delicious recipes that will be prepared by those keen young cooks aged 11-16 whose entries were selected for this round of the competition. They will then face the challenge of selecting just one winner in each county who will go through to the South West final in October. (Details of each county final and those taking part can be found below).
Each county winner will be mentored by one of our judges to help them to build their skills and their confidence in the kitchen and to develop their dish for the final. At the final, competitors will prepare the same dish again but, this time, with the benefit of the input of one of our judges who will show them how they might be able to tweak and enhance their dish.
County winners will also be invited to take part in the regional finals of the Springboard FutureChef competition in February, bypassing their local finals, to compete for a place in the FutureChef national final.
We are delighted to see five former South West finalists return to the competition again this year and, after reading the recipes entered by all competing in the county finals, we are looking forward to some fantastic cooking in all six counties!
Thank you very much to all who entered and congratulations to those invited to the county finals (see below) where they will prepare a main course dish using locally sourced ingredients.
Thank you very much to Michael Caines MBE and Lympstone Manor, sponsors of the Junior Chef category, to all of our dedicated junior category judges and mentors (outlined below) and to the region’s catering colleges who very kindly host the county finals.
Cornwall
Cornwall College, Camborne
Friday 5th July
Judges:
- Stephane Delourme – Head Chef, The Seafood Restaurant, Padstow
- Emily Scott – Chef Proprietor, St Tudy Inn, St Tudy
- Tracy Page – Chef Lecturer, Cornwall College
Mentor judge:
Emily Scott
Cornwall Junior finalists
- Alfie- Brannel School, St Austell
- Amelia – Brannel School, St Austell
- Benji – Truro School
- George – Truro School
- Harvey – St Joseph’s School, Launceston
- Joseph- St Joseph’s School, Launceston
Devon
Exeter College
Thursday 4th July
Judges:
- Mark Dodson – Chef Proprietor, The Masons Arms, Knowstone
- Scott Paton – Head Chef, Boringdon Hall, Plymouth
- Mark Stoyle – Head of Hospitality, Exeter College
Mentor judge:
Mark Dodson
Devon Junior finalists
- Amélie – Trinity School, Teignmouth
- Blake – Plymouth School of Creative Arts
- Edward – Stover School, Newton Abbot
- Emily – St Luke’s Science and Sport College, Exeter
- Oliver – Stover School, Newton Abbot
- Oliver – The Kings School, Ottery St Mary
- Samantha– Stover School, Newton Abbot
Dorset
Bournemouth and Poole College
Monday 8th July
Judges:
- Pete Murt – Head Chef at Rick Stein, Sandbanks
- Russell Brown – Director, Creative About Cuisine
- Gary Kilminster – Business Development Executive, Essential Cuisine
- David Marshall – Chef Lecturer, Bournemouth & Poole College
Mentor judge:
Pete Murt
Dorset Junior finalists
- Alfie – Oak Academy, Bournemouth
- Evie– Lytchett Minster School, Poole
- Erin– Lytchett Minster School, Poole
- Katie – The Gryphon School, Sherborne
- Molly– Lytchett Minster School, Poole
- Poppy– Lytchett Minster School, Poole
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire College, Cheltenham
Monday 1st July
Judges:
- David Everitt-Matthias – Chef Proprietor, Le Champignon Sauvage
- Gus Ashenford – Chef Proprietor, Restaurant 5 North Street, Winchcombe
- Renark Cousins – Chef Lecturer, Gloucestershire College
Mentor judge:
Gus Ashenford
Gloucestershire Junior finalists
- Evie– Katherine Lady Berkeley’s School, Wotton-under-Edge
- Leon – Farmor’s School, Fairford
- Mary– Katherine Lady Berkeley’s School, Wotton-under-Edge
- Sam– Maidenhill School, Stonehouse
- Susannah– Katherine Lady Berkeley’s School, Wotton-under-Edge
- Zainab – Stroud High School
Somerset
Bridgwater and Taunton College, Taunton
Tuesday 2nd July
Judges:
- Liam Finnegan – Head Chef, The Castle Hotel, Taunton
- Chris Cleghorn – Head Chef, The Olive Tree, The Queensberry Hotel, Bath
- Dean Perry – Chef Lecturer, Bridgwater and Taunton College
Mentor judge:
Liam Finnegan
Somerset Junior finalists
- Abigail – The King Alfred School and Academy, Highbridge
- Conor– Whitstone School, Shepton Mallet
- Holly – Queen’s College, Taunton
- Louis – Westfield Academy, Yeovil
- Munopa – Queen’s College, Taunton
- Phoebe – St Katherine’s School, Ham Green
Wiltshire
Wiltshire College Trowbridge
Tuesday 9th July
Judges:
- Hywel Jones – Executive Chef, Lucknam Park, Bath
- Robert Potter – Executive Chef, Manor House Hotel, Castle Combe
- Stephen Lloyd, Chef Lecturer, Wiltshire College
Mentor judge:
Hywel Jones
Wiltshire Junior finalists
- Katherine – The Ridgeway School, Swindon
- Phoebe – Nova Hreod Academy, Swindon
- Rhys – Wellington Academy, Tidworth
- Theo – Bishop Wordsworth’s School, Salisbury
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