News
Jun 13
Munopa Junior Chef 2019

Junior chefs begin their quest for the title

Pictured above: Munopa from Queen’s College, Taunton – South West and Somerset Junior Chef of the Year 2019

The county finalists in the Junior Chef category will meet in the kitchens of catering colleges across the six counties of the South West this week.

After an enforced break of two years, we are delighted to return to the kitchens for the South West Chef of the year competition, beginning with the region’s youngest chefs.  Young cooks aged 11-16 throughout the South West have been working hard to develop their recipes for the competition and our judges were blown away by the number of entries received and the creativity and ambition evident within the recipes submitted!

Judges will now have to select 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 develop their dish for the final.  This invaluable experience in our judges’ kitchens will help them to build confidence in the kitchen while learning some fantastic new skills from some of the region’s leading chefs.

Thank you very much to all who entered and congratulations to those invited to the county finals (see below) to prepare their main course dish using locally-sourced ingredients.

And a special thank you to all of our dedicated junior category judges and mentors (outlined below) who generously give up their time to support the next generation of young chefs and to the region’s catering colleges who very kindly host the county finals.

Many thanks to our sponsor of the Junior Chef category, Nisbets.

Good luck to everyone taking part!

Cornwall

Cornwall College, Camborne
Friday 17th June

Judges:
  • Pete Murt – Head Chef, The Seafood Restaurant, Padstow
  • Jude Kereama – Chef Proprietor, Kota Restaurant, Porthleven
  • Clyde Connellan – Chef Lecturer, Cornwall College
Mentor judge:

Pete Murt

Cornwall Junior finalists
  • Elizabeth – Penryn College
  • Emma – Penair School, Truro
  • Freya – Penrice Academy, St Austell
  • George – Helston Community College
  • Samuel – Penrice Academy, St Austell
  • Thomas – Mounts Bay Academy, Penzance

Devon

Exeter College
Tuesday 28th June

Judges:
  • Mark Dodson – Chef Proprietor, The Masons Arms, Knowstone
  • Scott Paton – Head Chef, Àclèaf, Boringdon Hall, Plymouth
  • Mark Stoyle – Head of Hospitality, Exeter College
Mentor judge:

Mark Dodson

Devon Junior finalists
  • Ashton – The Spires College, Torquay
  • Fay – Honiton Community College
  • Izzy – Plymouth High School for Girls
  • Jamie – The Spires College, Torquay
  • Liam – The Spires College, Torquay
  • Syd – Torquay Academy
  • Tom – Trinity School, Teignmouth

Judges simply could not split the leading contenders in this county and so opted to invited seven finalists!

Dorset

Bournemouth and Poole College
Thursday 23rd June

Judges:
  • Sam Hughes – 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:

Sam Hughes

Dorset Junior finalists
  • Alfie – Woodroffe School, Lyme Regis
  • Eliesha – Lytchett Minster School, Poole
  • Harvey – Highcliffe School, Bournemouth
  • Jessica – Lytchett Minster School, Poole
  • Megan – Ferndown Middle School
  • Mikaila – Ferndown Upper School

Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire College, Cheltenham
Wednesday 29th June

Judges:
  • Gus Ashenford – Chef Proprietor, Restaurant 5 North Street, Winchcombe
  • Gareth Fulford – Chef Proprietor, Purslane Restaurant, Cheltenham
  • Renark Cousins – Chef Lecturer, Gloucestershire College
Mentor judge:

Gus Ashenford or Gareth Fulford

Gloucestershire Junior finalists
  • Anya– Katherine Lady Berkeley’s School, Wotton-under-Edge
  • Daisy – Newent Community High School
  • Eli– Katherine Lady Berkeley’s School, Wotton-under-Edge
  • Harry– Henley Bank High School, Gloucester
  • Harvey – Katherine Lady Berkeley’s School, Wotton-under-Edge
  • Shantaye – Henley Bank High School, Gloucester

Somerset

Bridgwater and Taunton College, Taunton
Tuesday 14th June

Judges:
  • Chris Cleghorn – Head Chef, The Olive Tree, The Queensberry Hotel, Bath
  • Andrew Swann – Head Chef, The Castle Hotel, Taunton
  • James Jones – Chef Lecturer, Bridgwater and Taunton College
Mentor judge:

Andrew Swann

Somerset Junior finalists
  • Alexina – Kings Bruton School, Bruton
  • Angelica – Queen’s College, Taunton
  • Oliver – Court Fields Community School, Wellington
  • Poppy – King Alfred School and Academy, Highbridge
  • Summer-Paige – Heathfield Community School, Taunton
  • Theo – Westfield Academy, Yeovil

Wiltshire

Wiltshire College Trowbridge
Monday 27th June

Judges:
  • Hywel Jones – Executive Chef, Lucknam Park, Bath
  • Ed Marsh – Head Chef, Manor House Hotel, Castle Combe
  • Stephen Lloyd, Chef Lecturer, Wiltshire College
Mentor judge:

Hywel Jones

Wiltshire Junior finalists
  • Aran – Appleford School, Shrewton
  • Beatrice – St John’s School, Marlborough
  • Elizabeth – Appleford School, Shrewton
  • Grace- Appleford School, Shrewton
  • James – St John’s School, Marlborough
  • Seth – Appleford School, Shrewton