News: Young cooks of the future put their skills to the test

The local final of the national Springboard FutureChef competition took place at the College on the 3rd November, putting the culinary skills of pupils from five Nottingham schools to the test, as they battled it out to cook their way to the next stage of the competition.

Third Year trainee chef Oshane Spratt, 24, is studying the Professional Chefs Diploma at Nottingham College and was asked to judge the competition alongside Neil Hardy from Derby County FC; Nikki Street from Sodexo and Steve Deakin from Gather & Gather, who will be mentoring the winner of the regional stage through to the finals in London next year.

Oshane said: "I was really pleased when I was asked to be one of the judges. It was great to see them working hard and enjoying the experience. Unfortunately, being a judge meant I couldn't help them, but I was able to give a few tips, which I hope were useful. Some of the pupils were showing great potential, especially for such a young age. I wish them lots of luck for the next stage of the competition."

FutureChef gives young people aged 12-16 the chance to show off their culinary talents. Each of the competitors were given a brief and asked to prepare, cook and serve two mains and two desserts for just £7. The winners will go through to the regional final at Loughborough College on 30th January and then the national final in London.

Ten pupils from five local schools took part: Joseph Whitaker School, Outwood Academy, Nottingham Free School, Arnold Hill Academy, and The Southwolds Academy & Sixth Form.

Teacher of Food, Jason Retter, from Southwolds Academy, said: “FutureChef is a fantastic competition which helps to discover the best young chefs in the area. Not only does it give our pupils the chance to meet like-minded people who share the same passion for cooking as they do, but it enables them to work in a professional kitchen, in an external setting away from the classroom, which helps build confidence and gives them a taste of what to expect from the industry. No matter who makes it to the next stage of the contest, they should all be very proud of themselves.”

Richard Piech, Nottingham College Kitchen Trainer/Assessor, said: "We've hosted this competition here at Clarendon for the past 10 years. These talented kids are our future and that's why we’re keen to support the event year after year. They get so much out of the experience, and that’s fantastic to see.”