Novice Teen ‘cook’ Crowned Master Chef
The winner had never even boiled an egg! Jack Farlow’s ‘cooking’ experience amounted to shoving ready meals in microwaves and putting pizzas in ovens. Despite this, he scooped first prize in the BELS’ Master Chef Competition.
BELS’ Master Chef Competition is part of BELS’s Creating Positive Futures Project and is one of a series of experiential learning events to help young people develop employability skills and attributes, including leadership, team working, planning and self-confidence.
Jack, an 18-year-old from Morden, Surrey cooked a tasty Chicken Chow Mein with egg noodles and near perfect pancakes with a rich chocolate sauce. Steven Goundry, also 18, came second, despite being pretty handy in the kitchen. Steven, from Old Coulsdon, Surrey, cooked coley fish with a black olive, capers and tomato sauce, served with chocolate and honeycomb mousse.
“I was definitely surprised that I won,” said Jack. “I was up against someone with cooking experience and I’d never even boiled an egg!”
Jack’s prize is a £20 voucher of his choice, “probably a JD Sports one” he said.
Jack and Steven spent a nerve-wracking 90 minutes cooking in the spacious kitchen of the Croydon Youth Development Trust, in West Croydon. They knuckled down to the challenging business of cooking after shopping for their ingredients in nearby Surrey Street Market.
The judges were Sue Murkin of BELS and Joby Wells, a chef and owner of top Croydon restaurant Albert’s Table. The judges scored Jack 71% compared to 56% for Stephen.
Joby, who guided the teenagers as they worked away in the increasingly hot kitchen on August 19, praised them for doing "a very good job”, but he admitted: “This was more stressful than working in my own kitchen, where I can give someone a bit of a push. Here I had to give more encouragement!”
19th Aug 2011
