Future Chefs Cook Up A Storm
13 January 2010

Three young chefs went head to head in a bid to be named Local FutureChef – a national competition which invites secondary school pupils to cook a three course nutritious meal and impress a panel of judges.

Teenager Ruth Hanson, a pupil at Longfield School, Darlington, lifted the Local crown. Runners-up were Andrew Appleton, from High Tunstall School, Hartlepool, and Andrew Mendes, from Eat Right – an organization providing Junior Chef after school clubs.

Ruth will pit her culinary skills against the winners from other local heats winners at the regional finals, being held at various venues across the country this month. (January)Regional winners will earn themselves a place in the national final on March 22 at Westminster Kingsway College, London, where one talented youngster will be crowned FutureChef winner 2010.

The national contest has attracted a record number of entries this year, with pupils from 700 schools taking part.The contest is in its tenth year, and was launched in response to a survey of young people’s perception of the catering industry.

The research revealed that young people admire higher profile and celebrity chefs such as Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver, yet surprisingly few consider a career as a chef.