Seven competitors, aged 11-15, were put to the test as they planned, purchased, prepared and presented their two-course meals for the judges, within the constraints of an £18 budget and two hours in the kitchen.
‘It’s always an absolute delight to see the young people coming forward to present their dishes – the highlight for me is heading into the kitchen to see what they’ve all come up with. It’s really admirable,’ said Rotary Guernsey president Carla Bauer.
‘It’s really great that they can have the experience of working in a professional kitchen and under the guidance of a professional chef.’
The competition was sponsored by the Coop and hosted by the Guernsey Institute, with the competitors’ in-kitchen activities overseen by catering and hospitality lecturer Rivelino Rodrigues.
‘I think this is a really good experience. For me, cooking is my job, but it’s a skill everybody needs to have no matter what you do,’ he said.
‘It’s especially good to see people competing who are so young. There are children here who are 11 years old, but they have done so well. They’ve all done really good dishes, and they’re all different. There’s a lot of creativity.’
The value of the experience was echoed by the competitors too, including 14-year-old Les Varendes pupil Sarenity Gavey.
‘It was actually really fun, at least once I was in there,’ she said.
‘I do cook at home sometimes – me and my dad cook together so we can have some quality time. I felt quite confident in what I was doing.’
Rotary has been running the competition now for approximately two decades, and has, in that time, seen Channel Islands competitors go on to compete in the district and national finals. This year, it was 15-year-old Ladies’ College student Samantha Browning who took home the local trophy, and who will go on to compete in the district final in Hampshire.
‘I’m very surprised,’ she said, upon the judges announcing her the champion.
Prior to learning of her triumph, Samantha had described her experience as merely ‘ok’ while casting a critical eye over her sauces – a from-scratch fish sauce and a custard.
‘I’m more a baker than a cooker. I’m pretty happy with my dessert,’ she said.
‘It’s quite challenging because we’ve never been here before, and it takes time to get used to it. It’s nice though because, at least for me, there’s a lot more space than at home.’
In addition to heading on to the next stage of the competition, Samantha intends to keep on developing her gastronomical skills as a hobby. She has been known to grace the West Show with her baked goods.
The competition is one of many events run by Guernsey Rotary, and is held annually for competitors aged 11 to 17. Ms Bauer thanked all involved in making the event happen. ‘It’s just brilliant to get so much support.’
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