Budding Burnham-On-Sea chef Poppy MacKay has proven her top Mary Berry cooking skills by winning the latest round of the Rotary Club’s Young Chef of the Year competition.
On Saturday (February 25th), Poppy competed against five other young chefs in the district final of the prestigious competition, hosted at King Alfred School Academy in Highbridge.
The youngsters were set the challenge of preparing and cooking a three-course meal in two hours with a budget of just £22.
The judges – who included Mayor Cllr Lesley Millard; Richard Hunt Executive Chef at Courtyard by Marriott; Bev and Sarah Milner Simonds of Eat Festivals; and James Stamp of Griffiths Food – praised the young chefs for the “exceptionally high” quality of their finished meals and the variety, pictured here.
Poppy MacKay was judged the winner with her impressive menu which included a smoked salmon starter, a main course of pan-fried duck, and a dessert of raspberry creme brulee.
The runner-up was Theo Higgins-Hart and the other competitors who also received praise were Millie Webster, Molly May Ayres, Daniel Smith and Jocelyn Lacey.
The youngsters were awarded cash prizes by Burnham-On-Sea Rotary Club and Poppy now goes on to qualify for the cluster final in Wales this Spring. Last November, Burnham-On-Sea.com featured Poppy’s progress in the local final of the Rotary Young Chef competition.
A Burnham-On-Sea Rotary Club spokesman said: “The Rotary Club has supported this event for many years – it helps to encourage cooking skills, promotes healthy eating, budgeting, and boosts confidence.”
