Young chefs to plate up winning meal on a budget

Judges Tom Radiquet, Tony Doris and Andrew Baird at last year's contest.

Students will be cooking up a storm in a competition to find Jersey's best young chef.

Thirteen pupils will create two course dinners in the Jersey Rotary Young Chief of the Year competition hosted by Highlands College later.

Organisers said they have to shop, budget and plan the meal comprising a main course and dessert for no more than £18.

They have to plate up their meals in two hours and will be judged by three professional chefs.

The Jersey heat is part of a national contest for 5,500 competitors in Great Britain and Ireland organised by Rotary.

In 2018 Jersey student Sophie Robinson won a place in the national finals and other competitors have gone on to careers in catering and hospitality.

Judges Andrew Baird, from Loungeville Manor, David Cameron, from Randall's restaurants and Nik Boyle, from Quayside, will be giving the contestants marks for time keeping, hygiene, costings and knife skills.

They are also encouraged to come up with a healthy menu.

Students will also be judged on the best use of local ingredients

The entrants are competing for the Jersey Dairy trophy for the overall winner, and the Genuine Jersey trophy for the student judged to have made the best use of local ingredients.

The two winners from Jersey will travel to Southampton for a Rotary district final, and the top three students will go forward to the regional final.

Rotarian Bob Marshall, who organises Jersey's contest, said: "The standard every year gets better and better."