One of the
things that makes the Newport Food Festival stand out is the Community based
approach, nowhere is this more evident than in the Teen Chef competition.
Since May
teams of chefs from the Youth Centres around Newport will have been designing
and practicing dishes, all aiming to win the competition which will have its
Final at the Festival.
It is really
good to see youngsters learning about food and gaining skills that will last a
lifetime, especially as food is being increasingly pushed off the curriculum in
schools, and at a time when fast and convenience food is causing the Obesity
Crisis in the UK and, indeed, the Western World.
The ability
to take fresh ingredients and produce a nourishing meal is important and the
competition showcases the best of this with teams having a budget of £7.50 to
produce perfect plates of food.
A local boy
turned Michelin Starred chef, Hywel Jones of Lucknam Park, is the Head Judge
and I am delighted that a man who has held a Michelin Star since 2006 and heads
up a brigade of over 30 gives up time to get involved. Hywel not only spends
time judging but also mentors the teams and last year took the winners and
their families to Lucknam Park for the day. The winners spent time in the
kitchen with him before having a meal.
But to get
to enjoy the reward the teams will have had to work hard at developing recipes,
practicing and cooking under pressure conditions in heats and then a semi-
final open to the public and then the final itself.
The Semi
held in the Market Hall saw three heats, covering the three areas of the
Newport Youth Service and 45 young cooks in action, whittled down from 150 who
started the competition.
Dishes in
the semis included Leek and Parmesan Risotto, Herby Salmon Burgers and Chips,
Cefn Wood Pie and Potatoes, Cordon Bleu Chicken with a Tomato twist, Stuffed
Peppers with a Blue Cheese Sauce and Lamb Cutlets on a bed of leek and garlic
mashed potato, Whole Grain Mustard and Red Currant Gravy and Baby Carrots so
wide ranging and none of them easy.
Judging was
on four criteria, Fresh and Seasonal Ingredients, Taste, Presentation and
Teamwork so not only did it have to look and taste good but the young people
had to work together to produce the dish and also think about seasonality.
In a nice
touch many of the ingredients were purchased from stalls in the Market and the
stallholders were given small cards stating, for example, “Our Peppers are in
Teen Chef”.
It’s these
small but important links to the community that make Newport Food Festival what
it is.
Anyway down
to some serious cooking, and as someone who has cooked in front of audiences on
a range of equipment from Calor Gas burners to Professional ranges and often
suffered the consequences, it is not easy to cook on strange equipment and
under full public gaze. The Teen Chefs, however coped really well, ignoring the
audience and coping with ovens that worked at different rates to those they practiced
on and used their 45 minutes to turn out some very good dishes.
I liked the
attention to detail, such as the young girl taking each and every stalk of the
Rocket, Courgettes being stuffed with Carrot and the lad who had made his own “hats”
for the end of the Lamb cutlets. Even more impressive was the teamwork, each
having their own task but also asking if anyone needed help, were they on track
etc.
As well as
Hywel Jones a second judge decided the outcome, two of the Cabinet Members from
Newport City Council and the Mayor, and looking at the dishes I did not envy
them, standards were very high and choices would be hard.
In the end
though the winning dishes were Cefn Wood Pie for the West, Lamb Cutlets for
Central and Rack of Lamb for the East and the teams will battle out the final
in the Riverside at 1o’clock on 6th October.
Though there
will be great chefs demonstrating and holding Masterclasses on the day, and
they don’t come much better than James Summerin, Bryn Williams and Anand George,
the real stars of the show will be the Teen Chefs fighting for the title and a
day out at Lucknam Park. The runners up will not be forgotten either winning a “Kitchen
Experience” in two of Newport’s best Restaurants The Waterloo Hotel and Vittorios.
Cooking is
an essential skill and for some such as Hywel Jones it will lead to a career
and recognition, all children and young people should have a chance to cook and
another important element of the Newport Food Festival is the chance to learn
as S4C’s Lisa Fearn who runs Pumpkin Patch Cookery School will hold
two sessions to get kids involved.
If the standard
of cooking shown by the Teen Chefs is anything to go by Newport has a secure
place in the foodiverse, get along to the Food Festival on 6th
Oct
ober and see for yourself.
Visit UK Food Bloggers Association
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