Rotary Young Chef Competition 

2018

Bella’s Bistro delighted the judges at this year’s Wakefield Rotary Club Young Chef of the Year, gaining its creator the top award and a place in the district finals at Bettys Cookery School at Harrogate in January.

Each contestant had two hours in which to produce a two-course meal of their choice and Bella Williams (15), from Silcoates School, presented a winning chicken, mushroom and white wine pie with a three-root mash, Yorkshire pudding, garden peas and a mushroom jus. This was followed with a dessert of ‘decadent’ chocolate brownie, and raspapple compote finished off with double cream.

The other five young chefs competing for the Wakefield title were Richard French-Smith (15), also from Silcoates, Libby Briggs and Amelia Denton (both 13), from Outwood Grange Academy, and Leah Schofield (15) and Cameron Reynolds (14) from St Thomas a Becket Catholic Secondary School.

Tonight’s (Wednesday's) competition, held at Wakefield College, was judged by retired home economics teacher Sue O’Connor and Canon Roger Cressey, former chaplain at Pinderfields Hospital and once the star of BBC Pebble Mill’s Dish of the Day television series.

Roger gave the contestants a series of tips and told them: “This has been a really exciting evening and you all obviously enjoyed it. I take my hat off to you.”

Sue added: “We have tasted some wonderful food tonight. Well done to everyone.”

Bella received a £50 catering voucher donated by YPO who also gave £30 and £20 vouchers which were drawn by lot among the other contestants. All six received certificates for taking part. These were presented by Wakefield Rotary Club president Sheila Wainwright who said: “I’ve been so impressed by what I’ve seen in the kitchen tonight.”

She thanked everyone for making the evening such a success – the contestants and their supporters, judges, the organisers (Rotarians Sue Muscroft and Ann Roberts) and college staff.

2017

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR YOUNG CHEF HANNAH!

The winner of our Young Chef of the Year competition, Hannah Buckley (Sherburn High School), was runner-up in the district final at Betty's cooking school at Harrogate at the end of January. The awards were presented by District Governor Elect Robert Morphet.

She now goes forward to the regional final in Mansfield on April 29.

2016

JUNIOR cook 15-year-old Lucas Vaqueirinho, from Rothwell, took the honours on the 25th November 2015 when he won Wakefield Rotary Club’s Young Chef of the Year competition. The Outwood Grange Academy student will now go on to take part in the district competition at Bettys Cookery School at Harrogate in February.

Last night’s competition, held at Wakefield College,was judged by former home economics teachers Jennifer Tickle and Sue O’Connor. Jennifer said: “It’s been a daunting task for the... contestants but they have all stepped up to the plate.”

Sue added: “We’ve been impressed by what we’ve seen and by the confidence shown by these young people. You should all be proud of yourselves.”

The judges congratulated Lucas on “taking control of his workplace”. Each contestant had two hours in which to produce a two-course meal of their choice and Lucas opted to present salmon fishcakes followed by vanilla panna cotta, washed down with sparkling white grape juice.

Second place went to Lewis Phillips, 13, also from Outwood Grange, while Tom Wilks, 14, from Ackworth School, came third. Every contestant received a certificate for taking part. Others were Jude Brown, 13, from Outwood Grange, and three 14-year-old students from Cathedral Academy, Jordan Fawcett, Lea Chalkley and Hannah Bellwood.

The certificates were presented by Wakefield Rotary Club president Michael Townsend. The event was organised by club member Ann Roberts.

2015

FOR THE second year in succession junior cook 14-year-old Emily Orr took the honours when she won Wakefield Rotary Club's Young Chef competition. She now goes on to take part in the district competition at Harrogate in February, hoping to improve on her third place position earlier this year.

The competition, organised jointly with the Rotary Club of Osgoldcross and Elmet, took place at Wakefield College and was judged by professional chef and lecturer Trevor Marshall and Canon Roger Cressey, once chaplain at Pinderfields Hospital but also well known for his TV cookery series on BBC1 and his recipe book Pinder's Pie. 

Mr Marshall congratulated all the parents and teachers who had turned out to support the contestants. He said: "The youngsters all worked really hard and I would happily have paid for any of their food in a restaurant. They did immensely well under pressure and any of them could go on to have careers in catering, should they choose that path."

Stuart Livesey, president of Wakefield Rotary Club: "It's been a brilliant competition - our best yet. Our thanks go to the college for allowing us the use of their kitchen facilities, which provided a professional environment for the contestants, and to the competition organiser Susan Muscroft, who chairs our club's youth committee."

Emily is a student at Wakefield Girls High School, as was fellow contestant Fiona Bottomley. Others who took part were Jessica Sharp (Crofton Academy), Harry Gunning and Ella Liefieth (Ossett Academy), Morgan House (Rodillian Academy), Alfie Kennedy, Alica Southgate and Amaris Parmer (all from De Lacy Academy, Knottingley).

Every contestant, each of whom had to prepare a two-course meal of their choice, received a certificate for taking part

2014

JUNIOR cook Emily Orr, from Sandal, added to her honours when she topped the leader board in Wakefield Rotary Club's Young Chef competition.

Emily, who was highly commended by celebrity chef James Martin in the recent regional heat of the Make it with Mince Challenge, now goes forward to the district Rotary competition at Harrogate early in 2014.

The competition on 20th November 2013, organised jointly with the Rotary Club of Osgoldcross and Elmet, took place at Wakefield College and was judged by Wakefield Rotarian and restaurateur Vincenzo Silvestri and professional chef and lecturer Trevor Marshall.

First place went to Emily, a 13-year-old student at Wakefield Girls High School, with 12-year-olds Lucy Von Emloh and Jemma Patnaik from the same school in second and third places. Lucy was another competitor who had earlier been commended by James Martin.

Others taking part in the Rotary competition were Nikita Grace, Daryl Ellison and Naomi Smith from the De Lacy Academy, Knottingley, and Hollie O'Brian, from Sherburn High School.

Mr Marshall said the spread of marks had been very close. He added: "The judges would like to congratulate all the contestants for their abilities and for trying to prove their worth at a very young age, especially when they were working under pressure."

Every competitor, each of whom had to prepare a two-course meal of their choice, received a certificate for taking part.