Here at Shires we would like to extend a huge thanks to everyone who supported our competition to find Northamptonshires Budding Chef 2010.

Firstly the team at the Herald and Post in Northampton, who provided us with fantastic press coverage throughout the duration of  the competition, by publishing the entry coupon and profiling many of our judges and finally our fantastic winner and runner up.

Thanks to Helen Sparrow (pic above) from Abraxas Cookshop who donated gift vouchers to both our winner Millie Howells (pictured) and runner up Megan Loosley. We would also like to extend a huge thanks to Colemans Stationers, Cineworld Northampton and Brampton Stables, who all kindly donated gift vouchers.

The quest to find Northamptonshire’s Budding Chef 2010 has concluded with Millie Howell, aged 9 from Irchester scooping the title.

The competition launched by Shires Cookery School, in association with the Herald & Post was created to  find all the budding chefs in the county.

Children aged 8-11 years from across the county were encouraged to write a two course menu that demonstrated the Taste of Summer, where possible using local ingredients, and show an understanding of the nutritional value of their dishes. The judges selected Millie as the winner, they felt she had provided all the recipe information needed and the supporting narrative that bought her recipes to life. Competition organiser, Wendy Carter said ‘Millie was a worthy winner, her recipes fulfilled all the criteria, and she clearly explained the inspiration for her menu.

Millie was invited to cook her dishes at the Holdenby Foodshow on bank holiday Monday, assisted by Richard Curtis, senior lecturer from Northampton College. A slightly apprehensive Millie took to the stage and charmed the audience by demonstrating her main course, chicken breast stuffed with mozzarella cheese, served with roasted garlic,red pepper and onion, cooked with mixed herbs and fresh basil, served on a bed of fresh linguini pasta. Millie’s Greek style dessert was a real crowd pleaser, with lots of fresh fruit, drizzled with local honey and Greek yoghurt, crushed walnuts sprinkled on top completed the dish.

Millie said ‘My menu reminds me of nice summer weather and my holiday in Greece. Some of my ingredients can be picked from my Mum and Dads garden and a lot of it is seasonal. You can also use local honey. It has over 6 portions of fruit & vegetables and is low in fat. Live yogurt is also very good for you.’ Mum Lisa said ‘ Despite Millie’s initial shyness she really did enjoy it and it was a great experience for her and us’

Megan Loosley, from Towcester secured the runners up position and also had the opportunity to cook her recipes, assisted by national chef competition winner Bethany Dare. Aged 15, Bethany has already started to build a blossoming culinary career by beating over 8,000 other youngsters, through four stages, into the final of the Future Chef competition.

She said she’s was delighted to be passing on some of her own experience to Megan, whose main course included local pork sausages, fresh garden vegetables, covered in a honey and mustard dressing, with a mouthwatering Strawberry mess meringue dessert.

Megan said ‘Sausages make me feel like summer barbeques in the garden and the honey reminds me of sticky sweet fruit and the busy bees making honey from all the summer flowers.

Fresh summer strawberries always taste better at this time of year, especially with extra helpings of cream. The sausages have iron, also the vegetables and the strawberries have vitamins’. Megan very studiously prepared her strawberry dessert, which the audience sampled and clearly enjoyed.

Both girls received gift vouchers from Abraxas Cookshop, prizes were also donated by Brampton Stables, Colemans Stationers, and Cineworld. As overall winner, Millie’s school will receive £200 cheque from Shires cookery School to buy kitchen equipment. Plus Waitrose Kingsthorpe branch will be delivering a healthy breakfast hamper for Millie and her class friends to enjoy. Wendy, owner of Shires Cookery School said ‘Overall I am delighted with how the competition has gone and we will be starting the search for our 2011 winner later in the year.

We are delighted to announce that the winner of the first Northamptonshires Budding Chef 2010 competition is Millie Howell, aged 9 from Irchester.

The judges felt that Millie’s recipes demonstrated a true Taste of Summer and fulfilled the judging criteria.

Calling all budding chefs – if you are a whiz in the kitchen and aspire to be a professional chef in the future, then securing the title of Northamptonshires Budding Chef 2010 is a great first step. If you are aged between 8-11 years, and can write a two course nutritional menu, then you could be in with a chance of winning a £200 cookery equipment voucher, plus  the opportunity of recreating your recipes with a professional chef.

If you have not yet entered our competition to be crowned Northamptonshires Budding Chef, the good news is the deadline has been extended until Monday 9th August.

If your school hasn’t entered – don’t worry you can still enter independently, simply complete the Entry form or visit www.shirescookeryschool.com/courses/little-chefs for all the info you need. The entries will be judged by a panel of professional food experts including Michelin starred chef Adam Gray. Our winner(s) will then be invited to demonstrate their skills at Northamptonshires Foodshow@ Holdenby sponsored by Bell on Sunday 29th August, with the help of a professional chef you can amaze your friends and show off your cooking skills.

So don’t miss your opportunity to secure the title of  Northamptonshire’s Budding Chef 2010 – your first step to culinary fame.

The search is on to find Northamptonshire’s Budding Chef – if your school isn’t participating in the search, then you can enter independently – simply complete the Entry form  outlining your recipe ideas – then email it back to us. You can enter on your own, or team up with a buddy.

There are lots of prizes on offer – plus the chance to cook your recipes with a professional chef at the Northamptonshire Foodshow @Holdenby sponsored by Bell on Sunday 29 August.

So dont delay – the juding panel are awating your entry

Click here for more information

 The search is on to find Northamptonshire’s Budding Chef  
 

Shires Cookery School has teamed up with the Herald&Post to find the youngster with the best culinary skills in the county. Children aged  8-11 can enter on their own, or buddy up with a school friend.

 

There are many prizes on offer, including a £200 cookery equipment voucher for the winning school. In addition, courtesy of WaitroseDeliver, the winner’s class will be treated to a healthy and nutritional breakfast hamper delivered directly to their school to kick start the day with healthy fruit juices, cereals, yoghurts and bagels.
 

If you fancy your chances as a future Marco or Nigella, don’t miss this opportunity to show what a kitchen wizard you are – and magic up a delicious top-of-the-range breakfast for your classmates at the same time.

To enter download the entry form. Deadline is 23 July.  

Do you have a budding chef in your family? 

If they are aged between 8-11 year then they could be the winner of Northamptonshires Budding Chef 2010.   
In association with our collegues at the Northants Herald & Post we have launched a fantastic local competition to find Northamptonshire’s Budding Chef 2010.

 The competition is aimed at children aged 8-11 years. Entrants can enter independently or team up with a friend and represent their school.

All entrants must design a two course menu that demonstrates the Taste of Summer, where possible using local ingredients, and demonstrate an understanding of the nutritional value of their dishes. They will be judged by a panel of Northamptonshire’s food experts, professional chefs and associated sponsors.  

Our top three winners will then have the opportunity to cook their dishes, with the help of a professional chef, at Northamptonshires Foodshow @Holdenby sponsored by Bell, on Sunday 29 August. The overall winner(s) will receive £200 cookery equipment voucher for their school, plus individual prizes.

The deadline for entries is 23 July – So the countdown  is on, to enter simply download the Entry form or pick up a copy a of the Northants Herald & Post, the entry form will be published weekly, along with updates on the competition as it progresses. 

 We look forward to receiving your entries – GOOD LUCK from the team at Shires