School Chef of the Year Erin demos winning menu at PSC Expo
As part of the Public Sector Catering Kitchen feature, which was hosted by Hairy Biker Si King, she cooked Pork Bao Bun, Spring Onion Puree and Rainbow Slaw followed by Sweet Nacho Chips, Lime Mousse and Fruit Salsa.
She said that bao buns were a very popular item on the menu at her school when she designed her dishes for the 2025 competition.
For her dessert, which she nicknamed ‘fruitchos’, she said she made the nacho chips using wholemeal wraps that she crisped and dusted with brown sugar.
Erin, who works for Impact Food Group at Holmer Green School, a Buckinghamshire secondary school, told Si King as they chatted during her demo what she liked about being a school chef: “Some of the children come in and want the same dish every day, but what I like is when you try something different on the menu and you make it exciting enough they want to try it.
“When they keep coming back each day and you start to know their names then you know you’re doing something right.”
When Si King noted how Erin’s menu had some vivid flavours in her cooking, she added: “Yes, I use a lot of strong flavours, like the chilli in the rainbow slaw, as I find the kids really respond to that.”