News

With one hundred competitors having registered to take part in the 2017 competition, organisers say the quest to find the next LACA School Chef of the Year has got off to a great start.

This year’s competition structure has undergone a number of improvements, including refinements to rules and judging criteria, the introduction of three major regional final cook-off events and a new prize package for the national winners.

In addition to the kudos of winning the national title, the 2017 champion will this year receive a £1,000 cash prize. He or she will also be awarded the LACA 2017 School Chef of the Year trophy, a commemorative plaque, a work experience trip and an invitation to a calendar of high profile catering industry engagements between 2017-2018.

The national Highly Commended Main Course and Dessert winners will also receive a cash prize of £500 each and commemorative plaques.

LACA national chair Sally Shadrack says: “What is the secret formula for the LACA School Chef of the Year Competition?  School cooks with passion, dedication and oodles of culinary skill mixed together with delicious, nutritious dishes prepared with real flair using fresh ingredients!

“Every year, the competition allows us to demonstrate both the professional skills of today’s school chefs and the excellent meals they prepare tirelessly every single day in schools across the country.

“Since the introduction of the new School Food Standards and the Eat Well Guide 2016, more and more children have been reaping the benefits of an improved diet at school.

“The impact that this has had on the health and vitality of children and young people cannot be underestimated. It underpins why all schools should continue to provide quality, nutritious meals every day.

“Our school chefs and their teams are totally committed to the role they play in educating children and young people about how food and eating better can help them achieve more, both academically and physically. I wish all of our 2017 contestants the very best of luck.”

The competition has been the flagship event for school chefs to showcase their professional skills for more than 20 years. It is organised by LACA and sponsored by Maggi from Nestlé Professional.

School chefs who have registered for the 2017 competition, now have until Friday (October 28th) to formally submit their menu and recipe entries.

The first round of judging takes place in November, with participants who successfully complete this stage going on to take part in the live regional finals.

Separate heats will be held from November to February for the contestants from each of the ten LACA regions in three locations situated in Northern, Central and Southern England. The national final will be held in Stratford upon Avon on Thursday, March 2nd 2017.

Once again, the competition aims to put to the test the preparation, cooking, creativity and presentation skills of school chefs. With a maximum of £1.30 to spend and just one and a half hours to prepare their dishes, each entrant is required to produce a healthy, balanced two-course meal comprising a main course and dessert that would appeal to 11-year-olds in school.

The nutritional content of contestants’ dishes must comply with the School Food Standards and take into account the Eat Well Guide 2016.

SCOTY organisers say the dishes that feature on the 2017 contestants’ menus demonstrate the exceptional culinary expertise of school chefs.

“With the inspiration for their ingredients, flavours and themes drawn from exotic locations across the globe, their creative and imaginative main course and dessert dishes are destined to seriously challenge the taste buds of the judges at each of the Regional Finals.”

Justin Clarke, food development chef for Maggi at Nestlé Professional, will be the chair of the judging panel for the regional finals and the national final.

On the panel at each regional final will be a local professional chef, an education catering professional (Jacqui Webb, LACA) and a Year 6 boy and girl from a school near each of the three Cook Off locations.

Jason Rodriques, Maggi savoury food category and commercial manager, added: “This competition highlights that there’s no shortage of skill and imagination in the country’s school kitchens.

“Year-on-year, each chef demonstrates just what can be done on a tight budget and the results are remarkable – we wish each contestant the best of luck at this year’s competition.”

The winner of each regional final will receive a cash prize of £100. Two other awards will be made at the regional finals at the discretion of the judges – Highly Commended Main Course and Highly Commended Dessert. All winners will receive special commemorative plaques.

The LACA School Chef of the Year 2017 Regional Finals:

November 2016
COOK OFF 1 – Harborne Cookery School, Birmingham– Tuesday 29 & Wednesday 30 November 2016
West Midlands Regional Final
East Midlands Regional Final 
Welsh Regional Final
East of England Regional Final

January 2017
COOK OFF 2  - Nestlé Headquarters, Gatwick -  Monday 9. Tuesday 10 & Wednesday 11 January 2017
London  Regional Final
South East Regional Final
South West Regional Final

COOK OFF 3 – Cheshire Cookery School, Altrincham – Tuesday 17 & Wednesday 18 January 2017
North West Regional Final
Yorkshire & Humber Regional Final
North East & Scotland Regional Final