News

School caterer Amanda Fell from Wrexham County Borough Council has scooped the ‘Best in Show’ prize for her intricate decorated celebration cake in Finishing Touches, LACA’s annual static culinary display salon competition.

The competition, held during LACA’s 2012 conference at the Birmingham Hilton Metropole, is aimed at all levels of staff employed in local authority catering capable of producing excellent craft pieces, and provides entrants the opportunity to show off their skills that would not normally be seen during their everyday profession.

The Craft Guild of Chefs set the criteria for each of the classes and also judged the exhibits against national standards. Four new categories went into the mix this year: apple pie/tart; cup cakes; filled and/or covered sponge, gateau or cake; and tray bake. These joined six existing categories: biscuits; decorated celebration cake; decorated novelty cake; floral sugarcraft display piece; cold canapés and petit fours.

Fell’s exhibit was an elaborate ‘Olympian’ piece that showed off her craft skills and wowed the judges.

The judging panel included Craft Guild vice president Steve Munkley, University College Birmingham chef lecturer Mat Shropshall, Royal Garden Hotel pastry chef Nick Hollands and the Birmingham Hilton Metropole's executive chef Paul Taylor.

Best in class winners
Apple Pie/Tart: James Small, Chartwells
Biscuits: Rachel Wormersley, Kirklees Council
Cold canapés: Symon Moth, Chartwells
Covered Sponge: Julie Hinckley, Class Catering Services
Cup Cakes: Christine McKenna, Chartwells
Decorative celebration cake: Amanda Fell, Wrexham County Borough Council
Decorated novelty cake: Sarah Stephens, HC3S
Floral sugarcraft display: Lynda Smith, Luton Borough Council
Petit fours: Carol Coupland, North Ayrshire Council
Traybake: Julie Hinckley, Class Catering Services
Best in Show winner: Amanda Fell, Wrexham County Borough Council