West London young chefs go head to head in the grand final of the Young Chef of the Year 2019

West London College opened up its TASTE Restaurant and training kitchens to young talent in the local area for the Hammersmith & Fulham Borough Young Chef of the Year 2019 competition for the 11th year.

The cooking contest saw 12 finalists from Fulham Cross, Godolphin & Latymer, Phoenix High, Queensmill, Wood Lane and Cambridge secondary schools compete for the top prize. The young chefs prepared two-course meals with ingredients they selected on a budget of £8.

The judging panel included dietician Miranda Greg, Andy Needham from L’Amorosa restaurant, Ross Stacey of the River Cafe and Dipna Anand from Dip in Brilliant restaurant. They judged the competitors on organisation and timing, food preparation skills, hygiene, presentation, taste and nutritional balance.

After careful deliberation,  Kai Sulcedo from Phoenix High was named as the winner. He said: “Cooking is a really good skill to have because you are learning for the future and I really enjoy it.”

Kai won with a delicious Mapo Doufu Curry with Noodles and a Chinese Inspired Coconut Pudding. As well as the trophy, Kai received a selection of cookbooks and a Westfield gift card.

Mayor of Hammersmith & Fulham, Cllr Daryl Brown presented the awards. She said: “I’m very happy to be back at Hammersmith & Fulham College, this is my second home. I was a student here, and then a teacher for more than a decade.”

“This competition aims to encourage young people to develop skills for life and promote home cooking.”

Fulham Cross student Selsabil Amtouti, won the nutritional balance award for her main course, described by Miranda Greg as “Very nutritious, full of colours and with lots of flavours.”

Denise Charles, Head of Curriculum of Services Industries commented: “We’re delighted to host Hammersmith & Fulham Young Chef of the Year competition at West London College for the 11th year in a row.

“This contest is an excellent platform to showcase talent in the local community, promote home cooking and help people understand and realise how many job opportunities there are in the Hospitality and Catering Industry.”

Our Professional Cookery students managed the event’s hospitality serving 65 guests.

The Young Chef of the Year Competition gathers some of the brightest young cooking talents from the Borough.

TASTE Restaurant facilities are of industry standard and have served as a venue for various industries competitions and events. The student-run restaurant is open during term-time from Wednesday to Friday offering dishes prepared by our hospitality and catering students.