TV star inspires young cooks as he celebrates launch of Junior Chef Academy

Young chefs with a passion for cooking have the chance to improve their skills and aim to become the next Jamie Oliver or Monica Galetti.

Children aged 11-16 are invited to join the Junior Chef Academy that runs at Rouge Restaurant, New City College Redbridge.

Budding cooks work with experts and professional chefs in the kitchen for eight weeks from January – with all equipment, uniform and ingredients provided.

The successful Academy runs each year and was launched for 2023 by TV’s The Spanish Chef Omar Allibhoy when he visited Rouge recently to work with New City College Catering students.

He spoke at length about how important college is to encourage young people into hospitality – and was full of praise for the Junior Chef Academy initiative.

Omar owns restaurant chain Tapas Revolution, has appeared on numerous TV shows such as Sunday Brunch, The One Show, This Morning, MasterChef and Saturday Kitchen, and has written two successful cookery books.

He said: “I have dedicated my entire life to food and have worked with some of the best chefs in the world. But my passion began at a young age when I started cooking with my mum and family at our home in Spain. It is very important for young people to have opportunities to grow their passion and that is why the Junior Chef Academy is such a great idea.”

The young students will join Rouge Restaurant’s top chefs for an engaging and entertaining learning experience every Saturday morning where they will receive expert tutoring in all aspects of food preparation and cooking techniques.

Maurice Haskew, Senior Curriculum Manager of Hospitality and Catering at Rouge, said: “The class content is aimed to inspire cooks of all abilities with a combination of simple and more advanced dishes. Sessions are held at our award-winning professional restaurant kitchen, culminating in the preparation of a three-course meal for the children’s families at Rouge.

“As well as teaching food preparation and cooking skills, the course helps to improve communication skills, improve self-confidence, is a chance to meet new friends with similar interests, and gives youngsters an insight into the hospitality industry.”

To find out more, call 0330 135 9000 or email [email protected]