Bringing together business, education and students

Pupils from Cavendish, Ratton, Causeway and St. Bede’s schools competed at the 2010 Eastbourne Young Chef finals at The Cavendish School, on Tuesday 6 July

The competition, now in its fifteenth year, was organised by Eastbourne Education Business Partnership in conjunction with The Grand Hotel. The finalists were asked to design a 3-course menu and had ninety minutes in which to prepare their main dish for judging.

Ellora Homewood from Ratton School won the Year 7/8 category and Robert Haworth-Dunne from St. Bede’s Upper School won the Year 9/10 category. Both received a special winner’s cup, gift voucher, book and lunch at the Grand Hotel.

The remaining finalists each received a certificate, gift voucher and book. “The quality and variety of entries improves each year with more cosmopolitan themes in evidence. This made the job of judging quite challenging with some very close scores”, said Keith Mitchell, Executive Chef at The Grand Hotel, who supervised the judging.

Ian Millar, representing the Eastbourne Hospitality Association and Mattia Casadei from Hotel Seattle Brighton, representing the Institute of Hospitality, who had both sponsored the event, assisted Keith with judging.

Mentor chefs from the Langham Hotel, Chalk Farm Hotel, Mermaid Restaurant and The Hungry Monk Restaurant supported the finalists, who had come through their own school heats. This added a work-related dimension to the competition and provided additional experience for the students.

Eastbourne EBP looks forward to welcoming more school finalists in 2011.