Chichester students scoop top spots 2022 Rotary Young Chef of the Year district final

Six secondary school pupils from across the South competed in the final at Merton College, London, to see whose three-course meal, health and hygiene, chef styling and set up would be crowned this year’s winner.

Chichester Free School’s Isla Kavanagh Brown was crowned the winner while fellow Free School student Tammy-Marie Goddard took second place.

Tanya Pye, food tech teacher at Chichester Free School, said: “Both young ladies were extremely calm and did so well with the pressure of the event.

“They have been working so hard throughout this term to get to where they are now and the hard work has certainly paid off.

“It was wonderful to see their family and friends who, after Covid restrictions were eased, have been allowed back into support the event.

“The judges gave such wonderful feedback about both pupils, one stating they would happily have both of them in his kitchen and another saying they could easily see their dishes in a high class restaurant.

“I am proud as punch for both of them and hope they celebrate this amazing achievement.

“A huge well done Isla and Tammy.

“I can’t wait to see what is created next year.”

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Students had two hours to create and plate their dishes with four judges watching everything they did.

Isla’s dishes were smoked savoury bread and butter pudding with antipasti, hassleback aubergine, ricotta and marinara stuffed mushrooms with tomato sauce and deconstructed strawberry and gin mascarpone tart.

Tammy’s dishes were creamy cheese mushrooms on a bed of homemade Italian herbed bread, Italian prosciutto wrapped chicken on a bed of lentils and spinach and an apricot fool dessert.

The judges said all the dishes were to an extremely high standard with lots of innovation and creative thinking being displayed – and they were very impressed with the level of hygiene used and the logical order that dishes were made in.

As well as collecting the Rose Bowl Cup for first place, Isla scored in the top sections and received high commendations for her starter and dessert.

Tammy, who was the youngest chef in the event, also scored in the top sections and received high commendations for her main and dessert.

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