LACA reveals 3 school chefs advancing to Grab ‘N’ Go national final
The competition challenged school chefs to design, cook and serve a nutritious food item that can be eaten ‘on-the-go’ by youngsters. Chefs were tasked to cook four portions of a grab & go meal or breaktime savoury snack with a total cost per head of 80p (to include food costs and serving item- box, cone, paper wrapping).
The judges at the semi-final cook-off included Holly Charnock, School Chef of the Year 2020 and LACA judge; Dugald Curtis, chief executive of SchoolGrid and sponsor judge as well as Darren Hollis, regional sales manager at Rational.
Marks were awarded for originality of the finished dish, ease of eating on the go, practicality of the dish in a school setting, how well the flavours and ingredients work together, variety of textures in the finished dish and whether it is appealing to look at.
The live cook-off, which involved eight school chefs, took place at the Rational Development Kitchen in Bedfordshire on Wednesday 21st May. The three school chefs advancing to the final include:
- Andre Alto, from Kings Norton Girls School (OCS Group Ltd): longganisa rice burger
- Nerinder Kaur, from King Edwards VI Aston boys (Alliance in Partnership/Sodexo): Ninz Twisted Tikka noodles
- Andy Lidster, from John Wallis CofE Academy (Impact Food Group): Vegan bao buns with pulled jackfruit
Curtis said: “It has been a truly inspiring occasion at the LACA Grab ‘N’ Go cook-off. SchoolGrid is proud to sponsor this event for the second consecutive year, showing our ongoing support of innovation and excellence within school catering.
“The standard of dishes presented has been exceptionally high, and it has been a great showcase for the remarkable skill and dedication of those working in the sector. Congratulations to all the chefs who reached the cook-off and to Andre, Nerinder and Andy for securing a place at the national final in July.”
The three chefs will be invited to the LACA Main Event in Birmingham to compete for the overall title. The winner will be given a demonstration slot on the LACA Live feature on Wednesday 9th July to showcase their winning dish. The overall winner will receive £500, plus a £500 set of Wüsthof professional chef’s knives donated by sponsor SchoolGrid.