Kirkcudbright Academy Students Stephen & Maya Dish It Out At Young Chef Competition

Classroom culinary skills helped two S4 students become Kirkcudbright Academy’s top young chefs.

The S4 academy pupils wowed the judges in the Rotary Young Chef competition held at the school last week and organised jointly by the Rotary Club of Kirkcudbright and Kirkcudbright Academy. The seven senior pupils who took part each cooked a two course meal for two using local ingredients, all for under £10 paid for by the local Rotary Club.

Stephen’s menu was a starter of broccoli & stilton soup, followed by a main course of poached fillet of salmon.

Runner up S4 Student Maya Johnston, whose menu included a starter of polenta chips with a butter bean ragu, followed by a main course of chicken stuffed with homemade pesto and mozzerela wrapped in parma ham with crushed potatoes and vegtables with a pomadoro sauce, Maya  also won best table setting of the day.

Castle MacLellan Foods Ltd of Kirkcudbright were very generous in providing cash prizes and cookery books, with every competitor receiving a Castle MacLellan apron. Stephen and Maya will also get the opportunity to spend a day in their kitchens with the development chef.

The young chefs are judged on their healthy menus, planning, preparation skills, hygiene and of course the taste and presentation of the final dishes. The two judges were, local chef Paul Wilkinson, and Tony Budde, resident Chef at Dumfries & Galloway College. Both were very impressed by the dishes produced by the students and by the Academy Home Economics Dept, for continuing to develop the now well established tradition of talented young chefs.

Stephen and Maya now go on to the Rotary District 1020 Area Finals being held at Dalbeattie High School on Thursday 15th November, with the chance of progressing to the District, Regional and finally the National competitions.