Two talented young chefs were victorious in a cookery competition.
Mia Smurthwaite and Paige Gibbs, year 10 pupils at Whitehaven’s St Benedict’s School, won the competition run by Lakes College, based at Lillyhall, near Workington.
The competition was designed to encourage more young people to think about a career in hospitality, and also to think about sustainability and where there food comes from.
Mia and Paige qualified for the final on Monday after winning their school heat earlier this month.
The final was judged by Michelin starred chef Jack Bond from the Cottage in the Wood at Keswick.
Emma Donoghue, of Lakes College, said: “The students were brilliant, Paige and Mia were confident, they showcased their skills to a very high standard and it was a pleasure to have them in the kitchen.”
“The standard was high and the students at St Benedict’s produced some brilliant dishes for me to try when I came out to judge the first round.”
At the final, they competed against other teams from Workington’s St Joseph’s School, Maryport’s Netherhall School, Aspatria’s Beacon Hill School and Workington Academy.
Mia and Paige worked as a team and cooked chicken katsu curry with lemon and thyme rice and accompanied by a nigella seed naan.
Mia said: “I enjoyed the competition and loved working in the big industrial kitchens at Lakes College. I hope to join the college in the future to further my education.
“The competition helped widen my view on what it would be like to be a student there and to work in their kitchen. I have learned that practice makes perfect! At the start of the prep for the competition I had no idea how to make panko or katsu curry sauce but now I must say I’m rather good at it. To win the competition was just the icing on the cake.”
Paige added: “It was absolutely amazing to cook in the competition, I loved the experience so much. It gave me some ideas of doing catering as a career option. I learned so much from this like how to make naan bread, how to properly present it and how the ingredients are sustainable.
“All together I really enjoyed it and would encourage so many people to choose catering as a GCSE option to have an amazing opportunity like this.”
Aiden Boal, teacher of hospitality and catering at St Benedict’s, said: “We are extremely proud of Mia and Paige, this is a fantastic achievement for them both.
“The planning they both completed before the competition was meticulous, they showed an understanding of ingredients and flavours way beyond their age. They cooked with precision on the day, Jack Bond commented on their cookery skills and their knowledge of sustainable cookery. I hope both girls go on to make their mark in the industry.”
