Budding post-primary chefs urged to show off their cooking talent

Mount Charles, hailed as one of the UK and Ireland’s leading foodservice companies , has launched a competition for budding chefs in post-primary schools.

The Mount Charles Big School Cook-Off is a new initiative to encourage pupils between Year Eight and Year 10 to get interested in cooking healthy and creative dishes, with a focus on quality local ingredients.

The competition, open to schools in every county in Northern Ireland and Donegal, asks schools to nominate a team of two to submit a recipe for either a starter, one main course or dessert, that is creative and that considers the use of locally sourced ingredients.

The judging panel will shortlist the recipes and the successful finalists will take part in a county heat against other schools, where each cooking duo will be given the same ingredients and recipe to follow.

The county finals will be judged on the day, with the winner from each county going forward to cook their original recipe submission at a grand finale event in June.

Each county winning team will receive £200 of vouchers for their school and a masterclass in cookery from Mount Charles Group Development Chef, Simon Toye, previously Executive Chef at the Michelin-starred Deanes restaurant in Belfast.

The overall winning team will pick up £300 of vouchers for their school as well as a treat for their family, with a meal at George’s of The Market restaurant and family tickets to see the Belfast Giants ice hockey team at the SSE Arena.

To enter visit www.irishnews.com/bigschoolcookoff. The entry deadline is noon on March 10.