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Thursday, 9 January 2014


Mid Herts Rotary
Young Chef 2014



Can you plan and cook a meal for two?
Do you have interesting and creative ideas about food?
If so, read on ...............

The competition has two rounds.


For Round 1 you plan a healthy meal consisting of a main course and dessert. This should be a meal for two and should not cost more than £12. You list the ingredients and the methods that you would use to prepare it. 

Entries should be emailed to   midhertsrotary@ymail.com  by Friday 24th January.    Don’t forget to include your name, email address and phone number.

Six entries will be selected for Round 2, the Cook-Off, on the basis of quality of the menu, including the colour and balance of ingredients, nutritional content, visual appeal and originality.

For the Cook-Off, you will be asked to prepare, cook and serve your chosen meal. You will be provided with a £12 voucher for Waitrose WGC to purchase the ingredients for the recipe you have submitted.  If you are selected we will inform you by Monday 3rd February.

Whilst you are preparing and cooking your meal, you will be watched, guided and assessed on your cooking skills by the judges. Once all the meals have been cooked the judges will taste the meals and make their final decision on the winner and award the prizes.

The Cook-Off will be at Monk’s Walk School on Saturday 8th February 2014 from 10.30am to 2.00pm (cooking from11 am to 1 pm). There will be prizes for the winners and the overall winner will go on to the district final on 22nd February and, if successful, to regional and national finals.

Let’s get cooking!



Below are the rules and entry form for the Mid Herts competition leading to the district, regional and national finals.


Entries must be submitted to the organiser, John Walton, at midhertsrotary@ymail.com  by Friday 24th January 2014


 RULES


1.    Objectives

       This competition aims to encourage young people to:

·         To cook a healthy meal
·         Develop food presentation skills
·         Consider food hygiene issues
·         Develop their organisational and planning skills
·         Develop their ability to cope in a demanding situation


2.    Age of Entrants

Students must be aged 11 years to 17 years, on 31st August 2013 for the 2014 competition.
Having a date of birth between 01/09/1995 – 31/08/2002


3.    The Mid Herts Competition

Stage 1  Entrants are asked to prepare a menu for a 2-course healthy meal for 2 people (main course and dessert) costing no more than £12.00.  Menus will be judged on nutrition, colour, balance of flavours and textures of the dishes and the range of skills needed to prepare them.  The six entrants with the best menus chosen by the judges will invited to take part in the cook-off at Monk’s Walk School, WGC on Saturday 8th February 2014 between 10.30am and 2.00pm.

Stage 2  The Cook-Off for the selected competitors.  Competitors chosen for the cook-off will receive a £12 voucher, from Waitrose Welwyn GC for the cost of their ingredients.

USE OF NUT BASED INGREDIENTS:- If a dish contains nuts of any type then this must be made clear in the submitted recipes. The judges and other contestants must be made aware of this before the commencement of preparation and cooking so that appropriate separation can be arranged. All utensils and surfaces must be thoroughly cleaned to avoid residue contamination.


4.    Timing for the Cook-off

Setting up time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 2 hours.

Timing is vital and judges will deduct marks for meals not finished on time.


5.  Procedure for the Cook-Off

Arrival and Briefing 10.30
All competitors will gather together for a welcome and initial briefing at 10.30. 
There will be a draw for cooking areas including which type of cooker will be used. 
Supporters may assist in bringing equipment etc. into the cooking area, during setting up time.

     Setting up Time 10.30 to 11.00
This is to include organising the cooking area (sole use of one cooker only) and collecting together equipment. 

There is to be no handling or preparation of ingredients in this time.  Any ready or pre-prepared food/ingredients should be declared to the judges e.g. marinated foods etc. 

Standard cooking equipment will be provided, but not frying pans. Competitors must bring their own serving dishes, in addition to their own ingredients. Any specialist or electrical equipment must have a PAT test certificate.

Competitors should display a copy of their menu and costings at their cooking area. 

Small amounts of herbs, spices and seasonings and small quantities of other “stock cupboard” ingredients need not be included in the costings.  Please note you only cost the weight of ingredients used.

Cooking Time 11.00 to 1.00
This is to include preparing, cooking and serving of the meal at the correct temperature.  Entrants have use of fridge and limited freezer space.

The dishes will be served at the end of the cooking time at 1.00pm.  One serving will be displayed in the supporters’ area and used for photographs and sampling by the supporters.  The other serving will be delivered to the judges to taste and adjudicate.

Washing up may be finished off after the cooking time. 

At all times entrants must consider personal hygiene, correct handling of food, food hygiene and neat working conditions.

N.B. A separate room/area will be available for supporters to use while the competition is in progress.  There can be no entrance to the cooking area by anyone, other than officials, while the competition takes place.


6.  Marking

The organising committee will appoint the judges.  Mark allocation will be:

·         Costing                                                                         5 points
·         Planning                                                                      10 points
·         Healthy choice of dishes                                            10 points
·         Presentation of table including flowers, cloth etc       10 points
·         Meal served at correct temperature                          10 points
·         Neatness of working area and hygiene                     15 points
·         Range of skills used                                                   20 points
·         Taste and presentation of dessert                              20 points
·         Taste and presentation of main course                      30 points
·         Total                                                                         130 points

After the marking has taken place, the judges will comment on the presentations and announce the result.  The decision of the judges will be final.  They will not discuss marks and no correspondence or discussion will be entered into following the event.


7.  Awards

All cook-off competitors will receive a certificate and a prize.  The winner will go forward to the District Final to be held on Saturday 22nd February in Hitchin.  The winner of that will go forward to the Regional Final in March and the winner there will go to the National Final organised by Rotary to be held on Saturday 26th April 2014 at Dundee College, Kingsway Campus, Dundee DD38LE


MID HERTS ROTARY

(Rotary Clubs of Welwyn Garden City, Brookmans Park, Hatfield & Potters Bar)
 Young Chef 2014
ENTRY FORM
(Copy and paste the text into Word or another word processor or direct into an email)

Name                  ………………………………………………………….……
Home Address   ………………………………………………………….……
                             ………………………………………………………….……
                              …………….………………………………………..……….
Phone ………………………………………………….……
e-mail ………………………………………………….……
Date of birth    ……………....………………………………………..……          
School/Organisation     …………………………………………………………......
                                                             
Menu to be prepared           Main course ……………………………………………………………

                                              Dessert   …………………………………………………………………

Please attach a copy of all recipes - ingredients and method.  Please highlight any inclusion of nuts of any kind.

If selected you will need to be available for the cook-of on Saturday 8th February 2014 between 10.30am and 2.00pm. 

School/organisation contact name    …………………………………………………………..……
                                               phone     …………………………………………………………..……
                                              email       …………………………………………………………..……


Please return this entry form by email to John Walton at midhertsrotary@ymail.com

by Friday 24th January 2014