Poppy's got the recipe for success

A BUDDING chef has cooked up a double triumph by winning a cooking contest for the second year running.

Poppy Dickinson (13), who attends Saint Pius X Catholic School in Wath, has successfully defended the title of Mexborough Rotary Club Young Chef of the Year that she won last year.

Poppy battled it out with two other finalists—Thomas Worrall and Sarah Bush—to win the district final at Dearne Valley College.

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The competition has been created to give young people the chance to show off their creative culinary talents, to promote healthy eating and learning important life skills.

All the meals were prepared in the training kitchens of the college’s  Rockingham campus and served in the on-site Griffin Restaurant.

The young chefs had to prepare, cook and present a healthy two-course meal for two people within a £5 budget and were judged on their healthy menu options, planning and organisational skills, hygiene, preparation skills, presentation and tasting.

The judges were Paul Townsley, principal and chief executive of DVC, Tom Burton, head chef from Doncaster Racecourse and Peter Leversley, owner of Leversley's greengrocers in Wath.

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They declared Poppy the winner after being impressed by her menu of pan-fried sea bass, sage potatoes, vine tomatoes and salad with a rosemary sauce followed by strawberry amaretti tart with strawberry sauce.

Poppy was presented with a trophy, a £25 gift voucher and a chef's uniform, plus a family pass for a day out at Doncaster racecourse.

Her food technology teacher will now be able to choose equipment worth £250 for the school.

Poppy will now compete in the Regional Final in 2011, when contestants will be required to prepare and cook a three-course meal for two people within a £15 budget.

 

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