Main heading

Double Junior Chef Winners 2007

The winners of the Junior Chef Competition were announced from more than 250 entrants across Cheshire at today’s Chester Food & Drink Festival. Pupils in schools across the county submitted recipes for the Chester Food and Drink Festival Competition using local produce.

The winner of the six to 12-year-old category was Robert Waring, 10, of Frodsham Primary School and the winner of the 12 to 16-year-old category was Sam Wilde, 14, of Knutsford High School. Both Robert and Sam won through heats held at West Cheshire College’s Eaton Road campus and gained the opportunity to perform their meals on the main stage in the Chester Food & Drink Festival Taste Marquee. The Junior Chefs had their photo taken with TV chef Guy Wolley, who offered them words of encouragement to become chefs of the future.

Robert, who has been cooking since he was seven, created a ginger chicken and root mash medley and stated that his cooking hero is Ainsley Harriott. He said: “I am delighted to be cooking on the Chester stage. I got down to the last 48 for a Blue Peter cookery competition, but this is the icing on the cake. I want to be a chef when I am older.”

Sam, who has been cooking for three years, cooked stir fried lamb, sweet potatoes and green beans. He said: “This is the first competition I’ve entered, although I’ve been on a cookery trip to Venice.”

Chairman of the Chester Food and Drink Festival Stephen Wundke said: “We are grooming celebrity chefs of the future on the stage. This competition is about a food revolution in Cheshire which can encourage our young people to enjoy great, locally sourced and cooked food. We hope to find young stars of the future that are passionate about great food.” 

The closing date for the 2008 Junior Chef competition was Monday 11 February 2008.