Island Life Magazine Ltd April/May 2013 | Page 102

FOOD

Create and cook
Young cooks across the Island have
been busy putting together creative
menus using locally grown ingredients
for a new and innovative cookery
competition.
The Create and Cook Competition
invites all 12 to 14 year olds to
design a two course menu using as
much Island produce as possible.
Run by fit2cook food education,
the competition aimed to encourage
young cooks to discover the fantastic
local ingredients grown around them,
and be as creative as possible.
Oliver Stephens, head chef at the
Priory Bay Hotel, agreed to be one
of the judges for the young cooks
and has visited schools, including his
old school Sandown Bay Academy,
to inspire them with his passion for
Island produce.
He said: “Being part of The Create
and Cook Competition is a great
opportunity to get the next generation
excited about the amazing produce
we have here on the Island. Growing
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up here gave me the opportunity to
go fishing, crabbing and hunting for
local Bembridge prawns and forage
for herbs, berries and mushrooms. It’s
just incredible how much beautiful
produce is available on our doorstep.”
Entering through their school food
technology department, the young
cooks worked to an Easter deadline.
The top Isle of Wight young cooks
will now go and perform in front of
a panel of judges, including Oliver
Stephens, at the Cookery School at the
Isle of Wight College on May 8. The
winning pair will go on to a Regional
Final against Hampshire and West
Sussex schools in June. The overall
2013 Create and Cook Competition
winners will scoop the fit2cook trophy
and £1,000 for their school food
technology department.
Organiser of The Create and Cook
Competition, Min Raisman of
fit2cook food education, said: