Who will be New Zealand’s junior Masterchef?

September 17, 2013

Who will be New Zealand’s junior Masterchef?

Five teams from around the country will compete in a 90 minute `Masterchef-like final` to win the first National Secondary Schools Culinary Challenge at Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT) next week.

Teams from Papakura High School, Hamilton Boys High School, Inglewood High School, Hastings Girls and Napier Boys High Schools and Heretaunga College will complete the challenge at the teaching kitchen at MIT’s School of Culinary and Hospitality on Monday September 23.

The teams of two students will have 90 minutes to prepare, cook and present an entrée and main course for four.

The entrée must contain the fresh New Zealand grown vegetable, Kumara as the principal component of the dish. The main must include at least three fresh New Zealand grown vegetables, one of which must be a starch. The protein component of main is to be a chicken breast with skin on and bone in. The teams must create their own recipes and provide the recipes and menu descriptions.

The winning team will receive a prize pack worth $6,000 including a $2,000 City & Guilds scholarship for each student.

The national award has been created and overseen by City & Guilds – one of the largest and most respected international examination and accreditation organisations and MIT offered to provide the venue for the competition.

MIT Faculty of Consumer Services Programme Coordinator, Sandi Eickhoff says, “There’s been a need for an organisation in the industry with the required facilities to step up as secondary teachers have been calling for a competition to be held.”

“The MIT Barista secondary schools competition is already an annual event for the secondary schools so we have extended that competition this year to include culinary and hospitality classes,” she says.

Eickhoff says the judges were very impressed by the calibre of those competing in the regional competitions and that they all agree it’s great to see the students performing to such a high standard.

“Traditionally school hospitality studies have often been seen as a filler subject but now with the profile of careers in the culinary industry being raised through television shows such as ‘Masterchef’ students are aware they can make a career out of the skills they are learning,” she says.

“At MIT on the 23rd of September, I think we are going to be watching the `unofficial` Junior Masterchef”, says Pip Duncan from vegetable’s.co.nz.

Finalist, Anthony Kapeli-Sua from Papakura High School who won the City and Guilds Auckland Regional Challenge held at MIT in June is a great example - he has already been chosen to train under Gordon Ramsay next year in France.

MIT offers a range of tertiary qualifications in cooking, baking and culinary practices as well as café, restaurant and hospitality management and operations for those wishing to pursue a career in the industry.

NATIONAL SECONDARY SCHOOL CULINARY COMPETITION FINALISTS:
PAPAKURA HIGH SCHOOL (Auckland):
Students – Joy Gesmundo & Anthony Kapeli-Sua, Tutor – Gaynor Matthews

HAMILTON BOYS HIGH SCHOOL (Waikato):
Students – Daniel Lawrence & Jonas Clark, Tutor – Andrea Marr

INGLEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL (Taranaki):
Students – Marcus Mannex-Kingi & Brook Harvey-Smith, Tutor – Michael Wood

HASTINGS GIRLS & NAPIER BOYS HIGH SCHOOLS` (Hawkes Bay):
Students – Molly-Mae Foote & James Grant, Tutor – Morna McGregor (HGHS)

HERETAUNGA COLLEGE (Wellington):
Students – Brandon Mudzekenyedzi & Eva Bissielo, Tutor – Katherine Stokes

Three very senior qualified chefs from New Zealand’s hospitality industry will judge the final are Chief Judge: Mark Wylie, Chef and General Manager of Caterplus; Michael Van de Elzen, Chef and TV presenter of `The Food Truck` and John Kelleher, Chef and Senior Lecturer Culinary Arts at AUT.

$6,000 PRIZE PACK: Each winner receives a $2,000 scholarship towards their study of a City & Guilds International Catering Qualification at a City & Guilds approved training centre of their choice and a gift pack from www.vegetables.co.nz and City & Guilds. The winning school receives a $1,000 Bidvest voucher and get to hold the NSSCC trophy for the year.

Industry heavyweights have provided expertise and financial support to establish the National Secondary Schools Culinary Challenge with the expectation that the final will become a national showcase of up-and-coming young talent who will go on to make their mark in the NZ food and hospitality industries.

City & Guilds would like to recognise the industry support that has made the National Secondary Schools Culinary Challenge possible: www.vegetables.co.nz, Bidvest, Poultry Association of NZ and MIT.

ENDS

© Scoop Media