Seven culinary students from the Otago / Southland region competed for a place in the National Secondary Schools Culinary Competition (NSSCC) Grand Final. The regional final was held at the Otago Polytechnic.

Congratulations to William Loe from John McGlashan College, regional winner for Otago / Southland. Will turned up the heat in the kitchen, having to prepare, cook and plate, two individually plated portions of an entrée within 60 minutes. The entrée had to contain fresh New Zealand grown broccoli as the main component of the dish.

His winning dish, Tempura broccolini served with pickled beetroot and broccoli stem. Accompanied by a broccoli and almond toasted crumb and broccoli miso puree. Judges’ comments include ‘Good hygiene and knife skills demonstrated. Very organised. Good range of flavours and textures.’

The culinary students representing their schools were: Lucas Power and Sam Gavin from Otago Boy’s High School, Jed Nevill, Will Loe and Harry Allen from John McGlashan College, Jessica Evans and Seaira Hadley from Gore High School.

Each regional winner will choose a team mate and compete in the NSSCC Grand Final against seven other regional teams on 8th September in Auckland.

The competition is proudly sponsored by 5+ A Day, Bidfood, Moffat, Service IQ, Southern Hospitality, Waitoa Chicken, and Vegetables.co.nz, all of whom are supporting the industry's upcoming best student chefs.

NSSCC is organised annually by the Culinary Arts Development Trust (CADT), a non-profit charitable trust formed in January 2015.

The CADT promotes culinary arts in New Zealand as a career option for those interested in developing their professional experience through culinary competitions. Working with sponsors, local councils, government bodies and communities, the CADT encourages, fosters and oversees New Zealand culinary talent, and the creation of relationships within the industry, with an overall focus on healthy eating.

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