A sticky toffee pudding triumphed at this year’s national Cookery final, with the Head Judge confessing he couldn’t resist second helpings during the judging.
The tasty pud, which was crowned Dish of the Day, was part of a trio of dishes created by the overall winning Cookery team from Leicestershire and Rutland.
With this year’s theme being Festivals, Beth Adams, Ava and Grace Spokes from Rearsby YFC chose the Cheltenham Festival as the inspiration for their dishes.
With only one hour to cook up their feast, they served a starter of scallops with pea and mint puree, followed by lamb cutlets, served with potatoes, carrots and broccoli, and finished off with the much-coveted dessert.
Ava said they chose “traditional English food” and sourced their ingredients locally.
“The food definitely tastes better when using produce from our family farms,” she said.
“The conditions were a bit tense in the tent, with only one hour and two gas camping stoves to cook on!”
But despite the time pressures, Head Judge Ben Axford described their efforts as a “phenomenal piece of cookery.”
“I would venture to say it's the best sticky toffee pudding I've ever had. It was super light.
“Bearing in mind I think I tasted something like 120 different dishes, I went back to that one twice. I've had several spoonfuls of it, even though I'm stuffed, it's testament to how utterly delicious it was.”
Ben also praised the Leicestershire team for taking a risk by cooking a range of classic dishes.
“When you go classical there isn't really anywhere to hide. But they executed everything perfectly. Every single element on those plates was spot on! From the flavour of the mint coming through perfectly in the peas all the way to that delicious sticky toffee pudding.”
Other winners on the day included a team from Brecknock who won the award for Best Presentation for their Hay Festival themed meal.
Their attention to detail was noted, with Head Judge Ben saying it was difficult to pick between all three of their dishes.
“They looked restaurant quality. They were refined, they were precise, and they were elegant,” said Ben.
The team, who included Isobel Hood, Megan White and Mari, also chose a starter of scallops, followed by lamb, and were delighted to be recognised for their presentation skills again, following a previous win.
“It's really nice to be coming back and doing it all again,” said Isobel. “And learning more skills to bring it back this year. I’m glad we won Best Presentation because I won it two years ago with my starter, so it was quite nice to do it again this year.”
The three Trecastle YFC members put a lot of effort into practising for the competition and have support from coaches. They say it has really built their confidence and even inspired Mari, the youngest member of the team, to choose Cookery as one of her GCSEs.
“We are really happy that we've won Best Presentation and the judge said our dishes were restaurant standard, which obviously has taken a lot of practice. It's taken many years to be able to get to this standard so it's really nice to have that reward,” said Isobel.
A striking red and gold Chinese New Year design won the best Display of the Day.
The team from Berriew YFC in Montgomery – Taiya Griffiths, Orlagh and Teleri – chose the eye catching and colourful theme because it is one of the most celebrated festivals in the UK.
“We were the only people who did this type of vibe as everyone else had gone for the races,” said Teleri about their winning efforts. “I thought it'd be unique and just stand out from everyone else.”
The team sought inspiration for their display from Chinatown in London and used chopsticks and a Chinese cat for authenticity. They even carried their theme through to their outfits too by wearing matching uniforms, with hats, red aprons and name tags.
“We had the some hats personally made from our local printing group with Chinese writing on the front,” said Tia.
“It’s amazing to have won. We’re so happy to take something home.”
Ben urged other Young Farmers to give the Cookery competition a go next year and said he and fellow judge Hetty Zeigler Jones were there to encourage competitors and taste their delicious food. Although he did make a suggestion for a future Cookery theme following his over indulgence this year.
“I think next year, if there's to be a theme, it should be salad and smoothies because I am absolutely stuffed.”
