The JCG/Genuine Jersey ‘Skills for Life’ cookery competition is searching out Jersey’s best amateur chefs this October. Students from all of the island’s secondary schools will participate, and this year will also see the return of the adult cooking contest.
Adult entrants are being asked to create a main course using as many ingredients as possible that have been grown, reared or caught in Jersey. Andrew Baird, Executive Chef at Longueville Manor will be adjudicating the adult competition with Tommy Radiguet, Head Chef at Samphire, and Tim and Rozena Pedley judging the student heats.
Budding chefs should submit their dish designs by 14th October, with chosen finalists going through to the cook-off final on Saturday 19th October at 9am. There will be a selection of prizes on offer for one lucky winner as well as the accolade of being ‘Genuine Jersey certified’ as an amateur chef!
Held in partnership with Genuine Jersey and organised and hosted by Jersey College for Girls, Skills for Life aims to raise awareness of healthy eating using local produce, as well as capture the spirit of shows such as The Great British Bake Off and Masterchef. Entrants are asked to create a healthy, balanced main dish which embraces local, seasonal produce.
Organiser Antoinette De Louche, Head of Food and Nutrition at JCG, said: “We encourage our students to develop and extend their skills and knowledge by exploring local produce so that they can see how easy it can be to eat healthy meals.However, we forget that sometimes us adults need this encouragement too! With our lives so busy and full we can overlook the importance of utilizing fresh ingredients readily at our disposal. I hope this competition will help more of us view cooking and food preparation as a family event and time of celebration.”
Genuine Jersey Chief Executive John Garton said: “This is a fantastic event that Genuine Jersey are happy to support once again this year. I think there is a trend for people to think more about what they are eating and in particular to try to buy as local and natural as they can. Following on from the Eat Local Challenge and initiatives that supermarkets and grocery stores are implementing, this competition can only help to raise awareness of what a great range of produce we have on our doorstep.”
Ongoing sponsorship for the student section of the competition has been received from Modern Hotels, Mange Tout, Dunn Ross Fisheries, Rondel’s Farm Shop, Longueville Manor, Pedley Family, Genuine Jersey, The Boathouse Group, Shaun Rankin and Vienna Bakery.
The rules and entry details can be viewed on www.genuinejersey.com
