Young Chef

Each year the Club takes part in the Rotary Young Chef Competition, starting with a local round


For a number of years the Club has supported the national Rotary Young Chef competition.

This has a number of stages commencing with a local round.  Winners from the Club Rounds then go forward to an area final, and if successful to a District and then on to the National final.

Quite a challenge!

A number of years ago one of our local winners Jason Curia did reach the national final.

In 2020 one of the winners at our local Club Round,  George Bramley from Bedale High School, was successful in reaching the District Final held at Betty's Cookery School. Although he did not progress from that round he and all our other participants thoroughly enjoyed their experience.

Inevitably, the competition was impacted by Covid in 2020, and the national competition has not been held in 2021 or 2022.  But the Club felt it important that we continued with a local competition and this has been supported in both 2022 and 2023 by both Northallerton School & Sixth Form College and Bedale High School.

For the competition in 2023, students raised their skills to new levels to impress the judges.

A record number of 14 contestants from Northallerton School & Sixth Form College and Bedale High School took part in the initial cook-off before six were selected for the final. 

Each of the Year 10 and 11 students was tasked with producing a healthy two-course meal against the clock, with a tight budget for ingredients. 

The winner was Michaela Pampalou, from Bedale High School, whose two-course meal of moussaka with Greek salad, followed by mini filled Greek pastries, won top marks from the judging panel led by ex-RAF Leeming Catering Flight Warrant Officer Nick Wright. 

The judges admitted it was a tough decision because fellow contestants Raneem Al Masalmah, Hayma Alsafar, Ewan Kell, Olivia Robinson and Sophie Hutchinson ran Michaela very close.

Our picture shows the finalists with our judging team, including members from the Club, and teachers from the two schools involved in the competition.  Our winner Michaela is shown with her dishes that so impressed our judges.

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