Bethan Disley-Jones, 14, was announced as the winner of Springboard’s FutureChef 2016 at the National Final beating over 8,000 contestants to claim the title of FutureChef Winner for 2016.
Springboard’s FutureChef National final took place at Westminster Kingsway College, London on Monday 14th March with 12 finalists competing to be crowned FutureChef Winner 2016. The finalists had already completed in school heats, local and regional finals before making it to the National Final, beating over 8,000 students.
Serving up a menu of chicken with sundried tomatoes and chorizo mousse, followed by a dessert of baked pear with raspberry sorbet, Bethan from Pensby High School in Merseyside cooked her way into the judge’s hearts at the Springboard’s FutureChef 2016 National Final competition.
On hearing she won Springboard’s FutureChef 2016 Bethan said, ‘I entered FutureChef because I saw what past winners had achieved and I wanted the chance to do the same. It’s amazing to have won and I feel FutureChef will give me lots of opportunities for employment’.
Springboard’s FutureChef, is a nationwide culinary initiative delivered in nearly 600 schools nationwide. The main goal of FutureChef is to help young people aged 12-16 to learn the vital life skills of cooking and understanding nutrition, as well as providing invaluable insight into and inspiration for building a career within the hospitality industry. Key sponsors include the Worshipful Company of Cooks and the Savoy Educational Trust.
Springboard’s Dee Smith, Regional Director for London South-East, said “Congratulations to all of our hard-working, committed finalists – they have all been part of a great FutureChef. It really is amazing to see the quality of work by young chefs improve year on year, the talent we see as a result of the Springboard FutureChef initiative is remarkable and Bethan is a true winner.”
Celebrated Chef Brian Turner CBE said “It has been a fantastic day and it’s good to see so many dedicated young people with so much talent. Thanks must also go to teachers and mentors who make such a great contribution to the success of the event. Bethan is a great winner.”
Bethan wins a spectacular experience at Henley Regatta in July 2016 courtesy of sponsor Sodexo. They will work behind the scenes at the world famous event in the fine dining Fawley Meadows restaurant with Sodexo Prestige Executive Chefs. They will join their parents and guests for a meal, a boat trip on the Thames, and a day’s racing along with accommodation. Bethan also receives a year’s student membership for The Craft Guild of Chefs. Their school receives £400 of vouchers courtesy of Lockhart Catering Equipment and their mentor chef a commemorative plate.
Courtney McDowell, 16, City of Glasgow College, receives an invitation, along with three guests, to the Delaware North box at Wembley for the Summertime Ball 2016. Courtney will experience a work placement in the VIP area before the concert shadowing the Executive Head Chef for Hospitality, Mark Reynolds courtesy of Delaware North.
Connor Duncan, 16, Menie Estate Golf Academy, Aberdeenshire, will work with his mentor on an inspirational dinner with a celebrity chef and the Elior development chefs to produce a fine dining banquet for 100 VIP guests courtesy of Elior.
All National Finalists are given:
- £100 cash prize from the Worshipful Company of Cooks
- Personally embroidered aprons provided by Russums
- Commemorative plates
- Commemorative medals supplied by Craft Guild of Chefs
- Personally embroidered chef jackets provided by Johnsons Stalbirdge Linen
- Skull caps sponsored by Tonstate
- Cookery Book courtesy of Russums
Finalists
- Central and South Scotland – Courtney McDowell, 16, City of Glasgow College
- East Midlands – Yasmina Lock, 13, Ratcliffe College, Leicester
- East of England – Emily Eves, 13, Hartismere School, Suffolk
- North East – Abbie Frost, 15, Beverley High School, East Yorkshire
- Northern Ireland – Katie Russell, 14, Banbridge Academy, County Down
- South West – Madi Cole, 13, Penrice Academy, St. Austell
- Wales – Imogen Charles, 14, Bishop of Llandaff School, Cardiff
- West Midlands – Abigail Phipps, 13, Kingsmead School, Staffordshire
- North West – Bethan Disley-Jones, 14, Pensby High School, Merseyside
- North Scotland – Connor Duncan, 16, Menie Golf Academy, Aberdeenshire
- London – Phoebe Reeves, 15, Tanbridge House School,
- South East – Sophie Holman, 14, Bromley College, Orpington
Judges
- David Mulcahy, Culinary Director, Sodexo UK and Ireland, Head Judge
- Steve Munkley, Executive Chef, The Royal Garden Hotel
- Tom Hamblet, FutureChef 2015 Winner
- Mark Sargeant, Consultant Chef, BaxterStorey
- Lahiru Jayasekara, Head Chef, Petrus
- Simon Stocker, Advanced Practitioner, Westminster Kingsway College
- Matt Owens, Executive Pastry Chef, Fusion Catering Solutions
- Will Torrent, Consultant Pastry Chef, Waitrose
- Joe Queen, Executive Chef, Westerwood Hotel & Golf Resort
- Cyrus Todiwala, OBE DL, Chef Patron
- David Girard, Executive Pastry Chef, The Dorchester
- Simon Boyle, Chef Founder, The Brigade
- Sophie Wright, Sophie Wright Catering