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THERE’S a twist in the tale of the ‘Oliver’ who won Kendal College’s 2012 Young Chef of the Year competition.
He might have wowed the judges with his lip-smacking goats cheese and caramelised onion tart in thyme pastry, and then knocked them sideways with a sublime chocolate mousse cake and raspberry coulis, but Oliver Mills has already decided he wants to be a primary school teacher, not a chef.
More’s the pity, because if Monday’s competition is anything to go by, the 16-year-old Kirkbie Kendal student could have a great future ahead of him in a professional kitchen.
Oliver not only scooped the overall title – plus a cheque for £400 for his school and a cache of culinary treats for himself – but he also won the ‘best starter’ trophy with his fantastic goats cheese tart.
The prize for ‘best mains’ went to 14-year-old Beth Cooper, a student at Milnthorpe’s Dallam School, who cooked a Cumbrian stuffed pork tenderloin, with spiced red cabbage and a ruby port reduction, served with a potato and celeriac bake.
’Best Dessert’ went to 15-year-old Adam Hartley from Queen Elizabeth School in Kendal, who created a divine sticky prune pudding with toffee sauce and chantilly cream.
More than 150 GCSE catering students submitted menus hoping to make Kendal College’s prestigious young chef final.
However, only 12 contenders cut the mustard through the preliminary round to cook their three-course menu in three hours for a panel of judges including Gazette food columnist, Gillian Cowburn, former home economics teacher and Inner Wheel past president Christine McGraw from Windermere, and Kendal College chef-lecturers Paul Wareing and Simon Hansen.
Master of ceremonies for the evening was Kendal College governor and past Rotary president John Tiscornia who congratulated all those taking part.
The three main prizewinners will now go through to the regional heat of the Rotary Club young chef of the year competition, which was won in 2011 by last year’s winner of the Kendal College competition, Oliver McGeorge.
This year’s other contestants were – Mark Curran, 15, and Hannah McLellan, 14, both Queen Katherine School, Kendal; Katie Wolfendale, 15, Kathy Hadwin, 14, Ellie Meredith, 14, all from John Ruskin, Coniston; Fiona Thompson, 15, and Stephanie Wise, 15, both Kirkbie Kendal; Stephanie Barnes, 15, Settlebeck School, Sedbergh; and Rebecca Atkinson, 14, Queen Elizabeth School, Kirkby Lonsdale.

Last changed: Jan 24 2012 at 7:03 PM