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Countdown to Young Cooks

Time is running out for pupils to take part in an exciting MasterChef-style cookery contest and get inspired in the kitchen.

Children at Primary and Secondary School have until midnight on Wednesday 7 November to get their entries in for the county’s official cooking competition for schools.

Young Cooks 2017 from Inspire Schools on Vimeo.

The annual contest is staged by the KM Charity Team to generate excitement about cooking - and to encourage young people to develop skills in preparing healthy meals to a budget.

Schools can get on board by helping pupils to submit entries in the classroom or by encouraging them to enter from home. All the young chefs need to do is prepare a dish and upload a photograph of the meal plus recipe details to the Young Cooks website.

Entrants for the Secondary School and Family categories must create two dishes to showcase their cooking skills while Primary School pupils are only required to submit one dish.

A child must be accompanied by an adult for the Family category and this can be a parent, guardian, Special Educational Needs Coordinator or Family Liaison Officer.

The best entrants in each category will be invited to make their dish for a VIP judging panel at the competition final hosted by East Kent College. The winners will receive framed certificates, goody bags packed with cookery prizes, and a share of the £500 prize pot.

Maxine Tarquini, organiser of Young Cooks, said: “Each year it is wonderful to see finalists’ delight and sense of accomplishment, as well as how proud their parents and teachers are of them. If you know a child with any interest in baking or cooking, this is a great opportunity for them to step up to the plate.”

She added: “The competition fits neatly with many food-related courses with consideration given to budgeting, healthy eating, and locally-sourced ingredients. In fact, such students are welcome to enter the dishes they plan to cook for their exams.”

Visit the Young Cooks website to enter before the deadline of midnight on Wednesday 7 November.

The KCC-supported publication Developing an Educational Legacy details how this initiative (formerly known as Kent Cooks) links to Ofsted.

Contact Details

Maxine Tarquini
Telephone: 08442 640291
Email: mtarquini@thekmgroup.co.uk