The Teflon™ Diamond Standard Awards are thrilled to announce the 2017 National Final winners are:
Keen Young Cook (13-16 years) - Harriet Morgan-Barstow, Bay House School
Aspiring Student Chef Winner (16-19 years) - Joe Smith, Brooksby Melton College
Keen Home Cooks (aged 17+) - Gareth Ford, Peterborough
The Diamond Standard Awards, sponsored by Teflon™ non-stick coatings offers the chance for non-professional cooks to gain recognition for their cooking ability at home and for those attending school and catering college, the opportunity to showcase what they’ve learnt.
The shortlisted finalists from across the UK attended the national cook-off at the Waitrose Cookery School, Finchley Road to cook their signature dishes for the panel of judges. The Keen Young Cooks baked a dish of their choice, the Aspiring Student Chefs cooked a signature favourite and a game dish was cooked by the Keen Home Cooks. The latter two categories also filleted and cooked a fish dish from demonstration and prepared their own take on a soufflé omelette.
Head judge celebrity chef Lesley Waters was joined by a team of esteemed chefs for the competition including The Pig Group’s James Golding and Bournemouth & Poole College’s Paul Dayman. Last year’s winner, James Ganderton who is thriving in an esteemed and professional environment as an apprentice at the award winning Chewton Glen Hotel also joined the team of judges for this year’s competition.
James Ganderton comments, “[It has] been an absolute pleasure to judge… a great experience demonstrating filleting fish to the aspired student chefs and learning new things is always a positive, it is so inspiring to see what talents are coming though the industry”.
The winning Keen Young Cook and Aspiring Student Chef were both awarded a prestigious three year Specialised Chefs Scholarship, a life changing opportunity to gain insight into the world of professional catering and even the chance to become one of the country’s finest chefs, training in the best restaurants in the UK. The Keen Home Cook winner received a bespoke cookery course weekend of their choice. In addition to these prizes, all the winners received bundles of cookware including product from our sponsors; NoStik, Utensa Wonderbake and Sitram.
The Teflon™ Diamond Standard Awards has quickly assumed a prominent position, attracting the attention of a prestigious group of sponsors and partners. The interest has grown year on year and the organisers at Dupree Creative are delighted to have already secured some sponsorship for 2018 as it becomes an annual calendar event not to be missed.
About the Teflon™ Diamond Standard Awards
Launched in 2012, the Diamond Standard Awards, sponsored by Teflon™ non-stick coatings is a prestigious, well respected initiative amongst industry leaders that recognises excellence, supporting students to achieve their goal of working as elite chefs in this dynamic industry and gives the chance for non-professional cooks to gain recognition for their cooking ability at home.
For students, this is potentially a life changing opportunity to receive a three-year Specialised Chefs Scholarship, training to become a fully qualified chef. The scholarship is divided into two categories; work based training with a chef member of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts at one of the finest hotels or restaurants in the UK and full time block release tuition at Bournemouth & Poole College. The course is arranged by the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts and Teflon™ non-stick coatings, Chemours and managed by The Bournemouth & Poole College.
A team of esteemed judges chaired by Lesley Waters chose their winners at the Waitrose Cookery School in London at a national cook-off on 25 January 2017. 2015’s winner, James Ganderton is thriving in an esteemed and professional environment as an apprentice at the award winning Chewton Glen Hotel and joined the team of judges for this year’s competition.
For more information, visit www.teflondsa.co.uk
Judges
Lesley Waters - Celebrity Chef & Head Judge
Simon Boyle, Founder, Beyond Food Foundation
Paul Dayman, Senior Lecturer, Bournemouth & Poole College
James Ganderton, Winner of the Teflon™ Diamond Standard Awards 2015
James Golding, Chef Director, The Pig Group
Jacks McDonnell, Head Teacher, Lesley Waters Cookery School
