Huge congratulations to Doreen in Year 10 who took park in the FutureChef Final in London. Although Doreen didn’t win the FutureChef competition, she certainly left her mark!. While she didn’t take first place, she was highly commended, and had she been ranked, she would have placed fourth.
Doreen faced a challenge with her main course when her crown prince squash burnt. It’s important to note that the competition took place in a professional kitchen, one she had never worked in before, with unfamiliar equipment and setup. Unfortunately, this issue cost her too many points to recover from, despite the fact that her dessert was outstanding, receiving praise from all quarters.
The competition was judged by an impressive panel, including renowned chefs such as Brian Turner, Alain Roux (son of Michel Roux), Cherish Finden (judge of Bake Off: The Professionals), several Michelin star chefs, and last year’s winner. A total of 15 judges reviewed the dishes, making the competition fierce.
Doreen’s menu included:
- Main Course: Torched fillet of mackerel, Crown Prince squash puree, wilted rainbow chard, and a marinated purple sprouting broccoli salad.
- Dessert: Ginger pastry disc, poached rhubarb, rhubarb gel, and rhubarb custard espuma.
The finalists were provided with a selection of ingredients for the main course, and the dessert brief was to create a twist on a rhubarb tart, pie, or crumble.
Please join me in congratulating Doreen when you see her—she was absolutely exhausted after the long day of high-pressure cooking, but still made it to school today. With over 18,000 students from across the country entering, FutureChef is a fantastic platform that highlights the incredible talent in the Hospitality and Catering industry. Competing in FutureChef teaches valuable life skills, including resilience, problem-solving, adaptability, organization, and, of course, expert cooking.
Doreen’s professionalism was remarkable. She interacted with a wide range of adults, communicating in a mature and professional manner, as we would expect from a student of English Martyrs’.
This year marks the seventh time English Martyrs’ has participated in FutureChef, and our track record speaks for itself:
- 2018: Local heats
- 2018/19: Finals in London
- 2019/20: Finals in London
- 2020/21: Cancelled, but Online Bake-Off – EM won East Midlands
- 2021/22: Regional finals
- 2022/23: Regional finals
- 2024/25: Finals in London
We are incredibly proud of Doreen and all of our students who have competed over the years, and we look forward to continuing this tradition of excellence in future competitions!
