Phoenix Academy Student Kai is Young Chef of the Year
His Mapo Tofu Noodles curry favour with judges of annual cooking competition
Kai with his winning noodles and coconut pudding
Phoenix Academy student Kai Sulcedo, 14 has won the coveted title Hammersmith & Fulham Young Chef of the Year.
Kai was among 12 young finalists in the annual cooking contest, hosted by Hammersmith & West London College and now in its 11th year.
His mapo tofu curry noodles and his knowledge of Chinese cuisine, specifically Sichuan, impressed the judges and Kai, from Westbourne Park, walked away with the title, a glass trophy, two cooking books and a generous gift card from Westfield after completing his competition menu with a Chinese-inspired coconut pudding.
He and his fellow finalists had an hour to prepare two courses from scratch in the production kitchen of the Ealing, Hammersmith & West London College Taste restaurant in Barons Court.
Jury member and Wembley Stadium head chef Gerrard Madden, who has cooked for the Queen, said it was important for young chefs to watch the pennies and make cooking adventurous.
"It’s a life skill, to be shared," he said. “If it is healthy, nutritious and flavoursome, you are a winner.
"Nowadays all of the culinary world is online at your fingertips. It’s all about how adventurous you want to be and, if you have a family, how you can diversify meals in several different dishes."
Winning chef Kai said he had learnt from his mum. "She’s given me loads of tips – how to reduce things, how to develop more flavours and to balance them. At home I normally cook at weekends, when mum and dad allow me.
"Cooking is a really good skill because you are learning for the future, but when I grow up I want to become an engineer, rather than a chef! But cooking will be a major hobby, because I really enjoy it."
The assessment panel included Dipna Anand, chef at Fulham's Dip in Brilliant, Andy Needham from Hammersmith's L’Amorosa, Ross Stacey of the River Cafe and dietician Miranda Greg.
They judged on organisation timing, food preparation skills, hygiene, presentation, taste and nutritional balance.
Fulham Cross student Selsabil Amtouti, 15, won the nutritional balance honours, describing her main course as “really easy, very nutrient, full of colours and with lots of flavours”. She wants to become a dentist, and own a bakery.
Alongside Kai and Selsabil, the young chefs were: Emily Hudsen and Jack May of Cambridge School, with their teacher Becky Dent; Aisha Anwar of Fulham Cross, with teacher Anna McKeever; Isabel Warren of Godolphin & Latymer, with teacher Carolin Gardner; Vicky Kay of Pheonix High, with teacher Sara Nur; Ahmed Galib, Gamima Ibwila-Empok and Dylan Laurie of Queensmill, respectively with their teachers Foteini Tsiakalou, Mary Uprichards and Liliana Suarez; Arturas Kulickis and Tayor Eley of Wood Lane, with teacher Elena Abril.
Awards were presented by Cllr Daryl Brown, Mayor of Hammersmith & Fulham. "This college is my second home," she said. "I was a student here, and then a teacher for more than 10 years. This competition encourages skills in teamwork and how to open up a business."
During the competition, 65 guests were served a hot lunch, prepared by the college catering students. Among the guests was Louisa Burlumi from Westfield, the long-term competition supporter, who gave £500 in gift cards to the young chefs.
You can see a gallery of pictures from the day here.