By Leah Conway –
Tom Armstrong, a chef based at Shelley College in Shelley, Huddersfield has advanced to the next round of the LACA School Chef of the Year (SCOTY).
After winning regional rounds, Tom Armstrong will represent Yorkshire & The Humber at the National Final.
Tom will join eleven other school chefs from across the UK to compete at the final on 6 and 7 July at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole.
The final will see the school chefs prepare and serve a grab & go savoury snack, with a main meal and dessert in only 1 hour 45 minutes.
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Each contestant must use a least one Quorn product in both the grab & go item and main course and one Bisto product from a list provided in either the snack or the main course.
The dessert must be at least 50% fruit-based and should reflect school standards, using one Premier Foods product from a list provided.
This year marks the 28th year of the SCOTY competition, the winner will receive a £1,000 cash prize, the 2022 LACA School Chef of the Year trophy and an invitation to a calendar of catering industry events. The national second and third place winners will receive £500 and £300 respectively.
There are nine regional winners set to compete:
- Tasha Watts, employed at the Crispin Academy, Street (South West winner)
- Wendy Lohse, employed by Chartwells and is based at Saltfleet Primary School, Isle of Wight (South East winner)
- Jackie Sweeney, employed by the Vertas Group and is based at Hewett Academy, Norwich (East of England winner)
- Tom Armstrong, employed by Mellors Catering Services, and is based at Shelley College, Huddersfield (Yorkshire & Humber winner)
- Victoria Clair, employed by Stockton Borough Council, and is based at Crooksbarn Primary School, Norton (North East & Scotland winner)
- Clair Edwards, employed by Caerphilly County Borough Council and is based at Rhiw Syr Dafydd Primary School, Oakdale (Wales winner)
- Rose Simpson, employed by Lancashire County Council and is based at Morecambe Bay Community Primary School, Morecombe (North West winner)
- Lee Taylor, employed by Academy and is based at John Gulson Primary School, Coventry (West Midlands winner)
- Raheem Morgan, employed by Chartwells Lewisham and is based at Torridon Primary School (London winner).
Wildcard entries
Along with the regional winners, there will be three wildcard entries:
- Terry Howard, employed by Radish All Good and is based at Monega Primary School, Forest Gate, London
- Arkadiusz Aoun Kosiacki, employed by Impact Food Group at the Bilingual Primary School, Hove and
- James Brown from Queen Ethelbuga’s College, York
‘Talent and creativity’
LACA national chair, Jacquie Blake said: “Each year I am amazed at the talent and creativity of the entries we receive. There can be no better calling than to ensure that children receive delicious, nutritious meals whilst they are at school.
“The link between healthy eating and learning has been well proven and our chefs up and down the country provide a valuable service to their local communities.”
Sarah Robb, foodservice marketing manager at Premier Foods said: “We have supported school chefs across the UK for many years and so have seen first-hand the hard work and dedication they put in.
“It’s great to have competitions like LACA School Chef of the Year to shine a light on this important sector. The dishes we’ve seen served up have not only been beautifully presented but they tasted delicious and showed real innovation and creativity.”