A total of 13 budding chefs participated in the competition, now in its fourth year, which included a week of professional instruction on kitchen etiquette and cookery skills before undertaking the task of preparing a two course meal in front of a panel of judges. Judges were led by the South West’s Celebrity Chef Martin Blunos and included Wendy Samuel, Skills Director, Tourism Skills Network South West and former Bristol Restauranteur, Vince Castellano.

Each student benefited from the expert knowledge of mentors from across the city’s top hotel restaurants. Winner, Bernice Febry, mentored by Mohamed Abdelhakim, Chef at the Novotel Bristol, cooked up a delicious dish of Salmon rolled in asparagus with a shallot and white wine sauce; accompanied by spinach, wild mushrooms and potato fondants with garlic and thyme. Judges were then treated to a delectable dessert of Bread and Butter Pudding with raspberries, currants, drizzled with a vanilla and raspberry sauce.

Bernice received an array of prizes including the much coveted Bristol Blue Glass trophy, a cookery course at Bristol cookery school, ‘Bordeaux Quay’, a chefs jacket sponsored by Sunlight and a trophy presented by Destination Bristol to display in her school.

The Bristol Junior Chef Competition was launched in 2004 as an initiative of the Bristol Hotels Association in response to the decreasing number of young people entering the industry. The annual competition is organised in partnership with the Tourism Skills Network West of England, Destination Bristol and City of Bristol College. As part of the recruitment drive, chefs from the City’s top hotel restaurants mentor students in a bid to encourage talented youngsters to enter the industry.

Martin Blunos, speaking at the award ceremony, said: “It is great to see so many young people interested in the industry. The Bristol Junior Chef Competition is a great way of introducing young people to industry. The standard of cooking that we saw in the competition was brilliant with a lot of different ideas and flavours. It is clear that a lot of valuable skills have been picked up from mentor chefs.”

Bristol Junior Chef prides itself on bringing colleges and industry closer together to work as one force to promote the tourism and hospitality industry. Many students who entered the competition are now going on to study catering at City of Bristol College and undertake Chef Apprenticeships.

Support and fresh produce for the competition were kindly provided by A David and Company, Brooks Service Group, M & J Seafood, John Shepphard Butchers, Nisbets, Identity Design, Call Print, Churchill China, Sunlight Service Group Ltd, Bristol Blue Glass, Novotel Bristol, Fosters Event Catering, Hotel du Vin and Bristol Farmers Market.