After an outstanding display of talent, creativity, technical skills and local knowledge, eight teams of up and coming chefs from schools across Northern Ireland and Donegal have made it to the final stage of the 2019 Mount Charles Big School Cook Off in association with the Irish News and SuperValu!

Each one of these teams of two young people, aged between 11-14, won a regional heat where they competed against other teams from their county, with a total of 37 schools taking part in this year’s competition and two heats taking place in County Antrim due to the sheer volume of entries.

Nearly 200 dishes were entered into the first stage of the contest, with only the very best making it as far as the regional heats; and the teams that were successful at those heats are now preparing in earnest for the grand final at Belfast Met’s Titanic Quarter campus in March.

The finalists are:

County Antrim Erinn Tieger and Katie Rose Rodgers from St Louise’s Comprehensive College, Belfast, with their Homemade Fishcakes with Dijon Sauce. and Gabriela Zubel and Kaitlyn Horner from Belfast Model School for Girls, with their Autumnal Honeyed Vegetable Paella served with Broad Bean Guacamole, Kale Salsa and homemade Paprika & Parmesan Tortilla Chips.

County Armagh Keely-Mae Rafferty and Aoife McCreesh from St Catherine’s College, Armagh, with their Creamy Mushroom and Leek Pan Fried Chicken Breast served with Boiled Rice and Roasted Carrots. County Derry/Londonderry Roise McLery and Dearbhail O’Donnell from St Cecilia’s College, Derry, with their Kedegree Fish Pie served with Braised Leeks and Peas.

County Donegal Hayden Nelis and Oisin McHugh from Scoil Mhuire, Milford, with their Noisette of Lamb, Minted Pea Puree, Duchess Potatoes and a Rosemary Jus.

County Down Clodagh Burke and Aoife McKee from Assumption Grammar School, Ballynahinch, with their Paneer Stuffed Pancakes.

County Fermanagh Maeve Mooney and Naoise McKiernan from St Aidan’s High School, Enniskillen, with their Seared Chicken served on Fermanagh Black Bacon Boxty.

County Tyrone Eimear Kelly and Milly Hoban from Loreto Grammar School, Omagh, with their Cauliflower Crust Pizza.

Caitriona Lennox, Business Development and Retention Manager at Mount Charles, Ireland’s largest locally owned foodservice company, and Big School Cook Off Ambassador said: “First of all, a huge congratulations to all of the schools and young people who made it to the final stage of the competition!

“Our taste buds were well and truly tickled at the heats, the talent and creativity these young chefs displayed was, quite simply, exceptional.

“We would love to see more young people considering a culinary career, so the Big School Cook off is our way to encourage and inspire them, helping them to grow a valuable life skill that might just pave the way to success in the future,” she added.

Food market retailer SuperValu is the proud sponsor of the Big School Cook Off. 

Commenting on the announcement of the finalists, Brendan Gallen, Head of Marketing for SuperValu said: 

“We were astounded by the level of talent and creativity on display at each of the regional heats and we’d like to congratulate everyone that has made it to the grand final.

“SuperValu prides itself on providing a great selection of fresh, local produce to communities right across Northern Ireland, inspiring people to get back into the kitchen and to make healthier choices. It was really encouraging to see this next generation of foodies in action; their passion and enthusiasm for food, great quality ingredients and cooking was truly inspiring."

John Brolly, Marketing Manager at the Irish News said: “We are delighted to be involved in the Big School Cook Off as it such an exciting initiative. It’s amazing to see the students balance so many different skills – attention to detail, teamwork and time management as well as workflow.

“It also shows the passionate interest there is for food and cooking among students, their imagination and knowledge was inspiring and all finalists should be very proud of the high standard of their work.”

Each winning team at the regional heats will receive a personalised apron, a finalist plaque for their school and a chef’s jacket to wear to the final on 6th March.

The overall winning team at the grand final will win £100 of catering equipment vouchers for their school as well as a winning school plaque and 12 VIP Private Box tickets, to see the Belfast Giants ice hockey team at the SSE Arena.