By Megan Douglas
Budding chefs at Mackie Academy took part in the School Heat for the Springboard Future Chef Competition last week (30th September).
The school heat saw five pupils enter, with the task of designing, preparing and cooking a main meal for two people. Entrants were also tasked with working out the costing for their dishes, with a total budget of only £6.50.
The Springboard Future Chef Competition is now the biggest school culinary competition in the UK. Introducing the competition in school is an opportunity to create a focus and buzz around the hospitality and food department. The competition also supports in the creation of industry links with local chefs to support the curriculum and career progression for the pupils through advice and guidance on culinary career routes, including further education and apprenticeship opportunities.
The judging panel consisted of Julie Gray, chairperson and chef for Stonehaven Community Collective and Megan Douglas, business and community support officer for Mackie Academy.
Louise Moir, headteacher at Mackie Academy commented, “Our pupils put in a phenomenal effort at the Springboard Future Chef School Heat. We’re incredibly lucky to have a dedicated team in our Health Faculty including Miss Wilson, whose encouragement and support is a great motivation for pupils who are interested in exploring careers in hospitality.
”I was thankful that the decision to choose a winner didn’t fall to me as the standard was extremely high.”
The judges selected Aleisha Begg as the winner, and Aleisha will now progress to the North of Scotland Regional Final. Aleisha was the 2024/2025 Mackie entrant and made it to the national final in London where she was highly commended.
Commenting, Kirsty Wilson, home economics teacher at Mackie said, “We were thrilled with Aleisha’s performance last year and to see her come on so much in terms of her confidence and skill set was wonderful. Commitment is one of our core school values here at Makie and Aleisha sets a fantastic example of that by entering the competition again. We’re looking forward to supporting her throughout the Springboard experience.”
Feature image , L-R Megan Douglas, Louise Moir, Finlay Dunleavy, Amy Ross, Alexander Park, Aiden Marshall, Aleisha Begg, Kirsty Wilson and Julie Gray