Burntwood School Pupil Wins Young Chef Of Year


14 year old Amaya O'Reilly wowed judges with her menu

tony Worrall Thompson
Antony Worrall Thompson with Amaya

Burntwood School pupil Amaya O’Reilly aged 14 has won the third annual Wandsworth Young Chef of the Year competition.

Her dish of prawn rice-noodle salad to start, a main course of Kung Po chicken with white rice, and raspberry brownie dessert wowed the judges, including celebrity chef Antony Worrall Thompson.

Second place was taken by Shanice Gayle from Harris Academy Battersea, and Arthur Butler from Chestnut Grove School came third.

The competition is run by the Mayor of Wandsworth and the council’s public health team. It teaches young people how to cook good healthy food to a budget, and gives them the opportunity to access training, mentoring and valuable experience in the catering industry with a view to helping them get jobs in the future.

Pupils from eight borough school took part in the final and were given support and mentoring by chefs from catering contractor Compass. They were also taken on a trip to Billingsgate Market to learn how to source, select and fillet fish, and attended a masterclass hosted by The Hospitality and Catering Academy of South Thames College.

Amaya’s dishes will now appear for a day on the menu of the South Thames College Hospitality and Catering Academy’s restaurant. She has also been invited to enter the UK-wide Rotary Future Chef competition.

March 30, 2016