Food & Health Alliance

The challenge saw S4 pupils from five East Lothian secondary schools put their culinary skills to the test, having 90 minutes to prepare a two-course meal, working under the scrutiny of distinguished judges. The brief was that ingredients should be predominantly fresh, East Lothian and/or Scottish and should reflect current eating trends. 

 The main course and dessert was prepared from a selected menu, and featured locally-produced pork, chicken and salmon. The young chefs had a free hand in choosing the dessert, the only stipulation being that it should be based on a dairy product.

The competition has been developed to complement and promote East Lothian’s rich history of local produce by involving our young people in an exciting cross county culinary challenge. It’s an opportunity to raise awareness of local and Scottish produce, especially with young people, and promotes a career in the Hospitality Industry as a realistic first choice, in East Lothian’s thriving food and drinks culture, and beyond.

The judges this year were John Paul McLaughlin, Executive Chef from the Marine Hotel in North Berwick and Elma McLaren, former Home Economics teacher and co-owner of Ballencrieff Rare Pedigree Pigs. Both judges complimented the chefs on the extremely high standard of their cooking and said that it had been a very difficult task to decide on a winning team.

So impressed was John Paul that every chef who took part in the final, along with their Home Economics teacher, was invited for a meal and a tour of the kitchen at his restaurant in the Marine hotel, so everyone went away a winner!