Budding chefs were challenged to design a creative two-course meal using items received in a Food Bank parcel.
MK Food Bank co-hosted the MK Food Champ final competition over the weekend, with the team at The Holiday Inn.
The MK Food Champ competition challenged local young people from years five to nine to design a creative two-course meal for four, predominantly based on items received in a Food Bank parcel.
Judges Frank Purcell of M&M Supplies, Louisa Hobbs from MK Food Bank, Milton Keynes Mayor Amanda Marlow, local blogger Sophie etc and Kevin from the Holiday Inn were among the judging panel on Saturday 29th October.
The competition aimed to raise awareness of food poverty and food bank use among young people, as well as to inspire and encourage a new generation of budding chefs to cook at home using basic, cheap and nutritious ingredients.
The judges feasted their way through all the fantastic mains and desserts and struggled to decide on two winners, in the end Matthew Taylor won with his Corn Beef Bolognese Hash, the winning dessert was Crunchy Paech Crumble by Connor Fraser.
You can taste all the fantastic meals at the Holiday Inn, Central Milton Keynes fundraising for MK Food Bank, throughout the whole of November.
Louisa Hobbs, Operational Manager for MK Food Bank said: "The MK Food Champ event was a fabulous success. Our five finalists were delighted to have the opportunity to see their recipes come to life, beautifully cooked and presented by Holiday Inn’s chefs.
"The judges were impressed by how wonderfully creative the meals were, and how well the young entrants had been able to create unique and tasty recipes out of cheap, basic ingredients. As well as enjoying the delicious food, it was a great opportunity to highlight the work of the Food Bank in these difficult times.
"As more and more families struggle to afford essentials such as energy and food, basic cooking education and cheap, nutritious recipes are needed more than ever. We’ll be sharing some of the winning recipes as part of a wider education project soon, so watch this space."
